Killdozer was an American rock band formed in

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the List of municipalities in Wisconsin by population, second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 269,840 at the 2020 Uni ...

, in 1983 with members Bill Hobson, Dan Hobson and Michael Gerald. They took their name from the 1974 TV movie, directed by Jerry London, itself based on a Theodore Sturgeon short story. They released their first album, '' Intellectuals are the Shoeshine Boys of the Ruling Elite'', in the same year. The band split in 1990 but reformed in 1993, losing guitarist Bill Hobson and gaining Paul Zagoras, and continued until they split up in 1996. Their farewell tour was officially titled "Fuck You, We Quit!", and included Erik Tunison of Die Kreuzen in place of Dan Hobson on drums and Jeff Ditzenberger on additional guitar. The band released nine albums, including a post-breakup live album, ''The Last Waltz''. Killdozer was notable for its slow, grinding song structures and blackly humorous lyrics, growled ominously by singer/guitarist Michael Gerald at the top of his lungs. Many of their songs were disturbing narratives of small-town life gone awry, and later had a jaded,

left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of Ideology#Political ideologies, political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy either as a whole or of certain social ...

political perspective. Killdozer is regarded by many to have helped set the foundation for

grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock Music genre, genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, particularly in Seattle and Music of Olympia, Washington, O ...

music, despite that genre's association with the city of

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

. The band also became famous for its cover songs, an example being

Don McLean Donald McLean III (born October 2, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Known as the "American Troubadour" or "King of the Trail", he is best known for his 1971 hit "American Pie (song), American Pie", an eight-and-a-half-minut ...

's " American Pie". A version exists on their 1989 all-covers album ''For Ladies Only''. Gerald also did a cover of Jessi Colter's "I'm Not Lisa" for the band's 1986 EP ''

Burl A burl (American English) or burr (British English) is a tree growth in which the grain has grown in a deformed manner. It is commonly found in the form of a rounded outgrowth on a tree trunk or branch that is filled with small knots from d ...

'', dedicated "in loving memory of" the then-living

Burl Ives Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives (June 14, 1909 – April 14, 1995) was an American Folk music, folk singer and actor with a career that spanned more than six decades. Ives began his career as an itinerant singer and guitarist, eventually launching his o ...

. The EP in its entirety can be found on the CD version of their 1994 album ''Uncompromising War on Art Under the Dictatorship of the Proletariat''.

History

The band recorded under the

Touch and Go Records Touch and Go Records is an American independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois. After its genesis as a handmade fanzine in 1979, it grew into one of the key record labels in the American 1980s underground and alternative rock scenes. To ...

label during the 1980s and 1990s and they often toured with or played alongside label mates such as

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, Scratch Acid and

Big Black Big Black was an American punk rock band from Evanston, Illinois, active from 1981 to 1987. Founded first as a solo project by singer and guitarist Steve Albini, the band became a trio with an initial lineup that included guitarist Santiago Dur ...

. The band frequently recorded with producer and fellow Madisonian

Butch Vig Bryan David "Butch" Vig (born August 2, 1955) is an American musician, record producer, and songwriter who is the drummer and co-producer of the rock band Garbage. Producer of the diamond selling Nirvana album ''Nevermind'' (1991), Vig also pro ...

Steve Albini Steven Frank Albini (; July 22, 1962 – May 7, 2024) was an American musician and audio engineer. He founded and fronted the influential post-hardcore and noise rock bands Big Black (1981–1987), Rapeman (1987–1989) and Shellac (band), ...

(

) recorded Killdozer's 1995 album '' God Hears Pleas of the Innocent''. '' Twelve Point Buck'' was the album that brought

to the attention of

Kurt Cobain Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – ) was an American musician. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter, and a founding member of the grunge band Nirvana (band), Nirvana. Through his angsty songwriting and anti-establis ...

and

Billy Corgan William Patrick Corgan Jr. (born March 17, 1967) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and professional wrestling promoter. He is best known as the co-founder, lead guitarist, primary songwriter, singer, and only constant member of alter ...

Killdozer played with all original members at Touch and Go Records' 25th anniversary celebration in Chicago on September 9, 2006. To promote the event, flyers declared "Fuck You, We Reunite!", harkening back to the name of their farewell tour ("Fuck You, We Quit!"). Subsequently, in response to the audience at the concert "pleading for more Killdozer", Touch and Go announced a handful of U.S. tour dates for the fall of 2008. Meanwhile, drummer Dan Hobson has remained active in the Madison music scene, playing in several bands, including Cement Pond with Tim Sullivan (of Drug Induced Nightmare No. 4) on guitar, Steve Burke (of The Gomers) on guitar and vocals, and Gordon Ranney (also of The Gomers) on bass and vocals. The group has released one album entitled ''Vanilla Guerilla'' on the independent Corporate Hell Inc. record label in 2005. Michael Gerald is a lawyer in Los Angeles. In 2007, he lent his voice to the New Jersey band Hunchback, for their cover of the

Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...

hit " Beautiful", released on their album ''Pray For Scars'' (

Don Giovanni Records Don Giovanni Records is an independent record label originally specializing in punk rock from the New Brunswick, New Jersey music scene but eventually working with a variety of artists from different genres. Its also operated out of Lansing, Mic ...

, 2008). Bill Hobson is a grip in the Los Angeles area. A 28-track double-disc tribute album, ''We Will Bury You'', was released in 2006 by indie labels -ismist Recordings and Crustacean Records. Killdozer itself contributed two songs, one to start each disc: a cover of The Trammps' " Disco Inferno" and a Butch Vig remix of the Killdozer song "King of Sex", originally from the band's 1985 '' Snake Boy'' album. Hobson brothers

Discography

Albums

* '' Intellectuals Are the Shoeshine Boys of the Ruling Elite'' (1984) * '' Snake Boy'' (1985) * '' Little Baby Buntin''' (1987) * '' Twelve Point Buck'' (1989) * '' Uncompromising War on Art Under the Dictatorship of the Proletariat'' (1994) * '' God Hears Pleas of the Innocent'' (1995)

Live albums

* ''The Last Waltz'' (1997 on the Man's Ruin Records label, re-released in 2006 on Crustacean Records)

Compilations

* '' For Ladies Only'' (1989) – also issued as a

picture disc Picture discs are gramophone record, gramophone (phonograph) records that show images on their playing surface, rather than being of plain black or colored vinyl. Collectors traditionally reserve the term picture disc for records with graphics ...

EPs

* ''

'' EP (1986)

Singles

* "Yow!" ("Lupus" b/w "Nasty") (1989) * "Her Mother's Sorrow" b/w "Short Eyes" (1989 on the Amphetamine Reptile Records label) * "The Pig Was Cool" b/w "Unbelievable" (1993) * "We Will Crush You" 10", collaboration with Ritual Device (1995 on Man's Ruin Records) * "Michael Gerald's Party Machine Presents!", collaboration with

Alice Donut Alice Donut is a punk rock band from New York City formed in 1986. The band released six albums before splitting up in 1996. They reformed in 2001. History 1986–1996: Formation to split Alice Donut formed in 1986 after the demise of the Sea B ...

(1996) * "Go Big Red" ("Sonnet '96" b/w "I Saw the Light") (1996 on -ismist Recordings)

References

External links

Killdozer's Myspace page

a critical look back at all of Killdozer's releases
Live 2006 performance
at Touch & Go Record's 25th Anniversary
Interview with Killdozer in The Second Supper
{{DEFAULTSORT:Killdozer Alternative rock groups from Wisconsin American noise rock music groups Touch and Go Records artists Musical groups established in 1983 Musical groups disestablished in 1996