Mark and Scott...photos by Anna
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click on image to go to mark's new site
Official Bio. The origin of The Pillbugs can be traced back to January of 1991. That's when Mark Kelley first called Mark Mikel up and asked him to form a new band. Kelley brought in drummer Dan Chalmers and Mikel brought in vocalist Dave Murnen and a guitarist who would eventually be replaced 4 times until they found the perfect fit with Scott Tabner (a mutual friend of Kelley and Mikel's).
They became The Mark Mikel Hallucination and started performing shows around Toledo. In 1996 after a respectable amount of local recognition and radio airplay, Mikel wanted to create a new identity for the group. "They deserved to be seen as equals and not just my backing band," Mikel said, "I came up with the idea of The Pillbugs and that we'd go WAY deeper into psychedelia. We released our first album on CD in 1998 on our own label (Omniphonic). I believe it was the first debut release to contain a double CD's worth of new and never-before-released music. Until someone proves me wrong - that's what I believe. The point is we wanted to make something people had to notice." This first release took off very slowly but eventually (with the help of the internet) became a somewhat sought after CD.
The second Pillbugs CD "The 3-Dimensional In-Popcycle Dream" (originally another double set) was completed in early 2001. With no real money to put behind it, it sat on the shelf until 2003 until later when they signed with indie label (Proverus). "Proverus had us strip down the album to 1 CD (a brilliant move actually) and then we inserted a 3D Viewmaster reel to make it really crazy," Mikel reveals.
That album was released during the summer of 2003. Proverus helped the group get a lot of notoriety (especially on the web) and also helped to book and manage gigs. 3D sold out of the first run in a matter of 2 months (most of them going to Japan). That was successful enough for Proverus to want a follow-up. The next summer they released their 3rd CD "Happy Birthday" though dark times were looming.
Mark Kelley had been diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer in 1999. By the time "Happy Birthday" was released in August of 2004, Kelley had lost his voice completely and could hardly stand on his own two legs.
Knowing their wasn't much time left, the 5 friends took to recording one last album together. "Buzz for Aldrin" sessions began in Sept. 2004, just as Mark Kelley took another down turn and was admitted to the hospital. Recording continued with The Pillbugs not knowing if Kelley would ever return.
He eventually did return and was able to contribute the bass guitar to most of the album from his wheelchair- with a permanent breathing machine surgically attached to his throat. Then the studio recording equipment broke down and it was in repair for over seven months. "By the time the guy got around to fixing it," adds Mikel, "Mark Kelley was past the point of being able to record with us. It took me a long time to get back into the groove and finish the album."
"But we eventually finished it though the recording sessions seemed jinxed from start to finish."
To provide the right grandeur for the release, The Pillbugs employed renowned California artist Mark Roland* to supply the CD art.
The new Pillbugs double disc set "Buzz for Aldrin" was released by Proverus on June 19, 2007.
The Pillbugs signed with Rainbow Quartz and their first CD with RQ, "Monclovia" was released on Oct. 30, 2007.
Everybody Wants A Way Out their second rainbow Quartz album was released Nov. 10th, 2008.
In March 2011 Mark formed two new combos, The Mark Mikel Band and Dark Ocean Colors with Scott Hunt, with two albums by the latter coming soon on Rainbow Quartz
*Mark Roland is indeed a very talented artist look here for a few more examples of his art
http://www.orycon.org/orycon26/markroland.html
update...and his new website is here
The Art Of Mark Roland
http://www.rolandscapes.com/
A scrapbook of sorts ... created by fans ... about the most psychedelic band in the world ... THE PILLBUGS! "They would indeed beat all comers to the World Psychedelia Cup" The Sunday Times (UK). "The Pillbugs aren't just playing in the Perfumed Garden, they are landscaping it anew from the bottom up." Bucketfull Of Brains.
The brand new Mark Mikel website with all the latest news.
http://theofficialmarkmikelpage.com/default.aspx
Brom:
I'd like to point out that the streaming music service Spotify (http://spotify.com) offers a couple of Pillbugs albums. How about linking to The Pillbugs on Spotify for users of this growing music app phenomenon?
Spotify album link for Monclovia.
Spotify album link for Everybody Wants A Way Out.
The brand new Mark Mikel website with all the latest news.
http://theofficialmarkmikelpage.com/default.aspx
Brom:
I'd like to point out that the streaming music service Spotify (http://spotify.com) offers a couple of Pillbugs albums. How about linking to The Pillbugs on Spotify for users of this growing music app phenomenon?
Spotify album link for Monclovia.
Spotify album link for Everybody Wants A Way Out.
click on image to go to mark's new site
Welcome to the multicoloured world of The Pillbugs
Official Bio. The origin of The Pillbugs can be traced back to January of 1991. That's when Mark Kelley first called Mark Mikel up and asked him to form a new band. Kelley brought in drummer Dan Chalmers and Mikel brought in vocalist Dave Murnen and a guitarist who would eventually be replaced 4 times until they found the perfect fit with Scott Tabner (a mutual friend of Kelley and Mikel's).
They became The Mark Mikel Hallucination and started performing shows around Toledo. In 1996 after a respectable amount of local recognition and radio airplay, Mikel wanted to create a new identity for the group. "They deserved to be seen as equals and not just my backing band," Mikel said, "I came up with the idea of The Pillbugs and that we'd go WAY deeper into psychedelia. We released our first album on CD in 1998 on our own label (Omniphonic). I believe it was the first debut release to contain a double CD's worth of new and never-before-released music. Until someone proves me wrong - that's what I believe. The point is we wanted to make something people had to notice." This first release took off very slowly but eventually (with the help of the internet) became a somewhat sought after CD.
The second Pillbugs CD "The 3-Dimensional In-Popcycle Dream" (originally another double set) was completed in early 2001. With no real money to put behind it, it sat on the shelf until 2003 until later when they signed with indie label (Proverus). "Proverus had us strip down the album to 1 CD (a brilliant move actually) and then we inserted a 3D Viewmaster reel to make it really crazy," Mikel reveals.
That album was released during the summer of 2003. Proverus helped the group get a lot of notoriety (especially on the web) and also helped to book and manage gigs. 3D sold out of the first run in a matter of 2 months (most of them going to Japan). That was successful enough for Proverus to want a follow-up. The next summer they released their 3rd CD "Happy Birthday" though dark times were looming.
Mark Kelley had been diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer in 1999. By the time "Happy Birthday" was released in August of 2004, Kelley had lost his voice completely and could hardly stand on his own two legs.
Knowing their wasn't much time left, the 5 friends took to recording one last album together. "Buzz for Aldrin" sessions began in Sept. 2004, just as Mark Kelley took another down turn and was admitted to the hospital. Recording continued with The Pillbugs not knowing if Kelley would ever return.
He eventually did return and was able to contribute the bass guitar to most of the album from his wheelchair- with a permanent breathing machine surgically attached to his throat. Then the studio recording equipment broke down and it was in repair for over seven months. "By the time the guy got around to fixing it," adds Mikel, "Mark Kelley was past the point of being able to record with us. It took me a long time to get back into the groove and finish the album."
"But we eventually finished it though the recording sessions seemed jinxed from start to finish."
To provide the right grandeur for the release, The Pillbugs employed renowned California artist Mark Roland* to supply the CD art.
The new Pillbugs double disc set "Buzz for Aldrin" was released by Proverus on June 19, 2007.
The Pillbugs signed with Rainbow Quartz and their first CD with RQ, "Monclovia" was released on Oct. 30, 2007.
Everybody Wants A Way Out their second rainbow Quartz album was released Nov. 10th, 2008.
In March 2011 Mark formed two new combos, The Mark Mikel Band and Dark Ocean Colors with Scott Hunt, with two albums by the latter coming soon on Rainbow Quartz
*Mark Roland is indeed a very talented artist look here for a few more examples of his art
http://www.orycon.org/orycon26/markroland.html
update...and his new website is here
The Art Of Mark Roland
http://www.rolandscapes.com/
Labels
- Adamic revists the original version of the first album (1)
- begin (1)
- Blatant Ripoffs (1)
- Blue Kazoo AAA Festival 2006 (1)
- Bucketfull Of Brains has new Pillbugs article (1)
- Bucketfull Of Brains Interview summer 2004 (1)
- BUZZ FOR ALDRIN (1)
- buzz for aldrin is coming (1)
- buzz poster cover (1)
- Cosmic Suprise (1)
- Dark Ocean Colors and The Mark Mikel Band (1)
- Dark Ocean Colors release date (1)
- Dave Murnen's photo album (1)
- Dragonfly Heaven Art (1)
- everybody wants a way out (1)
- Everybody Wants A Way Out -the cover (1)
- GEORGE hARRISON TRIBUTE SHOW (1)
- HALLUCINATION (1)
- hanging out with the stars (1)
- happy birthday (1)
- ipo vol 5 (1)
- kinks (1)
- Live Shows (1)
- marikesh (1)
- mark and fish (1)
- Mark Kelly's Aluring Martha (1)
- Mark Mikel News August 2010 (1)
- Mark Mikel on the Monkees Part One (1)
- Mark Mikel on The Monkees part three (1)
- MARK MIKEL THE IDIOT SMILES (1)
- Mark Mikel update october 2009 (1)
- mark mikel's dream production jobs (1)
- mark mikel's top ten heavy metal albums (1)
- mark on the monkees part two (1)
- Mark Roland and the Buzz For Aldrin Cover (1)
- MARKEE MONKEE (1)
- Mike Baron (1)
- Monclovia (1)
- Monkees part four (1)
- Musical Favourites (1)
- New Mark Mikel site (1)
- PEPPERMINT (1)
- pillbugs early article (1)
- Pillbugs on John Talk Radio 2009 (1)
- pillbugs promo photo signed (1)
- POP CULTURE PRESS (1)
- PROVERUS (1)
- PSYCHEDELIA (1)
- real world (1)
- rock group (1)
- Scott Hunt (1)
- Scrub Radio.com The Pillbugs Easter Restrospective (1)
- ShockPop's First Annual Pillbugs Marathon (1)
- SITARS (1)
- smile (1)
- Some Rare Songs (1)
- sorghum pudding (1)
- thanks to jammi (1)
- That Is Ridiculous (1)
- THE 3-DIMENSIONAL IN A POPCYCLE DREAM (1)
- The Art Of Mark Roland (1)
- The Buzz For Aldrin Codex (1)
- the first pillbugs album (1)
- The Happy Birthday Cover (1)
- The Mark Mikel Hallucination Live (1)
- The Monclovis Variations (1)
- The Pillbugs live at Village Idiot Maumee July 21 2009 (1)
- The Pillbugs live at Village Idiot Maumee July 21 2009 more pictures (1)
- The Pillbugs Marigold Something (1)
- THE PILLBUGS STORM NEW YORK (1)
- The Pillbugs VieWMASTERS (1)
- The Rude Boys (1)
- The Sunday Times Review 2008 (1)
- Toledo City Paper July 2003. (1)
- what instruments? (1)
- xtc (1)
Pillbugs Linkage
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