The Jesus Lizard

The Jesus Lizard
The Jesus Lizard in 2009
Background information
Origin	Austin, Texas, United States
Genres	Noise rock, post-hardcore, alternative rock
Years active	1987–1999, 2008–2010
Labels	Touch and Go, Capitol
Associated acts	The Denison/Kimball Trio, Scratch Acid, Rapeman, Qui, Legendary Shack Shakers, U.S.S.A., Tomahawk, unFact
Past members	David Yow David Wm. Sims Duane Denison Mac McNeilly Jim Kimball Brendan Murphy

The Jesus Lizard was an American rock band formed in 1987 in Austin, Texas and based in Chicago, Illinois. They were "a leading noise rock band in the American independent underground…[who] turned out a series of independent records filled with scathing, disembowelling, guitar-driven pseudo-industrial noise, all of which received positive reviews in underground music publications and heavy college-radio play."

After a brief run as a recording-only project based in Austin, founding vocalist David Yow, bassist David Wm. Sims, and guitarist Duane Denison relocated to Chicago, Illinois in 1989, where they found kindred spirits in recording engineer Steve Albini and Touch and Go Records. With the addition of drummer Mac McNeilly, they began performing live, eventually attracting an international audience. Drummer Jim Kimball replaced McNeilly late in 1996, and was himself replaced by Brendan Murphy two years later.

Despite releasing a split single with leading alt-rockers Nirvana and signing to Capitol Records, the band failed to find commercial success amid the alternative rock explosion of the 1990s and disbanded in 1999. Their reunion tour ten years later garnered positive responses from audiences and critics.

The band began in Austin, Texas, when guitarist Duane Denison asked David Yow, formerly of Scratch Acid, to play bass on some songs he wanted to record. Yow suggested that he sing and have former Scratch Acid bassist David Wm. Sims play bass instead. The resultant group took its name from a common nickname for the basilisk, a type of lizard that can run on water. The trio rehearsed several times in Austin with a drum machine. Yow and Sims moved to Chicago in 1988, and Denison followed the next year.