Bongwater
Play Radio
Listen to Bongwater Radio,
featuring artists like Kramer, King Missile, Dogbowl, Shockabilly and more…
-
Search on Spotify
Yes, it scrobbles! Learn more
237,394 plays (13,701 listeners)
New York City (1985 – 1992)
Bongwater was a psychedelic rock band from New York City, formed in 1985 and dissolved in 1992. The group was founded by Ann Magnuson and Mark Kramer (who was also the founder of the Shimmy Disc record label), who had worked together previously in Pulsallama. The group also featured drummer Dave Licht and guitarists Dave Rick and later Randolph A. Hudson III. Guests included Fred Frith, Peter Stampfel and Fred Schneider.
Earlier recordings consisted of psychedelic-era cover songs, sound collages and originals in an abrasive and/or abstract, dense and sludgy experimental style with often dreamy and cacophonous vocals by Magnuson on the songs “Frank” (a sardonic “tribute” to Frank Sinatra) and “Dazed and Chinese” (Led Zeppelin’s “Dazed and Confused”, sung in Mandarin). The band’s style ultimately evolved into a more poppy, sexy approach which still retained an experimental edge as well as retaining the surreal and wicked, often self-deprecating wit which had distinguished the group’s earlier releases. Lengthy sound collages would often terminate or begin the songs and without warning and a spoken word monologue (often taken from Magnuson’s dream journal excerpts) might cut into the music.
They distinguished themselves as interpreters of songs by other artists, in particular of 1960s psychedelic rock songs, although they also covered occasional oddities like “Bedazzled” by Dudley Moore. They also frequently covered “Kisses Sweeter Than Wine” by The Weavers and “You Don’t Love Me Yet” by Roky Erickson.
Earlier recordings consisted of psychedelic-era cover songs, sound collages and originals in an abrasive and/or abstract, dense and sludgy experimental style with often dreamy and cacophonous vocals by Magnuson on the songs “Frank” (a sardonic “tribute” to Frank Sinatra) and “Dazed and Chinese” (Led Zeppelin’s “Dazed and Confused”, sung in Mandarin). The band’s style ultimately evolved into a more poppy, sexy approach which still retained an experimental edge as well as retaining the surreal and wicked, often self-deprecating wit which had distinguished the group’s earlier releases. Lengthy sound collages would often terminate or begin the songs and without warning and a spoken word monologue (often taken from Magnuson’s dream journal excerpts) might cut into the music.
They distinguished themselves as interpreters of songs by other artists, in particular of 1960s psychedelic rock songs, although they also covered occasional oddities like “
Bedazzled” by Dudley Moore. They also frequently covered “Kisses Sweeter Than Wine” by The Weavers and “You Don’t Love Me Yet” by Roky Erickson.
Shouts:
43 shouts
Top Albums
-
The Power of Pussy
BongwaterBuy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $8.99
- 7digital Search
- iTunes $9.99
- Buy Album
- Amazon $12.51
- eBay Search
-
Too Much Sleep
BongwaterBuy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $8.99
- 7digital Search
- iTunes $9.99
- Buy Album
- Amazon $16.99
- eBay Search
-
The Big Sell-Out
BongwaterBuy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $8.99
- 7digital Search
- iTunes $9.99
- Buy Album
- Amazon $17.04
- eBay Search
-
Double Bummer
BongwaterBuy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
Shoutbox
-
Sgarre1 wrote:
lailamb - Wonderful artists who helped me discover a wonderful Slapp Happy song! "hipper than thou" just doesn't work as a lifestyle, man, give it up!
-
IKilledBambi wrote:
can listen to them for hours at a time while im drawing, such an interesting band
-
neverboughtit wrote:
@LupinZX totally agree, this shits way underrated and dump people can't entirely grasp it
-
lossless777 wrote:
...they have Nick Cave Dolls? I want one.
-
Athebes wrote:
ok i just sign'd on this site frst time ever 2sign any site,compeld aftr read'n about bongwater.i bot double bummer &2 much sleep bak n 1990 been rokn on it 4 years IT ROCKS! Glad 2 meet people who have even heard em.
-
Buttemaster wrote:
Let's Listen To Radical Feminist Alternative Music Y'all
-
lailamb wrote:
Douchelords who ruined a perfectly good Slapp Happy song
-
jesusson420 wrote:
yess plleaaasseee
-
AmyGriffs wrote:
awesome
-
count_schemula wrote:
Listened to them then. They are worthy of listening to now, though the whole drop out art life they kind of represent has kind of died off with the emergence of the "gotta get mine" generation and the Young Republicans. Shame really. Emo has nothing on actual art rock.
-
Fhoij wrote:
llindos
-
nocturana wrote:
:)
-
mondoJ wrote:
Seems like just a chick talking over jazz rock songs. I don't get it.
-
gothicslinkysis wrote:
It's fun to be a prostitute, I wanna spread my legs all over Hollywood Boulevard. Sucking and shopping, sucking and shopping! Great Lyrics..but my fave song by Bongwater is Free love(messes up my life) :)
-
bruno__________ wrote:
DAVID BOWIE WANTS IDEAS
-
LupinZX wrote:
I don't understand why Bongwate rdoesn't have more critical acclaim, their song writing ability is fantastic.
-
rimjimthemonkey wrote:
i am in love...
-
Sgarre1 wrote:
So many great songs, so many great covers...
-
metveters wrote:
Great Band.
-
JeremyAce4 wrote:
Pussy.
Videos
Top Listeners
-
doctea
Top Listener
-
code_expected
Top Listener
-
Jesus_Plum
Top Listener
-
hjorung
Top Listener
Recent Activity
-
WCHardie, Zolobaun, markj64 and 5 other people added Bongwater to their libraries. Friday morning
-
SimonePerrota tagged Bongwater with ‘experimental’. last month
-
SimonePerrota, picnicmuse, overcomed and 2 other people added Bongwater to their libraries. last month
-
PhilipCherny tagged Bongwater with ‘duo’. last month
-
revjack23, NuRNaRiEN_LauRa and code_expected added Bongwater to their libraries. December 2011
-
Seederman tagged Bongwater with indie, experimental, psychedelic and one other tag. December 2011
-
rcdjr510 and arielllllllllll added Bongwater to their libraries. December 2011
-
BlueOrangeJuice tagged Bongwater with psychedelic rock, experimental, indie rock and one other tag. December 2011
-
strsk, BrigSmoke, OBSIDIAN- and 21 other people added Bongwater to their libraries. December 2011
-
Human-Man tagged Bongwater with indie and psychedelic. September 2011
Related Journals
-
#Lpgroup - 1990s
by rattlebag |
12 Jul 2011
-
Playlist for 11 / 04 / 2011
by TaitheStrange |
12 Apr 2011
-
My Monthly Mixtapes from 2010
by muzikizum |
21 Aug 2010
Groups (15)
-
Sonic Explorations
65 members
-
The Eighties Habit
1,649 members
-
Sexist Killer
180 members
-
Pere Ubu
166 members
-
www.scaruffi.com
153 members
More Information
- Links
- Band Members
- Labels
