Now that the interns are handling a lot of the blogging I think I am going to latch on to the current Throwback Thursday social media trend and present a weekly blog featuring a one-time indie band that found decent mainstream success. I mean, unless a performer was discovered by Disney they were all pretty much indie at one point, but as the series progresses each week I think you will get a feel of what we are trying to accomplish here.
This week's Throwback Thursday artist is Big Head Todd & The Monsters.
Condensed Bio: Since their formation in the mid-’80s, Big Head Todd & the Monsters have continued to evolve and explore, moving beyond their Colorado club circuit roots to become one of the most adventurous, respected and durable bands in America. Through constant touring and a zeal to travel down new musical avenues in the studio, BHTM (as their dedicated fans call them) have honed their collective stew of influences into a trademark hybrid sound that’s immediately recognizable. Now, with Black Beehive, their maiden release on Shout! Factory (February 4, 2014), the quartet has made its most personal and poignant album to date, a collection of new studio tracks that, says co-founder and figurehead Todd Park Mohr, “allows us to truly reach our audience through the language of the blues.”
Career Arc: During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Big Head Todd & the Monsters built their audience through constant touring, playing colleges and small and mid-cap venues starting locally and building a national audience playing similar-sized gigs across the country and releasing their first two albums on their own BIG Records label, amassing a substantial following.
The band was formed in 1986 with Todd Park Mohr on guitar and vocals, Brian Nevin on drums and vocals and Rob Squires on bass and vocals. The three began touring clubs in Denver, Fort Collins, and Boulder as Big Head Todd and the Monsters in 1987.
Their first album, Another Mayberry garnered mostly local appeal, but it was their second album, Midnight Radio, featuring cover art by Chris Mars of The Replacements that put Big Head Todd & The Monsters on the fast track. The grouped signed to mid-indie Giant Records, a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Irving Azoff and released their best-selling album Sister Sweetly in 1993. That album went platinum and charted three singles, Bittersweet, Broken Hearted Savior, and Circle. An appearance at H.O.R.D.E. in 1993 capped their career year, and the band released a live recording of that performance.
Mohr took on the role of producer for the critically acclaimed Stratagem, which was released in 1994, and peaked at number 30 on the Billboard 200.
That was followed by Beautiful World, released in 1997 and produced by Jerry Harrison of The Talking Heads. Giant Records folded after the release of Live Monsters in 1998, so Warner dropped the band and subsequent releases by Big Head Todd & The Monsters have been released on the band's Big label, including the vastly underrated Riviera, which the band put out in 2002.
Discography:
What Are They Doing Now:
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Big Head Todd & The Monsters released their 14th album, Black Beehive, in February 2014. Pop Matters gave the album a score of 7.0/10.0 and said "Mohr sought out producer Steve Jordan for the job. In the ‘90s, Big Head Todd and the Monsters’ sound came equipped with a radio-friendly guitar crunch and an overall band mix that suited concert hall expectations. With Black Beehive, Jordan puts you in the band’s rehearsal space. The sound is protracted and the rhythm section shakes just a little looser."
The band is famous for their New Years Eve shows each year in Colorado but this year they are changing it up ever-so-slightly. Instead they will play a Holiday Show at the Boulder Theater on December 27th. Just like their signature New Years shows of past years Big Head Todd & The Monsters will be playing two full sets and will have hotel deals available for fans who wish to attend.
Fanclub tickets are available at http://bit.ly/1sbadoi
Tickets for general public sale at http://www.bouldertheater.com/
Hotel deals for the 27th are available at the Boulderado, by phone only. Call 303-442-4344 and mention Group Code 16812 for discounted rates.
Big Head Todd & The Monsters Social Media Links:Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Tumblr
Article Sources: All Music Guide, Pop Matters, The Great Rock Discography, Big Head Todd Website, Billboard
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This week's Throwback Thursday artist is Big Head Todd & The Monsters.
Condensed Bio: Since their formation in the mid-’80s, Big Head Todd & the Monsters have continued to evolve and explore, moving beyond their Colorado club circuit roots to become one of the most adventurous, respected and durable bands in America. Through constant touring and a zeal to travel down new musical avenues in the studio, BHTM (as their dedicated fans call them) have honed their collective stew of influences into a trademark hybrid sound that’s immediately recognizable. Now, with Black Beehive, their maiden release on Shout! Factory (February 4, 2014), the quartet has made its most personal and poignant album to date, a collection of new studio tracks that, says co-founder and figurehead Todd Park Mohr, “allows us to truly reach our audience through the language of the blues.”
Career Arc: During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Big Head Todd & the Monsters built their audience through constant touring, playing colleges and small and mid-cap venues starting locally and building a national audience playing similar-sized gigs across the country and releasing their first two albums on their own BIG Records label, amassing a substantial following.
The band was formed in 1986 with Todd Park Mohr on guitar and vocals, Brian Nevin on drums and vocals and Rob Squires on bass and vocals. The three began touring clubs in Denver, Fort Collins, and Boulder as Big Head Todd and the Monsters in 1987.
Their first album, Another Mayberry garnered mostly local appeal, but it was their second album, Midnight Radio, featuring cover art by Chris Mars of The Replacements that put Big Head Todd & The Monsters on the fast track. The grouped signed to mid-indie Giant Records, a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Irving Azoff and released their best-selling album Sister Sweetly in 1993. That album went platinum and charted three singles, Bittersweet, Broken Hearted Savior, and Circle. An appearance at H.O.R.D.E. in 1993 capped their career year, and the band released a live recording of that performance.
Mohr took on the role of producer for the critically acclaimed Stratagem, which was released in 1994, and peaked at number 30 on the Billboard 200.
That was followed by Beautiful World, released in 1997 and produced by Jerry Harrison of The Talking Heads. Giant Records folded after the release of Live Monsters in 1998, so Warner dropped the band and subsequent releases by Big Head Todd & The Monsters have been released on the band's Big label, including the vastly underrated Riviera, which the band put out in 2002.
Discography:
- Another Mayberry (1989)
- Midnight Radio (1990)
- Sister Sweetly (1993)
- Strategem (1994)
- Beautiful World (1997)
- Live Monsters (1998)
- Riviera (2002)
- Crimes of Passion (2004)
- Live at the Fillmore (2004)
- From the Archives (2007)
- All the Love You Need (2007)
- Rocksteady (2010)
- 100 Years of Robert Johnson (2011)
- Black Beehive (2014)
Big Head Todd & The Monsters Fanclub: http://bigheadtodd.bandgarden.com/fanclub/
Must Own Songs by Big Head Todd & The Monsters
Must Own Songs by Big Head Todd & The Monsters
- Bittersweet
- Broken Hearted Savior
- Poor Miss
- In The Morning
- Resignation Superman
- Please Don't Tell Her
- It's Alright
- Circle
- Riviera
- Boom Boom (featuring John Lee Hooker)
- Juliana
Big Head Todd & The Monsters released their 14th album, Black Beehive, in February 2014. Pop Matters gave the album a score of 7.0/10.0 and said "Mohr sought out producer Steve Jordan for the job. In the ‘90s, Big Head Todd and the Monsters’ sound came equipped with a radio-friendly guitar crunch and an overall band mix that suited concert hall expectations. With Black Beehive, Jordan puts you in the band’s rehearsal space. The sound is protracted and the rhythm section shakes just a little looser."
The band is famous for their New Years Eve shows each year in Colorado but this year they are changing it up ever-so-slightly. Instead they will play a Holiday Show at the Boulder Theater on December 27th. Just like their signature New Years shows of past years Big Head Todd & The Monsters will be playing two full sets and will have hotel deals available for fans who wish to attend.
Fanclub tickets are available at http://bit.ly/1sbadoi
Tickets for general public sale at http://www.bouldertheater.com/
Hotel deals for the 27th are available at the Boulderado, by phone only. Call 303-442-4344 and mention Group Code 16812 for discounted rates.
Big Head Todd & The Monsters Social Media Links:Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Tumblr
Article Sources: All Music Guide, Pop Matters, The Great Rock Discography, Big Head Todd Website, Billboard