Wondermints
The epic struggle of this dynamic force in US power pop to gain commercial release in their own country attests to the virtue of persistence and to the good taste of Japanese music lovers. The Wondermints began in Los Angeles, California as a partnership between Nick Walusko (b. USA; guitars/vocals) and Darian Sahanaja (b. USA; keyboards/vocals). In the early 90s, they embarked on a series of home-made, self-distributed cassettes, each colour-coded according to the cover. Despite echoes of retro influences endemic in 90s pop, the Wondermints' blend of disarming hook-lines with complex instrumentation managed to transcend many of their contemporaries' rather more insipid efforts. However, record contracts continued to elude them. By 1993, the band had become a four-piece with the addition of Brian Kassan (b. USA; bass) and Mike D'Amico (b. USA; drums). Growing prominence on the LA underground scene led to a demo contract with Epic Records although no album ensued. Kassan left to be replaced by Jim Mills (b. USA), who in turn was replaced a year later by Probyn Gregory (b. USA). They continued to be active on the gig circuit performing a mix of original songs and cover versions.
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- Austin Powers
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