Love Battery

Along with <a href="spotify:artist:3Ukr3Ufjg8ygRJv7Ww887f">Screaming Trees</a>, Love Battery fell into the more psychedelic wing of Seattle grunge, adding a liberal dose of <a href="spotify:artist:3WrFJ7ztbogyGnTHbHJFl2">Beatlesque</a> pop to the requisite hunks of mind-bending guitar fuzz. Formed in 1989, the band took its name from a <a href="spotify:artist:2DxlS3lTLFIq70S7ap5H3y">Buzzcocks</a> song, and originally included singer Ron Nine (born Ron Rudzitis, ex-Room Nine), guitarist Kevin Whitworth (ex-<a href="spotify:artist:1ww5cbJni14KE4M6Zd5oDk">Crisis Party</a>), bassist Jim Tillman (formerly of grunge forebears <a href="spotify:artist:22WypD8tTI2wltNMQJZhj6">the U-Men</a>), and <a href="spotify:artist:7LuYiSXiWs86rwWJjEEgB9">Mudhoney</a> drummer Dan Peters. Peters left in short order and was replaced by onetime <a href="spotify:artist:0sPa3yPonEuDbDhBzz7g4E">Skin Yard</a> drummer Jason Finn. In 1990, the band released its six-song debut EP, Between the Eyes, on Sub Pop. They tightened up their focus and approach for their first full-length, Dayglo, which was issued in 1992 to highly positive reviews. Bassist Tillman subsequently left the band and was at first replaced by Tommy Simpson, who stayed only a short time before moving on to <a href="spotify:artist:2TaamF8UZGRvjx0Z2C0G0u">Alcohol Funnycar</a>. Simpson was in turn replaced by Bruce Fairweather, who'd previously played guitar in two seminal Seattle bands, <a href="spotify:artist:1XIIxzmo6BNRR4QkImSdsX">Green River</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:3XR64HmFo4OvexUUNW7TP0">Mother Love Bone</a>.

Fairweather made his debut on 1993's Far Gone, whose release was delayed several times over legal issues; it appeared to a disappointing reception. Around that time, Finn began doubling as the drummer for <a href="spotify:artist:1lZvg4fNAqHoj6I9N8naBM">the Presidents of the United States of America</a>. Despite the relative failure of Far Gone, Love Battery managed to score a major-label deal with Polygram affiliate Atlas Records in 1994, and issued the Nehru Jacket EP as an appetizer for their full-length bow. That arrived in the form of 1995's Straight Freak Ticket, after which Finn left the group to concentrate full-time on <a href="spotify:artist:1lZvg4fNAqHoj6I9N8naBM">the Presidents</a>, who had just signed with Columbia and were poised for breakout success.

Straight Freak Ticket failed to win Love Battery a larger audience, and they wound up leaving Atlas. New drummer Mike Musburger -- best known for his work with <a href="spotify:artist:5ZOh5D4MKLhU3GekPzNFam">the Posies</a> -- came and went, before founding member Dan Peters returned to give the group a new spark. It took some time to put together, but Confusion Au Go Go was finally released in 1999 on the Seattle indie label C/Z. It was generally hailed as a strong -- albeit belated -- return to form by the band's dwindling but still-present following. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi