Dwarves (band)

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A recent iteration of The Dwarves

The Dwarves are a punk rock band, formed in Chicago, Illinois as The Suburban Nightmare in the late 1980s. They are currently based in San Francisco, California.

Contents

1 History
2 Band members
3 Music style
4 Albums

4.1 Discography

5 See also
6 External links

History

Dwarves began in Chicago as a teen garage rock outfit called the Suburban Nightmare, a sound that was partially carried over into the first Dwarves release, 1986's Horror Stories. After the first album, Dwarves toured across the country for seven more years, leaving a trail of blood from their own self-inflicted gashes, a trail of drug stories (according to popular myth, bassist XXXXX disappeared in Detroit on a crack binge during a 1992 tour, never to be heard from again), a trail (or tale) of bizarre stage-show sex acts, and a trail of numerous 15-minute-long live shows.

Dwarves unsurprisingly self-destructed shortly after a failed hoax, whereby the band issued a press release stating that guitarist He Who Cannot Be Named had died. The album Sugarfix also carried a tribute to the guitarist, who was actually very much alive. Sub Pop was not amused and dropped the band, which later re-formed for 1997's Young and Good Looking. Come Clean followed in early 2000. Four years later the band returned with The Dwarves Must Die, including guests Dexter Holland from the Offspring, Nick Oliveri from Queens of the Stone Age, Nash Kato from Urge Overkill, and voice actor Gary Owens.

Band members

Singer Blag Dahlia (Paul Cafaro), and guitarist He Who Cannot Be Named have always been the two core members of the group. The lineup has shifted around them, and currently consits of members "Fresh Prince of Darkness", "Rex Everything", "Thrusty Otis", "Crash Landin", "Chip Fracture" "Dutch Ovens", among others.

Music style

They are known for their simple loud, yet nuanced punk repertoire, and controversial lyrics. Since the hardcore punk/garage sound of their early days, they have recently developed more of a pop-punk influence.

Albums

Their album covers were unusual - naked women, and a naked dwarf covered in blood, for their 1990 album Blood guts and Pussy - followed up a decade later, with a similar theme, this time covered in soap suds, for Come Clean. The band was sacked from their previous label, Sub Pop over pranks such as the long-lasting hoax contending that guitarist "He Who Cannot Be Named" had died. They have recorded on several labels and recently joined Sympathy for the Record Industry. Their latest release, The Dwarves Must Die, for which the band is currently touring around the United States, shows that this shock-rock band is both true to its original sound and intent on sticking around.

Discography

Horror Stories (1986)
Toolin' For A Warm Teabag (1988)
Blood Guts & Pussy (1990)
Lucifer's Crank (1991)
Thank Heaven For Little Girls (1991)
Sugarfix (1993)
The Dwarves Are Young and Good Looking (1997)
Free Cocaine (1999) (early singles collection)
Lick It (1999)
The Dwarves Come Clean (2000)
How To Win Friends And Influence People (2001)
The Dwarves Must Die (2004)
Fuck You Up And Get Live DVD (2004)
Greedy Boot 1 (2005) - only available from their website

External links

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