Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1980s in Dallas, Texas, United States |
| Headquarters | Dallas , United States |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Edie Brickell & New Bohemians is a Dallas-based American alternative rock jam band that emerged in the mid-1980s. They gained widespread recognition with their 1988 single "What I Am", featured on the album Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars. Their musical style is a fusion of rock, folk, blues, and jazz. Following their 1990 release Ghost of a Dog, lead vocalist Edie Brickell departed to wed singer-songwriter Paul Simon. The band, along with Brickell, reunited in 2006 to produce a new album, Stranger Things.
Formation and early development
The New Bohemians originated as a trio in the early 1980s within Dallas's Deep Ellum district. The founding members were Brad Houser on vibraslap, Eric Presswood handling guitar duties, and Brandon Aly on drums.
Drummer Aly, guitarist Kenny Withrow, and percussionist John Bush all attended Dallas's Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, an arts-focused magnet school. Although singer Edie Brickell was also a student there, she was initially not connected with the group. Houser, who came from nearby Hillcrest High School, had previously played in local bands alongside Withrow before joining the New Bohemians.
The band's definitive lineup took shape in 1985 when Edie was invited to perform vocals onstage. Shortly thereafter, they secured a six-month management contract through a local agent, which helped them obtain more prominent gigs at Rick's Casablanca and establish regular shows in Deep Ellum. Eric Presswood left the group; Withrow joined as guitarist in July 1985; by September, John Bush had added percussion to the ensemble, making his debut while supporting Bo Diddley.
Locally referred to as "New Bos," they became fixtures at Deep Ellum venues such as Theater Gallery, 500 Cafe, and Club Dada, also appearing annually at the Fry Street Fair hosted by the University of North Texas. During this era, Edie's name was not heavily emphasized.
Album releases and initial success
Their first album, Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars, launched in 1988, achieved commercial acclaim and included the US top 10 track "What I Am". The follow-up record, Ghost of a Dog (1990), did not replicate this success and contributed to the band's dissolution shortly afterward. In the mid-1990s, Brickell, Bush, and Withrow collaborated on a side project called The Slip.
Over time, New Bohemians issued several compilation and live recordings. In 2006, original members reunited for recording sessions and touring activities, culminating in the release of Stranger Things. The band experienced a loss with the passing of member Carter Albrecht in 2007. Later albums include Rocket (2018) and Hunter and the Dog Star (2021).
Performances and tours
In October 2014, the group appeared at the North Oak Cliff Music Festival featuring keyboardist Matt Hubbard. They came together once more in April 2017 for a series of three shows at Oak Cliff’s Kessler Theater.
Current lineup
- Brandon Aly – drums
- Edie Brickell – vocals, guitar
- John Walter Bush – percussion
- Kenneth Neil Withrow – guitar
Former members
- Carter Albrecht – keyboards, electric guitar, harmonica, vocals (deceased 2007)
- Wes Burt-Martin – guitar
- Matt Chamberlain – drums
- John Bradley Houser – bass guitar, woodwinds (deceased 2023)
- Eric Presswood – guitar
- Chris Wheatley – keyboards
- Chris Whitten – drums
- Paul "Wix" Wickens – keyboards
Studio albums
| Album Title | Release Information | Highest Chart Rankings | Sales Certifications | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | AUS | AUT | CAN | GER | IT | NL | NZ | UK | |||
| Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars |
|
4 | 31 | 12 | 3 | 29 | 5 | 33 | 10 | 25 |
|
| Ghost of a Dog |
|
32 | 148 | — | 43 | — | — | — | — | 63 | |
| Stranger Things |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Rocket |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Hunter and the Dog Star |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Live albums
| Album Title | Release Details |
|---|---|
| The Live Montauk Sessions |
|
Compilation albums
| Compilation Title | Release Details |
|---|---|
| Ultimate Collection |
|
Singles
| Single Title | Release Year | Peak Chart Positions | Associated Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 |
US Alt Alternative Airplay |
US Main Mainstream Rock (chart) |
AUS Kent Music Report |
CAN RPM (magazine) |
IRE Irish Singles Chart |
IT Musica e dischi |
NL Dutch Single Top 100 |
NZ Official New Zealand Music Chart |
UK UK Singles Chart | |||
| What I Am | 1988 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 18 | 1 | 23 | 14 | — | 11 | 31 | '\'Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars\ |
| "Little Miss S." [airplay] | "1989" | "—" | "14" | "38" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | '\'Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars\ |
| "Circle" | "1989" | "48" | "—" | "32" | "80" | "35" | "—" | "—" | "39" | "—" | "74" | '\'Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars\ |
| "Love Like We Do" | "1989" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | '\'Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars\ |
| 'A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall' | "1990" | "—" | "21" | "28" | "85" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "83" | 'Born on the Fourth of July soundtrack' |
| 'Mama Help Me' | "1990" | "—" | "17" | "26" | "165" | "89" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | 'Ghost of a Dog' |
| 'Black & Blue' | '1991' | '—' | '—' | '—' | '—' | '—' | '—' | '—' | '—' | '—' | '—' | ' ' |
| 'One Last Time' | '2006' | ' ' | ' ' | ' ' | ' ' | ' ' | ' ' | ' ' | ' ' | ' ' | ' ' | 'Stranger Things' |
| 'What Makes You Happy' | '2018' | ' ' | ' ' | ' ' | ' ' | ' ' | ' ' | ' ' | ' ' | ' ' | ' ' | 'Rocket' |
| 'Tell Me' | '2018' | ' ' | ' ' | ' ' | ' ' | ' ' | ' ' | ' ' | ' ' | ' ' | ' ' | 'Rocket' |
| scope=“row”'Exaggerate'
'2019' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' 'Rocket' | ||||||||||||
| scope=“row”'My Power'
'2020' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' 'Hunter and the Dog Star' | ||||||||||||
Awards and nominations
| Year | Awarding Body | Entry | Category | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Billboard Music Awards | "What I Am" | Top Modern Rock Track | |
| 1989 | International Rock Awards | The Band | Newcomer of the Year | |
| Pollstar Concert Industry Awards | Tour | Small Venue Tour of the Year | ||
| Best First Tour | ||||
| MTV Video Music Awards | "What I Am" | Best New Artist | ||
| 1990 | ASCAP Pop Music Awards | "What I Am" | Most Frequently Played Song | |
| MTV Video Music Awards | "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" | Best Video from a Film | ||
| 1991 | MTV Video Music Awards | "Mama Help Me" | Best Art Direction |
External links
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