Martini Ranch

Martini Ranch was a new wave band conceived in 1982 by Andrew Todd Rosenthal. The band was composed of Rosenthal (vocals and guitar) and actor Bill Paxton (voices and samples), and featured a similar sound to late 1980s Devo. The Martini Ranch track "How Can the Labouring Man Find Time for Self-Culture?" featured three members of Devo.

In 1989, Martini Ranch was featured in the end credits of Bill Paxton's 1990 cult movie Brain Dead.

Rosenthal later formed a new band called Swifty's Bazaar.

During the period of 1986 through to 1988, Martini Ranch released two extended play records and one album. How Can the Labouring Man Find Time for Self-Culture? and Reach were released as EPs, with a follow up album being Holy Cow; all of which were released on Sire/Warner Bros. Records. The album was reissued in 2007 by Noble Rot. In 2010, Warner Special Products made Holy Cow available on iTunes.

How Can the Labouring Man Find Time for Self-Culture? was produced and engineered by Devo guitarist Bob Casale and also featured drummer Alan Myers and vocalist Mark Mothersbaugh on keyboards.

The tracks "Hot Dog", "New Deal", and "World Without Walls" feature the vocals of Cindy Wilson of The B-52's. Actor Judge Reinhold is credited as the whistler on the song "Reach". Mark Mothersbaugh and Bud Cort donated their voices to the informercial satire, "Fat-burning Formula".

The album also features film composer Mark Isham on flugelhorn, keyboardist Robert O'Hearn, (brother of bass player Patrick O'Hearn from Frank Zappa and Missing Persons), Patrick O'Hearn who performed bass on the song "New Deal", drummer Curt Bisquera of Morris Day's Band (singer for The TIME), who performed drums on "Serious Girl", and backing vocalist Carol Parks.

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