Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
Edie Brickell & New Bohemians is an alternative rock jam band that originated in Dallas, Texas, in the mid-1980s. The band is widely known for their 1988 hit "What I Am" from the album Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars. Their music contains elements of rock, folk, blues, and jazz. Following the release of their 1990 second album Ghost of a Dog, lead singer Edie Brickell left the band and married singer-songwriter Paul Simon. In 2006, she and the band launched a new web site and released a new album, Stranger Things.
Edie Brickell & New Bohemians | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | New Bohemians The Slip |
| Origin | Dallas, Texas, United States |
| Genres | Alternative rock, folk rock, neo-psychedelia, southern rock, jam rock |
| Years active | 1985–1991, 1997–present |
| Labels | Geffen |
| Associated acts | Edie Brickell, The Heavy Circles |
| Website | www |
| Members | Brandon Aly Brad Houser Edie Brickell Kenny Withrow John Bush |
| Past members | Eric Presswood Wes Burt-Martin Matt Chamberlain Carter Albrecht |
Early history
The New Bohemians started as a three-piece band in the early 1980s, gaining experience in the Deep Ellum neighborhood of downtown Dallas. The original line-up featured Brad Houser on vibraslap, Eric Presswood on guitar, and Brandon Aly on drums.
Drummer Aly, guitarist Kenny Withrow, and percussionist John Bush went to the same arts magnet high school in Dallas, Texas, Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Singer Edie Brickell also went to this school. However, the others didn't know her until later. According to Houser, Edie was there for art.[1] Houser attended Hillcrest High School and lived in the same neighborhood as the others. He played in various neighborhood bands like The Knobs which included Kenny, and was also in the Munch Puppies.
The additional core members joined in 1985. Edie became the singer after being encouraged to join the band onstage during a show. It was soon after that first show that a local agent who was booking bands at Rick's Casablanca was brought to hear the band. The band signed a six-month management contract which brought with it better paying gigs at Rick's. When the six months ended, they started regular gigging in Deep Ellum.[2] Presswood left and Kenny Withrow joined as guitarist, playing his first show in July 1985 at the Starck Club in Dallas. John Bush joined on percussion in September of that year. His first show with the band was September 12, 1985, at Poor David's Pub in Dallas, when the band was backing Bo Diddley.
The "New Bos" were a local favorite, packing in the fans at now famous Deep Ellum venues such as Theater Gallery, 500 Cafe, and Club Dada. The Bohemians were also regular performers at the annual Fry Street Fair on the University of North Texas campus in Denton, Texas. During this period of the band's history, Edie's name was not used in the band's name.
Their debut album, Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars, was a commercial success, and produced the US top 10 hit "What I Am".[3] The follow-up album, Ghost of a Dog, was less successful. Soon after the album's release the New Bohemians disbanded.[4]
Recent activity
In recent years, the New Bohemians have released compilations and a live album and have recorded new material. In the mid-1990s Brickell, Bush and Withrow reunited as The Slip.[5] In 2006 the current members reunited to record and tour with the release of Stranger Things.
Carter Albrecht was killed in Dallas September 3, 2007.
The band's song "Circle" appeared on an episode of Cold Case, Ugly Betty, and Wet Hot American Summer: 10 Years Later and in 2013, it was covered by the pop punk band Bowling for Soup on the album Lunch. Drunk. Love..
The band played live at the North Oakcliff Music Festival in October 2014 with the current lineup as well as keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist Matt Hubbard.
The band reunited again in April 2017 with three concerts at the Kessler Theater in Oak Cliff.[6]
On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Edie Brickell & New Bohemians among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.[7]
Members
Current members
- Brandon Aly – drums
- Edie Brickell – vocals, guitar
- John Walter Bush – percussion
- John Bradley Houser – bass guitar, woodwinds
- Kenneth Neil Withrow – guitar
Previous members
- Carter Albrecht – keyboards, electric guitar, harmonica, vocals (died 2007)
- Wes Burt-Martin – guitar
- Matt Chamberlain – drums
- Eric Presswood – guitar
- Chris Wheatley – keyboards
- Chris Whitten – drums
- Paul "Wix" Wickens – keyboards
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | US [8] |
AUS [9] |
AUT [10] |
GER [11] |
NED [12] |
NZ [13] |
UK [14] |
Certifications | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars | 4 | 31 | 12 | 29 | 33 | 10 | 25 | |||||
| 1990 | Ghost of a Dog | 32 | 148 | — | — | — | — | 63 | |||||
| 1999 | The Live Montauk Sessions | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 2006 | Stranger Things | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 2018 | Rocket[17] | 194 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 2021 | Hunter and the Dog Star[18] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that country. | |||||||||||||
Singles
| Year | Song | US Hot 100 [3] |
US Mod [19] |
US Main [20] |
AUS [9] |
BEL (Fla) [21] |
GER [11] |
IRE [22] |
NED [12] |
NZ [13] |
UK [14][23] |
Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | "What I Am" | 7 | 4 | 9 | 18 | — | — | 23 | — | 11 | 31 | Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars | |
| 1989 | "Circle" | 48 | — | 32 | 80 | 29 | 68 | — | 39 | — | 74 | ||
| "Little Miss S." | — | 14 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Love Like We Do" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1990 | "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" | — | 21 | 28 | 85 | — | — | — | — | — | 83 | Born on the Fourth of July soundtrack | |
| "Mama Help Me" | — | 17 | 26 | 165 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Ghost of a Dog | ||
| 1991 | "Black & Blue" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006 | "One Last Time" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Stranger Things | |
| 2018 | "What Makes You Happy" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Rocket | |
| "Tell Me" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2020 | "My Power" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Hunter and the Dog Star | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that country. | |||||||||||||
Awards and nominations
| Year | Awards | Work | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Billboard Music Awards | "What I Am" | Top Modern Rock Track | Nominated |
| 1989 | International Rock Awards | Themselves | Newcomer of the Year | Nominated |
| Pollstar Concert Industry Awards | Tour | Small Hall Tour of the Year | Nominated | |
| Best Debut Tour | Nominated | |||
| MTV Video Music Awards | "What I Am" | Best New Artist | Nominated | |
| 1991 | "Mama Help Me" | Best Art Direction | Nominated |
References
- Spin magazine, March 1989, Vol 4, Number 12
- D Magazine January 1989
- "Billboard > Edie Brickell > Chart History > The Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
- "Edie Brickell & New Bohemians: Biography and History". AllMusic. Retrieved December 25, 2015.
- What It Is Edie Brickell Andy Langer, June 2, 2000, The Austin Chronicle, Retrieved February 8, 2008
- Brooks, Mike. "Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians Pack the Kessler". Dallas Observer.
- Rosen, Jody (June 25, 2019). "Here Are Hundreds More Artists Whose Tapes Were Destroyed in the UMG Fire". The New York Times. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
- "Billboard > Edie Brickell > Chart History > Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
- Australian (ARIA) chart peaks:
- Top 50 peaks: "australian-charts.com > Edie Brickell in Australian Charts". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
- "Circle": Scott, Gavin. "This Week In 1989: May 21, 1989". Chart Beats: A Journey Through Pop. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
- Top 100 peaks from January 1990 to December 2010: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 41.
- "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall": "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 15 Apr 1990 (61–100)". ARIA. Retrieved April 29, 2017 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The number in the HP column indicates highest position.
- All ARIA chart peaks to March 8, 2018: "Response from ARIA re: Edie Brickell chart history, received March 8, 2018". Imgur.com. Retrieved March 8, 2018. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
- "austriancharts.at > Edie Brickell in der Österreichischen Hitparade" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
- German chart peaks:
- Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars: "Edie Brickell & New Bohemians – Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars (album)" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
- "Circle": "Edie Brickell & New Bohemians – Circle (single)" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
- "dutchcharts.nl > Edie Brickell in Dutch Charts" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
- "charts.nz > Edie Brickell in New Zealand Charts". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
- "Official Charts > Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
- "RIAA > Gold & Platinum > Search results for Edie Brickell (from riaa.com)". Imgur.com (original source published by RIAA). Retrieved April 29, 2017.
- "BPI > Certified Awards > Search results for Edie Brickell (from bpi.co.uk)". Imgur.com (original source published by BPI). Retrieved April 29, 2017.
- "The New Album, "Rocket", Out October 12". Edie Brickell & New Bohemians. September 10, 2018. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
- Zollo, Paul (October 21, 2020). "New Single Today from Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians". American Songwriter. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
- "Billboard > Edie Brickell > Chart History > Alternative Songs". Billboard. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
- "Billboard > Edie Brickell > Chart History > Mainstream Rock Songs". Billboard. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
- "Ultratop > Edie Brickell in Ultratop Vlaanderen" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
- "The Irish Charts – All there is to know > Search results for Edie Brickell (from irishcharts.ie)". Fireball Media, via Imgur.com. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
- Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 78. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
External links
- New Bohemians' official Facebook page
- Edie Brickell's official website
- Brandon Aly's official website
- John Bush's official website
- New Bohemians Live Music Archive at archive.org
- What They Were – Article from Dallas Observer, 1998
- History of Deep Ellum – Dallas Observer, 1999
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