Kid Congo Powers
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| Kid Congo Powers | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Brian Tristan |
| Born | 27 March 1959 La Puente, California, U.S.A. |
| Genres | Post-punk, alternative rock, garage rock |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, |
| Instruments | Guitar, piano, keyboards, vocals |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Labels | Mute |
| Associated acts | The Gun Club, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Cramps, The Divine Horsemen, Congo Norvell, Kid Congo Powers and the Pink Monkey Birds |
| Website | Official site |
Kid Congo Powers is the stage name of Brian Tristan (born March 27, 1959, La Puente, California),[1] an American rock guitarist and singer, best known as a member of The Gun Club, The Cramps and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.
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[edit] Biography
Powers is a second generation Mexican American. In 1976, he was president of The Ramones fan club, then ran a fanzine for The Screamers. After traveling to London and New York City he returned to L.A. and in 1979 met Jeffrey Lee Pierce. Pierce taught him to play guitar using open tuning, and they formed 'The Creeping Ritual', which became The Gun Club.[1] Powers left that group before their recording debut, instead joining New York-based band The Cramps in December 1980.[1] He rejoined the Gun Club briefly in 1983, rejoining again between 1985 and 1988, when he again left to join Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds in Berlin, for several albums and associated tours.[1] Powers has also played with The Divine Horsemen, The Angels of Light, Die Haut and The Fall.[citation needed]
Powers has collaborated with New York City guitarist Jack Martin on projects like The Pink Monkey Birds,[2] Congo Norvell and Knoxville Girls.
2009 saw Powers update band members Kiki Solis on Bass, Ron Miller on Drums, and Jesse Roberts on guitar and keyboards. The band move to In The Red Records and released the much acclaimed LP "Dracula Boots" which was herald by many as a "return to form." Co-Produced by Jason Ward and recorded in a High School gymnasium in Harveyville, Kansas, now an artists retreat known as The Harveyville Project, Dracula Boots uses southern soul, 60's Chicano rock, and psychedelic imagery. British magazine N.M.E. said " In short, on ‘Dracula Boots’ Kid Congo Powers has once again found the juicy jugular of soul-fired, funked-up rock’n’roll. You’d be foolish not to take a bite." In 2011 Kid Congo and The Pink Monkey Birds released their follow up album, "Gorilla Rose" also on In The Red Records. Eamon Carr of The Dublin Evening Herald said of "Gorilla Rose" "Having a working band is paying off. Gorilla Rose elevates seedy go-go weirdness to the level of high art."
[edit] Selected discography
- 1981 The Cramps - Psychedelic Jungle
- 1984 The Cramps - Smell of Female
- 1984 The Gun Club - The Las Vegas Story
- 1987 The Gun Club - Mother Juno
- 1990 The Gun Club - Pastoral Hide and Seek
- 1991 The Gun Club - Divinity EP
- 1985 The Fur Bible EP
- 1988 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Tender Prey
- 1990 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - The Good Son
- 1988 Barry Adamson - Moss Side Story
- 1998 Mark Eitzel - Caught in a Trap and I Can't Back Out 'Cause I Love You Too Much, Baby
- 2005 Kid Congo Powers - Solo Cholo
- 2006 Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds - Philosophy and Underwear
- 2006 Madrugada - Live at Oslo Spektrum [DVD]
- 2009 Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds - Dracula Boots
- 2011 Kid Congo and The Pink Monkey Birds - Gorilla Rose
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Strong, Martin C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN 1-84195-335-0, p. 25, 41, 359
- ^ Marszalek, Julian (2009) "Kid Congo Powers Pays Tribute to Mentors", Spinner, 30 November 2009, retrieved 2010-01-30
[edit] External links
- Kid Congo Powers official site
- Kid's page from his label, New York Night Train
- The ultimate Kid Congo Powers resource - Kid discusses his life and career in over 4 hours of audio, text, mp3s, rare photos, and more from NewYorkNightTrain.com
- 2006 Interview with Kid Congo Powers from the Modern Pea Pod
- interview on outsideleft.com
- two part 2006 interview with Kid Congo Powers on outsideleft.com part one part two
- Interview with Kid Congo on ruadebaixo.com (Portuguese)
- LA Weekly 2011 interview {http://www.laweekly.com/2011-05-26/music/kid-congo-powers-the-abrasive-and-the-beautiful/}
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