The Amps
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| The Amps | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Dayton, Ohio |
| Genres | Indie rock |
| Years active | 1995–1996 |
| Labels | 4AD Records Elektra |
| Associated acts | Pixies Throwing Muses The Breeders Guided By Voices |
The Amps were an indie-rock band from Dayton, Ohio. Formed by Kim Deal in 1995 after The Breeders went on hiatus, they first began touring as "Tammy Ampersand and the Amps" (a name inspired by friend Robert Pollard) but it was later shortened to "The Amps."
Their album Pacer was released in 1995.
Kim Deal originally intended to play all of the instruments herself, even going so far to learn the drums (she knew guitar and bass already, having played guitar in The Breeders and bass in The Pixies), but in the end she recruited Jim Macpherson, the drummer from The Breeders, and Luis Lerma and Nate Farley, two friends from Dayton, to play on the album and tour.
Pacer sold poorly, despite generally good reviews. Perhaps anticipating a hit along the lines of Last Splash, Elektra had ordered a huge first pressing, leading to the widespread availability of discounted copies of Pacer in used-record and dollar stores.
The Amps continued to tour until mid-1996, including a lucrative gig opening for the Foo Fighters, when Kim Deal called off a series of shows and festivals to reform the Breeders. Guitarist Nate Farley and drummer Jim Macpherson went on to join Guided by Voices, although everyone else was temporarily folded into a new (but short-lived) lineup of The Breeders.
Contents |
[edit] Members
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Title | Release date | Label |
| Pacer | 1995 | 4AD/Elektra |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | "Tipp City" | Pacer | 4AD/Elektra |
[edit] Promos
| Year | Title | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | "Bragging Party" | Pacer | 4AD/Elektra |
| 1995 | "Tipp City" | Pacer | 4AD/Elektra |
| 1996 | "Pacer" | Pacer | Elektra |
[edit] Legacy
[edit] Musical tributes
American Laundromat Records released an entire Kim Deal tribute in April 2008 called "Gigantic - a tribute to Kim Deal". Bands from all over the world covered The Amps and The Breeders songs written by Kim.
[edit] References in pop culture
The 4 track demo of the song "Empty Glasses" is featured in the 1997 film All Over Me.
[edit] External links
- The Amps Tribute Page
- The Amps discography at MusicBrainz