Brian Jonestown Massacre 'Tepid Peppermint Wonderland: Retrospective' album

Named in tribute to the legendary Rolling Stones guitarist and his influence in introducing Eastern culture and music into the world of Western rock and roll...

... , the Brian Jonestown Massacre have made some of the most exciting underground music in America since the sixties. Some 40 different members have passed through the group's ranks since it’s inception, but the heart of the BJM is the ragged determinism of Anton Newcombe—producer, songwriter, guitarist, singer and the group's primary creative force.

Formed in 1990 in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, the Brian Jonestown Massacre is very much an amalgamation of that city's past and present musical forces. Anton recalls finding the group's name as one aspect of a concerted effort to undermine the hierarchy mentality that has plagued rock 'n' roll for the last three decades. "At that time, everyone was using one-word names like Ride and Lush. So I wanted to get away from that. [San Francisco] was a very cliquish town. And while it was very creative for us, everybody had this attitude and hierarchy and we kind of stepped outside of that whole thing and promoted our own shows and ignored the media and did our own guerrilla media. And it worked well for us."
Influenced by the rave scene, Newcombe continued to mount a grassroots campaign to bring the band to the public outside of orthodox channels. "We definitely pissed a lot of people off, 'cause there is a status quo," Anton says. "Every time people say rock 'n' roll motifs are dead, that's when one jumps up and bites them." Eventually they sent a demo to Greg Shaw of Bomp! Records. Newcombe: "I looked at the backs of all of my CD's, I was holding a Spacemen 3 record and I figured whoever released that album would understand what we were all about; it turns out I was right." Nine albums later, many of them with Shaw's label, it seemed he was.
In 1997, the band signed with TVT Records, a deal that only lasted for one record: the critically acclaimed "Strung Out in Heaven." Newcombe remains philosophical: "They gave us a mile of rope, so we hung ourselves." It appeared they did just that as the band experienced a mass exodus of members, with Matt Hollywood, Dean Taylor, and Joel Gion all leaving the project. Newcombe: "Whatever man, the show must go on."
But as a maturing artist, Newcombe began to seek out other types of support from a label. One that would give him the respect and marketing push he deserved, complete artistic freedom, and time to dispel the reputation of his turbulent past. Enter Tee Pee Records, a label that was also attempting a change in focus and direction, seeking out artists that could expand its horizons. A symbiotic partnership was forged. The result was “…and this is our music “, a dynamic offering featuring contributions from Ed Harcourt and Kurt Heasley from the Lilys along with orchestration from some of Los Angeles’ finest. The album was soon to become BJM’s most respected work in a year where Anton Newcombe was sought out by every possible media vehicle and rushed to fame. After 1 Sundance winning documentary, 13 years and 14 albums Tee Pee Records has felt obliged to pay tribute to an amazing era with the retrospective Tepid Peppermint Wonderland, the soundtrack for losing your mind and finding it again. This double cd album streeting on November 16th is simply the perfect starting point for new fans. It canvases the band’s 13 year career by including their best 36 songs (5 of which are previously unreleased recordings and another 3 previously unreleased live tracks), a 24 page booklet containing unpublished photos, liner notes and a track by track commentary from previous and current members. Undeniably the perfect collection for longtime fans.

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Brian Jonestown Massacre - Tepid Peppermint Wonderland: Retrospective