Shudder to Think

Shudder to Think's hardcore punk background (courtesy of D.C.'s Dischord Records, also the home of Fugazi) isn't the best pointer toward their sound, since the group works in pop influences and a skewed sense of songwriting as well. Originally formed in 1986, the band's first lineup -- vocalist/guitarist Craig Wedren, guitarist Chris Matthews, bassist Stuart Hill, and drummer Mike Russell -- released two singles and one 1989 album (Curse, Spells, Voodoo, Mooses) before signing with the Dischord label. Shudder to Think released albums in 1990 (Ten-Spot), 1991 (Funeral at the Movies), and 1992 (Get Your Goat), and toured with Fugazi and the Smashing Pumpkins. Matthews and Russell had left by 1994; guitarist Nathan Larson and drummer Adam Wade replaced them, just in time for the band's first major-label contract. After signing with Epic, Shudder to Think released their fifth album, Pony Express Record, in 1994. Almost three years later in 1997 (during which time Wedren successfully overcame Hodgkin's Disease, Larson released an album with his side project, Mind Science of the Mind, and Wade was replaced with former Dambuilders drummer Kevin March), 50,000 B.C. was released, which ultimately failed to push the band into the big-time.

Read More