Shannon Selberg
Shannon Scott Selberg (born June 3, 1960) is a noise/punk rock musician known for his unusual antics on stage. Formerly the frontman for the Minneapolis-based group The Cows, Selberg provided lead vocals, trumpet, bugle and hardcore guitar.[1][2] After the dissolution of The Cows in 1998, Selberg, described by Pitchfork Media as "the Crispin Glover of the noise rock community", moved on to New York City noise-rock band, The Heroine Sheiks,[3] where he has added keyboards to his repertoire.[4]
Shannon Selberg | |
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Birth name | Shannon Scott Selberg |
Born | Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States | June 3, 1960
Genres | Noise rock, punk blues |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, bugle, keyboards |
Years active | 1987โpresent |
Labels | Amphetamine Reptile, Rubric, Treehouse |
Performance persona
In its biography of Cows, Allmusic credits Selberg's "squealing, shrieking, and general lunacy" as "the bizarre, often engaging, focus" of the band.[1] He is known for his "legendary" antics on stage, described by the Detroit Metro Times as a "demented roadside attraction".[5] His onstage behavior has included performing naked except for strategically placed shaving cream, performing with mousetraps "dangling from his ears",[3] wearing a business suit with stuffed animals at the crotch and a skin suit made from a love doll.[2] In a 1992 review, The New York Times assessed Selberg's stage wear as a visual counterpart to the music of his then band, Cows, "merging defiance, pain and dark comedy".[6] Selberg's general presentation with Cows was described as a mingling of "requisite menace and a disarmingly arch, lowbrow wit..., leveling both barrels at the oozing backalley/trailerpark underbelly of life."[4]
References
- The Cows at AllMusic
- Robbins, Ira and Robin Edgerton. Cows Trouser Press. Accessed October 4, 2007.
- The Heroine Sheiks at AllMusic
- Reid, Brendan. (February 10, 2003) Heroine Sheiks Siamese Pipe Archived 2007-08-16 at the Wayback Machine Pitchfork Media. Accessed October 4, 2007.
- Metro Times staff. (October 20, 2004. Head cheese. Detroit Metro Times. Accessed October 4, 2007.
- Pareles, Jon. (May 23, 1992). Defiance and dark comedy The New York Times. Accessed October 4, 2007.
External links
- Shannon Selberg at AllMusic
- Shannon Selberg discography at Discogs