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The
Fun Lovin' Criminals hit the airwaves
with a blend of rock, hip hop and blues rhythms straight out of New York
City. The group was formed in 1993 when the boys met at Peter Gatien's
famous Lime Light Club. Bassist Fast and drummer Steve-O
formed a techno group and were well endowed with knowledge of the production
and electronic side of music. Meanwhile, Huey was playing
guitar with local bands Ten Ton Gusto and Kingstone around the LES live
circuit.Later Huey began writing with Fast and recruited Steve to drum
and assist with the programming, and the Fun Lovin' Criminals were formed.
The three became roommates and ended up jamming together in their apartment
and writing songs marrying the technology of the nineties with the rudimental
inflections found in early blues, jazz and rock & roll. Lyrically
they cover such issues as organized crime, drugs, violence, poverty and
politics with their songs often gritty and existentialist in nature but
are just as often humorous.
The
band's first release was an EP, called Original Soundtrack For
Hi-Fi Living, which was released in 1995 on the tiny Silver Spotlight
label. However, the Criminals were set for bigger and better things, and
they were eagerly snapped up by EMI, who were impressed by the band's
residency at the Limelight. The debut album, Come Find Yourself,
recorded at the Magic Shop was released in 1996 and the group gained quick
recognition and radio play with their UK Number 1 single "Scooby
Snacks". Laden with extracts from Tarentino's Pulp Fiction and
Reservoir Dogs, the song paved the way for the triumph of the debut album
and world tour.
18 months later, FLC returned with their second album 100% Colombian
on EMI, releasing the singles "Love Unlimited" and "Korean
Bodega" which were red-hot hits across Europe. 1999 saw the departure
of Steve-O, leaving the band in February and was replaced by ex-Bad Brains/Cro-Mags
Mackie Jayson. The B-side/Covers collection Mimosa
was released followed two years later by the new studio album
Loco and Love Ya Back DVD containing the self
produced cop story Maui Homicide 2000. FLC parted ways with EMI and soon
after, Mackie left the band to work on other projects. The Criminals landed
on Sanctuary for Welcome to Poppy's, which appeared in
September 2003, Mackie's drum technician Frank (The Rhythm
Man), stepped in for live tour shows and was soon joined the band full
time,
In
2005 their 5th album was released paying homage to New York exploring
experiences and cultures the city has to offer. Partly recorded in London,
NYC and on board "HMS DiFontaine" a specially kitted-out 40ft yacht anchored
in New York's Hudson River,
the album Livin'in the City is an ode to the city in
which they live and love.
2008
sparked a return to form for the Fun Lovin' Criminals doing many live
shows including Glastonbury festival, Bulldog Bash, Harley Davidson Rally
and the Worlds first silent live disco at London's KOKO club. Huey began
a new radio show on BBC 6music every Sunday afternoon
playing all his favorite tunes from back in the day, playing you new music
and regular guest. The show is very relaxed, fun and educational which
is why Huey picked up a Bronze for best music programme at the Sony Radio
Awards.
The trio, now all relocated to the UK, have left the cartoon New York
netherworld behind for a colossal outdoors party, creating a self-produced
summertime classic recorded in their London studio and featuring life-long
fourth memberthe Grammy-award winning hip-hop engineer
Tim Latham
(A Tribe Called Quest, De le Soul, KRS-One). The songs tell stories, notes
Huey, about the human condition from the bonkers psychedelic party-rock
of (like OutKast never went away), to the sumptuous, summertime, trumpeting
soul of Classic Fantastic. Summer shimmers on via the irresistible, piano-led,
De la Soul-goes-Latino-carnival of She Sings At The Sun theres the comedy
skit Conversations With Our Attorney featuring Mike Strutter, Paul Kayes
outrageous MTV character. More bedlam-rock meltdown follows with The Originals
before Keep On Yellin, featuring Roots Manuva.
DiFontaine.net
started in 1999 is the original Fun
Lovin' Criminals Fan network for up to date news and information, Tour
dates, Photos, Album lyrics, and downloadable content.
The site became under new management last year in May 2008 -
Join
www.DiFontaine.net
today!
