The Aluminum Group
| The Aluminum Group | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Genres | Pop |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Labels |
Minty Fresh Hefty Wishing Tree P-Vine |
| Members | John Navin Frank Navin |
| Past members | John Ridenour Liz Conant Eddie Carlson John Blaha |
The Aluminum Group is an American pop band from Chicago, Illinois centered on brothers John and Frank Navin. The band has released seven albums on the Minty Fresh, Hefty, Wishing Tree, and P-Vine labels.
The Navin brothers grew up in Detroit, moving to Chicago in 1979. In Chicago, they formed their first band in 1982, the hardcore punk band Women In Love. In 1985, they left the band, increasingly becoming interested in softer pop music. They formed a new performance art group together, Bleak House, and in 1989 started working together on what would evolve into The Aluminum Group. The band's name is taken from a line of furniture by Charles and Ray Eames. The early line-up of the band included Eddie Carlson (Poi Dog Pondering) on bass and Liz Conant on keyboards. The band took inspiration from British groups of the early 1980s such as Everything but the Girl, Marine Girls and The Monochrome Set, as well as The Carpenters and Claudine Longet.
The brothers self-released their debut album, Wonder Boy, in 1995, described by Allmusic writer Stewart Mason as "a soft pop gem". Their second album, Plano, was produced by Dave Trumfio, and in the view of Jason Ankeny "resonates with a timeless and heartbreaking beauty". The album featured guitarist John Ridenour and their former Women in Love bandmate, drummer John Blaha, as well as guest appearances from musicians including Sally Timms. The album was released by the Minty Fresh label, who would also release the band's next album. For the band's third album, Pedals, they worked with Jim O'Rourke, the album also featuring Timms and Sean O'Hagan, the band now signed to Hefty Records. In 2002, the brothers contributed to the album The Executioners Last Songs, in aid of Artists Against the Death Penalty and the Illinois Coalition Against the Death Penalty. On their fourth album Pelo they worked with producer John Herndon, and introduced more electronic elements to the band's sound.
...
Wikipedia