Monk & Canatella

Simon Russell and Jim Johnston formed the bedsit trip-hop duo Monk & Canatella following their sustained involvement in the Bristol community, where scene-leaders Portishead even dedicated a song to them. The pair made their first appearance on Cup of Tea Records via the 1995 Fly Fishing EP, which drew favorable notices from the British music weeklies and radio DJs. Both that EP and its follow-up "I Can Water My Plants" served as early explorations of trip-hop’s more domestic, indie-rock facets. Once Cup of Tea: A Compilation obtained an American release on Quango, Monk & Canatella issued their debut album, Care in the Community.