Supagroup
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Supagroup is a rock and roll band from New Orleans, Louisiana. They were formed in the mid-1990s by brothers Chris Lee and Benji Lee from Anchorage, Alaska. Both were students at Tulane University and started playing together as SAP or Shit Ass Punks. Previously, Chris had played bass in New Orleans's sludge rock band, Critical Dump, which also included Gary Love on guitar and Brad Herring on drums. Unlike their name suggests, Supagroup is not a supergroup, as none of its members have ever reached a celebrity status. However, the Lee brothers claim to be distantly related to the martial arts legend Bruce Lee. Because of this, Supagroup's albums have had martial arts imagery and Supagroup has used the slogan "Kung Fu Rock n' Roll." Chris Lee can often be seen picking fights at Saint's games and has an intense hatred of all things Randall Moss. Chris Lee married former White Zombie bassist Sean Yseult on January 12, 2008.
The group has enjoyed some success touring around the nation. Although the band has not reached popularity, their single "What's Your Problem?" has had airtime on the local New Orleans New Rock station 106.7 The End KKND and Q94.5 The Q in McAllen Texas where they headline with Vince Niel of Mötley Crüe July 15 2007. Most reviews of the band in the press are quite positive. In 2004, the band toured with Alice Cooper, opening for his shows. During the shows Supagroup received a standing ovation, something Alice Cooper claims hasn't happened since Guns N' Roses opened for him. The band commonly calls their followers supagroupies.
The current lineup has Chris Lee singing and playing rhythm guitar, Benji Lee playing lead guitar, Leif Robinson Swift playing bass guitar, and Michael Brueggen playing drums and percussion.
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[edit] Released Works
[edit] Planet Rock
On June 3, 1996, Supagroup released their first album under their own label, Prison Planet Records. Titled Planet Rock, the album was produced by Benji Lee, and recorded in Anchorage, Alaska.
Chris Lee - Bass, Vocals
Benji Lee - Guitar, Vocals, Drums on track 10
Michael Vornon Holtz - Drums, technology
Tracklist:
- Waiting 4 The Fall
- China Rock
- Hiding In My Head
- Supergiant
- Mechanical Men
- Planet Rock
- Shangri-La
- Home is Where the Heart Is
- Transition
- Ahead Of My Time
- Ya Ya Ya Ya
- Lost Opportunity
- Gimme Something Better
[edit] We Came To Rock You
On April 1, 2000, Supagroup released a live album named We Came To Rock You: Live at the Mermaid Lounge. It was also released under Prison Planet Records. It was recorded at the Mermaid Lounge in New Orleans, LA on September 19, 1998. It was produced by Benji Lee.
Chris Lee - Vocals, Guitar
Benji Lee - Lead Guitar
Brad Lingo - Bass
Mark Brill - Drums
Tracklist:
- Rock and Roll Tried To Ruin My Life
- Sugar And Spice
- We Came To Rock You
- Back By Popular Demand
- Rock And Rock Star
- Fire For Hire
- Jailbait
- I'm Bad
- Shake It / Bow Wow Wow
- Hard Sell
- Bad Seed
- Roll In Smoking
[edit] When in Rome
In 2001, Supagroup released a 7" single on vinyl. The records were produced by The Telegraph Company.The record contains two songs: When in Rome on side A, and Balls Deep on side B.
Chris Lee - Vocals, Guitar
Benji Lee - Lead Guitar
Leif Swift - Bass
Mark Brill - Drums
Tracklist
- When in Rome
- Balls Deep
[edit] Rock And Roll Tried To Ruin My Life
Released in Limited quantity in 2001. The drummer quit after this album was recorded, and was never really mass produced, and only about 1,000 copies were made. The album is produced, mixed and engineered by Jack Endino. Recorded at Side One Studios in New Orleans.
Chris Lee - Vocals, Guitar
Benji Lee - Lead Guitar
Leif Swift - Bass
Mark Brill - Drums
Tracklist
- Ready To Go
- Tell The Millicents
- When In Rome
- Murder Suicide Death
- Livin The Life
- Back By Popular Demand
- She's Hot (I'm On a Roll)
- Hard Sell
- Spit It Out
- Down To The Letter
- What You See Is What You Get
- Rock And Roll Tried To Ruin My Life
[edit] Supagroup
Although there were previous releases, the self-titled Supagroup is considered to be the band's debut album. This album is the first album released under the Foodchain Records label. Released on February 12, 2004, this is the first release with all of the band's current members. The album was produced by Benji Lee and Trina Shoemaker, who worked on albums by Iggy Pop, Sheryl Crow, and the Dixie Chicks.
Chris Lee - Vocals, Guitar
Benji Lee - Lead Guitar
Leif Swift - Bass
Michael Brueggen - Drums
Track List:
- Rock and Roll Tried To Ruin My Life
- Woulda Been Nice
- What's Your Problem?
- One Better
- I Need A Drink
- Rock And Roll Star
- Murder, Suicide, Death
- Bats Out The Belfry
- Cat Soup
- Down To The Letter
- Hard Sell
- Back By Popular Demand
[edit] "What's Your Problem?" DVD
In 2004 Supagroup released a DVD with the video for their single, What's Your Problem? The three-minute and eight-second DVD was given out as a promotion and to the Supagroup street team.
Tracklist:
- What's Your Problem?
[edit] Supersuckers vs. Supagroup
In 2003, Supagroup and The Supersuckers played at gigs together, and they released a CD single of their songs on July 20, 2004.
Tracklist:
- The Supersuckers - Rock Your Ass
- Supagroup - What's Your Problem?
[edit] Live at Voodoo Fest 2004
Supagroup played at the Voodoo Music Festival in New Orleans in both 2003 and 2004. At the festival in 2004, disks of the artists' live shows performed earlier were created and sold in booths by MunckMix. Supagroup was among the artists who released their material. This disk is not a true marketed release and is only currently available for purchase at the Voodoo Music Festival page at MunckMix's web site.
Tracklist:
- Rock and Roll Tried To Ruin My Life
- Woulda Been Nice
- One Better
- Down To The Letter
- Hog Wild
- Let's Go (Get Wasted)
- Murder, Suicide, Death
- Ready To Go
- What's Your Problem?
- Back By Popular Demand
[edit] Rules
On May 31, 2005, Supagroup released Rules. A video was created for the song "Let's Go (Get Wasted)", which appears on this album. The song Rough Edge, which is on this album, is the most purchased song from Supagroup on Apple's iTunes music purchasing software.
Chris Lee - Vocals, Guitar
Benji Lee - Lead Guitar
Leif Swift - Bass
Michael Brueggen - Drums
Tracklist:
- Ready to Go
- Hot Times
- Bastard
- Let's Go (Get Wasted)
- It Takes Balls
- Invincible Me
- I'm Gonna Change
- One for the Money
- Ruling (Is Its Own Reward)
- Hog Wild
- Rough Edge
[edit] Fire For Hire
Released in 2007, this album features a number of studio versions of songs found on the live album We Came To Rock You. Some of the newer songs were influenced by the events of hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. The band maintained the same lineup as Rules.
Tracklist:
- What's Your Problem Now?
- Born In Exile
- Lonely At The Bottom
- Sold Me Down The River
- Jailbait
- Promised Land
- Hey Kiddies
- Mourning Day
- Long Live Rock
- Bow Down
- Fire For Hire
- Roll In Smokin'
[edit] Music videos
Supagroup has released two music videos: one for "What's Your Problem?" from 2003's Supagroup album, and one for "Let's Go (Get Wasted)" from 2005's Rules album. The "What's Your Problem?" video features Supagroup band members rocking with midgets and a young woman, whom the song is fictitiously written about. The video for "Let's Go (Get Wasted)" features clips of Supagroup playing on the Krewe of Saturn's Mardi Gras parade route and later at One Eyed Jack's, a music venue in New Orleans's French Quarter.
