Junkyard (band)

Junkyard
Junkyard in Madrid, 2008.
Background information
Origin	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Hard rock
Years active	1987–1992, 2000–present
Labels	Geffen
Members	David Roach Chris Gates Patrick Muzingo Todd Muscat Tim Mosher Brian Baker
Past members	Clay Anthony

Junkyard is a hard rock/sleaze rock band formed in 1987 in Los Angeles, but they claim to be straight of Austin TX, with members formerly in Minor Threat, The Necros, and Dag Nasty.^[1] The band has often drawn comparisons with Guns N' Roses (which, like Junkyard, signed with Geffen Records).^[2]

History

Origins

The original line-up of the band included several members who were not a part of the group by the time they began recording. Max Gottlieb was the original guitarist and songwriter, and the original drummer was Johnny Hell. These two members would leave the group, and the lineup stabilized around lead singer David Roach, guitarist Chris Gates, bassist Clay Anthony, and drummer Patrick Muzingo. Brian Baker (guitar, ex-Dag Nasty/Minor Threat),^[3] joined the band just prior to the recording of the first album.^[4] Although the band was heavily influenced by Southern rock, Baker had told Sounds, "I hate the concept. I like that music but I'm not into the rebel flag or the throwing up in your pickup truck".^[5]

The band was signed by Geffen Records in January 1988,^[6] with a self-titled Tom Werman-produced debut album issued in 1989, described by Allmusic as incorporating "elements of Southern rock, boogie-woogie, and AC/DCism into one compact sound."^[3] The album featured the singles "Hollywood" and "Simple Man" as well as such well-known album tracks as "Hands Off." This album was followed two years later by Sixes Sevens & Nines, produced by Ed Stasium and featuring contributions from Steve Earle.^[4][7] Anthony left the band shortly before the release of the second album amid drug problems,^[8] to be replaced by Todd Muscat.^[4] The band was dropped by Geffen in 1992, with a third album recorded but not released, and disbanded shortly afterwards.^[4] The unreleased third album was subsequently issued as XXX and The Joker.

Post-Breakup/Reformation

Roach founded Borracho with members of Promise and Dogs D'Amour, while Gates formed 99 lbs.^[6] Muzingo formed Catfish and later Battery Club.^[6] Baker, who had already become a veteran of the punk rock scene prior to joining Junkyard, went on to join Bad Religion.

A live album was issued in 2000, and Gates, Roach, Muzingo and Muscat reformed the band, with Tim Mosher (guitar/vocals) added to the line-up. A tour of Japan followed, with Dogs D'Amour guitarist Jo Dog added to the line-up for these dates.^[6] The new line-up recorded the 2003 mini-album Tried and True, comprising a mixture of old and new songs.^[4]

Since 2000, the band has toured Europe^[9] twice, co-headlined the Serie Z festival (in the south of Spain) with acts that were very complimentary of the way the band should have been marketed (other bands on the festival were The Hellacopters, The Quireboys, The Wildhearts, Radio Birdman, Georgia Satellites, Michelle Gun Elephant, Nine Pound Hammer and Reverend Horton Heat).^[10] and have played a handful of shows domestically in Austin, Tulsa, Los Angeles to name a few.

In 2008, the band released an album of previously unreleased material, originally recorded for a 1987 demo that helped get them signed to Geffen. The album is titled Put it on Ten and Pull the Knobs Off!.^[11]

Although the band members have different ongoing projects, Junkyard is still together and was scheduled to play (this would have been the 1st time the band played a domestic festival show with acts they were associated with from the signing spree of the late 80s) at the^[12] Rock Gone Wild event in 2009 but the event was cancelled.^[13]

Recently the band has played^[14] a few shows with Baker reuniting with the band between Bad Religion duties.

Side Projects

Outside of Junkyard, members of the band remain actively involved in individual projects: Gates with his^[15] solo outfit "Chris Gates and Gatesville," based out of Austin (Gates on Gatesville: "Once it got to be time to put a band together, fate and a bunch of mutual friends sent guitar wiz Tony Redman my way. Our first meeting was where Gatesville really began. The more we play together, the more we push each other and the music to see just what we can wring out of'er. The band went through a couple of line-up changes until we found Scott Womack on bass and Paul Soliz on drums. Once this line-up came together the band and the music took on a life of its own."); Baker with Bad Religion and Mosher with his outfit^[16]“The Light Brigade.”

Discography

Albums

Singles

References

External links

• Junkyard (band) on Twitter
• Junkyard (band) on Facebook
• Junkyard on Myspace
• Junkyard discography at Discogs
• Junkyard at sleazeroxx