Mofungo was a

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

-based band that was active from 1979 to 1993. It featured guitarist

Elliott Sharp Elliott Sharp (born March 1, 1951) is an American contemporary classical music, contemporary classical composer, multi-instrumentalist, performer, author, and visual artist. A central figure in the Avant-garde music, avant-garde and experimenta ...

and food writer

Robert Sietsema Robert Sietsema is an American restaurant critic. He wrote reviews and articles for the ''Village Voice'' from 1993 to 2013. He has also contributed to ''Gourmet'' magazine. After being let go from the ''Voice'' in a round of downsizing, he was hi ...

. Members Chris Nelson and Jeff McGovern were also founding members of

The Scene Is Now The Scene is Now is a New York City-based avant-garde no wave jug band from the 1980s.https://www.forcedexposure.com/Artists/THE.SCENE.IS.NOW.html ''The Scene Is Now'' at ''Forced Exposure'' Its founding members were Dick Champ, Philip Dray, Jeff ...

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

described their last album as "basically unlistenable unless you grant it your full attention". The

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

described them as "not your typical rock and roll band". Sietsema listed Contortions and

DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...

as influences. During their career, they played with artists including the Fall,

Minutemen Minutemen were members of the organized New England colonial militia companies trained in weaponry, tactics, and military strategies during the American Revolutionary War. They were known for being ready at a minute's notice, hence the name. Min ...

Nico Christa Päffgen (; 16 October 1938 – 18 July 1988), known by her stage name Nico, was a German singer, songwriter, actress, and model. Nico had roles in several films, including Federico Fellini's '' La Dolce Vita'' (1960) and Andy Warhol's ...

, Pavement,

Sonic Youth Sonic Youth were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1981. Founding members Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar), Thurston Moore (lead guitar, vocals) and Lee Ranaldo (rhythm guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of ...

, and

Yo La Tengo Yo La Tengo (Spanish language, Spanish for "I've got it"; also abbreviated as YLT) is an American indie rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted of Ira Kaplan (guitars, piano, vocals), Georgia Hubley ...

. Sietsema believes that the band's track ''End of the World'' was an influence on the refrain of

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American alternative rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the fir ...

's ''

It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine) "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" is a song by American Rock music, rock band R.E.M., which first appeared on their 1987 album, ''Document (album), Document''. It was released as the album's second music single, single ...

.''

History

According to Sietsema, Mofungo was the successor band to another group called Blinding Headache, which featured Rick Brown, later of the band Run On. Brown's bandmates were Kym Bond, Willie Klein, and Jim Posner. Later, Brown left the band and formed another group called Information, and the three remaining members formed Mofungo with Sietsema, as well as brother and sister Michael McMahon and

Amy Rigby Amy Rigby (born Amelia McMahon, January 27, 1959) is an American singer-songwriter. After playing with several New York bands she began a solo career, recording several albums which had only modest sales despite enthusiastic reviews. She settle ...

(née McMahon). McMahon and Rigby left shortly after the band's formation. Mofungo, Blinding Headache, and Information were featured on ''Tape #1'', a tape that was released in 1980. Mofungo later released their debut 7'', ''Elementary Particles'', which was almost entirely instrumental. Their debut album, ''End of the World'', was released in 1981. It featured drummer Jeff McGovern. Four songs on the album were mixed by

Chris Stamey Christopher Charles Stamey (born December 6, 1954) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. After a brief time playing with Alex Chilton, as well as Mitch Easter under the name Sneakers, Stamey formed The dB's with Peter ...

, founder of

the dB's The dB's are an American alternative Rock music, rock and power pop group, who formed in New York City in 1978 and first came to prominence in the early 1980s. Their debut album ''Stands for Decibels'' is acclaimed as one of the great "lost" pow ...

, and one was recorded by

Anne DeMarinis Anne DeMarinis is an American musician and visual artist known for designing album covers. She is a former member of Sonic Youth. In 1981 she founded the No Wave band Interference with David Linton and Michael Brown. Musical Career Anne DeMar ...

, then a member of

. Mofungo reunited on December 6, 2010, to open for

on the sixth night of their annual Hanukkah show, at

Maxwell's Maxwell's, last known as Maxwell's Tavern, was a bar/restaurant and music club in Hoboken, New Jersey. Over several decades the venue attracted a wide variety of acts looking for a change from the New York City concert spaces across the river. ...

Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken ( ; ) is a City (New Jersey), city in Hudson County, New Jersey, Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Hoboken is part of the New York metropolitan area and is the site of Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub. As of the ...

Discography

*End of the World unlabeled), 1981 *Out of Line oar, 1983*Frederick Douglass win/Tone/Coyote, 1985 *Messenger Dogs of the Gods ost, 1986 *End of the World, Part 2 ost, 1987 *Bugged ST, 1988 *Work ST, 1989

References

{{reflist Musical groups from New York City No wave musicians No wave groups 1979 establishments in New York City