Biography
Neil Hagerty cultivated an irreverent approach to rock music through his work with two of the underground's most visible groups. He powered Pussy Galore's anti-rock cacophony throughout the 1980s and, as one-half of Royal Trux during the 1990s, fused avant-noise textures with classic rock structures. He also established a reputation for sharp yet unruly satire in his 1997 volume Victory Chimp. Royal Trux disbanded in early 2001 shortly before the arrival of his first solo album, Neil Michael Hagerty, which appeared on the group's longtime home Drag City. Following two additional solo releases—2002's Plays That Good Old Rock & Roll and 2003's The Howling Hex—Hagerty assembled a new ensemble that shared the latter title. A shifting roster of supporting players helped the band generate some of his most wide-ranging work across the 2000s and 2010s. In 2015 Hagerty and Herrema reconvened as Royal Trux for concerts in Los Angeles and New York. Credited jointly with the Howling Hex, his 2016 album Denver drew from his adopted city and the Norteño-rooted sound he labeled "new border music."
Albums
