This is a really sad story about a band that had so much potential . I wonder how many more great records the world was in store for, had these guys had some more time together . This is a great comp of their now hard to get singles, and alt. versions of various tunes from their outstanding Guitar Romantic record. The Exploding Hearts were a awesome punk/powerpop outfit from Portland, Oregon. The band comprised of vocalist/guitarist Adam Cox, bassist Matt Fitzgerald, guitarist Terry Six, and drummer Jeremy Gage. During the early 2000s the band rose to prominence in the US Pacific Northwest scene with a combination of energetic live shows and extremely well received singles.The band drew their influence from early British punk bands like The Undertones, Buzzcocks, The Jam, The Boys and The Only Ones, as well as pop acts like Nick Lowe. The Exploding Hearts led a revival of 1970s-era power pop and new wave in the Seattle and Portland area along with bands like The Briefs and the Epoxies on the then-Seattle-based Dirtnap Records. They released only one album, Guitar Romantic, during their existence as a band.
On July 20, 2003 the band was in a car accident which claimed the lives of three members. Their touring van flipped over on Interstate 5 just north of Eugene, Oregon while en route from San Francisco to Portland. Jeremy Gage and Adam Cox were thrown from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, Matthew Fitzgerald, died at a hospital. Terry Six and band manager Rachelle Ramos both survived with minor injuries. The band ceased to exist in the aftermath of the accident , but their popularity continues to grow .
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REFERENCES - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Exploding_Hearts
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DIRTNAP RECORDS 2006
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3 comments:
The story of the car accident is so sad; what a human and musical tragedy. "Guitar Romantic" is on my list for the top 10 albums of the 2000's for Maximum Rocknroll (issue coming out in a couple of months). This collection is also amazing. Thanks for posting this so I can listen to it on my ipod (and listen to the vinyl at home!).
When it comes to this band, I totally get why people love them. When I listen to them the first thing that comes to mind is Generation X. But beyond that, these guys wrote some excellent old style punk rock with great pop sense. Their music really stuck in my head, and with all of the music that's in there, thats not an easy thing to do. It's a real pitty the way they ended up.Thanks for the comment.
I felt the same way as the end of the Minutemen when D. Boon crashed in the desert...somehow fitting. I was just a 15yo who spent hours and days getting a fake ID so, I could see them. I already had the tickets. Quite a risk when money was not falling from heaven or trees. "Hearats" and D. Boon not to mention the Buddy Holly tragedy...I love you all. Hope to see you some day. The ticket is still walleted.
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