Bill Taft

Bill Taft is an American rock musician living in Atlanta, Georgia.

Not to be confused with William Howard Taft.
Bill Taft
Background information
Birth nameWilliam Wilson Taft, Jr.
Born1965
Shaker Heights, Ohio
OriginGeorgia, United States
GenresPunk rock
Folk
Instrument(s)Vocals, Guitar, Cornet, Banjo
Years active1980s–2000s

Biography

Taft is the son of former Ohio state Senator William W. Taft, and a distant cousin of former United States President William Howard Taft. In 1982, Taft moved from Ohio to Atlanta to attend Emory University. His first band of note was The Chowder Shouters, whose instruments included garbage cans.[1] They released a six-song vinyl record.[2] After the demise of the Chowder Shouters, Taft joined The Opal Foxx Quartet, a group consisting of anywhere from 2 to 14 members at a time. They broke up in 1992 after the deaths of several members.[3] They released a posthumous CD, which was largely produced by Michael Stipe.[4]

Around 1988, Taft started An Evening with the Garbageman, a spoken-word open-mic variety show, which he hosted and that eventually morphed into The Jody Grind.[5] The Jody Grind released two CDs before disbanding following the deaths of half their members. Drummer Robert Clayton and bassist Robert Hayes died in a horrific traffic accident which also claimed the life of performer Deacon Lunchbox. The accident occurred as the band was returning to Atlanta after performing in Montgomery, AL.[6]

After The Jody Grind broke up in 1992, Taft formed Kick Me, with Allen Page (of Opal Foxx Quartet) and Kelly Hogan (of The Jody Grind). They recorded several songs that eventually came out on a compilation album called Hidden Tracks, released by Daemon Records.[7] Kick Me broke up after Allen Page died of a drug overdose. .[8] Smoke recorded two full-length CDs and several compilation tracks, playing until 1999 when lead singer Benjamin died of hepatitis C. A year after Benjamin died, Taft started Hubcap City. He has also started Another Evening with the Garbageman, an open-mic spoken word project similar to An Evening with the Garbageman.

Around 2017, Taft, along with Brian Halloran (cello) and Will Fratesi (drums) (of Smoke) started the band W8ing4UFOs. They released the album "Don't Let the Asshats Burn You" during the Coronavirus Pandemic in the fall of 2020.[9]


Bands and Instruments
  • Dr. Dixon and the Operators: guitar
  • Crawling Kingsnakes guitar and vocals
  • The Chowder Shouters: guitar and vocals
  • Opal Foxx Quartet: guitar
  • The Jody Grind: guitar and vocals
  • Kick Me: guitar, vocals
  • Smoke: vocals, cornet, banjo
  • Hubcap City: vocals, guitar, cornet, banjo
  • W8ing4UFOs: vocals, guitar, banjo

Discography

The Chowder Shouters
  • Chowder Shouters vinyl (1986)
  1. Weather Report
  2. Little Wing
  3. Amazing Grace
  4. Instrumental
  5. The Arkansas Side
  6. The Old Tar River

.[2]

Opal Foxx Quartet
  • The Love That Won't Shut Up CD (1994, LongPlay Records)[10]
  1. Clean White Bed
  2. Frail Body
  3. Blue Exception
  4. Sleep
  5. Tub of Love Rumble
  6. Nightingale
  7. MTM
  8. Christmas
  9. Dirt
  10. I Don't Know How to Love Him/Strange Fruit
  11. Aliens

Track 1 written by Tracy Snow. Track 2 written by Grady Cousins. Track 4 written by Debbey Richardson. Track 5 is Deacon Lunchbox sleeping in the back of a truck. Track 7 is The Mary Tyler Moore Show Theme Song, "Love is All Around." Track 10 is a medley of the song from Jesus Christ Superstar and the Billie Holiday song. Track 11 written and performed by Deacon Lunchbox.

The Jody Grind
  • One Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure CD (1991, DB Records)
  1. Peter Gunn
  2. One Man's Trash (Is Another Man's Treasure)
  3. Eight-Ball
  4. Mood Indigo
  5. Death of Zorba
  6. Blue and Far
  7. Governor of Hong Kong
  8. Just Because You Wear Big Shoes
  9. It Ain't Necessarily So
  10. Love, Love Alone
  11. Wishin' and Hopin'
  12. My Darlin'
  13. Florida Maine
  14. I'm a Fool to Want You
  • Lefty's Deceiver CD (1992, Ichiban)
  1. 3rd Of July
  2. Lounge Axe
  3. Funnel Of Love
  4. Friday
  5. Hands Of June
  6. Can't You See
  7. Promise Of Sleep
  8. Circle
  9. Driving At Night
  10. Superhero
  11. Rickie
  12. Carry You
  13. Blues For The Living

Smoke
  • Dirt 7" (1993, Colossal Records)
  1. Dirt
  2. Pretend
  • Heaven on a Popsicle Stick CD (1994, LongPlay Records)
  1. Hole
  2. Awake
  3. Freak (Winn's Song)
  4. The Trip
  5. Hank Aaron (lyrics by Dana Kletter)
  6. Luke's Feet
  7. Beeper Will
  8. The Pond
  9. I Do
  10. Ballet
  11. Guilt
  12. Abigail
  13. Curtains
  • Another Reason To Fast CD (1995, LongPlay Records)
  1. Trust
  2. Friends
  3. When It Rains
  4. Clean White Bed
  5. Shadow Box
  6. Dream
  7. Fatherland
  8. Train Song
  9. Debbey's Song
  10. Chad
  11. That Look
  12. I Don't
  13. Snake

Hubcap City
  • EP 1 CD (2001, Self-released)
  1. Day Job
  2. My Punk Ass
  3. Paul's Boot
  4. My Wasted Friends
  5. Weegee
  • Live: 2001-2002 CD (2002, H.I.G. Records 004)
  1. Action!
  2. Breakfast at Taxi Driver's
  3. The Man Who Never Forgets
  4. Hubcap City
  5. Paul's Boot
  6. Reservoir
  7. Some Things
  8. Stomp/Atomic Fireball
  9. Faulkner's Typewriter
  10. Debby
  11. Vital Pimp Flash
  12. Ready to Serve
  13. Rahab
  14. Jack Henry
  15. The Top of the Hill
  16. Sandbox
  17. Beautiful and Fucked Up

Tracks 1-8 recorded at WREK radio on 11/13/01.
Tracks 9 and 12 recorded outside at Railroad Earth Studios 5/19/01.
Track 10 recorded at Eyedrum 3/10/01.
Track 11 recorded 12/30/01 at The Earl.
Tracks 13-17 recorded 8/02/02 at Earthshaking Music.

  • EP 2 CD (2002, self-released)
  1. Reservoir
  2. Breakfast at Taxi Driver's
  3. Action
  4. Atomic Fireball
  5. Hubcap City
  • EP 3 CD (2004, self-released)
  1. Jack Henry
  2. Kiss Me, Arturo
  3. Left Eye Went the Wrong Way
  4. Sandbox
  5. Cat Hair on Rockabilly Dress
  6. Slug Party
  7. Door
  • More Songs For Dead Children CD (2004, self-released)
  1. Will's 4-Track
  2. Damaged
  3. Fried
  4. Hold On
  5. Slough of Despond
  6. Court
  7. Dumped
  8. Sassy Magazine Record Review #2: Dear Madonna
  9. One-Eyed Rapists Attack
  10. Unfinished Film Festival Song
  11. Beautiful and Fucked Up
  • Super Local 13 CD (2005, self-released)
  1. Staircase
  2. Hurrah Hurrah
  3. U Don't Know Me Stomp
  4. Message Received 2:34 AM Thursday
  5. Guest of Honor
  6. Five Slugs More Party Minutes
  7. 7 Zebra Heads 2 Plastic Skulls
  8. Yippie Yeah Yeah
  9. Message Received 2:51 AM Thursday
  10. Preacher
  11. Blackout
  12. Ham on Rye
  13. Snarl Baby Snarl

.[11]

Hubcap City (from Belgium)
  1. Hubcap City - Mad House
  2. Deerhunter - Grayscale
  • Five More Minutes b/w Sally 7" (2006, Ponce de Leon Records)
  1. Five More Minutes
  2. Sally
  • Superlocalhellfreakride CD (2007, Xeric 112)
  1. Get Rid of Now
  2. Unexpected Guest
  3. Ring Around the Rosie
  4. Wind Blowing on a Sick Man
  5. Deer Hunting
  6. Sticks in the Graveyard
  7. Valley of Bones
  8. No Return
  9. When the President Sez
  10. Bottle of Rum
  11. He Brings the Hatchet in the Evening
  12. Rahab 2:39
  13. Boxcar Gamelan
  14. Guy on Street
  15. Hippest Trick
  16. More Guy on Street
  17. Arabella Sabotage
  18. The Anti-Christ is Alive...

.[12]

with Kelly Hogan
  • The Mother of all Flagpole Christmas Albums CD (1992, Flagpole)[13]
  1. Introduction - Deacon Lunchbox
  2. Santa's Hard - Follow for Now
  3. Thomas Tinsel's Holiday - Kevn Kinney
  4. Santa vs Magneto - Bliss
  5. Santa Baby - Michelle Malone
  6. Santa Claus - The Woggles
  7. Jingle Bells - Flat Duo Jets
  8. Learn to Love Again - Dreams So Real
  9. Papa's Home - Widespread Panic
  10. Here Comes Christmas - Daisy
  11. You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch - Labrea Stompers
  12. Santa Claus, Go Straight to the Ghetto - Seersucker
  13. Snowflakes Are Falling - Hear it Love it Dance it
  14. Christmas in August - BloodKin
  15. Just Think About Christmas (And Sing What You Want) - Five Eight
  16. O Magnum Mysterium - Kelly Hogan and Bill Taft
  17. No Vacancy - Marlee MacLeod
  18. On Christmas Day - Opal Foxx Quartet
  19. Candles and Miracles - Hetch Hetchy
  20. This Holiday Season - Porn Orchard
  21. Christmas With the Devil - Allgood
  22. White Christmas - Vic Chesnutt

Cake

Side a:

  1. Tinnitus - Seven Minutes or Less
  2. Cake (Tracy Snow) - Blue Moles
  3. Cake (Tracy Snow) - I Want to Sleep
  4. Freedom Puff - Visiting with the White Rock Girl
  5. Freedom Puff - 2 Dixie Cups and a String

Side b:

  1. Murray Reams & Paul Hoskin - The Dispossessed
  2. Murray Reams & Paul Hoskin - Submission
  3. I See the Moon - Somnambulist Waltz
  4. I See the Moon - Snellville
  5. Dairy Queen Empire - The World
  6. Dairy Queen Empire - Burning

NOTE: Bill played banjo for Cake on this record.

Solo
  • The Soft-Spoken Beatnik Cousin of the Flagpole Christmas Albums cassette (1994, LongPlay Records)

Side 1

  1. Gayle Danley - Just Like the Girl on Channel 17
  2. Chris Chandler - Just Say No But Spell it with a K
  3. Hillary Meister - Latkes at Chanukkah in America
  4. Gwen O Looney - Meditations for Women who Do Too Much
  5. Randy Blazak - Jump Around Santa
  6. Charlie Ginste - Flockogank
  7. Mudcat - Rudoplh's Party
  8. Copacetic Chris - A Holiday Poem
  9. David Oats - Shopping Prayer
  10. David Greenberger - Let Women Chase Me
  11. Blondie - The 12 Days of Christmas
  12. Murray Attaway - Up on the Housetop
  13. Sheila Doyle - Christmas Island

Side 2

  1. Deadbeat Burt - Rudolph the Red Eyed Reindeer
  2. Douglas A. Martin - Undercover Empty Moon Gazing
  3. A.E. Stallings - A Winter Nursery Rhyme
  4. Vic Varney - True North
  5. Ripley - I Drank with the Devil
  6. R. Tod Smith - Christmas at Charter
  7. David Greenberger - Quincy Sore Throat
  8. Julie Thrasher - Cowboy Dreams
  9. Richard Fausset w/Neutral Platypus Uncollective - Under the Breath of The Salvation Army Santa
  10. Scott Royal - Joke
  11. Emory Laughing Wolf - Merry Grimace
  12. Todd Mortensen - Autumn's Prayer, Winter's Touch
  13. Bear Step and Joe Brennan - Bear and Joe's Wish List
  14. Bill Taft - Happy Birthday Baby Jesus

Smoke
  • ? CD (1992)
  1. Smoke - Dog

The lineup on this song was Benjamin, Bill Taft, Brian Halloran, and Todd Butler. This CD was a benefit compilation.

  • Radio Oddyssey Volume 2: The Georgia Music Show CD (1997 Altered Records/Ichiban)[15]
  1. The Rock*A*Teens - Black Ice
  2. The Continentals - Please, Please
  3. Pineal Ventana - Dark Cloud
  4. DQE - Mermaid And The Sailor
  5. #1 Family Mover - Hey Soul
  6. Bob - Ants
  7. Velvet Overkill Five - Pillow Talk
  8. The Goodies - Live On WRAS-FM
  9. Tweezer - Sucking Midgets
  10. Marcy - Driver
  11. Heinous Bienfang - Stay Behind The Cones
  12. Babyfat - Redd Lobster
  13. Frontstreet - Scandinavian Pamphlet (Sex Book)
  14. 17 Years - Doing Wrong
  15. Smoke - Hamlet
  16. Benjamin - Big Daddy Story and Other Saucy Tales
  1. Susie Honeyman - Bus
  2. Schoolly D - This Old Man
  3. Smoke - Old Joe Clark
  4. Calexico - The Man on the Flying Trapeze
  5. The Waco Brothers - Them Bones
  6. Giant Sand - Blow the Man Down
  7. Anne Richmond Boston - What Can the Matter Be?
  8. D. L. Menard & the Louisiana Aces - J'ai Passe Devant Ta Porte?
  9. Zydeco Elvis - The ABC Song
  10. Sally Timms - Hush Little Baby
  11. New Orleans Klezmer All Stars - Nokas for the Kinder
  12. The Chiselers - Playmate
  13. The Rock*A*Teens - She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain
  14. Moonshine Willy - Skip to My Lou
  15. Kelly Hogan - The Great Titanic
  16. The Black Mama Dharma Band - A Frozen Road
  17. Mekons - Oranges & Lemons
  18. New Kingdom - John Henry
  19. Rob Gal - Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
  20. Blacktop Rockets - Froggy Went A-Courtin'
  21. Vic Chesnutt - Home on the Range
  22. The Grifters - The Muffin Man
  1. Kick Me - Arms
  2. Smoke - Midnight
  3. DQE - Ivytwine
  4. Parlour - The Cold Snap
  5. Kick Me - Black Coat
  6. Kick Me - Blue Midnight
  7. Parlour - Baby Doll
  8. Bill Taft & Neil Fried - Old West
  9. Smoke - Pretend
  10. Palookaville - Seventh Day
  11. Long Flat Red - Eighty-Six Days
  12. Railroad Earth - Keep Seeing That Soul
  13. Kick Me - Lucky Nights
  14. The Hollidays - Miles Away

Guest appearances

Indigo Girls - Shaming of the Sun CD (1997, Daemon Records)
12. Hey Kind Friend
Taft played cornet on this song, written about his friend Benjamin.

The Rock*A*Teens - The Rock*A*Teens (January 23, 1996)
13. Arm in Arm in the Golden Twilight We Loitered On
Taft played cornet on this track.

Greg Connors - Full Moon Flashlight CD (2009, Scared Records)
4. Two Women and A Flood (Sweet Distraction)
9. September Baby, a cover of a song written by Joseph Arthur
Taft played cornet on both these tracks.

Adventure Time "Blue Magic", written by Jack Pendarvis, sung by Kelly Hogan, with guitar performance by Bill Taft.

References
  1. Schoemer, Karen (1990-07-13). "Six Nights for Sampling A World of Unsung Bands". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
  2. "Dedicated to Bob Dylan, Our Biggest Fan". Otherwise Unavailable. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
  3. "Smoke". Trouser Press. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
  4. "The Love That Won't Shut Up". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
  5. "An evening with the Garbageman". Kelly Hogan Fan Club. Archived from the original on 2007-07-30. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
  6. "Just a Few Years Later They Would Have Been Huge". Otherwise Unavailable. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
  7. "Railroad Tracks". Creative Loafing. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
  8. "Jody grind (Kick me, actually) reunion". Otherwise Unavailable. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
  9. "LISTENING POST: Atlanta-centric, idiosyncratic".
  10. "The Love That Won't Shut Up;". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2007-10-20.
  11. "Hubcap City Official Discography". H.I.G. Records. Archived from the original on 2009-01-06. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
  12. "superlocalhellfreakride". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
  13. "The Mother of All Flagpole Christmas Albums;". Artistdirect.com. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
  14. "Compilation: Low life 17;". Borft.com. Archived from the original on 2007-10-30. Retrieved 2007-10-20.
  15. "Radio Oddssey, Vol. 2: The Georgia Music Show;". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2007-10-20.
  16. "Rudy's Rockin' Kiddie Caravan;". Bloodshot Records and Bloodshot Records Compilations. Archived from the original on 2007-10-10. Retrieved 2007-10-20.
  17. "Hidden Tracks;". Daemon Records. Archived from the original on 2007-10-31. Retrieved 2007-10-20.

See also
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