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The Spores
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http://www.thespores.com http://www.myspace.com/thespores The Spores were an art-rock group based out of Los Angeles from 2003 through 2008. Other descriptions of the band's sound included electro-stoner, techno pop rock, and alternative. The most known line-up of the Spores consisted of Molly McGuire on vocals, bass guitar and keyboards, Greg Stunbunny Biribauer on guitar, keyboards and programming, and Kenny Pierce on drums and back-up vocals. Biribauer produced all the group's albums and was instrumental in designing the electro direction of the band. McGuire created the band's art including a parallel-universe puppet show performed alongside the act, as well as providing some of the most innovative bass playing ever performed by a woman in rock history. The band released two records on Long Beach indie SideCho Records. "Imagine the Future" was released July 2006, "Doom Pop" was released in Europe November 2007, and in limited release in the US January 2008. Wide release of the band's second record was shelved after McGuire essentially quit the band and relocated back to New Orleans. Songwriting credits go to all members of the band depending on involvement. After an infamous brawl outside a club in Barcelona during a 7-week opening slot for Eagles of Death Metal in Europe at the beginning of 2007, Kenny Pierce quit the band, being replaced by Chris Penny for the recording of the Spores second record, and by Eric Micheal Pearson for a European tour late 2007. The Spores completed 5 U.S. tours and 2 European tours before finally folding at the beginning of 2008. Their last show to date was December 17, 2007 at the Viper Room in Los Angeles. The Spores basically started as a side project for McGuire after moving to Los Angeles from New Orleans in 2002 to join desert rock veterans earthlings?, at the request of Dave Catching and Pete Stahl. She would also join Queens of the Stone Age's (at the time) Nick Oliveri's Mondo Generator as a side member, and eventually recorded her own band Yellow #5 with Dave Catching and Brant Bjork with her brother, known Canadian producer Brendann McGuire. Molly McGuire first met Greg Biribauer as roommates at Pete Stahl's North Hollywood house, gigging together when Biribauer started mixing live Mondo Generator and earthlings? shows. As roommates, Biribauer approached McGuire to start a faux band of just "puppets" after noticing her build a stage show entitled "Urugula", which was basically an improvised insult-comedy troupe featuring a three member heavy metal death core puppet band that auditioned live drummers on stage. During a break in schedules at the beginning of 2003, McGuire and Biribauer emerged with a 10 song demo entitled "What Gives?". People immediately responded to the music due to it's freshness and originality. At the same time, a deep and loving relationship exploded between the two musicians, fueling the music. After another year or so of touring for other band leaders, McGuire and Biribauer decided to create a live act around the music they made together in 2004. Biribauer recruited Kenny Pierce, a world-class drummer and singer previously known in unreleased Elektra recording artists Soul. Jared Gardner, also known as DJ Bald Eagle, a friend of Molly and Greg, was also brought on to trigger loops and samples pulled from Biribauer' sessions. Gardner eventually left after touring to New orleans and back for Mardi Gras, citing ear problems from elevation as the main reason. After a couple of tryouts with other keyboardists, Biribauer decided to trigger all the loops from an iPod, and the band became a 3-piece for the rest of their days. The band made it's debut at Pappy & Harriet's Pioneertown Palace in Pioneertown, Ca, located in the high desert above Palm Springs, 2 hours east of Los Angeles. The band played around the local Los Angeles and desrt scenes for approximatly 10 months before attracting the eye of Nancy Scibilia, a manager handling bands fro the Donnas to the Locust along with Joey Minkes at Indivision Management. After six months of hitting the pavement and shows around the area, the band attracted SideCho records president James Cho to sign the band. During this time, McGuire also asked Biribauer to mix and finish her Yellow #5 record, to eventually be released in 2004. Scibilia eventually relocated to Gold Mountain Management, bringing the Spores with her. After submitting their first record to SideCho early 2006, the Spores embarked on a lengthy U.S. tour to New York and back, playing CMJ and NxNW in their travels, enticing a small but loyal fan base invigorated by the intricate musicianship and artistic vision of the act. All in all, the band completed 5 tours of the USA, 3 of them confined to the West Coast. In January 2007, a 3 week European headlining club tour, that met great success, cascaded into a 7-week support slot for Eagles of Death Metal, but sadly, tempers flared, with McGuire and Pierce, and later Biribauer, devolving into a inter-band fist fight outside the Barcelona venue. Subsequently, the band was kicked off the tour, with Pierce continuing on with the headliners as a drum tech, McGuire and Biribauer returning to their Amsterdam base and eventually Los Angeles, with a huge tour debt and an uncertain future. The couple, at that point, was starting to feel the strain of financial hardship due to tour shortfalls, a lack of sales income and an ever-increasing cost of living looming in Los Angeles. Still holding on, the pair brought on friend, drummer and DJ Chris Penny, to solidify the band for their second release, eventually titled "Doom Pop". Unfortunately, after only 3 gigs, Penny was cited as not a strong enough and commited member due to family obligations, and was replaced with Eric Micheal Pearson. The line-up with Eric embarked on another European tour for 5 weeks in Novemebr 2007. Tensions between Biribauer and McGuire now flared between the two of them, unknown to anyone else. Coming home to a year long landlord dispute, Biribauer filing bankruptcy, the band's main guitars stolen out of their van 3 days before New Years 2008, substance and alcohol abuse and lack of day to day income to keep things going, McGuire finally gave in to her own feelings and decided to leave the band and Biribauer. After being dubbed as "the best new band in the world" only a few short months before, the Spores were now finished. McGuire and Biribauer sparred for a couple of months at the beginning of 2008, MCguire eventually deciding to relocate back to New Orleans for peace of mind at the end of February. After 10 months of speculation by their fans without any sort of explanation or announcement, Aand although negotiations were made to continue the band once the dust settled, on December 4, 2008, Biribauer decided to ls the band as R.I.P. on their Myspace page. A widespread outcry from fans did little or nothing to turn McGuire's heart to evoking any sort of reconciliation. McGuire's musical output since the break-up is unknown or not available. Biribauer, in turn decided to perform self therapy and dive head first into a new musical project. After 10 months of late-night sessions in his new home studio in Eagle Rock, CA, Biribauer has emerged with new big beat electro rock project called U LIVE o the DANCEFLOOR. As much a musical outlet for film and television music supervisors as well as a legitimate band project, Biribauer has acquired help from the likes of Adam Alfaro for noise fx and Mike Massaro for his photo eye. Drummer Sal Romano has been brought on to fill out the live version of the band. A debut album from the project is imminent in 2009. bio source: http://www.myspace.com/thespores Official Spores Bio: They made their mark with their eccentric electro-pop and mind-twisting live shows that included a cast of puppets that wouldn’t be out of place in a Meet the Feebles remake. Now, THE SPORES are back with Doom Pop, an album that harnesses years of professional experiences and the energy that, until now, could only be experienced at one of their performances. THE SPORES burst on the scene in early 2005, captivating both music fans and Los Angeles-based peers alike. THE SPORES ‘s single “(Don’t) Kill Yourself” received heavy airplay from LA’s Indie 103.1 and KROQ stations, and they built a reputation as a “band’s band.” This should come as no surprise as Molly McGuire’s (lead vocals, bass, keys) rock pedigree includes session work for Frank Black, Peaches, and Queens Of The Stone Age, and Greg “Stunbunny” Biribauer (guitars, loops, keys) has engineered for bands like At the Drive-In, Queens of the Stone Age, Archers Of Loaf, Sublime and many more. Now with the help of DJ and respected remix artist, Chris “Cpen” Penny in the studio, and Eric Micheal Pearson on drums, THE SPORES are prepared to spread their infectious sound even further. THE SPORES ‘s first album Imagine the Future was spawned when Toronto natives McGuire and Biribauer began creating off-kilter arrangements in a home recording studio. The two took the fruits of their mad scientist aural experiments and turned them into a fantastically warped live show, complete with puppet alter-egos. Now, with thousands of tour miles and hundreds of shows under their collective belt, THE SPORES have captured the unique energy and demented frenzy of their live performances in a new album, Doom Pop. Biribauer describes the album as “an amalgamation of everything that has ever made our hearts pump, our booties swing, or the hair on the back of our necks stand on end... and the dream of living up to those standards.” The year and a half of nearly non-stop touring had a deep impact on the band and the new album as well. “Some of the incredible shows we played, from Prague to Portland, had tangible resonance on how Doom Pop sounds,” said Biribauer, “We still do all that trippy sh*t we've always done, but there is now a wider emotional palette of live experience behind the sound.” From the driving beats and robotic beep bloop of “Faster Master,” to the dancy, multi-layered cacophony of “Ghost Town,” DOOMPOP is an audio snapshot of THE SPORES’ passion for combining pop sensibilities with a performance art aesthetic. Doom Pop isn’t just THE SPORES’ new album, but the band’s name for a style of music making that combines catchy melodies with artistic ambition, depicting the truths around them with a sense of style and merit. The band cites their heroes David Bowie, Bauhaus, and Johnny Cash as among the list of artists who embodied the spirit of DOOM POP. For THE SPORES, art and music are deeply intertwined. PRESS SAMPLES: "Opening for the Eagles are the magnificent Spores. As Luuk and I can attest to after seeing their fantastic performance at the Newclectics festival a month ago, this band have one of the coolest live shows around. Puppetry (yes, puppetry) and christmas lights. All very artistic in a cool excentric sort of way that I personly love. The band's visual attraction is only bound to their budget and their imagination, and therefore promises to bring a huge spectacle in the future. The same goes for their music, that is, to say the least, amongst the most groundbreaking to have ever come out of the so-called Josh Homme friends-club. Expect tons of samples, dancable rock, rocking dance, psychedelic tunes, phatass guitarlicks draped in effects, sometimes tuned-down low enough to feature on a drone-record. The first couple of minutes of music are refreshing enough to delay that toiletbreak, getting beerbreak or kissing your girl/boyfriendbreak. Combined with their visual arts, (detailed into the cool outfits) a Spores show is enough to get your jaw dropping onto the floor and leaving it there with your teeth shaking out of your gums due to the sick-as-fuck guitar thunder. I dare say: The Spores are one of the most exciting things in music at the moment, and their singer Molly is undoubtly an added value to the world of visual arts. One can only fantasize what this band will sound and look like in five years time." Napalm Lex) "When I first heard of this concert being held, I checked out this band called The Spores. This trio which claims to make electrostoner doompop and has close ties with the Queens Of The Stone Age camp. I don’t really know why, because when listening to the music itself on the internet I suspected this band can do fine on it’s own. This performance was definitely the best of the entire evening. For starters we were treated to a puppet show (by puppets who all have names and myspaces as well, check out the site for The Spores) on a already highly theatrical dressed stage, with light-tubes all across their stage, over the drumkit and amplifiers. This puppet show was extremely funny, we were introduced to a preacher, a rapping DJ, two middle-fingers and a guitar player, trust me you have to see it to believe it. After this we knew we were in for something special. And by Jove we were right. Highly experimental pop rock with a woman on vocals and bass, a guy on guitar and another guy on drums and a shitload of samples that seemed to come from undetectable places (read: effect pedals). And instead of some random sampling, or even adding an extra dimension, the samples seemed to lead a life of their own, really making the songs whole. There was this one thing, I don’t know whether it came from the guitarist’s awesome skills or from the samples, but the manage to spew out a massive heavy stoner distortion every now and then that made my entire body tremble. Fu*king kick ass. It is good to see that innovation is definitely not dead within rock music.
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