Anastasia Screamed

Emerging from Boston’s late-’80s post-punk environment alongside the Lemonheads, Dinosaur Jr., and the Pixies, Anastasia Screamed shared nothing beyond geography with those contemporaries. Their dark, discordant hard rock drew equally from Hüsker Dü and Led Zeppelin while incorporating the pop-oriented college radio rock then prevalent, allowing the group to cultivate a devoted regional following through erratic live shows up and down the Northeast coast. Guitarist Chris Cugini and drummer Chris Burdett formed the band in 1987 and cycled through several members before meeting songwriter/guitarist Chick Graning on the subway. Finding common musical ground, they added bassist Michael Lord and tracked the self-released five-song Electric Liz EP at Fort Apache studios. Sean Slade produced the 1988 release, which caught the ear of London’s Fire Records and secured a deal on its Roughneck imprint. Weary of Boston’s competitive climate and mounting expenses, the band relocated to Nashville at the urging of Tennessee native Graning. Bassist Charlie Bock replaced Lord for the sessions that yielded the 1990 debut album Laughing Down the Limehouse. The record earned praise from the British music press and spawned a minor U.K. hit in “Samantha Black.” The five-song EP 15 Seconds or 5 Days appeared in 1991. Distribution difficulties at home and label troubles abroad led to the group’s 1992 breakup, after which Graning formed Scarce.