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House Of FreaksHouse of Freaks was a two-man band formed in Richmond, VA in the late 1980s. Bryan Harvey played guitar and sang, and Johnny Hott played percussion. The band managed to achieve a remarkably full sound, mostly because of Hott's inventive drumming and Harvey's confident vocals and knack of playing bass lines on his guitar (cribbed from his many years as a bass player) while simultaneously playing a melody. The Freaks's sound was a combination of folk and rock, and drew heavily from the blues and primitive Americana music. Their lyrics focused on race, religion, and life in the South, although Harvey was notoriously good at writing about more personal topics (the lack of success of independent bands, his sex life) using rich metaphors from these former topics, so many of their songs could be interpreted in two entirely different ways. Harvey and Hott moved to Los Angeles for the release of the band's first album, Monkey on a Chain Gang, which received considerable critical acclaim. However, unsatisfied with life in L.A., they moved back east, where they recorded their subsequent albums and faded from the public spotlight. Fans of the band universally consider Cakewalk and Tantilla to be the Freaks's best work. After the band's breakup, Harvey and Hott joined a supergroup called Gutterball, headed by Steve Wynn, formerly of Dream Syndicate. The group put out two albums. Harvey co-wrote many of the songs on the first release, Gutterball. Hott later joined the band Cracker. Harvey has guested on a number of other artists' albums, including September 67's Lucky Shoe, two albums by Shannon Worrell (formerly of September 67), and Magnet's Shark Bait. Discography - Monkey on a Chain Gang, 1987
- Tantilla, 1989
- All My Friends EP, 1989
- Cakewalk, 1991
- Invisible Jewel, 1994
Tantilla and Monkey on a Chain Gang were rereleased with numerous bonus tracks in a limited edition by Rhino Records in 2004.
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