The Neighborhoods

Led by singer and guitarist David Minehan, the Neighborhoods were a Boston-based rock band whose sound and approach found them residing in several camps at once, fusing the tuneful approach of a power pop group, the rebellious attitude of a punk band, and the big sound and swagger of a traditional hard rock act. The Neighborhoods were formed in 1977, with Minehan joined by <a href="spotify:artist:3QoKnmmLngUSz24ipgH0Pn">Jim Bowman</a> on bass and "Careful" Mike Quaglia on drums, and the band soon made a name for itself playing at local clubs such as Cantone's and The Rat. In 1979, John Hartcorn replaced <a href="spotify:artist:3QoKnmmLngUSz24ipgH0Pn">Bowman</a> on bass and the Neighborhoods got an important break when they won the WBCN Rock & Roll Rumble, a "Battle of the Bands" sponsored by Boston's most influential rock radio station (they came in first over a field of competitors that included local legends <a href="spotify:artist:5UMQV83wwZCCvRSQCVjZw6">Mission of Burma</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5b0wQCgdlG1Dk4N67lguml">the Lyres</a>, and Unnatural Axe). In 1980, the Neighborhoods struck a deal with the respected local independent label <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Ace+of+Hearts+Records%22">Ace of Hearts Records</a>, and their debut single, "Prettiest Girl" b/w "No Place Like Home," became a massive local hit, selling over ten thousand copies, a remarkable achievement for a small-label "new wave" single at the time. The Neighborhoods became a potent draw in New England and several important East Coast markets, but in 1981 the band lost valuable momentum when they split for a spell. By 1984, Minehan formed a new Neighborhoods lineup with Quaglia on drums and Lee Harrington on bass, and the group released a 12" EP, Fire Is Coming. In 1986, the Neighborhoods signed with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Restless+Records%22">Restless Records</a>, and released their first full-length album, The High Hard One. A second album, Reptile Men, followed in 1987; it was released on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Roadrunner+Records%22">Roadrunner Records</a>' new wave imprint <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Emergo+Records%22">Emergo Records</a>. In 1988, the group set out on tour opening for <a href="spotify:artist:1co4F2pPNH8JjTutZkmgSm">the Ramones</a>, and in 1990 they released Hoodwinked, which was produced by <a href="spotify:artist:7Ey4PD4MYsKc5I2dolUwbH">Aerosmith</a> guitarist <a href="spotify:artist:3D52QQEgeo7m4YrnXXbJZY">Brad Whitford</a>, a longtime fan of the group. A year later, the Neighborhoods were signed to the <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Atlantic%22">Atlantic</a>-distributed <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Third+Stone%22">Third Stone</a>, and their self-titled effort for the label would be their first and only major-label release. Also produced by <a href="spotify:artist:3D52QQEgeo7m4YrnXXbJZY">Whitford</a>, the album debuted a new Neighborhoods lineup: Quaglia left the band, and Carl Coletti took over the drum kit, while a second guitarist, Dan Batel, briefly stepped in. The <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Atlantic%22">Atlantic</a>-distributed album was a commercial disappointment, and in the fall of 1992, after a farewell show at The Rat, the Neighborhoods called it a day; Batel was already gone, and in addition to a performance by the Minehan/Harrington/Coletti lineup, Quaglia and Hartcorn sat in for a short set of early Neighborhoods favorites. By this point, Minehan had launched a successful second career as a recording engineer and producer, and he later opened his own studio, Woolly Mammoth Sound Studio, while continuing to perform as a solo act; he also sat in for <a href="spotify:artist:3D52QQEgeo7m4YrnXXbJZY">Whitford</a> on a 1994 <a href="spotify:artist:7Ey4PD4MYsKc5I2dolUwbH">Aerosmith</a> tour when a family emergency forced <a href="spotify:artist:3D52QQEgeo7m4YrnXXbJZY">Whitford</a> to head home for a few days. Following the band's breakup, Harrington enrolled in law school and became a successful attorney. In the 21st century, Minehan re-formed the Neighborhoods with Harrington and drummer Johnny "Rock" Lynch, performing periodic shows in New England and the East Coast. The 1992 farewell show was belatedly released in 2011 as a two-CD set, The Last Rat. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi