The Frogs
The Frogs | |
|---|---|
 The Frogs at the Aragon Ballroom, December, 2008 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Genres | Alternative rock, lo-fi, folk rock, acoustic rock, comedy rock |
| Years active | 1980–2012 |
| Labels | Homestead Records, Matador Records, Scratchie Records, Four Alarm Records |
| Members | Jimmy Flemion |
| Past members | Dennis Flemion, Jay Tiller, Brian Hill, Damien Strigens, Josh Silverman, John W. Busher, David Geschke |
The Frogs were an American rock music band founded in 1980, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by brothers Jimmy and Dennis Flemion. The brothers mainly wrote and performed short, catchy pop songs, but they are also known for their improvised home recordings which are delivered in a comedic style, and often include controversial issues such as race, religion, and sexuality (notably homoeroticism). A history of strife has hindered the band, although they have a devoted fan base that includes many well-known musicians including Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins.
The Frogs, through their unique sense of humor, had gained a small but very devoted fan base in the early 90s. Critics attacked the band for poor taste, but well-known bands and performers have come to their defense. In 1993, Billy Corgan saw The Frogs at a small club in Madison, Wisconsin, and invited them to open for the Pumpkins. The Frogs were soon opening for Pearl Jam, Mudhoney, Urge Overkill, and other bands who were fans of the group, to mixed reaction.
In the summer of 1994, the Frogs played the second stage at Lollapalooza, with Corgan joining them at every stop, shredding away on lead guitar for their encore of "I Only Play 4 Money" and "Lord Grunge". Corgan continued to support and promote The Frogs by producing a short film, Meet the Frogs, which he included on 1994's Vieuphoria video compilation. The short film brought the group recognition, but it has also confused Pumpkins fans who didn't know if they should take the band seriously or not.
From August 1996 to February 1997, Dennis Flemion replaced The Smashing Pumpkins' recently deceased keyboard player Jonathan Melvoin for their Infinite Sadness tour. During each night's encore, Jimmy Flemion performed "1979" (which reportedly was influenced by an unreleased Frogs song, "Pleasure"[1]), as well as selecting audience members to dance on stage. The Flemion brothers also appeared on the "Tonight, Tonight" single, and sang backing vocals on 1998's Adore.[2][3]
In 1994 they recorded the EP Starjob which was produced by Billy Corgan (who used the pseudonym Johnny Goat); however, the album was not released until 1997.
More recent appearances include in November 13, 2007, when Jimmy Flemion performed with the Smashing Pumpkins at The Backyard in Austin, TX.[4][5] The Frogs also opened for the Pumpkins on December 7, 2008, in Chicago.[6][7]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Magic Ian of Maximum Pelt on mixtape releases that feel like personal gifts Leor Galil, Chicago Reader. September 19, 2019
- ↑ "Smashing Pumpkins, The - Adore (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
- ↑ "spfc.org : discography : Adore". Smashing Pumpkins Fan Collaborative. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
- ↑ Internet Archive Live Music Archive[1]
- ↑ "Don't Mess With Texas!" (Blog). Hipsters United: A Blog About The Smashing Pumpkins. November 13, 2007. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
- ↑ "Flemion Bros. to grace stage at Aragon Ballroom" (Blog). Hipsters United: A Blog About The Smashing Pumpkins. November 27, 2008. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
- ↑ "Photos: Jeff Loder from Chicago" (Blog). Hipsters United: A Blog About The Smashing Pumpkins. December 11, 2008. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
External links[edit | edit source]
- The Frogs on MySpace