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All Music Guide:
After Brilliant Corners called it a day following a decade-long career, guitarist/vocalist Davey Woodward and bassist Christopher Galvin founded a new and arguably more striking group in the form of Experimental Pop Band. Initially founded as strictly a studio project, the band started to take on its own life as the two recruited other musicians to help on early singles in the mid-'90s. Originally named the South West Experimental Pop Band, initial press releases claimed the members as "New York dance lynchpins relocated to Patchway in Bristol by the CIA with their dog called Satan," though the truth came out shortly thereafter. The group's approach was a very English form of hip-hop filtered through multiple styles, eschewing smooth, radio-friendly touches for a generally rougher but still very appealing feel. Comparisons flew thick and fast to Beck, then reaching the height of his fame with Odelay, but Experimental Pop Band had their own particular way around things, as much indebted to the Fall as to Mantronix. Initial singles were compiled on Woof, while a full debut album, Discogrotesque, appeared in 1997. The following year a follow-up album, Homesick, was recorded and polished for release, but in a terrible turn of events Galvin fell terminally ill and died in December 1998 after its completion. Homesick appeared the following year, while Woodward took some time off, returning in 2001 on the German-based City Slang label with a new lineup and a new album, The Tracksuit Trilogy.
Wikipedia:
The Experimental Pop Band are a rock group led by former singer with The Brilliant Corners, Davey Woodward.
History
The band was formed in mid-1990, initially as a studio project under the name The South West Experimental Pop Band, by former Brilliant Corners members Davey Woodward and Chris Galvin, along with third member Corin Dingley. The band's first two releases were the EPs The Lounge and Boutique in my Backyard, the latter named 'Single of the week' by Melody Maker, with the lead track later covered by The Audience. Tracks from these and the "Skinny" single were compiled together on the Woof album in January 1997, with the band's debut album proper, Discgrotesque, released in June that year. Corrine left to join Alpha, with Joe Rooney (keyboards) and Keith Bailey (drums) added to the line-up, and the band recorded a session for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show in February 1997. A further EP was issued in 1998 before Galvin's death after a long battle with cancer on 22 December 1998, aged 39. Material released prior to his death was released in January 1999 on the "Frozen Head" single, and on the Homesick album later that year.
After a two-year break, Woodward, Rooney and Bailey returned in 2001 and recruited new bassist Mark Barber, the band now signed to City Slang. The Tracksuit Trilogy was released in 2001, produced by John Parish, and given a four-star review by the Sunday Herald. Further albums followed with Tarmac & Flames (2004) and Tinsel Stars (2007). Barber had been replaced by Phil Wilmott by 2004. The band played on the new bands stage at Glastonbury in 2004. The band released a further album Tinsel Stars in 2007 with limited sales although successful European tours followed.
In 2010, Keith Bailey (drums) left the band and was replaced by Mark Bradley of ME and they have recently finished recording material for a new album due for release in 2012.
