The Warlocks are an American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

band formed in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, in 1998 by the guitarist/singer Bobby Hecksher. The band's music has ranged from

psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...

drone music Drone music, drone-based music, or simply drone, is a minimalist genre of music that emphasizes the use of sustained sounds, notes, or tone clusters called '' drones''. It is typically characterized by lengthy compositions featuring relativel ...

. There have been many changes in personnel since its formation, with Hecksher the only constant member.Davidson, Mike,
Drone Rock Wizards - The Warlocks
,

Gigwise.com ''Gigwise'' is a British online music news site featuring music news, photos, album reviews, music festivals, concert tickets and video content. Founded in June 2001, the site is based in London, England. History Gigwise was launched in 2001 in ...

, September 23, 2003. Retrieved October 27, 2013Kot, Greg, "The Warlocks' magical musical show", ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

'', March 21, 2003, p. 3 ('Friday' section)

History

Formation and signing to Bomp!

The band was founded in 1998 in Los Angeles by Bobby Hecksher, adopting a name used by both

the Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1964. Its classic lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Lou Reed, Welsh multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and percussionis ...

and

the Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in Palo Alto, California, in 1965. Known for their eclectic style that fused elements of rock, blues, jazz, folk, country, bluegrass, rock and roll, gospel, reggae, and world music with psyc ...

in their early days. At the age of fifteen, Hecksher moved to Los Angeles from Florida with his family.Appleford, Steve, "Black moods, black magic", ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'', December 25, 2003, p. E28 Hecksher's first instrument was

cello The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...

, eventually moving on to

bass guitar The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...

. Hecksher's grandfather owned a radio station. In the years before the formation of the band, Hecksher was busy with a number of other projects in Los Angeles, including Charles Brown Superstar, Don Knotts Overdrive (Hecksher left DKO in 1995 and the band eventually changed its name to Head Set due to legal threats from the actual

Don Knotts Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924February 24, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on the 1960s sitcom ''The Andy Griffith Show'', for which he earned five Emmy Awards. He als ...

), and Magic Pacer, played bass guitar with

Beck Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970), known mononymously as Beck, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his Experimental music, experimental and Lo-fi mus ...

on the '' Stereopathic Soulmanure'' album and also with

The Brian Jonestown Massacre The Brian Jonestown Massacre is an American Rock music, rock band led and started by Anton Newcombe. It was formed in San Francisco in 1990. The group was the subject of the 2004 documentary film called ''Dig!'', and have gained media notorie ...

for a brief period.Mills, Fred,
The Warlocks ''The Warlocks''
", '' Broward Palm Beach New Times'', April 5, 2001. Retrieved October 27, 2013Thomas, Bryan
The Warlocks Biography
, ''

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

''. Retrieved October 27, 2013 The Warlocks played their first gig on July 4, 1998. Receiving comparisons with '' White Light/White Heat''-era Velvet Underground and

Spacemen 3 Spacemen 3 were an English rock band, formed in 1982 in Rugby, Warwickshire, by Peter Kember and Jason Pierce, known respectively under their pseudonyms Sonic Boom and J Spaceman. Their music is known for its brand of "trance-like neo-psyched ...

, the band signed a two-album deal with the renowned indie label Bomp! in October 2000. Supposedly signed in Hecksher's blood, the contract with Bomp! yielded the band's first release in 2000, the mini-album ''

The Warlocks The Warlocks are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1998 by the guitarist/singer Bobby Hecksher. The band's music has ranged from psychedelic rock to drone music. There have been many changes in personnel since its forma ...

''. This was followed by the release of its first full-length record, '' Rise and Fall'', in 2001. ''Rise and Fall'' received a four-and-a-half-star review from ''

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

'', with Bryan Thomas describing it as a "solid effort".Thomas, Bryan
''Rise and Fall'' Review
, ''

''. Retrieved October 27, 2013 Hecksher worked as a games tester for DreamWorks until at least 2001.

Birdman and Mute contracts

After the release of ''Rise and Fall'' the band left Bomp! and signed with

Birdman Records Birdman Records is an independent record label based in South San Francisco, California, that was founded in 2000 by David Katznelson, former A&R vice president of Warner Bros. Records. History Birdman Records is the flagship label of the Bird ...

. The EP '' Phoenix'' was released by Birdman in 2002 and was followed by a full-length album also called '' Phoenix'', which was also released in 2002, to positive acclaim.Robbins, Ira
Warlocks
, ''

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who, Dave Schulps, and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...

''. Retrieved October 27, 2013 ''Phoenix'' included a collaboration with

Peter Kember Peter Kember (born 19 November 1965), also known by his stage name Sonic Boom, is an English singer-songwriter, composer and record producer. He was a founding member, vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist of neo-psychedelic band Spacemen 3, las ...

(Sonic Boom), of

and

Spectrum A spectrum (: spectra or spectrums) is a set of related ideas, objects, or properties whose features overlap such that they blend to form a continuum. The word ''spectrum'' was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of co ...

, on the song "Hurricane Heart Attack". "Shake the Dope Out" and "Baby Blue" were also released as singles. The group toured the US and overseas with

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (sometimes abbreviated to BRMC) is an American rock band from San Francisco, California. The group originally consisted of Peter Hayes (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Robert Levon Been (vocals, bass, guitar), and Ni ...

the Raveonettes The Raveonettes are a Danish indie rock duo, consisting of Sune Rose Wagner on guitar, instruments and vocals, and Sharin Foo on bass, guitar and vocals. Their music is characterized by close two-part vocal harmonies inspired by The Everly B ...

and

Interpol The International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL (abbreviated as ICPO–INTERPOL), commonly known as Interpol ( , ; stylized in allcaps), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime cont ...

. Following ''Phoenix'', the Warlocks signed to Mute and released ''

Surgery Surgery is a medical specialty that uses manual and instrumental techniques to diagnose or treat pathological conditions (e.g., trauma, disease, injury, malignancy), to alter bodily functions (e.g., malabsorption created by bariatric surgery s ...

'' in 2005, produced by Tom Rothrock. The record represents a departure from their earlier psychedelic sound into dreamier pop territory, while retaining the band's hard-edged brand of rock. The songs on this record are shorter and more structured than some of their previous work.Haag, Stephen,
The Warlocks: Surgery
,

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...

, August 22, 2005. Retrieved October 27, 2013 "Come Save Us" was released as a single. ''Surgery'' received a mixed reception from critics; A

review by Stephen Haag rated it at 6 out of 10, while a

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

review gave the album only a 1.7 out of 10 rating, with Nick Sylvester describing the album as "A mopey bunch of trite sap O.D.-type tales almost as unstomachable as the band's former crapothecary hymns."Sylvester, Nick,
The Warlocks ''Surgery''
,

Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered Alternative rock, alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres includin ...

, September 27, 2005. Retrieved October 27, 2013 Prefix gave the album 8.0 out of 10, describing it as "far more approachable" than their earlier releases.The Warlocks ''Surgery''
Prefix, March 5, 2008. Retrieved October 27, 2013 The album's lack of commercial success led to the end of their deal with Mute.Lymangrover, Jason
''Heavy Deavy Skull Lover'' Review
,

. Retrieved October 27, 2013

Later releases

In the years after ''Surgery'', the band toured internationally and sustained changes to the lineup, leading up to the 2007 release of '' Heavy Deavy Skull Lover'' on Tee Pee.The Warlocks cast a heavy spell
, '' Metro'', August 26, 2008. Retrieved October 27, 2013 The album was, according to Hecksher, recorded over a single weekend, with the band members quitting afterwards. The album is considered darker than their previous work, with the band exploring a more experimental direction.Righi, Len,
Warlocks bassist detects meaning beneath chords of 'Skull Lover'
", ''Taiwan News'', November 30, 2007. Retrieved October 27, 2013 A review in ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...

'' described the album as "funereal" and "sluggishly unrealised", while

called it "uneven".Anderson, Stacey,
The Warlocks ''Heavy Deavy Skull Lover''
, ''

'', December 2007, p. 126. Retrieved October 27, 2013 ''Heavy Deavy Skull Lover'' was recorded as a four-piece and marks a brief hiatus from the band for founding member John Christian Rees, who later returned before work began on their 2009 album, '' The Mirror Explodes''. ''The Mirror Explodes'' was released in 2009 by Tee Pee. Production of the record was assisted by

Joey Santiago Joseph Alberto Santiago (born June 10, 1965) is a Filipino-American guitarist and composer. Active since 1986, Santiago is best known as the co-founder and lead guitarist of the alternative rock band Pixies. After the band's breakup in 1993, ...

of the

Pixies Pixies may refer to: * Plural of Pixie * Pixies (band) The Pixies are an American alternative rock band from Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1986 by Black Francis (vocals, rhythm guitar, songwriter), Joey Santiago (lead guitar), Kim ...

. The years following ''The Mirror Explodes'' saw two online releases by the band, available through

Bandcamp Bandcamp is an American online music distribution platform founded in 2008 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with an office and record store in Oakland, California. Acquired by Epic ...

, as well as a reissue of ''Rise and Fall'' via Zap Banana/

Cargo In transportation, cargo refers to goods transported by land, water or air, while freight refers to its conveyance. In economics, freight refers to goods transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. The term cargo is also used in cas ...

in October 2010 which included previously unreleased rarities and artwork by Darren Grealish. The first of the online releases, the highly experimental ''EXP'', was released on January 1, 2010. The second, ''Enter At Your Own Skull: Unreleased Volume One'', a compilation of B-sides, demos and outtakes, was released on June 9, 2011. Besides the online releases and ''Rise and Fall'' reissue, the years after ''The Mirror Explodes'' were filled with intermittent touring and more line-up changes, resulting in the band solidifying as a five-piece. The band provided another commercial release in 2013 with '' Skull Worship'', also via Zap Banana/

(distribution). ''Skull Worship'' was released on November 26, 2013. The Warlocks' seventh studio album, '' Songs from the Pale Eclipse'', was released on September 2. A single, "Lonesome Bulldog", was released in promotion for the album in June 2016. The Warlocks' eighth studio album, '' Mean Machine Music'', was released on May 31, 2019. The Warlocks' ninth studio album, ''

The Chain "The Chain" is a song by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on their 1977 album '' Rumours''. It is the only song from the album with writing credits for all five members (Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie, John ...

'', was released on April 3, 2020. The Warlocks' tenth studio album, '' In Between Sad'' was released on September 22, 2023.

Musical style

The band's music has been described as

. In 2008, Hecksher said of the band's sound "...even though it's seemingly chaotic, achieving our sound is a really specific process. We need all these big, hollow-bodied guitars going through old Fender amps with reverb, or it won’t work." In 2007, the bass guitarist Jenny Fraser described the songwriting process: "Hecksher writes the skeleton of the songs and everyone writes their own parts. He always draws the picture and we paint it in." Hecksher acknowledges influences including

The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1964. Its classic lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Lou Reed, Welsh multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and percussionis ...

, Spacemen 3,

Spiritualized Spiritualized (stylised as Spiritualized®) are an English rock band formed in 1990 in Rugby, Warwickshire, by Jason Pierce (often known as J. Spaceman), formerly of Spacemen 3. After several line up-changes, in 1999, the band centred on Pie ...

and

The Jesus and Mary Chain The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid, who are the two founders and only consistent members of the ...

Personnel

; Current members * Bobby Hecksher – vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass guitar * John Christian Rees – guitar, feedback * Earl V. Miller – guitar, drone machine * Marlena Schwenck – bass guitar * Oscar Ruvalcaba – drums * Rob Campanella – organ * Elina Yakubova – tambourine & percussion ; Former members * Christopher DiPino – bass guitar * Jason Anchondo – drums * Ryan McBride – guitar * Bob Mustachio – drums * Suzanne Jana Risher – bass guitar * Mimi Star – bass guitar * Bobby Martine – bass guitarStraub, Daniel,
The Warlocks: "Drogen gehören zu unserer Musik"
, laut.de, February 4, 2004. Retrieved October 27, 2013 * Jenny Fraser – bass guitar * Corey Lee Granet – guitar, piano * Jeff Levitz – guitar, lap steel, sitar * Jen Chiba – bass guitarGowing, Liam (2013)
Elliott Smith: 'Mr. Misery' Revisited, 10 Years After the Singer-Songwriter's Controversial Death
, ''

'', October 21, 2013. Retrieved October 27, 2013 * Caleb Sweazy – bass guitar, acoustic guitar * Laura Grigsby – organ, tambourine * George Serrano – drums * Hunter Crowley – drums * Bobby Tamkin – drums *

Anton Newcombe Anton Alfred Newcombe (born August 29, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and founder of the music group The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Newcombe was the subject of the 2004 documentary film '' Dig!'', alo ...

– drums * Theresa Saso – drums * Danny Hole – drums

Discography

Studio albums Live albums Online albums and compilations Mini-albums/EPs Singles *"Baby Blue" (2003), Mute *"Shake the Dope Out" (2003), Mute *"Hurricane Heart Attack" (2003), City Rockers *"It's Just Like Surgery" (2005), Mute *"Come Save Us" (2005), Mute *"Isolation"/"Red Camera" (2006), Bomp!

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Warlocks, The Psychedelic rock music groups from California Musical groups from Los Angeles Mute Records artists American neo-psychedelia groups American shoegaze musical groups