Thin Lizard Dawn

{{Short description|American rock band}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Thin Lizard Dawn

| background = group_or_band

| origin = New York City

| genre = Alternative rock, Indie rock

| years_active = 1990s

| label = RCA

| past_members =

  • Greg Lattimer
  • Howie Statland
  • Ken Fermaglich
  • Mike Gagliardi
  • Dave Berk

}}

Thin Lizard Dawn were a 1990s American rock group from New York City who released two major label albums on RCA Records in the late 1990s. They are probably most widely known for their first CD release, Thin Lizard Dawn, which was released in 1996, that featured the single "Sexual Dynamo", in addition to the song "Sucks" ridiculing Oasis. The band's label however, had difficulty marketing the band and dropped them after the release of their second album.

History

Thin Lizard Dawn was formed in the early 1990s when all four members were students at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, and they later relocated to Manhattan.{{cite magazine | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=cygEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA20 | title= Continental Drift--New York | author= Catherine Applefeld | magazine=Billboard | date= May 22, 1993 | access-date=February 26, 2010}}{{cite news | url= https://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/01/arts/pop-review-in-the-riffs-and-curlicues-a-patchwork-of-the-1970-s.html?pagewanted=1 | title= In the Riffs and Curlicues, A Patchwork of the 1970s | author= Neil Strauss | newspaper=The New York Times | date= January 1, 1996 | access-date=February 26, 2010}} Mike Gagliardi replaced original bassist Ken Fermaglich.

File:Tlddebut.jpg

The band was signed to RCA Records in late 1995,{{cite news | url= http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/1996/04/10/1996-04-10_big_labels_are_stuck_on_n_y_.html | title= BIG LABELS ARE STUCK ON N.Y. BANDS DOWNTOWN'S SURGING CLUB SCENE FUELS A FEEDING FRENZY FOR EDGY AND EXCITING NEW MUSIC | author= Jim Farber | newspaper= Daily News (New York) | date= April 10, 1996 | access-date= February 26, 2010 }}{{Dead link|date=June 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }}{{cite news | url= https://www.nytimes.com/1996/10/31/arts/the-pop-life-058742.html?pagewanted=1| title= The Pop Life | author= Neil Strauss | newspaper=The New York Times | date= October 31, 1996 | access-date=February 26, 2010}} who released two albums. Thin Lizard Dawn was released in late 1996. It featured the single "Sexual Dynamo", as well as the song "Sucks" ridiculing Oasis.{{cite news | url= http://www.babysue.com/ThinLizardDawn.html | title= Thin Lizard Dawn Interview | publisher=babysue | year= 1997 | access-date=February 26, 2010}} Babysue reviewed the album and called it "one of the strongest debut discs I have ever heard", and described its sound as "techno-bubblegum," meaning "extremely upbeat and catchy, but the lyrics have an obtuse quality that transcend mere pop." On the other hand, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of allmusic gave the album a negative review, that while sometimes the "group makes a hook hit home with their brute force," most of the album "is simply style over substance, and someone else's style, at that."[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=thin-lizard-dawn-r246436|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic review], Retrieved November 14, 2010

Their follow-up album, Go, was released in October 1999, with "Get It" designated as the first single.{{cite magazine | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=dwgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA12 | title= There They Go ... Again | magazine=Billboard | date= October 23, 1999 | access-date=February 26, 2010}} They disbanded in 2000.

Two of the band's songs, "Weed" and "Under the Wing", were used in the 2000 film Cruel Intentions 2.{{citation needed|date=February 2016}}

Afterwards

Howie Statland went on to form the band NYC Smoke.{{cite magazine | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=_hMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA13 | title= Continental Drift--Where There's Smoke | author= Larry Flick | magazine=Billboard | date= August 25, 2001 | access-date=February 26, 2010}} He is the current owner of Rivington Guitars in New York City.{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=https://rivingtonguitars.com/pages/about-us |access-date=2024-04-03 |website=Rivington Guitars |language=en}}

Greg Lattimer formed HotSocky.{{cite news | url= http://www.inmusicwetrust.com/articles/63r18.html | title= Review: HotSocky | author= Gail Worley | publisher=InMusicWeTrust.com | date= Nov–Dec 2003 | access-date=February 26, 2010}} He has also done producing, including the 2006 album Yours to Keep by Albert Hammond Jr.{{cite magazine | url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/article/strokes-guitarist-keeps-different-company-with-solo-disc | title= Strokes' guitarist keeps different company with solo disc | magazine=PopMatters | date= February 9, 2007 | access-date=February 26, 2010}}

Mike Gagliardi played bass for Davey La,{{cite news | url= http://gothamist.com/2008/05/09/adam_green_musi_1.php | title= Adam Green, Musician | publisher= Gothamist | date= May 9, 2008 | access-date= February 26, 2010 | url-status= dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081017133856/http://gothamist.com/2008/05/09/adam_green_musi_1.php | archive-date= October 17, 2008 }} and recorded albums as Mikki James.{{cite news | url= http://www.splendidezine.com/departments/shorttalk/mikkijames.html | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060329153859/http://www.splendidezine.com/departments/shorttalk/mikkijames.html | url-status= dead | archive-date= March 29, 2006 | title= A Short Talk with Mikki James | author= Jennifer Kelly | publisher= Splendid | access-date= February 26, 2010 }}("Yeah, the New York history goes back to... I moved to New York from Connecticut in 1994 or 1995. I moved down to play with Thin Lizard Dawn, thinking that there was already a deal on the table, as so many people usually think, and there wasn't. So I worked for a while and then we got signed to RCA Records. We were with RCA for about six years.") Mike passed away March 4, 2021 in Springfield, MA.{{Cite web |title=Obituary information for Michael J. Gagliardi |url=https://www.carmonfuneralhome.com/obituaries/obituary-listings?obId=20198482 |access-date=2024-04-03 |website=www.carmonfuneralhome.com |language=en-US}}

Dave Berk plays multiple instruments and is a music producer, and has led bands that have appeared at the Anguilla and Philippine Jazz Festivals. He also founded Brooklyn based property management company www.prorealtyusa.com in 2005 and his team manages over 800 units across the NYC Metro Region.[https://www.youtube.com/user/davidaberk YouTube Profile David A. Berk], Retrieved March 6, 2010

Original bassist Ken Fermaglich moved into the business side of music, working with The Agency Group in New York.[http://www.theagencygroup.com/agency_overview_bio_fermaglich.html Bio-Ken Fermaglich Senior Vice President] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100103094412/http://theagencygroup.com/agency_overview_bio_fermaglich.html |date=2010-01-03 }}, theagencygroup.com, Retrieved February 26, 2010

Discography

  • Thin Lizard Dawn (1996)

:1. What Did I Do

:2. Sexual Dynamo

:3. Killing Charlie

:4. Happy/Loonies

:5. Anesthesia

:6. Pop Life

:7. Say What You Want

:8. Weed

:9. Space

:10. Power Intro

:11. Power Ballad

:12. Sucks

:13. Heavily Addicted

  • Go (1999)

:1. Get It

:2. Summer Song

:3. Gettin' a Piece

:4. Soda Pop & Lemonade

:5. Thrill Ride

:6. Sleep

:7. Ooh

:8. New Kid

:9. Kiddies & The Ravers

:10. Messages

:11. Turn Yourself In

:12. Under Dina Vinga (Under the Wing)

:13. Passengers on Planet Earth

  • For Faces and Places (limited release)

References

{{Reflist|30em}}