The Nightcaps (Seattle band)


Nightcaps are an American lounge band from Seattle, Washington. The band was most active from 1995 through 2000, but they continue to play occasionally in the Pacific Northwest.
Nightcaps were an integral part of the mid 1990s Lounge music resurgence that included bands such as Combustible Edison, Squirrel Nut Zippers and Love Jones. The Nightcaps were known as one of the few renascent lounge bands to avoid irony and kitsch.
In addition to the torch, jazz and lounge influences that typically characterized the genre’s revival, Nightcaps also incorporated Wrecking Crew pop, Memphis Soul, and garage rock into their sound.
Seattle's Nightcaps released several singles, four full-length albums and toured extensively throughout Western United States.

History

Nightcaps were originally conceived and formed in 1994 by drummer Dan Cunneen, vocalist Theresa Hannam, guitarist Garth Brandenburg and bassist William "Bill" Herzog. In 1995 Robert Fucci replaced Herzog on double bass and the band added John Broeckel on percussion.
The first Nightcaps single, Gambler's Game/For Me, was released in 1995 on the Nightcaps' label, Rendezvous Recordings..
The Nightcaps' label Rendezvous Recordings entered into a manufacturing and distribution agreement with Sub Pop for their first album, Split, which was released in 1997. Split contained 12 original songs written by the songwriting team of Cunneen, Hannam and Brandenburg.
In 2000, the Nightcaps released their second CD, Get On, on Rendezvous Recordings. With darker lyrical themes than Split, the addition of keyboardist/guitarist Tor Midtskog and the return of Bill Herzog, the Nightcaps' music evolved from jazzy pop and swing to harder edged 1960s soul-rock.
In 2002, the B-side of their Sub-Pop single, a re-working of the Buzzcocks tune "Love You More” appeared on a compilation by Japanese DJ Masanori Ikeda called Spinout 3, released in Japan by V2 Records.
In 2003, a "Best of" retrospective titled I Don't Like You, was released in Japan on the User Records label.
In September, 2011, the Nightcaps albums Split and Get On were released online for the first time and a new Nightcaps album, In the Live Room was released by Rendezvous Recordings.

Discography