Medicine (band)

Medicine are an American alternative rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1990 by guitarist/keyboardist Brad Laner.^[1]

They are perhaps best known for their cameo appearance in the 1994 film The Crow, in which they performed "Time Baby III", a track that features guest vocals from the Cocteau Twins' Elizabeth Fraser.

History

Medicine was formed by ex-Savage Republic drummer Brad Laner,^[2] based on some four track recordings Laner was working on in 1990. After showing the tapes to some industry people, he was told that if he formed a band that sounded like the tapes, he could get a record deal. Laner then assembled a band of musicians from the L.A. music scene. Medicine's early lineup included Laner, drummer Jim Goodall (Severed Head in a Bag, Jon Wayne, Lopez Beatles), guitarist Jim Putnam, bassist Eddie Ruscha, and singer Annette Zilinskas, an original member of The Bangles. Putnam, Ruscha, and Zilinskas eventually left; the latter was replaced by former Fourwaycross singer Beth Thompson. On the basis of the original demo, the band got signed to Creation Records, becoming the first American band to do so. In America Medicine signed to Rick Rubin's American Recordings label in 1992. With a signature guitar tone, created by running guitarist's Brad Laner's guitar through a Yamaha 4-track recorder, Medicine's music managed to distinguish itself from some of the more ambiguous endeavours of the shoegazing movement.

Their first album, Shot Forth Self Living, was released in 1992. Shot Forth received airplay by college radio and coverage in alternative newspapers, with even a few of their videos played on MTV.

Their second album, The Buried Life was released the following year, and gained Medicine more mainstream attention, being written up in magazines like Creem. The Buried Life would also be the first album to released by an American label after signing a deal based on the success of their debut.

While on tour with The Jesus and Mary Chain, Curve and Spiritualized in 1994, the band were approached by some film makers who requested a song for their upcoming movie and to make a brief cameo in it. The band agreed and reworked "Time Baby II" into a breezy translucent version that became "Time Baby III". The film, The Crow was a box office success, and the soundtrack became a top seller as well. American Recordings was eager to release "Time Baby III" to coincide with the film's success. Laner countered by proposing a remix album of the band's songs. The resulting Sounds of Medicine: Stripped and Reformed Sounds EP features remixes by Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins and Smashing Pumpkins leader Billy Corgan .

The final album with the original lineup was Her Highness. Released in 1995, the band broke up soon after.

Medicine reformed briefly in 2003, though it was as a duo including Laner and Shannon Lee, the daughter of actor Bruce Lee. They released one album.

The band's original line-up then reformed again and released a new studio album, "To The Happy Few", in July 2013, preceded by the single "Long as the Sun".

Legacy

Pitchfork Media has hailed Medicine as the closest thing to being an American answer to My Bloody Valentine.^[3]

In 2012, Captured Tracks reissued the first two LPs from Medicine: 1992's Shot Forth Self Living, and 1993's The Buried Life as part of their Shoegaze Archive series with bonus material and rarities.

Discography

• Shot Forth Self Living (Def American/Creation, 1992)
• The Buried Life (American, 1993)
• Sounds of Medicine: Stripped and Reformed Sounds EP (American, 1994)
• Her Highness (American, 1995)
• The Mechanical Forces of Love (Wall of Sound, 2003)
• Remains 1992-1995 (self-released, 2011)
• To the Happy Few (Captured Tracks, 2013)

Singles and EPs

• "Aruca" (Creation 1992)
• "5ive" (a.k.a. "Come Here To Drink Milk") (Creation, 1993)
• "Never Click" (Beggars Banquet, 1993)
• "Sounds Of Medicine" (American, 1994)
• "Time Baby III" (Beggars Banquet, 1994)
• "Off The Vine" (double 7") (Ectoplasm, 1995)
• "Wet on Wet" EP (Wall of Sound, 2002)
• "I Smile To My Eyes" (Wall of Sound, 2003)
• "As You Do" (Wall of Sound, 2004)
• "Long as the Sun" (Captured Tracks, 2013)

Compilation appearances

• The Crow OST (Atlantic, 1994)
• The Doom Generation OST (American, 1994)
• Tigerbeat6 Inc. (Tigerbeat6, 2001)
• The Faint - Danse Macabre Remixes (Astralwerks, 2003)
• Themroc - Into the Light (Wall of Sound, 2003)
• Wall of Sound 10th Anniversary (Wall of Sound, 2003)

References

External links

• Medicine Unofficial Website
• Medicine Article
• Lopez Beatles