Medicine (band)

Medicine are an American noise pop band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1990 by guitarist/keyboardist Brad Laner.[1]

Medicine
OriginLos Angeles, California, United States
Genresshoegaze, noise pop
Years active1990 (1990)-1995 (1995)
2002 (2002)-2004 (2004)
2011 (2011)-present (present)
LabelsCreation, American, Wall of Sound, Captured Tracks, Drawing Room Records
Associated actsSavage Republic, Fourwaycross, Lusk
MembersBrad Laner
Annette Zilinskas
Matt Devine
Past membersJim Putnam
Eddie Ruscha
Beth Thompson
Jim Goodall
Stefanie Fife
He Goak
Miriam Maye
Justin Meldal-Johnsen
Bernard Yin
Dean Opseth
Shannon Lee
Dale Jennings

They are perhaps best known for their cameo appearance in the 1994 film The Crow, in which they performed "Time Baby II", although the soundtrack album included a different version titled "Time Baby III" (featuring guest vocals from the Cocteau Twins' Elizabeth Fraser).

History

Medicine was formed by ex-Savage Republic drummer Brad Laner,[2] based on some 4-track recordings Laner was working on in 1990. After playing the tapes for music industry representatives, he was told that if he formed a band that sounded like the tapes, he could get a record deal. Laner then assembled a band of musicians from the Los Angeles music scene. Medicine's early lineup included Laner, drummer Jim Goodall (Severed Head in a Bag, Jon Wayne, Lopez Beatles), guitarist Jim Putnam, bassist Eddie Ruscha and singer Annette Zilinskas (an original member of the Bangles). Zilinskas left before any official releases and was replaced by former Fourwaycross singer Beth Thompson. On the basis of the original demo, the band were signed to Creation Records, becoming the first American band to do so. In America, Medicine signed to Rick Rubin's American Recordings label in 1992. With a signature guitar tone, created by running Laner's guitar through a Yamaha 4-track recorder, Medicine's music managed to distinguish itself from some of the more ambiguous endeavors of the shoegaze movement.

Their first album, Shot Forth Self Living, was released in 1992. It received airplay on college radio and coverage in alternative newspapers, with even a few of their videos played on MTV.

Their second album, The Buried Life, was released the following year, and gained Medicine more mainstream attention, including coverage in magazines like Creem.

For their third album, Her Highness (1995), Matt Devine and Justin Meldal-Johnsen replaced Putnam and Ruscha, respectively. The band broke up soon after, and Laner formed supergroup Lusk.

Medicine reformed briefly in 2003, solely as a duo including Laner and Shannon Lee, the daughter of actor Bruce Lee. They released one album, The Mechanical Forces of Love.

The band's core lineup of Laner, Thompson and Goodall later reformed again and signed with the Captured Tracks label. Medicine released a new studio album, To the Happy Few, in July 2013, preceded by the single "Long as the Sun". On October 27, 2014, they released their sixth studio album, Home Everywhere.

2019 album Scarred for Life[3] featured Laner,Zilinskas,and Devine.[4]

Legacy

Pitchfork has hailed Medicine as the closest thing to being an American answer to My Bloody Valentine.[5]

In 2012, Captured Tracks reissued Medicine's first two albums, 1992's Shot Forth Self Living and 1993's The Buried Life, with bonus material and rarities, as part of their Shoegaze Archive series.

Discography

Studio albums

Singles and EPs
  • "Aruca" (1992, Creation)
  • "5ive" (1993, Creation)
  • "Never Click" (1993, Beggars Banquet)
  • Sounds of Medicine EP (1994, American)
  • "Time Baby 3" (1994, American)
  • "Candy Candy" (1995, American)
  • "Off the Vine" double 7" (1995, Ectoplasm)
  • Wet on Wet EP (2002, Wall of Sound)
  • "I Smile to My Eyes" (2003, Wall of Sound)
  • "As You Do" (2004, Wall of Sound)
  • "Time Baby 2" (2011, Captured Tracks)
  • "Long as the Sun" (2013, Captured Tracks)

Live albums
  • Always Starting to Stop (2012, Captured Tracks)
  • In Session (2013, Captured Tracks)

Compilation albums
  • Remains 1992-1995 (2011, self-released)
  • Box Set (2012, Captured Tracks)

Compilation appearances

References
  1. "MEDICINE | Captured Tracks". Captured Tracks. Archived from the original on 2013-07-13. Retrieved 2013-08-06.
  2. "Brad Laner". home-tapes.com. Archived from the original on 2009-08-18.
  3. "Medicine - Scarred for Life (Drawing Room Records)". The Big Takeover.
  4. "Episode #54: Our conversation with members of MEDICINE (Brad Laner, Annette Zilinskas & Matt Devine) about their new album, SCARRED FOR LIFE". Paisleystageraspberryandrhyme.podbean.com.
  5. Pitchfork, Joe Tangari (2010, 16 August). "Brad Laner: Natural Selections album review". Retrieved 09 September 2012.
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