The Suburbs are an alternative

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

/ new wave band from

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

, Minnesota. In its 1980s heyday, the band found great success in Minneapolis and the Midwest, and scored radio and dance-club hits with the songs "Music for Boys", "Waiting", and "Love Is the Law". The band released four albums and two EPs, including the well-regarded ''

In Combo ''In Combo'' is the debut album released by the American New wave band The Suburbs, released in 1980. Reception Writing for Allmusic, music critic Stewart Mason called the album "one of the pioneering releases of the American post-punk indie s ...

'', '' Credit in Heaven'', and '' Love Is The Law''. The band frequently headlined at Minneapolis's most influential music clubs, including

Jay's Longhorn Bar Jay's Longhorn Bar was a small scale concert venue, known for being a nexus of the punk rock and New Wave scenes in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the late 1970s and early 1980s. History Most frequently referred to by patrons as The Longhorn, Jay's ...

and First Avenue. Ira Robbins of

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 ...

called the band "one of Minneapolis’ major musical resources of the late ’70s and early ’80s".

Band history

Pre-Suburbs: 1974–1977

Keyboardist

Chan Poling Chandler Hall "Chan" Poling (born October 3, 1957) is an American musician and composer. He is best known as the leader of Minneapolis punk/New Wave group The Suburbs. Early life and education Chandler Hall Poling was born in 1957 in Evanston, Il ...

and guitarist

Beej Chaney Blaine John "Beej" Chaney (April 30, 1957 – January 5, 2025) was an American musician. He was best known as singer and guitarist for Minneapolis punk/New Wave group The Suburbs from 1977 to 2014. He also owned Los Angeles recording studio Shang ...

, who had met while high schoolers in Minneapolis, were inspired to form a band after being inspired by the punk scene in Los Angeles, where they had gone to art school in 1974. While still in Los Angeles, they formed a band called The Technocats in 1976 along with Sue Tissue of post-punk band Suburban Lawns. After returning to the western suburbs of Minneapolis the next year, Poling asked his friend Chris Osgood of Minneapolis punk band Suicide Commandos if he and Chaney could join that band. Osgood instead introduced them to drummer Hugo Klaers, guitarist Bruce Allen, and bassist Michael Halliday, who had been playing in a group called Tsetse Flies. The Suburbs were formed in November 1977.

Twin/Tone era and major labels: 1977–1987

The Suburbs' sound crossed the sophisticated glam rock of

Roxy Music Roxy Music are an English rock music, rock band formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry (lead vocals/keyboards/principal songwriter) and Graham Simpson (musician), Graham Simpson (bass). By the time the band recorded their Roxy Music (album), first albu ...

and

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...

with the rawer energy of punk-inflected groups like

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1975.Talking Heads

and

Devo Devo is an American new wave band from Akron, Ohio, formed in 1973. Their classic line-up consisted of two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs ( Mark and Bob) and the Casales (Gerald and Bob), along with Alan Myers. The band had a No. 14 ...

. Poling and Chaney both sang, and Chaney's unique sound on guitar came to be known by fans as "beejtar." The band's energy was described by music writer Martin Keller as the interplay between the "accomplished and often romantic" Poling and his "manic foil" Chaney. Cyn Collins, author of ''Complicated Fun: The Birth of Minneapolis Punk and Indie Rock, 1974–1984'', described Chaney as "a riveting front man, menacing and hilarious at the same time." Chaney's quirky, unpredictable stage presence was often compared to

Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, actor and radio broadcaster. He was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band the Stooges, who were formed in 1 ...

, while Trouser Press' Robbins compared Poling favorably to

Bryan Ferry Bryan Ferry (born 26 September 1945) is an English singer and songwriter. He became known as the frontman of the band Roxy Music and also launched a solo career. His voice has been described as an "elegant, seductive croon". He also established ...

for his "cool in the eye of the storm." The band released its first record, a nine-song 7-inch red vinyl EP titled ''

The Suburbs ''The Suburbs'' is the third studio album by Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire, released on August 3, 2010. Coinciding with its announcement, the band released a limited edition 12-inch single containing the title track and "Month of May".

'', in early 1978. It was also the first release for

Twin/Tone Twin/Tone Records was an independent record label based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which operated from 1977 until 1994. It was the original home of influential Minnesota bands the Replacements and Soul Asylum and was instrumental in helping the T ...

, which would become one of the most influential indie labels of the 1980s. The band also saw two songs, "Urban Guerrillas" and "Ailerons O.K.", included on the compilation ''Big Hits of Mid-America, Volume Three.'' Allen did the art direction for the compilation. He also created the Suburb's iconic logo, five identical generic men in a circle, seen on many of their albums, and designed Twin/Tone's logo. After building a following playing basement parties, the Suburbs had their first major success at influential Minneapolis punk/New Wave nexus

; Klaers said that after getting regular gigs at the venue, "we went from nobodies to this super popular band. It was just crazy. The Longhorn shows were always packed." One notable audience member at the Suburbs' shows was

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...

, then on tour supporting his album '' The River'', who was so impressed with the band that he nearly joined them on stage for an encore. The band's popularity increased during the early to mid-1980s, and during this time, their new wave dance sound, eclectic lyrics, and stage presence gained a following that broke out of the

Midwest The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...

and reached both coasts. In 1980 Twin/Tone released their first full-length LP, ''

''. The single "World War III" (and its B-side, "Change Agent") showed development of the band's songwriting abilities and improved sound. A year later, they released the double album '' Credit In Heaven'', which added elements of

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

, and

disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...

. The single "Music for Boys" was taken from the record and became a radio hit. In 1982, the band released the 12-inch single "Waiting", which frequently found its way onto

dance club Dance is an art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire of movements or ...

playlists. The EP '' Dream Hog'' followed on Twin/Tone, featuring three new songs and a remix of "Waiting" on the B-side, all produced by Steven Greenberg of

Funkytown "Funkytown" is a song by American disco-funk group Lipps Inc., written and produced by Steven Greenberg and released by Casablanca Records in March 1980 as the second single from the group's debut studio album, '' Mouth to Mouth'' (1979). T ...

and

Lipps Inc Lipps may refer to: * Lipps, Virginia * Lipps Island * Lipps Inc Lipps is the surname of: * Jere H. Lipps * Louis Lipps * Theodor Lipps Theodor Lipps (; 28 July 1851 – 17 October 1914) was a German philosopher, known for his theory regardi ...

fame. Greenberg then brought the Suburbs to the attention of the label

Phonogram Phonogram may refer to: * A sound recording – see Geneva Phonograms Convention * ''Phonogram'' (comics), a comic book by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie * Phonogram (linguistics), a grapheme which represents a phoneme or a combination of phon ...

in 1983. Phonogram started by re-issuing ''Dream Hog'' on the Mercury label. Keyboardist/vocalist Chan Poling commented, "We love what Twin/Tone did for us, but we've always wanted to sell records, to join the big time, and you just can't do that on a little label." By this time, the band's live performances were muscular and funky, attracting rabid fans and keeping the band busy as an opening act for the likes of

and

The B-52's The B-52s, originally presented as the B-52's (with an errant apostrophe; used until 2008), are an American band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976. The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider (vocals, percussion), Kate Pierson (vocals, k ...

, as well as headliners in their own right. They often went on stage wearing matching

dinner jacket Black tie is a semi-formal wear, semi-formal Western dress code for evening events, originating in British and North American conventions for clothing, attire in the 19th century. In British English, the dress code is often referred to synecdoc ...

s. In 1983 Polygram released '' Love is the Law'', a harder-rocking album that included a horn section and some of their most off-beat lyrics, also produced by Greenberg. In 1986, The Suburbs signed with

A&M Records A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group and functions as a branch of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Interscope-Geffen-A&M. Established in 1962 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, the label initially operated independent ...

and released ''

'', produced by

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

Revolution In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...

drummer Bobby Z. (credited as Robert Brent). Frustrated by a lack of radio play and abandoned by the major labels, the band broke up in 1987. The group was nominated for numerous

Minnesota Music Awards The Minnesota Music Academyhttp://minnesotamusicacademy.org/ https://web.archive.org/web/20031004090950/http://www.minnesotamusicacademy.org/about.cfm Minnesota Music Academy is a non-profit music institution in Minnesota. The Academy gives out t ...

, winning three: Best LP for ''Credit in Heaven'' in 1982, and awards for both the ''Love is the Law'' album and its title single in 1984.

Post-breakup and reunion: 1990–2009

Chaney moved to Los Angeles in 1990. Although the Suburbs reformed in the early 1990s, Klaers noted that the physical distance between Chaney and the rest of the band contributed to Chaney's growing sense of creative dissatisfaction, as the other musicians evolved together without him: "Everything changed. It kind of put a dent in his creative juices." Although Chaney continued to play with the band, his presence diminished over time. In 1992 Twin/Tone released '' Ladies and Gentlemen, The Suburbs Have Left the Building'', a best-of compilation, and in 1994 a live record '' Viva! Suburbs!''. The Suburbs reunited played numerous shows on and off in the

Twin Cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in stat ...

, including opening for the B-52's in 2003. In 2002, the Suburbs reissued the albums ''In Combo'', ''Credit In Heaven'' and ''Love Is The Law'' on CD on the band's own Beejtar Records. In 2003, the band issued '' Chemistry Set: The Songs Of The Suburbs 1977 - 1987'' (a best of CD with a few bonus tracks and a DVD of their 2002 performances at Minneapolis' First Avenue). In 2004, Chan Poling formed

The New Standards The New Standards is a minimalist jazz trio formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2005 and composed of Chan Poling (of The Suburbs), John Munson (of The Twilight Hours, Semisonic, Trip Shakespeare and The Flops) and Steve Roehm (of Electropoli ...

with John Munson and Steve Roehm. The jazz group's live set included rearranged melodies of Suburbs songs such as "Love Is The Law". On December 7, 2009, guitarist Bruce Allen died at 54 after numerous health problems. Bassist Michael Halliday retired in 2009 due to arthritis.

Reformation and new albums: 2013–present

On November 19, 2013 '' Si Sauvage'', the band's first new release in 27 years, was released. ''Si Sauvage'' featured founding members Poling, Klaers, and Chaney, plus new bandmates Steve Brantseg and Steve Price and guest vocalists Janey Winterbauer and Aby Wolf. The album grew out of the band's reunion shows in tribute to Allen. The Suburbs - First Avenue Star

On August 26, 2014, the Suburbs announced that founding member Beej Chaney was taking a temporary leave of absence. The band's new lineup included original members Poling and Klaers, sax player Max Ray of The Wallets, guitarists Brantseg and Jeremy Ylvisaker, bassist Steve Prince, backing vocalist Janey Winterbauer, Rochelle Becker on baritone saxophone, and Steven Kung on horns and keyboards. The band has been honored with a star on the outside mural of the

nightclub First Avenue, recognizing performers that have played sold-out shows or have otherwise demonstrated a major contribution to the culture at the iconic venue. Receiving a star "might be the most prestigious public honor an artist can receive in Minneapolis," according to journalist Steve Marsh. In July 2021, the band was the first group to play First Avenue after its closure during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

by playing two sold-out shows at the 7th Street Entry to celebrate the release of their seventh album, ''Poets Party''. In January 2025, Beej Chaney died while swimming in the Pacific Ocean near

Hermosa Beach, California Hermosa Beach (, Spanish for "Beautiful") is a beachfront city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Its population was 19,728 at the 2020 U.S. Census. The city is located in the South Bay region of the Greater Los Angeles area; ...

, where he had been living. Officials called the death an accident. Chaney's surviving family included three daughters. Outside of the Suburbs, Chaney also released two solo works, the 2003 album ''Windows'' and the 1992 EP ''Reckless Heart''. He had also owned the Malibu recording studio

Shangri-La Shangri-La is a fictional place in Tibet's Kunlun Mountains, Uses the spelling 'Kuen-Lun'. described in the 1933 novel '' Lost Horizon'' by the British author James Hilton. Hilton portrays Shangri-La as a mystical, harmonious valley, gently ...

from the late 1990s to 2011. Before his death, he had been working on a rockabilly/punk album called ''Shake It All Up'' with Robby Vee, the son of 1960s singer

Bobby Vee Robert Thomas Velline (April 30, 1943 – October 24, 2016), known professionally as Bobby Vee, was an American singer who was a teen idol in the early 1960s and also appeared in films. According to '' Billboard'' magazine, he had thirty- ...

. Chaney co-wrote, sang and played guitar on all the songs. The album had been due for release in early 2025.

Members

Current lineup (2014–present)

: Keyboards, vocals *Hugo Klaers: Drums, vocals *Max Ray: Saxophone *Steve Brantseg: Guitar *Jeremy Ylvisaker: Guitar *Steve Price: Bass *Janey Winterbauer: Backing vocals *Rochelle Becker: Baritone saxophone *Stephen Kung: Horns, keyboards

Classic lineup (1977–1987, 1992–2009)

: Keyboards, vocals *Bruce C. Allen (died 2009): Guitar, vocals * Blaine John "Beej" Chaney (retired 2014; died 2025): Guitar (Beejtar), vocals *Michael Halliday (retired 2009): Bass *Hugo Klaers: Drums, vocals

Discography

Albums

*''

'' (Twin/Tone 1980) *'' Credit in Heaven'' (Twin/Tone 1981) *'' Love Is The Law'' (Mercury/Universal 1984) *''

Suburbs A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...

'' (A&M 1986) *'' Si Sauvage'' (August 27, 2013) *''Hey Muse!'' (2017) *''Poets Party'' (2021)

EPs

*'' The Suburbs EP'' (Twin/Tone 1978) *'' Dream Hog EP'' (Twin/Tone 1982)

Compilations and live albums

*'' Ladies and Gentlemen, The Suburbs Have Left The Building'' (Twin/Tone 1992) *'' Viva! Suburbs! Live at First Avenue'' (Twin/Tone 1994) *'' Chemistry Set: Songs of the Suburbs 1977–1987'' (Beejtar/Universal 2003) (Best Of CD & Live DVD) *'' High Fidelity Boys - Live 1979'' (Garage D'or 2006)

Singles

*"World War III" (Twin/Tone 1979) *"Music for Boys" (Twin/Tone 1982) *"Waiting" (Twin/Tone 1982) *"Love Is The Law" (Mercury/Universal 1984) *"Rattle My Bones" (Mercury/Universal 1984) *"Life Is Like" (A&M 1986) *"#9" (A&M 1986) *"Heart Of Gold" (A&M 1986) *" Little Man's Gonna Fall" (Buy Records 1987) *"Turn the Radio On" (2013)

Music videos

*"Love Is The Law" *"Music For Boys" *"Tape Your Wife To The Ceiling" *"Cows" *"Waiting" *"#9"

Awards

* The Suburbs were voted among the "100 Most Influential Minnesota Musical Entities of the Twentieth Century" by The

Minneapolis Star Tribune ''The Minnesota Star Tribune'', formerly the ''Minneapolis Star Tribune'', is an American daily newspaper based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As of 2023, it is Minnesota's largest newspaper and the seventh-largest in the United States by circula ...

. * Chan Poling was voted #6 in Rake Magazine's "Favorite Minnesota Rockers" poll (alongside

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

, and

Paul Westerberg Paul Harold Westerberg (born December 31, 1959) is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for the Replacements. Following the breakup of the Replacements, Westerberg launched a solo career that saw him r ...

). * The Minnesota Music Awards honored Chan Poling with their POP (Perpetually Outstanding Performer) Award.

Media

* In 1993, the song "Love is the Law" was featured during Darlene's prom dance scene during the season 5 episode "Promises, Promises" of the sitcom ''

Roseanne ''Roseanne'' is an American television sitcom created by Matt Williams (producer), Matt Williams that originally aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from October 18, 1988, to May 20, 1997, and briefly revived from March 27, 2018, to May ...

''. * "Rattle My Bones" was featured in a television ad for

Target Target may refer to: Warfare and shooting * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artille ...

, and is also played during

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...

home games.

Bibliography

*Jon Bream (January 27, 2002)
Suburban sprawl: Musical adventurer Chan Poling makes his first solo pop CD.
''

Star Tribune ''The Minnesota Star Tribune'', formerly the ''Minneapolis Star Tribune'', is an American daily newspaper based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As of 2023, it is Minnesota's largest newspaper and the List of newspapers in the United States, seventh- ...

''. Archived version at Chan Poling's website. *(September 25, 2002)
The Suburbs: At Long Last, the 'Burbs Return to the Cities.
''

Pulse of the Twin Cities In medicine, the pulse refers to the rhythmic pulsations (expansion and contraction) of an artery in response to the cardiac cycle (heartbeat). The pulse may be felt (palpated) in any place that allows an artery to be compressed near the surface ...

''. *(January 27, 2002)
The Suburbs/Chan Poling discography.
''Minneapolis Star Tribune''.

Minnesota Historical Society The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Educational institution, educational and cultural institution dedicated to preserving the history of the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was founded by the Minnesota Terr ...

. *(July 12, 2011)
Chan Poling talks '80s Nostalgia, the New Standards, and the possibility of a new album.
''Citypages''

References

External links

Official Suburbs website
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Suburbs, The Punk rock groups from Minnesota American new wave musical groups Musical groups from Minneapolis Musical groups from the Twin Cities Musical groups from Minnesota Musical groups established in 1977 Musical groups disestablished in 1987 Musical groups reestablished in 1992