Shorty (band)
| Shorty | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Genres |
Alternative Noise rock Indie rock |
| Years active | 1991 — 1994 |
| Labels |
Worry Bird Records Bovine Records Gasoline Boost Records Skin Graft Records X-Mist Records |
| Associated acts | U.S. Maple |
| Members |
Al Johnson (singer) Mark Shippy Todd Lamparelli Luke Frantom |
| Past members |
Anthony Ciarrochi Tim Mescher |
Shorty was an American rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1991. The band consisted of vocalist Al Johnson, guitarist Mark Shippy, drummer Todd Lamparelli, and bassist Luke Frantom. After the group's breakup, Al Johnson and Mark Shippy would go on to form the underground art rock band U.S. Maple.
Officially forming in 1991, Shorty's roots can be traced back to 1986, when vocalist Al Johnson and guitarist Mark Shippy first met through mutual friends. At the time, both were involved in local Illinois rock bands; Johnson in the DeKalb, Illinois, gothic rock band Nursery, and Mark Shippy in the Crystal Lake, Illinois, art rock group, the Muckrakers, consisting of Shippy (known as Harry), Larry Nutley (known as Icky Muck), Tom Nutley (known as Stu), and Eddie Buster (known as Ponaman). In the spring of 1988, Johnson and Shippy decided to join together for an as-yet unnamed project, placing an ad in a local DeKalb newspaper for bandmates to back them up. After a number of responses which went nowhere, the two were approached by Todd Lamparelli and Anthony Ciarrocchi, childhood friends and recent castoffs from the Chicago Heights punk rock band Tricot Mesh. Together, the four-piece began playing under an ever-changing assortment of names such as Dragster, and Bomb.
By the fall of 1988 Ciarrocki had quit the band, replaced by new bassist Tim Mescher. By 1989 the band had changed its name again, this time to Snailboy, a term referring to a lethargic racehorse. The band released two singles as Snailboy, the first, Mungo, was released by Tar guitarist John Mohr on his own No Blow record label. During this period, the band was living and recording in a farmhouse owned by one of Lamparelli's co-workers for 50 dollars a month. Life in the farmhouse was rustic to say the least; while residing there the band had to deal with geese and weasels running loose inside the house, Lamparelli's co-worker's naked daughter defecating on the floors, and nests of baby mice infesting their amplifiers.
In August 1990 the band departed for Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin, to record their second single, Spoo Heaven, with producer Butch Vig. In April 1991, Spoo Heaven was released by Sympathy for the Record Industry. This period also saw the replacement of bassist Tim Mescher, (who was not getting along with the other band members), with bassist Luke Frantom, who had previously worked with Johnson during his time in Nursery.
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