Jeff Muendel

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Jeff Muendel is both an author and Hammond organist/keyboardist who has published several novels and played with bands including Rattlebone, Backbiter, Circus Of Power, Masters of Reality and Hum Machine.

Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Music career 2.1 The Drills 2.2 Rattlebone 2.3 Backbiter 3 Writing

[edit] Early life and education

Muendel grew up in Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin.

[edit] Music career

In 1991, he moved to Hollywood, California, and he began playing music with neighbor and bass player Roger Deering.

Deering had previously been in a Florida punk band called The Drills. He and drummer Kerry Furlong had moved from Miami to Los Angeles to start a new band. The three musicians added Brendon McNichol on guitar and the band was born. [1]

[edit] The Drills

The early shows were performed under the old name, The Drills, because of the reputation they had developed with that name, including one album release. The group was "discovered" by producer Dave Jerden, who is also credited with discovering and developing Jane's Addiction, Alice in Chains, and The Offspring.

[edit] Rattlebone

The group was signed to Hollywood Records, and at the label's request, the group changed its name to Rattlebone. With Jerden at the helm, they released a 5-song EP in 1992 and recorder a full-length LP in 1993/94 that was never released. McNichol left Rattlebone in 1995 when the record label dropped the band in response to the Seattle grunge movement. The rest of the group split in 1996.

[edit] Backbiter

Muendel went on to briefly join a version of Circus Of Power ( RCA Records ) and then spent three years in the L.A. punk group Backbiter, signed to Man's Ruin Records.

[edit] Writing

In 1998, Muendel left California to enter graduate school on the East coast and follow his other artistic pursuit - writing. Since earning a master's degree in writing, he has published three novels set in the world of rock and roll including Beer Goggles And Amplifiers, Rock Sonic Dot Com Blues, and in 2006 The Volume Tribes. His books often deal with themes within the world of rock music, and his work is often categorized as "Rock Lit". He is an editor for Maximum Ink Magazine and continues to play and record as an organist/keyboardist.