The Warlocks

Template:Short description Template:For Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox musical artist The Warlocks are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1998 by the guitarist/singer Bobby Hecksher. The band's music has ranged from psychedelic rock to drone music. There have been many changes in personnel since its formation, with Hecksher the only constant member.<ref name="Davidson">Davidson, Mike, "Drone Rock Wizards - The Warlocks", Gigwise.com, September 23, 2003. Retrieved October 27, 2013</ref><ref name="Kot">Kot, Greg, "The Warlocks' magical musical show", Chicago Tribune, March 21, 2003, p. 3 ('Friday' section)</ref>

History

Formation and signing to Bomp!

The band was founded in 1998 in Los Angeles by Bobby Hecksher, adopting a name used by both the Velvet Underground and the Grateful Dead in their early days.<ref>Neuberg, Eva, "The Warlocks, Bobby Hecksher’s Latest West Coast Headtrip", NY Press, April 10, 2001. Retrieved October 27, 2013
- Ritter, Travis (2006) "A Witch of a Show", Houston Press, February 23, 2006. Retrieved October 27, 2013
- Template:Cite web</ref> At the age of fifteen, Hecksher moved to Los Angeles from Florida with his family.<ref name="Appleford">Appleford, Steve, "Black moods, black magic", Los Angeles Times, December 25, 2003, p. E28</ref> Hecksher's first instrument was cello, eventually moving on to bass guitar.<ref name="Appleford" /> Hecksher's grandfather owned a radio station.<ref>Inman, Jeff, "Space Oddity: The Warlocks Kick Out The Psychedelic Jams—Just Don't Call ’Em A Jam-Band", City Weekly, June 11, 2007. Retrieved October 27, 2013</ref>

In the years before the formation of the band, Hecksher was busy with a number of other projects in Los Angeles, including Charles Brown Superstar, Don Knotts Overdrive (Hecksher left DKO in 1995 and the band eventually changed its name to Head Set due to legal threats from the actual Don Knotts), and Magic Pacer, played bass guitar with Beck on the Stereopathic Soulmanure album and also with The Brian Jonestown Massacre for a brief period.<ref>Template:Cite web
- Jacks, Kelso, "Record News", CMJ New Music Report, April 17, 2000, p. 19. Retrieved October 27, 2013</ref><ref name="Mills">Mills, Fred, "The Warlocks The Warlocks Template:Webarchive", Broward Palm Beach New Times, April 5, 2001. Retrieved October 27, 2013</ref><ref name="Thomas">Thomas, Bryan "The Warlocks Biography", Allmusic. Retrieved October 27, 2013</ref>

The Warlocks played their first gig on July 4, 1998. Receiving comparisons with White Light/White Heat-era Velvet Underground and Spacemen 3, the band signed a two-album deal with the renowned indie label Bomp! in October 2000.<ref name="Davidson" /><ref name="Mills" /><ref name="Thomas" /> Supposedly signed in Hecksher's blood, the contract with Bomp! yielded the band's first release in 2000, the mini-album The Warlocks.<ref name="Mills" /> This was followed by the release of its first full-length record, Rise and Fall, in 2001. Rise and Fall received a four-and-a-half-star review from AllMusic, with Bryan Thomas describing it as a "solid effort".<ref name="Thomas2">Thomas, Bryan "Rise and Fall Review", Allmusic. Retrieved October 27, 2013</ref> Hecksher worked as a games tester for DreamWorks until at least 2001.<ref>Template:Cite web
- Template:Cite web
- Template:Cite web</ref>

Birdman and Mute contracts

After the release of Rise and Fall the band left Bomp! and signed with Birdman Records.<ref name="Thomas2" /> The EP Phoenix was released by Birdman in 2002 and was followed by a full-length album also called Phoenix, which was also released in 2002, to positive acclaim.<ref>Simpson, Dave, "The Warlocks: Phoenix", The Guardian, March 14, 2003. Retrieved October 27, 2013</ref><ref name="Robbins">Robbins, Ira "Warlocks", Trouser Press. Retrieved October 27, 2013</ref> Phoenix included a collaboration with Peter Kember (Sonic Boom), of Spacemen 3 and Spectrum, on the song "Hurricane Heart Attack".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "Shake the Dope Out" and "Baby Blue" were also released as singles. The group toured the US and overseas with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, the Raveonettes and Interpol.<ref name="Appleford" />

Following Phoenix, the Warlocks signed to Mute and released Surgery in 2005, produced by Tom Rothrock.<ref name="Appleford" /> The record represents a departure from their earlier psychedelic sound into dreamier pop territory, while retaining the band's hard-edged brand of rock. The songs on this record are shorter and more structured than some of their previous work.<ref name="Haag">Haag, Stephen, "The Warlocks: Surgery", PopMatters, August 22, 2005. Retrieved October 27, 2013</ref> "Come Save Us" was released as a single. Surgery received a mixed reception from critics; A PopMatters review by Stephen Haag rated it at 6 out of 10, while a Pitchfork review gave the album only a 1.7 out of 10 rating, with Nick Sylvester describing the album as "A mopey bunch of trite sap O.D.-type tales almost as unstomachable as the band's former crapothecary hymns."<ref name="Haag" /><ref name="Sylvester">Sylvester, Nick, "The Warlocks Surgery", Pitchfork Media, September 27, 2005. Retrieved October 27, 2013</ref> Prefix gave the album 8.0 out of 10, describing it as "far more approachable" than their earlier releases.<ref name="Prefix">"The Warlocks Surgery" Prefix, March 5, 2008. Retrieved October 27, 2013</ref> The album's lack of commercial success led to the end of their deal with Mute.<ref name="Lymangrover">Lymangrover, Jason "Heavy Deavy Skull Lover Review", Allmusic. Retrieved October 27, 2013</ref>

Later releases

In the years after Surgery, the band toured internationally and sustained changes to the lineup, leading up to the 2007 release of Heavy Deavy Skull Lover on Tee Pee.<ref name="Lymangrover" /><ref name="Metro">The Warlocks cast a heavy spell", Metro, August 26, 2008. Retrieved October 27, 2013</ref> The album was, according to Hecksher, recorded over a single weekend, with the band members quitting afterwards.<ref name="Metro" /> The album is considered darker than their previous work, with the band exploring a more experimental direction.<ref name="Righi">Righi, Len, "Warlocks bassist detects meaning beneath chords of 'Skull Lover' Template:Webarchive", Taiwan News, November 30, 2007. Retrieved October 27, 2013</ref> A review in Spin described the album as "funereal" and "sluggishly unrealised", while AllMusic called it "uneven".<ref name="Lymangrover" /><ref name="Anderson">Anderson, Stacey, "The Warlocks Heavy Deavy Skull Lover", Spin, December 2007, p. 126. Retrieved October 27, 2013</ref> Heavy Deavy Skull Lover was recorded as a four-piece and marks a brief hiatus from the band for founding member John Christian Rees, who later returned before work began on their 2009 album, The Mirror Explodes. The Mirror Explodes was released in 2009 by Tee Pee.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Production of the record was assisted by Joey Santiago of the Pixies.

The years following The Mirror Explodes saw two online releases by the band, available through Bandcamp, as well as a reissue of Rise and Fall via Zap Banana/Cargo in October 2010 which included previously unreleased rarities and artwork by Darren Grealish. The first of the online releases, the highly experimental EXP, was released on January 1, 2010. The second, Enter At Your Own Skull: Unreleased Volume One, a compilation of B-sides, demos and outtakes, was released on June 9, 2011. Besides the online releases and Rise and Fall reissue, the years after The Mirror Explodes were filled with intermittent touring and more line-up changes, resulting in the band solidifying as a five-piece.

The band provided another commercial release in 2013 with Skull Worship, also via Zap Banana/Cargo (distribution). Skull Worship was released on November 26, 2013.

The Warlocks' seventh studio album, Songs from the Pale Eclipse, was released on September 2. A single, "Lonesome Bulldog", was released in promotion for the album in June 2016.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Warlocks' eighth studio album, Mean Machine Music, was released on May 31, 2019.

The Warlocks' ninth studio album, The Chain, was released on April 3, 2020.

The Warlocks' tenth studio album, In Between Sad was released on September 22, 2023.

Musical style

The band's music has been described as psychedelic rock.<ref name="Robbins" /><ref name="Metro"/> In 2008, Hecksher said of the band's sound "...even though it's seemingly chaotic, achieving our sound is a really specific process. We need all these big, hollow-bodied guitars going through old Fender amps with reverb, or it won’t work."<ref name="Metro" />

In 2007, the bass guitarist Jenny Fraser described the songwriting process: "Hecksher writes the skeleton of the songs and everyone writes their own parts. He always draws the picture and we paint it in."<ref name="Righi" />

Hecksher acknowledges influences including The Velvet Underground, Spacemen 3, Spiritualized and The Jesus and Mary Chain.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Personnel

Current members

• Bobby Hecksher – vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass guitar
• John Christian Rees – guitar, feedback<ref name="Righi" />
• Earl V. Miller – guitar, drone machine
• Marlena Schwenck – bass guitar<ref>https://thewarlocks.com/about</ref>
• Oscar Ruvalcaba – drums
• Rob Campanella – organ
• Elina Yakubova – tambourine & percussion

Former members

• Christopher DiPino – bass guitar
• Jason Anchondo – drums
• Ryan McBride – guitar<ref name="Righi" />
• Bob Mustachio – drums<ref name="Righi" />
• Suzanne Jana Risher – bass guitar
• Mimi Star – bass guitar
• Bobby Martine – bass guitar<ref name="Straub">Straub, Daniel, "The Warlocks: "Drogen gehören zu unserer Musik"", laut.de, February 4, 2004. Retrieved October 27, 2013</ref>
• Jenny Fraser – bass guitar<ref name="Righi" />
• Corey Lee Granet – guitar, piano<ref name="Righi" />
• Jeff Levitz – guitar, lap steel, sitar
• Jen Chiba – bass guitar<ref>Gowing, Liam (2013) "Elliott Smith: 'Mr. Misery' Revisited, 10 Years After the Singer-Songwriter's Controversial Death", Spin, October 21, 2013. Retrieved October 27, 2013</ref>
• Caleb Sweazy – bass guitar, acoustic guitar
• Laura Grigsby – organ, tambourine<ref name="Righi" />
• George Serrano – drums<ref name="Righi" />
• Hunter Crowley – drums
• Bobby Tamkin – drums
• Anton Newcombe – drums
• Theresa Saso – drums
• Danny Hole – drums

Discography

Studio albums

Release date	Album	Label
October 16, 2001	Rise and Fall	Bomp!
November 5, 2002	Phoenix	Birdman Mute
August 23, 2005	Surgery	Mute
October 23, 2007	Heavy Deavy Skull Lover	Tee Pee
May 19, 2009	The Mirror Explodes	Tee Pee
November 26, 2013	Skull Worship	Zap Banana Cargo
September 2, 2016	Songs from the Pale Eclipse	Cleopatra
May 31, 2019	Mean Machine Music	Cleopatra
April 3, 2020	The Chain	Cleopatra
September 9, 2023	In Between Sad	Cleopatra

Live albums

Release date	Album	Label
October 13, 2017	Vevey	Cleopatra
Sept 9, 2020	The Warlocks: Live at Webster Hall 2006	Fuzz Club

Online albums and compilations

Release date	Album/EP	Label
January 1, 2010	EXP	Bandcamp
October 25, 2010	Rise and Fall: EP and Rarities	Zap Banana Cargo
June 9, 2011	Enter At Your Own Skull: Unreleased Volume One	Bandcamp
May 9, 2019	Enter At Your Own Skull: Unreleased Volume Two	Bandcamp

Mini-albums/EPs

Release date	Album/EP	Label
November 11, 2000	The Warlocks	Bomp!
August 13, 2002	Phoenix	Birdman
June 25, 2019	Skull Worship Lost Gems EP	Bandcamp

Singles

• "Baby Blue" (2003), Mute
• "Shake the Dope Out" (2003), Mute
• "Hurricane Heart Attack" (2003), City Rockers
• "It's Just Like Surgery" (2005), Mute
• "Come Save Us" (2005), Mute
• "Isolation"/"Red Camera" (2006), Bomp!

External links

• Template:Official website
• Template:Official website

Template:The Warlocks