The Yuppie Pricks
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Yuppie Pricks | ||
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| Background information | ||
| Origin |  Austin, Texas |
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| Genre(s) | Punk Rock Comedy |
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| Years active | 1999–present | |
| Label(s) | Alternative Tentacles Chicken Ranch |
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| Website | http://www.yuppiepricks.com.com | |
| Members | ||
| Trevor Middleton Deuce Hollingsworth Preston Hetherington III Nigel Smythen-Wesson Ricky the Intern |
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| Former members | ||
| Darin Murano Chad Shaw Ken Dannelly Trey Robles |
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The Yuppie Pricks are a punk-rock band from Austin, Texas specializing in 'reverse-psychology' punk. Flaunting affluent backgrounds while playing raw punk reminiscent of bands such as the Sex Pistols, Black Flag and the Dead Kennedys, the Yuppie Pricks eschew traditional 'working-class' punk clichés in favor of a decadent, over-the-top image and sound.
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[edit] Origins and history
Formed in 1999 by pharmaceutical business magnate Trevor Middleton and third-generation divorce-lawyer Deuce Hollingsworth, the original Pricks line-up also featured law-school student Chad Shaw on bass, and multi-media designer/photographer Darin Murano on drums. Leaving the band to concentrate on his studies, Shaw was quickly replaced by stock-broker Preston Hetherington III on bass. The band then recorded their self-produced, self-released debut, Initial Public Offering.
Following numerous local gigs and an appearance at SXSW in 2003, drummer Darin Murano exited the band, due to a case of aggravated tendonitis. Murano was temporarily replaced by Ken Dannelley (ex-Stretford, Hamicks) - but it wasn't until British expatriate Nigel Smythen-Wesson arrived that a permanent replacement was found.
A return performance at SXSW 2004 followed, during which the band was courted by former Dead Kennedys frontman, Jello Biafra, and subsequently signed on with his Alternative Tentacles imprint, who released 2005's Brokers Banquet. Recorded at Bubble Studios by Chris 'Frenchie' Smith (ex-Sixteen Deluxe, Young Heart Attack), and mixed by Mark Hutchins (Rockland Eagles), Brokers Banquet featured a considerable upgrade in the Pricks trademark 'posh-punk' sound, owing to a more hard-edged 'rock' influence, combined with the tongue-in-cheek lyrics and punk-fueled aggression of the first album.
Along with the more aggressive sound came a transition from a four-piece to a five-piece line-up, with Preston Hetherington switching over to second guitar, and the band recruiting Ricky the Intern from the 'Zero Skills Employment Agency' (according to the bio) on bass. With last-minute addition Trey Robles (ex-Hard Feelings) on drums, the band toured the East Coast in Spring of '05, hitting renowned punk-rock enclave, CBGB in New York City, as well as recording a live broadcast for XM Satellite Radio, at the invitation of Lou Brutus of the station's Fungus 53 channel. Fungus 53 later named Broker's Banquet one of the top 25 punk albums of 2005.
Though the band took an 'early retirement' in July of 2006 following a final performance in Las Vegas, NV at Rollercon '06, they are reportedly rehearsing again, in preparation for upcoming appearances in Houston and at the SXSW 2007 music festival in Austin, TX.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
[edit] Singles
- Stock Market 7" (Chicken Ranch, 2005)
