User:Kingsnake123

History

Formed in 1977 in Austin, Texas The Skunks were an influential power-punk band that played seminal and legendary live clubs in Austin Texas like the Armadillo World Headquarters, the Continental Club, Dukes Royal Coach, Club Foot, Liberty Lunch, and Raul's among many others in the late 1970s and early 80s. The Skunks and the other early bands were responsible for spreading punk and new wave into a local club circuit hesitant to displace or expose its regular patrons of country and western, blues, rock and cover bands with the radical scene associated with punk rock. Fusing the underground glam rock sound of bands like Television and the Velvet Underground with a hard driving bassline and metalesque guitar riffs, The Skunks sound is best represented by songs like "Cheap Girl" and "Push Me Around", both of which appeared on the first Austin punk compilation album Live at Raul's.

The Skunks debuted at Raul's club in February 1977. The original band members were Jesse Sublett on vocals and bass, "Fass" Eddie Munoz on guitar and Billy Blackmon on drums. After recording, the "Black LP", "Fass" Eddie Munoz left for Los Angeles at the end of 1978 and was a founding member of The Plimsouls. Jon Dee Graham replaced him on guitar in January of 1979, thus forming the definitive Skunks lineup. Their first single release, "Earthquake Shake" was recorded for $10, and copies are known to fetch hundreds of dollars when they appear at auction. The Skunks were inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame in 2008.

Co-Headlining their opening gig at Raul's with a band called The Violators that featured Jesse Sublett and Kathy Valentine, The Skunks and The Violators are recognized by many as Austin's first two punk bands and this gig as the first Austin punk show. The core that formed around Raul's would provide the alternative voice in an evolving Austin music scene that would become known as "The Live Music Capital Of The World", spawning the SXSW and ACL festivals. Some of the other Austin connected punk bands sprouting from this scene included The Explosives, The Dicks, The Huns, The Big Boys, Terminal Mind, Sharon Tate's Baby, and The Butthole Surfers.

One of the first Austin punk bands to tour nationally, The Skunks played CBGB's in August of 1979, and Max's Kansas City in 1980, and opened for such national and international acts as The Ramones , The Police, Gang Of Four, Ultravox, The Clash, John Cale, The Cramps and many others. During their sets they were often joined onstage by touring artists such as Elvis Costello, Patti Smith, Joe Ely, as well as members of The Clash, Cheap Trick and Blondie.

Founders Jesse Sublett and "Fass" Eddie Munoz initially played together in the glam blues band Jelly Roll from 1975 to 1977 before recruiting Billy Blackmon and forming the initial lineup of The Skunks. After Munoz departure in late 1978 he was replaced on guitar by Jon Dee Grahm who remained with the band until the summer of 1980 when he left and was replaced by Doug Murray, formerly of Terminal Mind. Blackmon left the band in 1982 and was replaced on drums by Doug Murray's brother, Greg Murray, a lineup that lasted only until 1983 when Jesse fired them and disolved the band during pre-production of the bands second LP on Republic. The Murrays had only received a lukewarm reception from The Skunks core audience.

Jesse reunited what is considered the "classic" lineup of Sublett, Graham, and Blackmon one last time in the 80's in 1985 for a reunion show at Austin's Liberty Lunch. Starting in 2000 this lineup began playing annual reunion gigs at The Continental Club in Austin, Texas.

Studio Albums

   * The Skunks aka the Black Album (Rude Records, 1981)
   * The Skunks aka the Purple Album (Republic, 1982)

Live albums

   * Earthquake Shake Live CD  (Skunks Records, 2001)
   * Earthquake Shake Vinyl LP  (Skunks Records, 2002)

Compilation albums

   * Live At Raul's (Raul's Records, 1979)

Extended plays

   * Cheap Girl (Skunks Records, 1980)

Singles

   * Earthquake Shake b/w Can't Get Loose  (Skunks Records, 1979)
   * The Racket b/w What Do You Want  (Skunks Records, 1981)