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Bob Mould

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Bob Mould (born October 16 1960, in Malone, New York) is an American musician, principally known for his work as guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for influential rock bands Hüsker Dü in the 1980s and Sugar in the 1990s.

Contents

[edit] History

Hüsker Dü was formed in the late 1970s after Mould moved to the Twin Cities to attend Macalester College. Hüsker Dü first gained notice as a "speed-core" punk rock band on the independent label SST Records, but over time Mould and bandmates Grant Hart and Greg Norton evolved musically, adding tuneful melodies to their explosive sound; the band became one of the key influences on what later became known as alternative rock.

In the mid-1980s the Hüskers signed a major-label deal with Warner Brothers, but the band released just two records before bitterly splitting up; Mould and Hart still take jabs at each other in the press, though the two performed together at a 2005 benefit concert.

Mould's first solo album came more than a year after Hüsker Dü broke up; 1989's Workbook eschewed Mould's trademark wall-of-noise guitar for a stripped-down sound featuring acoustic guitars and cellos. 1991's jagged Black Sheets of Rain put Mould in more familiar territory, recalling Hüsker Dü's loudest, angriest moments.

Mould then formed the group Sugar, a college/alternative radio favorite in the mid-1990s. Sugar released two albums, an EP and a B-sides collection before splitting. Mould returned to solo recording, releasing a self-titled album in 1996 (which is often referred to as Hubcap because of the cover photo) and 1998's The Last Dog and Pony Show.

During a stint living in New York City in the late-1990s, Mould's tastes took a detour into dance and electronica. Those influences were clear on his 2002 release Modulate, which experimented heavily with electronica, to what some surprised fans and critics called mixed results. To pursue this sound Mould also began recording under the pseudonym LoudBomb (an anagram of his name). He has released one CD so far under this name.

Mould took a brief break from the music world to get involved with another passion of his, professional wrestling, when he joined WCW as a scriptwriter for a brief period. Creative differences with some of the other writers of the league led to Mould leaving the company and returning to music. The liner notes for Modulate thank some of the wrestlers he associated with, most notably Kevin Nash and Kevin Sullivan.

In addition to his solo work, Bob Mould is also a live DJ in collaboration with DC-area dance music artist Richard Morel, under the collective banner Blowoff. A recording under that banner is in the works. Both LoudBomb and Blowoff have led to Mould's being asked to do remixes for a variety of dance and alternative-rock artists. A recent remix of the Interpol song "Length Of Love" has led to more critical acclaim for the veteran artist.

For much of the 1990s, Mould toured playing solo acoustic renditions of his catalog (occasionally switching to electric guitar midway through his set). In 2005 his solo album Body Of Song was cross-announced with his first band tour since 1998. Brendan Canty, best known as the drummer for Fugazi, and Mould's Blowoff collaborator, Morel, are playing drums and keyboards, respectively, for the tour, which began in the fall of 2005. Mould has been playing more songs from his Hüsker Dü back catalogue than at any time since the band broke up.

Mould is openly gay. Though it was often rumored during his Hüsker Dü days that he and bandmate Hart were an item (the two both acknowledge taking partners on tour), both have flatly denied ever having been romantically involved.

[edit] Pop culture

On September 29, 2005, Mould's song "Circles" was featured on The OC as Marissa Cooper was starting her first day at her public school in Season 3.

Mould's song "Dog on Fire" is the theme song for The Daily Show. They Might Be Giants perform the current version. Later, "See a Little Light" became one of the principle theme songs for the HBO series The Mind of the Married Man. Mould also composed the theme for the TLC program, In a Fix.

As Mould and director Cameron Crowe (a former journalist with Rolling Stone magazine in the '70s) are close friends, Crowe named a movie character after Mould. Bob Sugar (played by Jay Mohr) in "Jerry Maguire" is named for Bob Mould and Mould's former band, Sugar.

[edit] Solo Discography

(see also Hüsker Dü and Sugar discographies.)

[edit] Singles

Year Title Chart positions Album
US Hot 100 US Modern Rock US Mainstream Rock UK
1989 "See a Little Light" - #4 - - Workbook
1990 "It's Too Late" - #10 - - Black Sheets of Rain

[edit] Bootlegs

  • The Calm Before the Storm (Kiss The Stone, 1994)

[edit] Bands Produced

[edit] External links


Hüsker Dü

Grant Hart | Bob Mould | Greg Norton

Discography
Albums: Land Speed Record | Everything Falls Apart | Zen Arcade | New Day Rising | Flip Your Wig | Candy Apple Grey | Warehouse: Songs and Stories | The Living End
Extended plays: Metal Circus | Sorry Somehow | Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely
Related articles
Nova Mob | Sugar | Grey Area
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