Biography
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Years Active
1987 – present (37 years)
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Founded In
Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States
The Beatnik Termites are an influential Cleveland, Ohio based power pop band with a heavy surf influence. The band's original line up of Brian McCafferty on bass, Reggie Silvestri on drums and Pat Kim (Pat Termite) on guitar and lead vocals formed in 1987. Their sound and vocals are similar in style to the Beach Boys and early 60's girl groups. While often lumped under the category pop-punk, what sets them apart from other bands in this genre is their more complicated melodies, vocal arrangements, and mid-tempo beats. They are seen as the progenitors of subgenre of punk dubbed "oldiescore", which is characterized by sugary doo-wop / oldies influenced harmonies coupled with aggressive buzzsaw guitars and surf-punk drumbeats. Examples of other bands derivative of this style (some of whom cite the Beatnik Termites as a direct influence) include the Spazzys, the Proms, the Travoltas and the Unlovables. The Beatnik Termites are also cited as a major influence by numerous straightforward pop-punk acts including the Teen Idols, Mach Pelican, and the Steinways. In fact, the highly successful pop-punk band, the Queers are rumored to have named their "Bubblegum Dreams" EP after two earlier Beanik Termites releases, "Bubblecore" and "Schoolboy's Dream", respectively, even co-opting the artwork theme from "Bubblecore". Artists of diverse musical genres, including Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain is documented to have cited the Beatnik Termites as one of his favorite bands in the Cobain Diaries.
After releasing several EPs and compilation tracks, the Beatnik Termites released their seminal first full-length album, Taste the Sand, in 1995, which established them as the torch bearers of the oldiescore genre. In 1996, they recorded Bubblecore, a foray into harder edged sounds. In 2003, they returned to their classic oldies-influenced sound with Girl Crazy Also of note, in 1997 the band covered the Ramones 1981 album Pleasant Dreams. The Beatnik Termites' catalog is currently available on Insubordination Records.
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