The Monkeywrench

The Monkeywrench came together in 1991 after Mark Arm and Steve Turner of the classic Seattle band Mudhoney met Tim Kerr, the former guitarist with punk bands the Big Boys and Poison 13 .

After Turner and Arm explained what big fans they were of his days with Poison 13, Kerr suggested that they get together to record. Kerr would handle guitar duties; Arm would play piano, harmonica and sing; and Turner would pick up the bass. The lineup was completed with the addition of second guitarist Tom Price of U-Men and Gas Huffer fame, as well as Australian drummer Martin Bland, known for his work with groups like Lubricated Goat, the Primevils, and Bloodloss. The latter of these bands also included Arm on vocals and guitar.

When Sub Pop Records was informed of the new supergroup in 1991, they signed the band immediately. Later in the year, the group spent time at Egg Studios in Seattle with producer Conrad Uno recording their first LP, Clean as a Broke-Dick Dog. The album was released in 1992, along with a 7" that included two tracks from the LP -- "Bottle Up & Go" and "Cold Cold World" -- as well as a cover of Blue Cheer's "Out of Focus."

The group took some time off in the mid-'90s, due to the fact that Arm and Turner were still involved with their full-time band, Mudhoney. However, they still managed to release a split 7" of the Germs' song "Shut Down" on Gasatanka Records in late 1995. The song also appeared on the following tribute album to the Germs, titled "A Small Circle of Friends," on Grass Records.

Kerr had also been getting more involved with Dave Crider at Estrus Records in the latter part of the '90s, helping to produce many of the label's bands, as well as joining their roster in groups like Lord High Fixers and Jack O'Fire. In turn, this led to the Monkeywrench signing to Estrus in 1999. The band entered Private Radio Studios in November of 1999 along with producer Jack Endino to record their second full-length LP, Electric Children. The album was released on April 4, 2000.

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