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Artist
Grand Mal
12+ albums
Allrockspotify
about
Grand Mal has spent a decade churning out albums loaded with brilliant off-kilter rock’n’roll gems about first round K.O.’s, bail-jumping ex-wives, disaster films, mustachioed fascists and endless misadventures. Throughout their evolution from grungy heavy pop to technological glam to full-on classic rock’n’roll, leader Bill Whitten’s trademark deadpan vocal delivery, uncommon songwriting sensibility, and willingness to experiment have remained the band’s consistent marks of distinction. Whitten’s previous band, Hartford, CT’s noise-pop ne'er-do-wells St. Johnny, who Sonic Youth signed to Geffen, imploded in 1995. With only a cheap Epiphone Les Paul Jr. copy and a notebook full of rough edged hits to his name, Whitten found himself in New York. Inspired by the New York Dolls, T-Rex, and Mott the Hoople instead of his previously indie-centric influences, Whitten introduced Grand Mal later that year. Continuing work with St. Johnny producer Dave Fridmann (Mercury Rev, Flaming Lips, etc.), Grand Mal released a couple of critically acclaimed records on No. 6 before Slash/London came knocking at their door. Despite a successful release and some touring in the UK, Grand Mal’s 1999 Maledictions was lost in limbo stateside thanks to the Seagram’s buyout of the label’s parent company, PolyGram. Arena Rock released the band’s next long-player Bad Timing in 2003 (which features the multi-instrumental work of Flaming Lip Stephen Drozd) to nearly universal acclaim. Scott Hreha of Pitchfor
