Betta band live biography

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But the laid back Betas refused to change their usual show for the hip New York crowd. For example, David Daley of Magnet magazine noted, "While they share a basic indie-rock sensibility with musical deconstructivists like Beck--embracing skewed melodies, tape loops, hip-hop beats and garage-sale electronica--everything the Betas record manages to sound radically different." After the Beta Band's first release, they produced two more EPs in 1998, which were later combined into a single album, followed by the group's first full-length album in 1999.

Still, despite the enthusiasm surrounding the release, the band continued to ignore the media and industry spectacle. And there's only so much time you can spend in one place.

betta band live biography

We're tired of hype and trendiness. 60-61, 92.

  • Rolling Stone, July 8-22, 1999.
  • Select, September 1998.
  • Spin, June 1999.
  • The Times (London), July 9, 1999.

    • The Beta Band Lyrics

    Feel free to share The Beta Band lyrics. As McLean later explained to Daley, "We just don't care about image or fashion.

    The Beta Band (1996-2004) were an alternative rock group from Edinburgh, Scotland who received much critical acclaim and achieved cult status, but failed to make much of a commercial impact on the popular music scene. During a typical performance, complete with their homemade short films, poetry readings, potted plants, and festive costumes amid skillful gospel piano and rock guitar melodies, the Beta Band switches instruments and swaps roles while creating tunes which they call dance music.

    "Hopefully, we've stumbled along a way of recording that will help us move away from guitars. As Jones explained to Clamer, "Folks thought The Flower Press was mysterious. There's silence. The thing is, you can get soul across in a song if you mean it, even if you're not able to play the instrument."

    The foursome, made up of Steve Mason (a former automobile mechanic and guitarist, John McLean (a former art student and DJ), Robin Jones (a former art student and drummer), and Richard Greentree (a former carpenter and bassist from the coastal town of)--all except Greentree are from Edinburgh, Scotland, Greentree is from Portsmouth, England-- decided to create the Beta Band in 1996 while sharing a cramped flat together in London.

    It has been suggested, sometimes by the band themselves, that they were better live than recorded.Steve has now released an album under his own name after his post-Beta Band projects Black Affair and King Biscuit Time, John, Robin and Gordon Anderson aka Lone Pigeon have formed The Aliens (www.myspace.com/thealiens1) and Rich is The General & Duchess Collins.

    If you would like to share The Beta Band lyrics with other users of this site, please see the bottom of this page on how to submit The Beta Band lyrics.

    Members include RichardGreentree (born in Portsmouth, England, former carpenter), bass, percussion; RobinJones (born in Edinburgh, Scotland, former art student), drums, percussion; StephenMason (born in Edinburgh, Scotland, former automobile mechanic), vocals, guitar, percussion; JohnMcLean (born in Edinburgh, Scotland, former art student), decks, samples, percussion.

    However, please do not postThe Beta Band lyricsunless you have received permission from the copyright owner. You look around at the other bands getting the same hype, listen to their music and it sounds awful. To us it was a perfectly normal thing to do."

    by Laura Hightower

    The Beta Band's Career

    Group formed in 1996 in London, England; released first EP, Champion Versions, Regal, 1997; released EPs, The Patty Patty Sound and Los Amigos Del Beta Bandidos, Regal, 1998; combined EPs into a single album, The Three E.P.'s, and released debut full-length album, The Beta Band, both on Astralwerks, 1999.

    Famous Works

    Further Reading

    Sources

    • Calgary Sun, July 4, 1999, p 38.
    • Entertainment Weekly, January 22, 1999, p.100.
    • Independent, September 18, 1998, p.

      Their style was self-described as being folk hop, a blend of folk, rock, trip hop, and experimental jamming. Then, rather than meeting the expectations of fans and the press by finally recording a full-length album, the Betas, almost in defiance, instead opted to release two more EPs, The Patty Patty Sound and Los Amigos Del Beta Bandidos, both in 1998.

      The song "Dry the Rain" from their 1997 debut EP, Champion Versions, later to be released on the 3 EP's album, was possibly their most popular track and was famously featured in the John Cusack film, High Fidelity.