Biography
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Founded In
Kent, England, United Kingdom
Coax started in 2000 and has later developed into several genres with some releases on netlabels.
There is also a german oldschool Hardcore Band with the name Coax.
Another band named Coax :
OK, so it's one seriously crappy band name. But these guys are used to that: For 10 years, Coax were known as The Dentists. Regardless, the quartet from Medway, England, had one of the most rabid cult followings in pop, despite never coming close to breaking through in any kind of mainstream way. The Dentists' brand of intelligent, jangly guitar pop has not been fashionable to either the masses or the hipper-than-thou for ages. So they fell between two stools, leaving such classic singles as "Strawberries Are Growing In My Garden (And It's Wintertime)" and "Outside Your Inside" unheard by anyone except the cognoscenti, including psych-pop siren Lida Husik, who did an admirable cover of "Strawberries" a few years back.
So anyway, they got signed to East/West, their two albums for the label (the magnificent Behind the Door I Keep the Universe and the misguidedly noisy bid for commercial-alternative acceptance Deep Six) didn't sell; they got dropped; lead guitarist Bob Collins split, and here's the new and not-improved-but-just-as-great debut by their new incarnation.
Guitarist Mick Murphy's distinctive West Country-accented vocals and idiosyncratic lyrics (song titles include "Harrison Fjord," "Meatball Heroes" and "Trophy Wife") remain the band's most dinstinctive features. Collins' replacement, Chris Flack, has a bit more bite in his playing than his predecessor. (That four tracks were remixed by New York guitar-noise-king Wharton Tiers probably helps.) Overall, the band holds a somewhat wider sonic palette than before–the sweetly poppy "Rebecca in the Presence of the Enemy" sounds just like classic Dentists, but the slamming "Orchestra" and the Bowie-quoting "Ring Master Goes Down" tentatively explore new avenues.
A lot has changed musically in the 13 years since the Dentists' debut, Some People Are On the Pitch, but despite the new name, the lads sound pretty much exactly the same. Bless 'em for it. The world needs more bands like this. !!!!
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