Rollerskate Skinny
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| Rollerskate Skinny | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Ireland |
| Genre(s) | Dream pop |
| Associated acts | Kid Silver Favourite Sons The Radio |
| Former members | |
| Ken Griffin Ger Griffin Jimi Shields Steve Murray |
|
Rollerskate Skinny was an Irish band that enjoyed its greatest success during the 1990s.
Contents |
[edit] History
Founded as "The Hippyshakes" in the 1980s, the band became "Shake" and was characterized by a strawberry logo. In 1991, Jimi Shields joined the band and suggested a name change to "Rollerskate Skinny", chosen from a line in The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger:
- She's quite skinny, like me, but nice skinny, rollerskate skinny.
Rollerskate Skinny consisted of Ken Griffin, Ger Griffin (no relation), Jimi Shields and Steve Murray. Shields wrote material and played guitar and drums for much of the band's history but left due to constant media references to his brother, Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine which threatened to distract from the band itself.[citation needed]
The band's release of the "Novice" EP had gotten them an award for NME's "Top Ten New Bands of the Year" in 1992. Their debut album "Shoulder Voices" in 1993 had garnered them critical acclaim in the UK and US[citation needed], including CMJ Magazine's album of the month. The band toured and was included on a leg of the 1994 Lollapalooza. They appeared along with the likes of Mercury Rev, The Flaming Lips, Smashing Pumpkins, Hole, Mazzy Star, Pavement, The Verve, The Lemonheads and My Bloody Valentine.[citation needed] They went on to sign with Sire Records.
Following Shields' departure, the band recorded Horsedrawn Wishes which was released in February 1996 to a great deal of praise, particularly in the Irish music press.[citation needed]
[edit] Legacy
All of the members of Rollerskate Skinny have gone on to other musical projects. Ken Griffin moved to New York City and formed the band, Kid Silver, releasing the album Dead City Sunbeams in 1999. In 2004 Ken, along former members of Philadelphia band, Aspera, formed Favourite Sons who signed to Vice Records. Since the demise of Rollerskate Skinny, Ger and Steve worked on the project, Walker. Stevie since started the band Empire, now known as The Radio, which released its debut album in 2005 to positive reviews[citation needed]. Jimi Shields went on to form Lotus Crown, and then later The Wounded Knees with Suzanne Thorpe formerly of Mercury Rev. Shields also worked with such artists as J Mascis, Martina Topley-Bird, and will next be heard on new MBV material.[citation needed]
Rollerskate Skinny remains influential on the Irish music scene. In 2004, Hot Press magazine readers voted "Horsedrawn Wishes" #14 on a list of the 100 greatest Irish albums.
Echoes of the Rollerskate Skinny sound can currently be heard in bands as diverse as Irish band Bell X1 (formerly Juniper featuring Damien Rice) especially on the recent single "Rocky Took a Lover", and the Canadian art rock collective Broken Social Scene.[citation needed]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
[edit] Singles and EPs
The band recorded a Peel Session around this time.
