The Rock*A*Teens

Featuring a couple of luminaries around the Southern indie rock and roll scene, the Rock and roll*A*Teens (never to become confused using the Rock-a-Teens, the Virginia-based strap who scored popular in 1959 with “Whoo-Hoo”) execute a swampy but emphatic mixture of indie rock and roll, rockabilly, garage rock and roll, and Dixie-fried punk, all filtered through the vital imagination of vocalist and guitarist Chris Lopez, a former person in Dirt and Opal Foxx Quartet. Created in Apr 1994 in Cabbagetown, Georgia, the initial lineup from the Rock and roll*A*Teens highlighted Lopez, Kelly Hogan (from the Jody Grind) on electric guitar and support vocals, Justin Davis Hughes (ex-DQE) on electric guitar, keyboards, and vocals (the Rock and roll*A*Teens got an aversion to bass, preferring to bunch on guitars rather), and Chris Verene (another DQE alumni) on drums. Dubbing their audio “reverb-drenched art-billy bummer rock and roll,” the Rock and roll*A*Teens soon created a loyal pursuing in Georgia as well as the Carolinas, and fared well during excursions to NEW YORK. The group struck a cope with Daemon Information, the 3rd party label possessed by Amy Ray from the Indigo Women, and released their self-titled debut record in early 1996. The Rock and roll*A*Teens presented their second full-length, Cry, in Feb 1997 to enthusiastic testimonials, but almost a year afterwards, Kelly Hogan and Chris Verene still left the music group. Brandon Smith (electric guitar) and Jeff Patch (drums) became a member of the lineup, as well as the Rock and roll*A*Teens shifted to the Chapel Hill-based label Merge Information. In Apr 1998, the group lowered their first record for Merge, Baby, just a little Rain Have to Fall, but Jeff Patch still left the music group after blowing out the transmitting within their tour truck, and Chris Verene briefly came back towards the lineup before Ballard Lesemann was recruited to carry down the percussion tasks for the music group. In March 1999, the Rock and roll*A*Teens issued record number 4, Golden Time, as well as the band lay out on a thorough tour in support. If they came back house, Brandon Smith bowed from the group, and William Joiner required over on acoustic guitar. In Oct 2000, the Rock and roll*A*Teenagers released the recording Sweet Parrot of Youngsters, and an EP for Moodswing Information, Noon Beneath the Trees and shrubs, adopted in 2001, however the group was developing weary of their occupied routine, and in 2002, the Rock and roll*A*Teenagers announced their separation, with Chris Lopez heading on to launch solo work beneath the name Tenement Halls. In 2014, the Rock and roll*A*Teenagers announced these were returning to actions for a short reunion tour, using the lineup offering Chris Lopez, Justin Davis Hughes, Will Joiner, and drummer Ballard Lesemann, and a participant, Michelle Dubois. The reunion coincided having a event honoring the 25th anniversary of Merge Information, the vinyl fabric reissue of Nice Bird of Youngsters by Merge, as well as the launch of the archival live recording, Major FILM, by Chunklet Information.