Tin Huey

hey, I'm Sophia, recent Vslam recruit. Though my main blog's The Soundkeeper, you'll likely be catching occasional updates from me here as well. Anyway, on to ze music...


Tin Huey formed in the early '70s in Akron, Ohio -- a scene that also birthed bands like Devo and the Rubber City Rebels. They're really cute -- geekish lyrics, huge melodies, gleefully messy, and obviously enjoying themselves a lot when they play. The enthusiasm of Robert Chistgau and a locally-popular cover of "I'm a Believer" got the band signed to Warner Brothers, where they released Contents Dislodged During Shipment in 1979. Despite being a pretty fun slab of offbeat new-wave pop, the record sold disappointingly and the band was dropped from Warner Brothers, leading to its subsequent break-up. (Reunited in 1999, though, to record Disinformation.)

Since I revel in all of those interesting band-connections... Chris Butler went on to form the Waitresses, record a handful of solo albums, and write "The Devil's Glitch," which, according to the Guinness Book of Records, is the longest recorded pop song (and was nominated for a Grammy in 1997). Stuart Austin worked on-and-off with Todd Rundgren. Ralph Carney played with the B-52s, Oranj Symphonette, Big Noise, and the Swollen Monkeys, as well as recording several solo albums.


Tin Huey

Contents Dislodged During Shipment (1979)
The Revelations of Dr. Modesto
Hump Day