Beat Happening

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Biography

Olympia, Washington, United States (1982 – present)

Beat Happening was a seminal indie rock band which formed in 1982 in Olympia, Washington, United States. They consisted of Calvin Johnson (vocals, guitar), Bret Lunsford (guitar, drums) and Heather Lewis (drums, guitar, vocals). The band was signed to K Records, which Johnson formed in 1982 to distribute the band’s music but later released music by such seminal indie artists as Modest Mouse, Beck and Built to Spill, and distributed the music of the like-minded English label Sarah Records. The band has been inactive since 1993, but the band members insist they still practice at least once a month. The band did manage to release one single since then, 2000’s “Angel Gone”.

Beat Happening began recording in 1983 after several years of performing. While on a trip to Tokyo, the band members recorded “Three Tea Breakfast”, an EP that established the band’s reputation. “Beat Happening” (1985), their full length debut, was critically acclaimed, as was “Jamboree” (1988). By the release of “Dreamy” in 1991, Beat Happening was one of the most popular bands in the indie rock community, leading to their pivotal role in the International Pop Underground Festival, which brought anti-corporate rock its earliest mainstream acceptance. In the 1990s, the members of Beat Happening have moved on to various related projects, though in 2000 they released the “Angel Gone” single, their first new recording in eight years.

A Beat Happening box set, “Crashing Through”, was released in 2002.
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  • module64

    real punk

    15 Jun 4:43am Reply

  • Nimbie

    Take back my words about Music to Climb the Apple Tree by, it's really really good.

    4 Jun 11:40am Reply

  • Nimbie

    And by the way people tend to forget about Australian and New Zealand indie pop, which is a shame. The Cannanes are HUGE, and such Dunedin bands as The Chills or Look Blue Go Purple are no worse than any Field Mice-like British jangle band.

    13 May 5:01pm Reply

  • Nimbie

    No, they couldn't. If they were British they'd probably be influenced by jangle pop sound (if I get Lyciummusic's idea) - it isn't a bad thing at all, but much of their unique charm comes from their primal primitivity; they are beyond any styles and categorizations. British indie pop is often fanciful and self-consciously kitschy - you know, 60's girl groups, old-fashioned dresses, ribbons and lace, cuteness all over the place, - and it's awesome, but Beat Happening approach is rather austere and minimalist. (Or it may be some Smiths-esque melancholic jingle-jangle played and sung but sad skinny young boys. Anyway, Beat Happening are far from it). Of course, in fact they could originate from any place of this world, but it seems to me that Lyciummusic is talking about _influences_.

    13 May 4:49pm Reply

  • superfly299

    Why was Heather Lewis intent on looking like a dude?

    1 May 3:46am Reply

  • ElChepito

    I think beat happening did their own thing. This isn't a british or american conflict.

    25 Apr 6:12pm Reply

  • Lyciummusic

    Listen more British indies from 80s and you'll get it.

    30 Mar 12:44pm Reply

  • Jack_fe

    @Lyciummusic: How would that help? Also, you might just be describing Marine Girls.

    29 Mar 5:01pm Reply

  • Lyciummusic

    Could have been better if they were British.

    29 Mar 10:28am Reply

  • Nimbie

    Well, as for me, I adore all of their studio albums.

    28 Mar 10:06pm Reply

  • SmellTheMagic_

    Music to Climb the Apple Tree by of course not their best album but it's better than little bit creepy Black Candy (i love creepy music but creepy Beat Happening it's silly), Dreamy and You Turn Me On (without their childlike energy). of course it lacks cohesiveness but i don't think it spoil whole album .Knock on Any Door, Sea Babies, Angel Gone and songs from their split EP with Screaming Trees are very good.

    27 Mar 7:46pm Reply

  • Nimbie

    tbh I find Music to Climb the Apple Tree by their worst release. It lacks cohesiveness of their studio albums and (since it's a compilation) has some "artificial" feel about it (also compared to the studio albums). Also, I prefer LP edits of "Foggy Eyes" (which sounds so incredibly naive and vivid on Beat Happening LP and pretty dull on Music to Climb) and "Nancy Sin" to those from the compilation. Still some great stuff there, though.

    27 Mar 2:15pm Reply

  • Punching_joe

    Why Music to Climb the Apple Tree by so unpopular?

    26 Mar 2:12pm Reply

  • SmellTheMagic_

    Hooray for reissues! [4]Got Beat Happening on vinyl today.

    26 Mar 2:06pm Reply

  • Nimbie

    Hooray for reissues! [3]

    26 Mar 12:33pm Reply

  • WarriorJones

    In the same level of quality as The Shaggs. Which is a fantastic honor.

    25 Mar 4:49am Reply

  • Punching_joe

    Hooray for reissues! [2]

    3 Mar 1:41am Reply

  • Giygaszor

    Hooray for reissues!

    2 Mar 6:37pm Reply

  • Kurt_Cobain321

    When first listening to this band I definitely thought of them being like a hybrid of The Velvet Underground and The Shaggs. [2]

    22 Feb 3:21pm Reply

  • Creepcleaner

    you aren't the chosen ones.

    20 Feb 5:44pm Reply
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