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Their music has removed much of the harsh edges heard in the early forms of grunge; however, it is still grounded in rock music, even stretching in more obscure forms such as black metal (ex. Danzig and Black Sabbath) and freak funk ruffian rock (ex. Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane’s Addiction).
The group formed in 1990 initially under the name Uncle Duke; however, they changed it to Candlebox upon receiving inspiration from the Midnight Oil song “Tin Legs and Tin Mines”. The band’s original lineup consisted of vocalist/lead guitarist Kevin Martin, drummer Scott Mercado, guitarist Peter Klett and bassist Bardi Martin. Within a year of the band’s formation they were playing in Seattle’s trendiest clubs and by 1992 they scored a record deal with Madonna’s Maverick label.
Their first official release, the 4 track EP “Change” was issued in 1993 as well as their self titled debut. Their self-titled LP acted as breakthrough to mainstream success for the band, peaking at No.7 on the charts and selling over 4 million copies worldwide. This album housed 4 singles including the top 20 Billboard hit “Far Behind”. Frequent air play, high profile concerts and frequent television appearances trailed behind this release. This endless stream of successes also earned them a headlining spot at the Woodstock ’94 festival.
The group’s ascent into stardom seemed to awaken a creative streak and by the Spring of 1994 they had composed a total of 36 songs. Their next album “Lucy” featured 12 of the songs. Though the album was overshadowed by the prosperity of their previous release it nevertheless received heavy rotation on the radio and reached gold status. The album produced three singles, all which were translated into music videos (acclaimed filmmaker Gus Van Sant directed the video for “Understanding”).
The band’s 3rd studio album “Happy Pills” came out on 21 July 1998 and featured the hit “It’s Alright”. Also around this time they released the single “Glowing Soul”, which self-professed fan Adam Sandler specifically requested for the movie “The Waterboy”. “Happy Pills” marked the last album the band would release through Maverick and also the last they would release before disbanding. From 1999 to 2000, Candlebox lost two of it’s founding members, leaving Martin as the group’s sole originating member. The band imploded in 2000 and failed to satisfy their contractual agreement with Maverick, which required the band to output four studio albums through them.
Throughout the bulk of the 2000s Candlebox’s members pursued various side projects; however, they reformed in 2006 and issued a greatest hits compilation through Rhino later that year. The band’s 4th long waited studio album saw release in 2008 and cemented a 10 year gap between the release of their previous studio album. “Love Stories & Other Musings” came out on 3 April 2012 and entered the US Billboard 200 at No. 82 and the US Independent Chart at No. 17.
John Darnielle was born on March 16th, 1967 in Bloomington, Indiana. At the age of two he lost his birth father, leading him and his mother to relocate to Central California where he grew up with a physically and emotionally abusive step-father. To cope with it he retreated into music and writing in a big way, but found that once high school was over, he couldn’t bring himself to stay in his hometown any longer. He found a job as a psychiatric nurse at the Metropolitan State Hospital in Norwalk, California and began writing songs on the guitar when he wasn’t working. He started performing live around 1990, and made a valuable friend in the form of Dennis Callaci.
Callaci was the owner of Shrimper Records, and after Darnielle gave him a boombox recorded demo tape of some of his early songs, Callaci released it as Darnielle’s first album “Taboo IV: The Homecoming”. Unwilling to perform under his own name, Darnielle took the moniker The Mountain Goats from the Screamin’ Jay Hawkins song “Yellow Coat” and began to tour with only himself on guitar and his friend Rachel Ware on the bass guitar. In 1991, Darnielle started attending the Pitzeer College in Claremont to study for an English degree, and it was during this time that he started properly focusing on songwriting, becoming renowned for his massively prolific output of songs.
Between 1991 and 1995 he released a large number of cassette’s and seven inch vinyl’s and built up a devoted following because of it. However, once he left college he decided to take his band more seriously and make a go of starting an actual career in music. His debut album proper, “Zopilote Machine”, had been released in 1994, and he spent the rest of the 1990’s building his following into a proper, nationwide fan-base. While the group have never been commercially succesful, they remain one of the most critically acclaimed and respected acts in American indie rock. Darnielle remains as prolific as ever, and has grown into a truly captivating live act to boot. The Mountain Goats are a band to see as soon as possible, and they come highly recommended.
It seemed that everyone and their dogs had tightly packed into the Showbox Theatre for Candlebox's return to Seattle. Heading back to the place that made them famous, the pressure was on. However, there was no doubt in my mind that this would be a show to remember. The lights dropped, the band struck a few anticipatory chords, and Kevin swaggered on stage. Usually, the beginning of concerts are slightly awkward – noone's quite drunk enough and the band aren't entirely comfortable – but we were put at ease right from the word "go." Kevin playfully frolicked between the band and the audience, wearing his heart on his (well-tailored) sleeved with a voice filled with both energy and agility. All that was required of the other musicians was to follow him with understated confidence. Fortunately the venue was large enough to accommodate Kevin's voice and stage presence, yet had the same sense of intimacy as in smaller venues that I've seen them perform. Although the group was elevated above the crowd, Kevin was poised right at the edge of the stage and kept us involved. Hackneyed it may be, but "Far Behind" was the highlight without a shadow of a doubt. A fairly bias view as it's a personal favourite, but Kevin's note-perfect rendition against the strobe lighting and the passion of the audience and the band palpable in the air made for an experience that will stay with me for years to come. I will never tire of hearing it live. Frankly, the songs, the sweat and the strobes were sometimes corny and some unheard material wouldn't have gone a miss, but nevertheless Candlebox delivered an electrifying performance to their legions of avid followers.
When it comes to cult indie bands, they don’t really come too much more distinguished than The Mountain Goats, which has for a long time effectively been the solo project of singer John Darnielle. Having released fourteen full-lengths to date, the band are also a fine example of good things coming to those who wait; it wasn’t until album number six, the seminal All Hail West Texas, that they really broke through both critically and commercially, and on the 2002 follow-up Tallahassee, they really solidified their position, signing to 4AD and expanding into a full band in the studio for the first time.
They’ve continued to tour prodigiously too, with Darnielle performing both solo and with the band over the years; their most recent UK jaunt came last October, when they finally got around to bringing their most recent record, 2012’s Transcendental Youth, to these shores. Not that they leaned on it too heavily, though, the setlists were genuinely career-spanning affairs, with the recently-reissued All Hail West Texas and the bible-referencing The Life of the World to Come both featuring heavily. After releasing his debut novel, Wolf in White Van, Darnielle is currently touring it in the U.S.; hardcore Goats fans will be hoping he extends that to the UK, too.
Joeg_67
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