Originating in Dallas, Texas, the Deathray Davies deliver a swirling, distorted take on vintage garage pop that echoes the 1960s approach of the Kinks and the Seeds. John Dufilho launched the project in 1998 as a solo endeavor while fronting Bedwetter, drawing from a stockpile of compositions unsuited to that group. After relocating from San Antonio to Dallas, he cut the debut entirely on his own under the Deathray Davies name and issued Drink with the Grown-Ups and Listen to the Jazz through Idol Records in 1999. A three-song demo earned an invitation to South by Southwest, where, by the time the event arrived, Dufilho had recruited a complete roster: Bedwetter colleague Jason Garner, Kevin Ingle, Chomsky’s Matt Kellum, Legendary Crystal Chandelier’s Peter Schmidt, and Transona Five’s Rachel Smith.
In 2000 Dufilho tracked The Return of the Drunk Ventriloquist, again performing the bulk of the instrumental parts himself even though supporting musicians were now available. The band’s third full-length, The Day of the Ray, appeared on Idol Records in 2002 and captured the ensemble sound honed onstage; the sessions featured Dufilho alongside Garner, Ingle, Greg Price, Mike Middleton, and Bill Shupp. The group shifted to Glurp Records for Midnight at the Black Nail Polish Factory in fall 2004, then delivered its most potent collection to date, The Kick and the Snare, in early 2005. Throughout this period the unit continued to center on Dufilho’s singing and songcraft, supported by veterans Middleton, Garner, and Ingle plus newcomers Robert Anderson on drums and Chad Ferman on keyboards.
