Suburban Lawns
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The Suburban Lawns were an American New Wave group from the late 1970s through the early 1980s.
Originating in the Southern California punk rock scene, the band consisted of:
- Su Tissue (Sue McLane) - vocals
- Frankie Ennui (Richard Whitney)
- Chuck Roast (Charles Rodriguez)
- Vex Billingsgate/Bill Vex (William Ranson) - bass
- John Gleur (John McBurney). Gleur left the group during the production of Baby.
They released the single Gidget Goes to Hell in 1979, followed by the album Suburban Lawns in 1981 on I.R.S. Records, which featured the New Wave radio favorite Janitor. In 1983 came a 5-song EP, Baby, produced by Richard Mazda. The band folded shortly afterwards.
The lyrics of Janitor were derived from a real-life conversation between Su Tissue and friend Brian Smith. According to Brian, the two were conversing in a loud room when they first met.
"She asked me what I did for a living. I said "I'm a Janitor" and she thought I said "Oh my genitals". Frank overheard this and wrote the song."
After Suburban Lawns folded, Frankie Ennui and Vex Billingsgate formed a new, short-lived band called The Lawns. Su Tissue attended Berklee College of Music, where she studied piano.
In 1982 Su Tissue recorded a solo album, Salon de Musique. She also played the role of Peggy Dillman in the Jonathan Demme directed 1986 comedy movie Something Wild opposite Melanie Griffith, Jeff Daniels and Ray Liotta.
A Suburban Lawns poster is also seen in the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High hanging on the wall in the bedroom of the character Damone.
