The Vindictives are an American, Chicago-based punk rock group, founded by singer and songwriter Joey Vindictive in 1991, releasing 12 EPs and albums by July 1996.
History They began their career in 1991, cutting their first 7-inch record later that year with the lineup of Joey Vindictive (vocals), Johnny Personality (bass), Ben Weasel (guitar), Dr. Bob (guitar), and Erik Elsewhere (drums). Weasel was soon to be replaced by Billy Blastoff on guitar, and Elsewhere was soon to be replaced by P.J. Parti on drums.
The band broke up in 1996 due to Joey Vindictive's health issues. They would re-form in 2000.
Guitarist Robert "Dr. Bob" Nielsen died of a heroin overdose on February 22, 2003. After Dr. Bob's death, The Vindictives released a pair of records containing material previously unavailable on CD and two new re-recordings; Muzak for Robots which was quirky electronic instrumental versions of their songs and Unplugged soft and toned-down acoustic versions of their works. The Razorcake review read "This really is muzak. No, really".
In 2004, Billy Blastoff left the Vindictives of his own accord, took a year off music, joined Lucky Savage in Chicago as their drummer, formed the Gornys and switched over to bass in 2005, eventually renamed them the John Doh's in 2010, and is currently on hiatus.
In 2006, Shot Baker and Vacation Bible School released a limited edition of 500 split 7-inch singles on Chicago's Underground Communique Records featuring The Vindictives' "Future Homemakers of America", "Glad to Be", "Assembly Line", and "Automaton".
In 2006, Joey Vindictive and Johnny Personality started to demo material under Joey Vindictive & The Personality Crisis. The two performed under the name Faerie Wunderpuss, releasing a split 12-inch LP with Chicago's own Alla, an experimental heavy rock psychedelia band, and is said to be in the vein of Queens of the Stone Age. In addition to possible new material surfacing, Joey Vindictive launched a new theatre art program called The 1901 Gallery Theatre with wife, Jenny, and bandmate, Johnny Personality. In 2011, Billy Blastoff joined Magatha Trysty, a culmination of power pop and punk rock sensibility, as their bass player.
On December 4, 2012, the Vindictives released their first new material in 13 years with an EP titled "Mono Flexi".
In 2013, the Vindictives digitally released a Halloween EP entitled "Jerk-O-Lantern" which featured 13 songs recorded on Friday the 13th, 2013 and is a total of 13 minutes and 13 seconds in length.
Members Joey Vindictive (Joey Volino) - vocals (1990–1996, 1999–Present) Johnny Personality (John Stockfisch) - bass (1990–1996, 1999–2018) Dr. Bob (Robert Nielson) - guitar (1990–1996) Billy Blastoff (Bill Sullivan) - guitar (1992–1996, 1999–2004) P.J. Parti (Pat Buckley) - drums (1991–1996) Ben Weasel (Ben Foster) - guitar (1990–1992) Erik Elsewhere - drums (1990–1991) Angel Gabriel Ledezma - drums (1999) Mike Geek (Mike Byrne) - guitar (1994–1996)
Discography Singles and EPs Basket Case, V.M.L. Records, 1991 The Invisible Man, V.M.L. Records, 1991 Ugly American 7-inch, V.M.L. Records, 1992 Assembly Line 7-inch, V.M.L. Records, 1992 This Is My Face 7-inch, V.M.L. Records, 1993 Disturbia 7-inch, V.M.L. Records, 1993 Rocks In My Head 7-inch, V.M.L. Records, 1994 Seventeen b/w No Feelings 5", Selfless Records/V.M.L. Records, 1994 Johnny Where Are You? b/w Eating Me Alive Picture Disk 7-inch, Lookout! Records/V.M.L. Records, 1995 Alarm Clocks b/w Left For Dead 7-inch, Lookout/V.M.L. Records, 1995 Pervert At Large b/w Sloppy Seconds Split 7-inch, V.M.L. Records, 1997 Nuttin' for Christmas b/w Jingle Bells 7-inch, Stardumb Records, 2002 Mono-Flexi EP 7-inch, Sexy Baby Records, 2012 Jerk-O-Lantern EP, 2013
Studio albums Partytime for Assholes 10-inch - Double 10-inch LP, Selfless Records, 1996 Reissue: Liberation Records 1994 Leave Home LP, Selfless Records, 1994 Hypno-Punko LP, Coldfront/V.M.L. Records, 1999 Muzak for Robots, TEAT, 2003 (instrumentals) Unplugged, TEAT, 2003 (acoustic versions of old Vindictives songs)
Compilation albums The Many Moods Of The Vindictives Double LP, Lookout/V.M.L. Records, 1995 Reissue: Liberation Records 1995 Curious Oddities and the Bare Essentials, TEAT, 2003 Original Masters (1990–1992), TEAT, 2003
References
External links Archive of www.thevindictives.com