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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = Killdozer| image =| caption = Cover of Intellectuals are the Shoeshine Boys of the Ruling Elite | image_size =| background = group_or_band| alias =| origin = Madison, Wisconsin|Madison , Wisconsin , United States | genre = Noise rock , post-hardcore , sludge metal | years_active = 1983–1996| label = Touch and Go Records , Man's Ruin Records | associated_acts =| website =| current_members = Michael Gerald http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0387756/ Bill Hobson Dan Hobson| past_members = Paul Zagoras Jeff Ditzenberger Tom Hazelmyer http://www.expatica.com/nl/life_in/feature/eat-at-jos-171.html Erik Tunison http://www.orangerecordings.com/cashaudio.html Scott Giampino| notable_instruments = Killdozer was an United States|American noise rock musical ensemble|band , formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1983, with members Bill Hobson, Dan Hobson and Michael Gerald. They took their name from Killdozer& #33; (film)|the 1974 TV movie , directed by Jerry London , itself based on a Killdozer& #33; (story)|Theodore Sturgeon short story . They released their first album, Intellectuals are the Shoeshine Boys of the Ruling Elite , in the same year. The band split in 1990 but reformed in 1993, losing guitarist Bill Hobson and gaining Paul Zagoras, and continued until they split up in 1996. Their farewell tour was officially titled "Fuck You, We Quit!", and included Erik Tunison of Die Kreuzen in place of Dan Hobson on drums and Jeff Ditzenberger on additional guitar. The band released nine albums, including a post-breakup live CD, The Last Waltz .
Killdozer was notable for its slow, grinding song structures and blackly humorous lyrics, growled ominously by singer/guitarist Michael Gerald at the top of his lungs. Many of their songs were disturbing narratives of small-town life gone awry, and later had a jaded, left wing political perspective. Killdozer is regarded by many to have helped set the foundation for grunge|grunge music , despite that genre 's association with the city of Seattle . http://www.markprindle.com/gerald-i.htm Mark Prindle's preface to a 2003 interview with Michael Gerald http://www.freemusiclink.com/articles/grunge.htm FreeMusicLink.com's explanation of grunge music
See also Wikipedia entry on Grunge
The band also became famous for its cover version|cover songs, an example being Don McLean 's " American Pie (song)|American Pie ". A version exists on their 1989 all-covers album For Ladies Only . Gerald also did a cover of Jessi Colter 's "I'm Not Lisa" for the band's 1986 Extended play|EP Burl , dedicated "in loving memory of" the still-living-at-the-time Burl Ives . The EP in its entirety can be found on the CD version of their 1994 album Uncompromising War on Art Under the Dictatorship of the Proletariat .
History
The band recorded under the Touch and Go Records label during the 1980s and 90s and they often toured with or played alongside label mates such as Butthole Surfers , Scratch Acid and Big Black . The band frequently recorded with producer and fellow Madisonian Butch Vig . Steve Albini ( Big Black ) recorded Killdozer's 1995 album God Hears Pleas of the Innocent . Twelve Point Buck was the album that brought Butch Vig to the attention of Kurt Cobain and Billy Corgan . http://www.izotope.com/artists/butch_vig.asp Izotope's Butch Vig Interview
Killdozer played with all original members at Touch and Go Records' 25th anniversary celebration in Chicago, Illinois on September 9, 2006.Touch and Go/Quarterstick Records web site, http://www.touchandgorecords.com/bands/band.php? id=93 25th Anniversary page To promote the event, flyers declared "Fuck You, We Reunite!", harkening back to the name of their farewell tour ("Fuck You, We Quit!"). Subsequently, in response to the audience at the concert "pleading for more Killdozer",Touch and Go/Quarterstick Records web site, http://www.tgrec.com/news/detail.php? id=393 News, 06/05/08 Touch and Go announced a handful of U.S. tour dates for the fall of 2008.Touch and Go/Quarterstick Records web site, http://www.tgrec.com/news/detail.php? id=417 News, 09/04/08
Meanwhile, drummer Dan Hobson has remained active in the Madison music scene, playing in several bands, including http://www.myspace.com/cementpond Cement Pond with Tim Sullivan (of Drug Induced Nightmare #4) on guitar, Steve Burke (of The Gomers ) on guitar and vocals, and Gordon Ranney (also of The Gomers) on bass and vocals. http://www.maximumink.com/articles.php? articleId=946 Maximum Ink Cover Story by Mike Huberty The group has released one full-length album entitled VanillaGuerilla on the independent Corporate Hell Inc. record label in 2005. Michael Gerald is an Attorney at law (United States)|attorney in Los Angeles, California . In 2007, he lent his voice to the New Jersey band Hunchback, for their cover of the Christina Aguilera hit " Beautiful (Christina Aguilera song)|Beautiful ", released on their album Pray For Scars ( Don Giovanni Records , 2008). Bill Hobson is a grip (job)|grip in the Los Angeles area.
Discography
Albums
The Last Waltz(album)|The Last Waltz (1997 on the Man's Ruin Records label, re-released in 2006 on the Crustacean Records label)
God Hears the Pleas of the Innocent (1995)
Uncompromising War on Art Under the Dictatorship of the Proletariat (1994)
Twelve Point Buck (1989)
For Ladies Only (album)|For Ladies Only (1988)
'' Little Baby Buntin' (1988)
Burl(EP)|Burl EP (1986)
Snake Boy (1985)
Intellectuals Are the Shoeshine Boys of the Ruling Elite (1984)
Singles
"Go Big Red" ("Sonnet '96" b/w "I Saw The Light") (1996 on -ismist Recordings )
"Michael Gerald's Party Machine Presents!" Collaboration with Alice Donut (1996)
"We Will Crush You" 10" Collaboration with Ritual Device (1995 on Man's Ruin Records label)
"The Pig Was Cool" b/w "Unbelievable" (1993)
"Her Mother's Sorrow" b/w "Short Eyes" (1989 on the Amphetamine Reptile Records label)
http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2008/11/killdozer-at-wf.html Killdozer performance at WFMU on Election Day 2008
http://www.southern.com/southern/band/KILLD/ Southern Records Killdozer site, including http://www.southern.com/southern/band/KILLD/disc.html discography
http://www.markprindle.com/killdoza.htm Mark Prindle's Killdozer record review site, a critical look back at all of Killdozer's releases
http://www.myspace.com/hunchback Michael Gerald takes vocal duties here on a Christina Aguilera cover
http://www.touchandgorecords.com/bands/album.php? id=434 Live 2006 performance at Touch & Go Record's 25th Anniversary
The Second Supper http://secondsupper.com/review.php? r=47 interview with Killdozer
DEFAULTSORT:Killdozer Category:American rock music groups Category:American post-hardcore musical groups Category:Musical groups from Wisconsin Category:Touch and Go Records artists Category:Musical groups established in 1983 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1996