The Von Bondies


The Von Bondies were an American alternative rock band active from 1997 to 2011.
The original line-up formed at the 1997 Cramps/Guitar Wolf show by Jason Stollsteimer and Marcie Bolen. They went through a variety of member changes and band names, including The Baby Killers, before settling on The Von Bondies in 2000. Don Blum joined the band around 1999 after attending numerous Baby Killers shows, while Leann Banks was picked via an audition. The Von Bondies got their break by playing a New Year's Eve show in Detroit, Michigan, in 2000. In attendance at the show was Long Gone John, owner of the Sympathy for the Record Industry label. This led to Sympathy releasing the band's debut album Lack of Communication in 2001.
In 2003, the band released the live Raw and Rare through Dim Mak Records, which was followed by their 2004 breakthrough release, Pawn Shoppe Heart, on Sire Records. Pawn Shoppe was produced by Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads and co-produced by Stollsteimer.
The album reached a peak of No. 36 in the UK Albums Chart, and No. 8 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart and stayed in that chart for eight weeks. The hit single from this release was "C'mon C'mon", which reached No. 25 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart and garnered national radio play.
A shortened version of "C'mon C'mon" was the theme song to the TV series Rescue Me and was performed live by the band in Michael Winterbottom's film 9 Songs. MLB Network also used a brief clip of the song as the opening of their show 30 Clubs in 30 Days from 2009 to 2012.
In 2008, the band signed with indie label Majordomo Records, joining label mates The Airborne Toxic Event and Earlimart. Their label debut, Love, Hate and Then There's You, was released in February 2009 featuring the single "Pale Bride".
Known as a touring act, The Von Bondies have headlined tours of the United Kingdom/Europe, Australia, and the United States, taking along supporting bands like The Kills, Kasabian, Franz Ferdinand, Modey Lemon, SSM, The Subways, The Stills, Hot Panda and The Donnas. They have also appeared on Late Show with David Letterman, Last Call with Carson Daly and CD:UK.
The group disbanded in July 2011. Its lineup at the time was Jason Stollsteimer on vocals and lead guitar, Christy Hunt on rhythm guitar and Leann Banks on bass guitar.

Biography

Early days

In 2000, Stollsteimer and Marcie Bolen attended a concert by Japanese garage punk band Guitar Wolf. At the time, Stollsteimer was working a job as a bowling alley bartender and Marcie as a hairdresser. The performance spurred Stollsteimer to create his own band, The Baby Killers, which toured with fellow Detroit bands The Detroit Cobras, The Go and The White Stripes. After recruiting Lauren Wilcox on bass and Don Blum on drums the band changed their name to the Von Bondies.
While playing a handful of shows in the Detroit area, the quartet recorded singles "It Came from Japan", an ode to Guitar Wolf, and "Nite Train".

''Lack of Communication'' (2001–2002)

produced the Von Bondies' debut album, Lack of Communication, in late 2001. It was recorded in three days. It was released in 2001 by Sympathy for the Record Industry, and in the UK by Sweet Nothing Records. The hidden bonus track was a cover of Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home to Me", with Bolen on lead vocals. The band said this is the least expensive album they made.

''Pawn Shoppe Heart'' (2003–2005)

The group relocated to a San Francisco recording studio in early 2002 with producer Jerry Harrison to begin work on Pawn Shoppe Heart.

Broken ties

On the evening of December 13, 2003, an altercation occurred between Stollsteimer and the White Stripes frontman Jack White during the record release party for the band Blanche at The Magic Stick. Stollsteimer was treated for injuries at Detroit Receiving Hospital. Detroit police arrested White and the Wayne County prosecutor's office charged him with aggravated assault. White pleaded guilty to assault and a judge sentenced him to anger management classes.

''Love, Hate and Then There's You'' (2009–2011)

The Von Bondies' third album is Love, Hate and Then There's You. It was released on February 3, 2009. They released a limited-edition 7-inch single of "Pale Bride" from the album, backed with the non-album song "Falling in Love".
The Von Bondies celebrated their ninth year together with this release. This was the first time that a Von Bondies release saw Don Blum co-write with Stollsteimer. Love, Hate was produced by Jason Stollsteimer, with three songs by Butch Walker and three songs by Rick Parker. All songs were written by Jason Stollsteimer, except "Blame Game" and "Earthquake", which were co-written by Stollsteimer and Blum.

Members


ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:30
PlotArea = left:100 bottom:60 top:0 right:30
Alignbars = justify
DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy
Period = from:12/31/1996 till:01/01/2012
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom
ScaleMajor = increment:1 start:1997
ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1997
Colors =
id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals
id:guitar value:green legend:Guitar
id:bass value:blue legend:Bass
id:keyboard value:purple legend:Keyboards
id:drums value:orange legend:Drums,_percussion
id:lines value:black legend:Studio_albums
LineData =
at:03/01/2001 color:black layer:back
at:03/09/2004 color:black layer:back
at:02/03/2009 color:black layer:back
BarData =
bar:Stollsteimer text:"Jason Stollsteimer"
bar:Bolen text:"Marcie Bolen"
bar:Lannoo text:"Matt Lannoo"
bar:Hunt text:"Christy Hunt"
bar:Wilcox text:"Lauren Wilcox"
bar:AnnSmith text:"Carrie Ann Smith"
bar:Smith text:"Yasmine Smith"
bar:Banks text:"Leann Banks"
bar:Gibur text:"Alicia Gibur"
bar:Blum text:"Don Blum"
PlotData=
width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:
bar:Stollsteimer from:01/01/1997 till:07/01/2011 color:vocals width:3
bar:Stollsteimer from:01/01/1997 till:07/01/2011 color:guitar
bar:Blum from:01/01/1999 till:07/01/2011 color:drums
bar:Bolen from:01/01/1997 till:11/01/2007 color:guitar
bar:AnnSmith from:01/31/2001 till:12/31/2003 color:bass
bar:AnnSmith from:01/31/2001 till:12/31/2003 color:vocals width:3
bar:Banks from:01/01/2006 till:07/01/2011 color:bass
bar:Banks from:01/01/2006 till:07/01/2011 color:vocals width:3
bar:Hunt from:03/01/2008 till:07/01/2011 color:guitar
bar:Hunt from:03/01/2008 till:07/01/2011 color:vocals width:3
bar:Wilcox from:01/01/2000 till:01/31/2001 color:bass
bar:Gibur from:11/01/2007 till:03/01/2008 color:keyboard
bar:Gibur from:11/01/2007 till:03/01/2008 color:vocals width:3
bar:Lannoo from:11/01/2007 till:03/01/2008 color:guitar
bar:Smith from:01/01/2004 till:12/31/2005 color:bass
bar:Smith from:01/01/2004 till:12/31/2005 color:vocals width:3

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

Music videos

DVDs featuring the Von Bondies