User:Pcprupert/The Flashcubes (band)
THE FLASHCUBES (band)
Power pop band formed in 1977 in Syracuse, NY by Gary Frenay, Paul Armstrong, Steve (Arty) Lenin and Tommy Allen.
Released one 7-inch EP ("Christi Girl" b/w "Guernica" and "Got No Mind") and one 7-inch 45 ("Wait Till Next Week" b/w "Radio") on their indie label Northside Records between 1977-1979. Mick Walker replaced Paul Armstrong in 1979.
Band gained attention during punk/new wave era opening for bands like The Jam, Ramones, Police, Runaways and Joe Jackson and were a central force behind upstate NY's DIY punk movement which gathered underground momentum with bands like The Ohms, New Math, The Dead Ducks, and Dress Code.
In 1980 Walker left the Flashcubes. Frenay, Lenin and Allen reformed as Screen Test.
The Flashcubes reunited in 1993 and recorded track for power pop compilation "Yellow Pills." They released a career retrospective CD ("Bright Lights") in 1997 and found new buzz amongst growing power pop underground scene which help bring many DIY bands from the punk/new wave era into the digital age.
Along with bands like Shoes, 20/20, and Paul Collins Beat, The Flashcubes reconnected to power pop fans worldwide through David Bash's IPO festival (in LA, Chicago, Boston and NYC).
In the late '90s the band saw interest from Japanese label, Air Mail Recordings who released "Bright Lights" overseas and finally got them to release their first official full-length album, "Brilliant" in 2002. Band toured Japan and released the live CD, "Live In Japan- Raw Power Pop," later that year.
The band is currently working on a tribute to Roy Wood of The Move, ELO and Wizzard.