We here at Performer have noticed the recent trend of rabbit-themed band names multiplying like…well, bunnies, I suppose. So, in an effort to get you up to speed on all our furry friends, we present a comprehensive field guide for navigating the new wave of bunny bands. Why do I suddenly have the urge to watch Night of the Lepus?
Dead Rabbits – Our favorite of the bunch, these Georgia garage monsters put out the magnanimous The Rabbit That Roared this past summer, and we ran a spotlight on them in our November issue. This rockin’ duo sounds ferocious, and for that we give them four paws up.
Bunnygrunt – All Music Guide once called this St. Louis group “The World’s Cutest Band.” Appealing to twee-lovers around the globe, the group has been releasing records for over 15 years, their latest coming out in 2009.
Tunabunny – Hailing from Athens, GA, Tunabunny combines the rabbit theme with tuna fish…for some reason. The band performed during Athens Popfest this summer, and describes themselves in the following cryptic terms: “Tunabunny is facing your fears. Tunabunny is vanquishing your inner demons. Outer Space is the Center of the Earth.”
White Rabbits – The Brooklyn-by-way-of-Missouri band has been touring relentlessly over the past few years, earning main stage slots at major festivals like Coachella and Austin City Limits. Their 2008 performance at SXSW was so compelling that NME named them one of the top three acts of the festival.
Frightened Rabbit – Scotland must be a scarier place than the States, or at least terrifying enough to frighten these poor rabbits. This Glasgow act has three studio albums under their belt and made their US television debut this past summer on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. I’m sure at some point during the taping Jimmy cracked himself up and broke character.
Bunnybrains – …or BunnyBrains (apparently their approach to capitalization was not consistent) was a Connecticut-based band that dissolved in 2002. The group began in New York in the late 1980s and eventually released material on Matador Records before dissolving in 2002.
Ultrabunny – Born out of the ashes of Bunnybrains (or The Bunnybrains, according to their bio, providing yet another variation of the band’s name), Ultrabunny was also formed in Connecticut and features disgruntled little bunnies seeking their own sound. What sound is that, you ask? “Ultrabunny distills extreme/glam/psych/noise/post-punk/no-wave/’70s rock into a performance that rivals the sound and fury of every record in your local vinyl record store played simultaneously.” Um…OK!
Microbunny – Toronto native Al Okada (no, not Al-Qaeda, smart-ass) started Microbunny after his stint with King Cobb Steelie, and has since had his music placed in TV and film, including the CBC program ZeD.
Rabbits Rabbits Rabbits – Taking the bunny theme to new extremes, we have Rabbits Rabbits Rabbits. Tough to Google, but easy to listen to, the band hails from the sunny West Coast and has released a fine EP, even spurring a new genre description: popgaze. I guess they got tired of staring at their shoes…
Bunny’s A Swine – Technically not named after the mammal, but rather a woman named Bunny, this Northampton group has the following to say about their music: “Our sound has been called tweegrunge by some, awkpop by ourselves, and indie rock by others.” Fair enough.
So there you have it. If you are of the bunny persuasion and we left you off the list, please email [email protected] and let us know your furry tale (or shall I say tail?) In any event, we’ve gotta get hopping down the trail. Catch you next month.