The musical group, Happy Flowers, was formed in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, in 1983 by two members of the Landlords, John Beers ("Mr. Horribly Charred Infant", drums, vocals) and Charlie Kramer ("Mr. Anus", guitar, vocals), both students at the University of Virginia.[1][2] This duo combines improvisational noise punk guitar and drums with lyrics often written in the first person from the perspective of a child, with childlike intonation and grammar.[3] Their humorous songs are mainly about freak childhood accidents and common childhood gripes.
[edit] History
Happy Flowers' first song, "Mom, I Gave the Cat Some Acid", was released during the summer of 1984 as a part of the compilation album called Brain of Stone. This was followed the same year by the band's first two EPs.[4] The band received a wider audience with the albums My Skin Covers My Body (1987) and I Crush Bozo (1988), both released by Homestead Records.[1][4] The 1990 album Lasterday I Was Been Bad featured drummer Scott Pickering on half of the tracks.[5] In March 2000, the band went on a four-date tour, the band's first tour in nearly ten years. In February 2004, the band reunited in Charlottesville, Virginia for a 20th anniversary performance, a limited-edition DVD from which is available from Lost Frog Productions. In March 2006, the band reunited again and played at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas.
[edit] Line-up
- Mr. Horribly Charred Infant (vocals, instruments, non-instruments)
- Mr. Anus (vocals, instruments, non-instruments)
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Compilations
[edit] Singles, EPs
- Songs for Children 7" EP (1984), Catch Trout
- Now We Are Six 7" EP (1986), Catch Trout
- "They Cleaned My Cut Out With a Wire Brush" (1988), Homestead
- "BB Gun" (1989), Homestead
- "Call Me Pudge" (1990), Homestead
- The Peel Sessions 7" EP (1991), Homestead
[edit] Videography
- 20th Anniversary Show (DVD, 2006)
[edit] References
- ^ a b Strong, Martin C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN 1-84195-335-0, p. 362-3
- ^ Foster, Patrick "I Crush Bozo Review", Allmusic, retrieved 2010-08-30
- ^ Robbins, Ira & Schinder, Scott "Happy Flowers", Trouser Press, retrieved 2010-08-30
- ^ a b Ankeny, Jason "Happy Flowers Biography", Allmusic, retrieved 2010-08-30
- ^ Hamlin, Andrew "Lasterday I Was Been Bad Review", Allmusic, retrieved 2010-08-30
[edit] External links
