Nihilist Spasm Band
3057978
225471746
2008-07-13T21:37:39Z
20centsmusic
7362648
/* Members */
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| Name = Nihilist Spasm Band
| Img = Nihilistspasmband.jpg
| Img_capt = Nihilist Spasm Band with some of their instruments
| Img_size = <!-- Only for images narrower than 220 pixels. Set the value as a number without "px". -->
| Landscape =
| Background = group_or_band
| Alias = NSB
| Origin = [[London, Ontario|London]], [[Ontario]], [[Canada]]
| Genre = [[Noise music|Noise]]
| Years_active = 1965–present
| Label = [[Alchemy Records (Japan)|Alchemy]]
| Associated_acts = [[Joe McPhee]]
| URL = [http://www3.sympatico.ca/pratten/NSB/ sympatico.ca/pratten/NSB]
| Current_members = John Clement<br />John Boyle<br />Bill Exley<br />[[Murray Favro]]<br />Art Pratten<br />
| Past_members = Archie Leitch<br />[[Greg Curnoe]]<br />Hugh McIntyre
}}
The '''Nihilist Spasm Band''' (NSB) is a [[London, Ontario]]-based [[noise music|noise band]]. The band was formed in [[1965]] by Hugh McIntyre, John Clement, John Boyle, Bill Exley, [[Murray Favro]], Archie Leitch, Art Pratten, and [[Greg Curnoe]]. Leitch has since retired, Curnoe was killed in a bicycle accident in 1992, and McIntyre died of heart failure in 2004. The band members are mostly local artists; none is a trained musician.
The term spasm band refers to a band that uses homemade instruments.{{Fact|date=November 2007}} Indeed, most of the NSB's instruments are modifications of other instruments, or wholly invented by the members. In addition to the homemade instruments, members are encouraged to improvise. The range of the improvisation is such that instruments are not tuned to each other, tempos and time signatures are lacking, and the members push the ranges of their already homemade instruments by engaging in constant innovation.
==Discography==
* ''The Sweetest Country This Side of Heaven'' (vinyl single, 1967; reissued on CD, 1996), Arts Canada
* ''No Record'' (vinyl LP, 1968; reissued on CD, 1996; reissued on vinyl, 2000), Allied Record Corporation
* ''Vol. 2'' (vinyl LP, 1979; reissued on CD, 1996), Music Gallery Editions
* ''1984'' (audiocassette, 1984; reissued on CD, 1999), Chimik Communications
* ''7x~x=x'' (vinyl lp, 1985; reissued on CD, 1996), United Dairies Records
* ''What About Me'' (CD, 1992), Alchemy Records
* ''Live in Japan'' (CD, 1997), Alchemy Records
* ''Every Monday Night'' (CD, 1999), Alchemy Records
* ''No Borders'' with Joe McPhee (2xCD, 2001), Non Musica Rex
* ''NSB Live at Western Front'' (CD, 2006), NSB
* ''No Nihilist Spasm Band in Mulhouse'' (vinyl LP, 2007), Les Mondes Mental
* ''theBESTweCANdo'' (best-of compilation (CD, 2008), NSB
===Appears on===
* ''No Music Box'' — No Music Festival 1998 (6-CD box set, 1998), Entartete Kunst Recordings
* ''no99'' — No Music Festival 1999 (5-CD box set, 1999), Entartete Kunst Recordings
* ''No Nothing'' — No Music Festival (6-CD box set, 2000), Non Musica Rex
==Members==
*John Clement – [[guitar]], [[bass guitar]], [[drum kit|drums]]
*John Boyle – [[kazoo]], [[thumb piano]], drums
*Bill Exley – [[singer|vocals]], cooking pot
*[[Murray Favro]] – guitar
*Art Pratten – "pratt-a-various," water-pipe
===Guest Performers===
*Aya Onishi – drums, kazoo, "constant guest performer" since 1999
*Tim Glasgow – guitar, drums
*Mark Favro - Casio keyboard
*Galen Curnoe - guitar
===Previous members===
*Hugh McIntyre – bass guitar (1965–2004)
*Archie Leitch – slide clarinet (1965–?)
*[[Greg Curnoe]] – drums, 1965–92
==External links==
* [http://20centsmusic.com 20centsMUSIC — Record label of the Nihilist Spasm Band]
* [http://www3.sympatico.ca/pratten/NSB/ Official Nihilist Spasm Band website]
* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:k9ftxqtkldje Nihilist Spasm Band allmusic entry]
[[Category:Art rock musical groups]]
[[Category:Canadian experimental musical groups]]
[[Category:London, Ontario musical groups]]
[[Category:People from London, Ontario]]
[[Category:Noise musical groups]]
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