Biography
Although lauded by reviewers and embraced by fellow musicians, the alternative and roots-rock trio Grant Lee Buffalo from the 1990s never reached broad commercial audiences even with their inventive songcraft and distinctive approach. Frontman Grant Lee Phillips, born in 1963 and reared in Stockton, California, drew equal inspiration from early rock figures such as David Bowie, Alice Cooper, and Kiss alongside country stalwarts including Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. As his teenage years began, Phillips picked up guitar and started writing original material that merged these contrasting tastes, resulting in his initial serious group, Bloody Holly.
Before turning twenty Phillips moved to Los Angeles, spending weekdays applying hot tar to rooftops, studying film at night, and devoting weekends to music. Toward the close of the 1980s he assembled the neo-psychedelic Shiva Burlesque, which delivered two well-received yet commercially ignored albums—the self-titled debut in 1987 and Mercury Blues in 1990—before disbanding. Phillips then enlisted former Shiva drummer Joey Peters and multi-instrumentalist Paul Kimble, who also handled bass, keyboards, and later production, to launch a fresh endeavor. Drawing on unused Shiva material, the ensemble experimented with several monikers, among them the Machine Elves and Mouth of Rasputin, before adopting Grant Lee Buffalo.
The newly christened trio secured a regular slot at West Hollywood’s Cafe Largo in the early 1990s, sharpening both their repertoire and stage presence while cultivating a loyal audience. A demo reached Singles Only, the label run by Hüsker Dü and Sugar’s Bob Mould, which released the track “Fuzzy” as a single in 1992. Growing interest prompted Slash Records to sign the group and issue their debut album, also called Fuzzy, the following year.
Nearly twelve months of touring ensued, with Grant Lee Buffalo supporting acts including Cracker, ex-Replacements singer Paul Westerberg, and Pearl Jam. Rather than pausing after the demanding schedule, the trio returned immediately to the studio for the 1994 follow-up Mighty Joe Moon, whose gentle ballad “Mockingbirds” became their first single and video to garner modest MTV and radio notice. An opening slot on R.E.M.’s first arena tour in five years and Phillips’s selection as Rolling Stone’s Male Vocalist of the Year still failed to translate into mainstream sales. Subsequent releases—Copperopolis in 1996 and Jubilee in 1998—again earned critical praise without commercial traction, leading the group to dissolve quietly in 1999.
Phillips promptly began a solo career, releasing Ladies’ Love Oracle in 2000 and Mobilize in 2001, both written and performed entirely by the former Grant Lee Buffalo leader. He has also appeared on recordings by the Eels, Neil Finn, Harvey Danger, Robyn Hitchcock, and Michael Penn, and he produced Eenie Meenie’s self-titled 1997 EP. In 2001 a thirty-track Grant Lee Buffalo retrospective titled Storm Hymnal: Gems From the Vault of Grant Lee Buffalo appeared in England, where the band had enjoyed greater success than at home; Rhino issued the collection domestically three years later.
Before turning twenty Phillips moved to Los Angeles, spending weekdays applying hot tar to rooftops, studying film at night, and devoting weekends to music. Toward the close of the 1980s he assembled the neo-psychedelic Shiva Burlesque, which delivered two well-received yet commercially ignored albums—the self-titled debut in 1987 and Mercury Blues in 1990—before disbanding. Phillips then enlisted former Shiva drummer Joey Peters and multi-instrumentalist Paul Kimble, who also handled bass, keyboards, and later production, to launch a fresh endeavor. Drawing on unused Shiva material, the ensemble experimented with several monikers, among them the Machine Elves and Mouth of Rasputin, before adopting Grant Lee Buffalo.
The newly christened trio secured a regular slot at West Hollywood’s Cafe Largo in the early 1990s, sharpening both their repertoire and stage presence while cultivating a loyal audience. A demo reached Singles Only, the label run by Hüsker Dü and Sugar’s Bob Mould, which released the track “Fuzzy” as a single in 1992. Growing interest prompted Slash Records to sign the group and issue their debut album, also called Fuzzy, the following year.
Nearly twelve months of touring ensued, with Grant Lee Buffalo supporting acts including Cracker, ex-Replacements singer Paul Westerberg, and Pearl Jam. Rather than pausing after the demanding schedule, the trio returned immediately to the studio for the 1994 follow-up Mighty Joe Moon, whose gentle ballad “Mockingbirds” became their first single and video to garner modest MTV and radio notice. An opening slot on R.E.M.’s first arena tour in five years and Phillips’s selection as Rolling Stone’s Male Vocalist of the Year still failed to translate into mainstream sales. Subsequent releases—Copperopolis in 1996 and Jubilee in 1998—again earned critical praise without commercial traction, leading the group to dissolve quietly in 1999.
Phillips promptly began a solo career, releasing Ladies’ Love Oracle in 2000 and Mobilize in 2001, both written and performed entirely by the former Grant Lee Buffalo leader. He has also appeared on recordings by the Eels, Neil Finn, Harvey Danger, Robyn Hitchcock, and Michael Penn, and he produced Eenie Meenie’s self-titled 1997 EP. In 2001 a thirty-track Grant Lee Buffalo retrospective titled Storm Hymnal: Gems From the Vault of Grant Lee Buffalo appeared in England, where the band had enjoyed greater success than at home; Rhino issued the collection domestically three years later.
Albums
