Dead Meadow

by Rick Kutner Dead Meadow's unique marriage of Sabbath riffs, dreamy layers of guitars fuzz bliss, and singer Jason Simon's high-pitched melodic croon have wond over both psychedelic pop/rock and stoner-rock fans alike. Although the band's members met while attending all-ages punk shows in and around Washington D.C.'s punk/indie scene, the trio's sound draws more of their sound from such classic rock legends as Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath. The trio formed in the fall of 1998 out the ashes of local indie rock bands The Impossible Five and Coulour by singer-guitarist Jason Simon, bassist Steve Kille, and drummer Mark Laughlin. The three members set out to fuse their love of early 70's hard rock and 60's psychedelia with their love of fantasy and horror writers J.R.R. Tolkien and H.P. Lovecraft. They released their six-song debut album in 1999 on Fugazi bassist Joe Lally's Tolotta Records and a joint vinyl release on D.C. indie label Planaria Records. Then in 2001 the band released its second and third albums, Howls from The Hills and Dead Meadow, on Tollotta Records. In a reasonably short period the D.C. trio received offers to tour with everyone from local D.C. hipsters The Make-Up to seedy psychedelic rockers Brian Jonestown Massacre; eventually, they landed the opening slot for high profile indie veterans Guided by Voices. The group was also invited to record live for long time cutting edge British radio personality John Peel for BBC Radio One. Got Live If You Want It! arrived in 2002; that year, the band lost Laughlin and found a new drummer in Stephen McCarty. The band moved to Matador for 2003's breakthrough Shivering King and Others. Cory Shane joined the band in time for 2005's Feathers. Their fifth studio album Old Growth followed in 2007.