Too Much Joy

TMJ formed in the early 1980s when its members were still in high school. The initial plan was to play cover versions of Clash songs at high school dances, but no one else in the band's hometown had apparently heard of the Clash, so they started writing their own material. They self-released their debut LP, Green Eggs and Crack, in 1987, then bounced around a bunch of indie and major labels in the '90s. Some people enjoyed their humorous lyrics. Others detected fragile hearts beating beneath the layers of irony. Still others simply admired the band's ability to somehow connect with an audience while flailing about in a genuinely spastic and inebriated manner on stage.



After a long lay-off, the band regrouped for a performance on May 4, 2007 at New York City's Knitting Factory to celebrate drummer Tommy Vinton's retirement from the NYPD. Tim and Jay have a group called Wonderlick; Sandy and Tommy are part of a power trio with Steve Hamilton called Surface Wound (http://www.myspace.com/surfacewound). William Wittman continues to produce records and tour with Cyndi Lauper. The future is truly unwritten.



Surface Wound Live in NYC "Why We Try"



Surface Wound Live in NYC "Nobody's Diary"