Biff Blumfumgagnge

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Biff U. Blumfumgagnge (born 17 January 1964 in Milwaukee, WI) is an active Wisconsin musician [1] and professor of music and recording technology at the Madison Media Institute.[2]

Contents

[edit] History

Biff is a multi-instrumentalist who created The Gomers in 1986,[3] the House band of the Madison Area Music Awards [4],[5]. The Gomers are a Madison institution, with two Madison mayors[6] issuing proclamations to prove it. [7]. The band appears weekly at the High Noon Saloon as a live karaoke show called Gomeroke[8], all of which explains why The Gomers are also known as “Madison’s House band.” [9]

Biff has worked with Adrian Belew since 1992[10] as guitar technician and more recently as front of house engineer and background vocalist [11]. Adrian Belew notes "Biff Blumfumgagne has taken over as stage tech and provided those hither to mysterious backing vocals and harmonies." On his new release, "Side 4"[12]

As an electric mandolin player, he has been recognized on the Electric Mandolin Resource Page[13] and has been with the Reptile Palace Orchestra since its beginning in 1994.[14][15]

Willy Porter notes "an incredible electric violin player who has since formed his own band -- The Reptile Palace Orchestra"[16]

"What seems to be at the core of the Gomers is the influence of such off-kilter artists like Stan Ridgway, Talking Heads, and Adrian Belew. And most of the madcap tendencies seem to emanate from the uninhibited Blumfumgagnge in his playing and songwriting, and the remaining like-minded Gomers dutifully follow his lead"[17]. "Violin/guitarist Biff Blumfumgagnge usually finds himself attached to offbeat groups like Reptile Palace Orchestra and Headpump, but the Gomers are far and away the quirkiest and most esoteric of his associations." – All Music Guide[18]

[edit] Performed With

Les Paul[19],[20] & Steve Miller (Nov. 2005)[21], Adrian Belew (March 1992-present), Robert Fripp (Sep. 2004-present)[22], Willy Porter (Feb. 1990-present), Sigtryggur Baldursson (drummer of the Sugarcubes, 1993-1997), Eugene Chadbourne (Feb. 2004-present), Brian Daly (Nov. 1997), Reptile Palace Orchestra (April 1994-present), The Gomers (Dec. 1986-present)[23]), Natty Nation (Feb. 1993-present), Jambeau (May 2001-present), Bradley Fish (Jan. 1996-Sep. 1997), John Kruth (April 2003-Nov.2005), Joan Wildman (Feb. 1991), Clyde Stubblefield (James Brown's "funky drummer", March 1991-April 2007), Killbilly (April 1994), The Appliances-SFB (Dec. 1997), Jimmy Carl Black (Oct. 2007), Stuart Stotts (Sep. 2002-August 2007) and Project/Object with Napoleon Murphy Brock (October 23, 2007)

[edit] Toured and Recorded With

Pat MacDonald, Eugene Chadbourne, Willy Porter, Reptile Palace Orchestra, Sigtryggur Baldursson, The Gomers,[24], Natty Nation, Bradley Fish, Adrian Belew,[25], Robert Fripp,[26], Robert Fripp and The League of Crafty Guitarists,[27], The Kissers, Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra

[edit] Discography

Adrian Belew – Side Four live [28] Pat MacDonald PM does DM – Strange Love[29] Willy Porter: Dog Eared Dream (1992), High Wire Live (2002), Falling Forward[30] Eugene Chadbourne "Doc Chad Banjo Book"[31] Sigtryggur Baldursson: Bogomil Font Sings Kurt Weill (1994) Bradley Fish: The Aquarium Conspiracy (1996)[32] Headpump: Org@sm.com (1997)[33] David Stocker, Moondog (1997)[34] Marquess Bovre & The Evil Twins – Lonesome County (1999)[35] Genevieve Gereb "Cool Bananas" "Alligator" and "Jumpin' Jelly Beans"[36][37] Jim James & The Damn Shames (2002, violin), My Nightclub Act "Highway Gothic" (2008, violin), John Kruth: Live at Witz End (2003, violin, mandolin)[38] The Gomers: Comin' Atchya, Sofa King Good, Salt and Sugar, Mike Zirkel (1989 – present)[39] Reptile Palace Orchestra: Early Reptile, On the Wings of a Skink, XOPO!, Iguana iguana, HWY X, We Know You Know, Official Bootleg[40] Sara Pace "Sara Pace"[41] Dorothy Heralds "Inverno Rosa"[42] Ivan Klipstein "Scorpio Enviro"[43] Michael Gruber "Yesterday Is Make Believe"[44] Dangerous Odds (1996-2003)[45] Arthur Durkee "The Western Lands,"[46] My Nightclub Act (2008)[47] Ritt Dietz "Collected" and "After the Mountains,"[48] Cattle Prod: Boost (1993, guitar), Poopshovel: We Came, We Saw, We Had A Hot Dog (1994, vocals), Dafino (2006, violin), Cathy Braaten "Ride the Fader" (1991, violin), Jim James & The Damn Shames (2003, violin), Fuzzy Logic (1997-present),[49] Tom Hanson (2004, 2007, violin, mandolin, Melobar, synth), Doctor Demento Shows #89-35, #90-12, #02-16, #02-10[50] Zombeatles, "Hard Day's Night Of The Living Dead, "[51],[52] and produced, mastered and engineered Art Paul Schlosser's "One Chord Song" in 2006 [53]

[edit] WAMI (Wisconsin Area Music Industry) Awards

Biff was awarded Best Instrumentalist, Strings, in 1998 [54] and was nominated in 1999[55] and 2000[56]

WAMI Award
Year Category Title Result
1998 Instrumentalist – strings Best Instrumentalist Winner

[edit] MAMA (Madison Area Music) Awards

Awarded Best Instrumentalist in 2005 [57]

MAMA Award
Year Category Title Result
2005 Instrumentalist – strings Best Instrumentalist Winner

[edit] External links

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ FolkLib Index [1]
  2. ^ Frequency[2]
  3. ^ FolkLib Index[3]
  4. ^ ibid [4]
  5. ^ Mama Awards [5]
  6. ^ image of Mayor Dave Cieslewicz holding his Gomer Day proclamation with Biff and Andy of the Gomers [6]
  7. ^ Scan of Mayor Sue Baumann's proclamation resolving FEB. 1 as Gomer Day in Madison WI [7]
  8. ^ Weekly at the High Noon Saloon [8]
  9. ^ Natasha Kassulke, Wisconsin State Journal [9]
  10. ^ Tom Laskin reviews "Things Fall Apart" [10]
  11. ^ Adrian Belew [11]
  12. ^ Adrian Belew [12]
  13. ^ The Electric Mandolin Resource Page [13]
  14. ^ Red Cat [14]
  15. ^ John Noyd, Maximum Ink [15]
  16. ^ Willy Porter, Musicbox online interview [16]
  17. ^ All Music Guide Review of "Sofa King Good" [17]
  18. ^ All Music Guide review of "Salt and Sugar" [18]
  19. ^ Biff pictured behind Les [19]
  20. ^ DAVE TIANEN, "Wizard of Waukesha Gets His Due" Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel [20]
  21. ^ The Wisconsin Foundation for School Music is proud to announce its first-ever recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award in Music Education: Les Paul! [21]
  22. ^ Robert Fripp [22]
  23. ^ Maximum Ink Music Magazine [http://www.maximumink.com/news.php?srchArticles=1&srchNews=1&query=gomers ]
  24. ^ John Noyd, Maximum Ink [23]
  25. ^ Tom Laskin, The Isthmus [24]
  26. ^ Robert Fripp [25]
  27. ^ Ibid. [26]
  28. ^ Vocalist, Out Of The Belew [27]
  29. ^ Violin and viola on Pat MacDonald's album of Depeche Mode covers, EUTK [28]
  30. ^ Violin on the Willy Porter albums [29]
  31. ^ Fiddle with Eugene, Squidco [30]
  32. ^ FolkLib [31]
  33. ^ Biff Blumfungagnge - Free Music Downloads, Videos, Lyrics, CDs, MP3s, Bio, Merchandise and Links
  34. ^ Ibid. [32]
  35. ^ Violin on "Lonesom County" [33]
  36. ^ Vocalist, violinist, mandolinist and mastering engineer [34]
  37. ^ The Gomers - TripAtlas.Com
  38. ^ Rokker, Maximum Ink Magazine [35]
  39. ^ Multiple instruments, producer, mastering engineer – Artist Direct [36]
  40. ^ Multiple instruments and vocalist with the Reptiles – Ibid.[37]
  41. ^ Violin on Sara Pace's debut recording, Ibid. [38]
  42. ^ Guerilla Beatz Review [39]
  43. ^ Mastered "Scorpio Enviro" [40]
  44. ^ Recording Engineer, Ibid. [41]
  45. ^ Music Street Journal [42]
  46. ^ Arthur Durkee [43]
  47. ^ MySpace.com - My Nightclub Act - MADISON, Wisconsin - Indie / Alternative / Électroacoustique - www.myspace.com/mynightclubact
  48. ^ Ritt Dietz[44]
  49. ^ Pictured and named as performer with Fuzzy Logic [45]
  50. ^ Mad Music Archive [46]
  51. ^ Kristian Knutsen, Isthmus article on the Zombeatles, October 2007 [47]
  52. ^ The Zombeatles [48]
  53. ^ The Mad Music Archive [49]
  54. ^ WAMI awards noted, FolkLib [50]
  55. ^ WAMI nominations noted, FolkLib [51]
  56. ^ Ibid. [52]
  57. ^ Mama awards noted, Ibid. [53]