Undercover Angels (album)

Grand Buffet is a hip-hop funk duo from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, made up of Jackson O'Connell-Barlow (stage names: Iguanadon, Grape-a-Don, Plaps, Nate Kukla, and Mr. Pennsylvania) and Jarrod Weeks (stage names: M-Dog, Lord Grunge, Viceroy, Matt Kukla, Fred Durts). The group's music is a unique brand of humorous, often satirical rap.

This duo has toured several times with notable artists such as Gil Mantera's Party Dream, Sage Francis, Of Montreal, Cex, Sole, Magnolia Electric Co., Streetlight Manifesto, and the late Wesley Willis, and has also toured the United States and Europe extensively.

In 2005, the duo finished a European tour with Sage Francis,Cleveland Scene and an American Tour with Of Montreal and MGMT in 2006.

The duo then toured with Girl Talk in 2008 and Third Eye Blind in 2009.

History

Grand Buffet has been together since 1996, meeting at Hampton High School in Allison Park. The group has released two self-produced, full-length LP's, '' Scrooge McRock'' (1997, out of print) and '' Sparkle Classic'' (2000), as well as a "Trilogy of Terror": 3 EP's – '' Undercover Angels'' (2002), ''Cigarette Beach'' (2002), and ''Pittsburgh Hearts'' (2003). Each of these releases has included different names for Jackson and Jarrod in the liner notes; the stage names are listed chronologically from ''Scrooge McRock'' to ''Cigarette Beach'' – ''Pittsburgh Hearts'' attributed them by their real names.

Grand Buffet's MySpace account also lists the duo as Viceroy (Jarrod) and Plaps (Jackson). There was a third member, a DJ named G-Rude (Dan Grudovich), who was credited on ''Scrooge McRock'' but no subsequent albumsthus the liner art for both ''Scrooge McRock'' and ''Dicer'' contains three member's pictures instead of two.

In 2004, Grand Buffet released a full-length CD of outtakes, rarities, and radio performances called '' Dicer: The Unheard Funk Tracks''. In 2005, the duo released a greatest hits collection, ''Five Years of Fireworks'', which included a new track and a bonus DVD filled with music videos, outtakes, backstage antics, and live material. A sequel to ''Dicer'' was announced in 2005, and Weeks mentioned possibly expanding it into an annual release.

Grand Buffet toured with a DJ for some shows in 2005 and 2006; a DJ from Texas, DJ Jester the Filipino Fist, who has toured with Kid Koala.

On May 8, 2007, ''"The Haunted Fucking Gazebo"'' EP and on January 8, 2008, ''"King Vision"'' were released, both on Fighting Records.

Abandoned and unreleased material

The band has distanced itself from ''Scrooge McRock'' in at least one interview, dismissing it as more of a retrospectively-viewed collection of demos than a proper album.The Philler Interview
/ref> For the following two years, the duo worked on material for an album that was to be called ''Peter Weller'' (after the actor), which ultimately was never released, culminating in its abandonment in 1999. (Several tracks from these sessions were released on ''Dicer''). ''Sparkle Classic'' is the first album that they consider to be part of the official discography.

The duo has hinted at a children's album entitled '' Gorilla and Fox'',New Times Broward-Palm Beachbr>article
but there has been no official release date announced.

Discography

* '' High Grabber'' – 1996, self-released demo tape
* ''Scrooge McRock'' – 1997, out of print LP
* Height – ''Height'' – 2000, guest appearance on "String Game"
* '' Sparkle Classic'' – 2000, LP
* ''Circuits of Steel'' – 2002, compilation; contributed track "Murphy" (now available in ''DICER'')
* Trilogy of Terror EPs – 2002-2003, EPs
** '' Undercover Angels'' – 2002, EP
** ''Cigarette Beach'' – 2002, EP
** ''Pittsburgh Hearts'' – 2003, EP
* '' Grand Buffet Presents... Karaoke (on CDR!)'' – 2003, Jackson's Collection
* '' Dicer: The Unheard Funk Tracks'' – 2004, B-sides collection
* ''Five Years of Fireworks'' – 2005, Greatest hits collection with bonus DVD
* Bloom – ''Untitled remix LP'' – 2005, Remix of "Remote Control"
* Height – Utility Fog – 2006, Guest appearance on "Going Down Big"
* '' A Night of Laughin! Volume 1'' – 2006, Contains various stand-up comedy sets with Jackson and Jarrod making fun of the comics in the background. Signed, limited edition run of 100; available only at shows. Disc itself labeled "A Night of Laughs!" Sold out.
* '' Circuits of Steel II'' -2007 Jackson and Lord Grunge contribute solo songs, "Holy shit! Yikes!" and "Frosty Anchors"
* ''The Haunted Fucking Gazebo '' – May 8, 2007, EP
* '' Escape From Anthony Baboon's Nautical Playhouse The Sample Based Remixes'' – 2008
* ''King Vision'' – 2008, LP
* '' Gorilla and Fox'' – Unknown release date, children's album

Videography

*"Candy Bars" (2000)
*"Pink Deadly" (2002)
*"Cool As Hell" (2004)
*''Five Years of Fireworks'' DVD (2005)
*Grand Buffet are featured in the 2003 German documentary ''Golden Lemons'' by Jörg Siepmann about a Wesley Willis tour supported by the German band '' Die Goldenen Zitronen'' (The Golden Lemons) and ''Grand Buffet''.

References

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American hip-hop duos
Musical groups from Pittsburgh
Musical groups established in 1996