The Napoleon Blownaparts
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Napoleon Blownaparts, also known as the Blownaparts are a punk rock/hard rock band formed in Hollywood, California during 1995. Led by frontman and forming member Ajax Garcia, the band continue to play currently, featuring Murderdolls member Eric Griffin on guitar.
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[edit] Sound
Musically, the Blownaparts take influence from the likes of the New York Dolls and The Stooges to AC/DC and The Rolling Stones, playing a sonic mix of hard rock and punk rock, also incorporating a blues edge. The Blownaparts believe that at least 50% of their music should be free and readily available to the kids.
[edit] History
The following information is not in chronological order. Events recorded were taken from internet research and creditable sources
Formed in the mid 1990s in North Hollywood California by musician/artist Ajax Garcia, The band began to gather speed during 1998, Taking their show on the road playing everywhere from small clubs to opening for Fiona Apple and Social Distortion at The "Paul Paul theatres" in California, The same year the group was booked by VANS WARPED TOUR founder Kevin Lyman to play on the 1998 Vans Warped Tour. The bill also included THE LIVING END, BAD RELIGION and RANCID.
In the mid 90's (1995) Ajax Garcia was asked by then KISS rep Frank Munoz to create comic book designs that were to be used for retale merchandise to promote an upcoming KISS reunion tour. The artist went to work and the results surpassed everyone's expectations as the four KISS icons have helped generate millions in revenue for Gene Simmons and his masked rock legends. The Ajax art pieces were purchassed by Sony Signatures in late 95 and there is no doubt that Ajax's KISS ICONS have become some of the most popular KISS packaging and toy designs ever created. The Ajax created designs can be found on everything from KISS toy packaging to even KISS toys and the latest money maker KISS HIS and HERS FRAGRANCES. With his designs Garcia and KISS hit a home run on the first try and it is documented that Ajax Garcia is in fact the very first comic book artist/designer to bring the rock legends back to the modern comic book world. His KISS comic style work pre-dates Tod McFarlane's KISS work by at least 2 years. Frank Munoz later became the manager of The Napoleon Blownaparts but parted ways with the band at some point after The Blownaparts opened for KISS and WEEZER in 01 (see KISS-WEEZER below). Munoz then went on to work with METALLICA bringing with him Blownaparts members Ajax Garcia and drummer Jesse Mendez, Munoz remains apart of the METALLICA team. Till this day Ajax Garcia's management The Loud Americana Group in Los Angeles California fills requests from KISS fans all over the world who seek the signature of the popular artist/musician Ajax Garcia on KISS merchandise. http://www.myspace.com/blownaparts
1997 During a radio publicity tour Napoleon Blownaparts vocalist Ajax Garcia and an unknown radio disc jockey at the 103.9 KRZR studios in Fresno California were engaged in a heated argument after the singer felt that the disc jockey took him and his political views lightly. The next morning the station reported that Garcia a member of punk band The Napoleon Blownaparts had stormed the studio like a mad man crashing the place and spat on the disc jockey and he was totally out of control. Ajax down played the whole incident and later publicly apologized for his behavior. No stranger to the law Garcia up held his rock n' roll bad boy image again in Feb 2003 when music magazine Ink19 (www.ink19.com) reported that the singer was once again involved in an incident where police were dispatched to the scene of a disturbance after witness reported hearing a fight coming from a wrecked white late model Suburban in the early morning hours. The singer was briefly detained but later released and not charged with any crime. One year later on New Years Eve 2004 Garcia was arrested for DUI and was found guilty of resisting arrest. Garcia hired attorney Steve Smith to handle his case and was sentenced to pay an undisclosed amount of money, community service and months of counseling in trade for no jail time.
July of [[2000]] saw Ajax and the Blownaparts playing on the KISS farewell tour as the band struck a sponsorship deal with the LEVI'S brand. August 2001 The Napoleon Blownaparts perform a home coming concert in California in front of a sold out audience of more than 7,000 kids. Also on the bill are nerd rockers WEEZER, and rap rockers CRAZY TOWN.
In 2004 during a radio interview as part of a joke Garcia expressed interest in the vacancy left by Guns N' Roses guitarist BucketHead. Ajax Garcia receives a telephone call back from Guns N' Roses bassist Tommy Stenson regarding the spot made vacant by guitarist who hides his identity with a chicken bucket. Axl Rose later goes public denying him or Stinson had ever heard from Garcia. Ajax later says what ever to the statement made by Axl Rose and says he has Tommy Stinson on voice mail. [1] Though it would be Bumblefoot not Garcia who replaced Buckethead in Guns N' Roses during early 2006 fans on G N'R forums express that it was Garcia who would have been the best choice to fill the giant boots of Slash.
During [[2004-5]], bassist of the Murderdolls; Eric Griffin joined the Blownaparts and Griffin enters the recording studio to put down bass tracks to a cover of Puss N' Boots a NEW YORK DOLLS classic, The Napoleon Blownaparts (Jesse Mendez, Ajax Garcia, Eric Griffin) were asked to contribute to JETBOYS OF BABYLON a tribute to The Dolls album that included such legends as THE ALARM, David Johansen (NY DOLLS) and Steve Jones (SEX PISTOLS). Though he is no longer an active member of the family it is said that Eric Griffin will appear on the new Blownaparts record due out in 2006. Also regarding this Dolls song it is friend and sit in drummer Wade Krause who performs the drums on the Puss N' Boots track and not drummer Jesse Mendez. Mendez was on tour with the Richie Scarlet band and was unavailable during the recording schedule. Krause is a member of the band SPARKLE JET and is also a founding member of the popular low brow toy company CIRCUS PUNKS. http://www.circuspunks.com
See: Richie Scarlet/Jesse Mendez: http://www.rockdetector.com/officialbio,7385.sm;jsessionid=86526FC30D1C0B1CDD31322784B7C089
In 2006 Griffin was officially replaced as the Blownaparts bass player by former PIPE DOWN bassist Doug Welon. In 2005 Drummer Jesse Mendez joins a jam band with former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted. Blownaparts drummer Jesse Mendez also backs Ritchie Scarlet former Ace Frehley (KISS)guitarist on a west coast tour.
2004- EXTREME BEVERAGE CO. "BLAVOD" teams up with rocker Ajax Garcia for an unprecedented multi media ADV campaign- http://blackvodka.com/read.html
In 2004 Dark Horse Comics releases the pictorial novel titled ELECTRIC FRANKENSTEIN". The coffee table book features the art work of Ajax Garcia. A follow up for 2007 is in the works-never before seen KISS art from the 1995 reunion tour days are rumored to appear in the new book.
2005- Ajax Garcia launches the "FLY ON THE WALL" editorial piece. Celebrity guest interviews include from Image Comics Kevin Conrad (SPAWN and KISS artist), THE HIVES guitarist Niklause Arsen, Brian Ball of the Ernie Ball/Music Man Co. http://www.blistering.com/fastpage/fpengine.php/link/1/templateid/10807/tempidx/5/menuid/3
2006- Magnatune Licensing Company sells THE BLOWNAPARTS music to restaurant chain and an amusement theme park in both mid west and west coast markets for radio and television advertisements. See Blownaparts profile on www.magnatune.com for licensing details: http://magnatune.com/artists/blownaparts
2006- EeriePop issues a product line to feature the art work of Ajax Garcia through a toy product called EeriePop BLISTER PACKS. Each Blister Pack comes packaged up two posters, FREE CDs, Decals and other goodies all design to suck in the adolescent consumer! see:
2006- LEGENDARY EXTREME BMX COMPANY SKYWAY TAPS ROCK STARS & APPAREL TRENDSETTERS; GRAPHITE WHEEL COMPANY TAKES GLOBAL AIM AT YOUTH MARKET LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 29, 2005 – Skyway BMX, makers of the Tuff Wheel and the company responsible for the mag wheel phenomenon of the 1970’s and 80's, is re-emerging as a must have “old Skool” product for a new generation of street riders. Read Press Release: http://www.fatbmx.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=386
Get lyrics to Blownaparts songs: http://www.lyricsspot.com/the+napoleon+blownaparts-lyrics-27042.html
[edit] Members
[edit] Current
- Doug Welmon - bass guitar
- Jesse "The Mexican" Mendez - drums
[edit] Former
- Eric Griffin- bass
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Thrillbound - 1998 EeriePop Records
- Hearts Of Saturday Night - 2000 EeriePop Records
- Land Of Hype & Glory - 2001 EP Records/BLAVOD
- Thrill Hype - 2004 Magnatune Records & Licensing
- Fistful Of Rock N' Roll 2003 Victory Records
- Rock N' Roll Au Go Go - 2004 Devil Doll Records
[edit] External links
EeriePop Store On Ebay
