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Edie Brickell & New Bohemians is an American alternative rock jam band that originated in Dallas, Texas, in the mid-1980s. The band is widely known for their 1988 hit "What I Am" from the album Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars. Their music contains elements of rock, folk, blues, and jazz. Following the 1990 release of their second album Ghost of a Dog, lead singer Edie Brickell left the band and married singer-songwriter Paul Simon. In 2006, she and the band launched a new web site and released a new album, Stranger Things.

History

Early years and beginnings

New Bohemians started as a trio in the early 1980s, gaining experience in the Deep Ellum neighborhood of downtown Dallas, Texas. The original line-up featured Brad Houser on vibraslap, Eric Presswood on guitar, and Brandon Aly on drums.

Drummer Aly, guitarist Kenny Withrow, and percussionist John Bush went to the same arts magnet high school in Dallas: Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Singer Edie Brickell also went to this school; however, the other members of the band didn't know her until later, and according to Houser, Edie was there for art. Houser attended Hillcrest High School and lived in the same neighborhood as other band members. He played in various neighborhood bands like The Knobs which included Kenny Withrow, and was also in the Munch Puppies.

The additional core members joined in 1985. Edie became the singer after being encouraged to join the band onstage during a show. It was soon after such first show that a local agent who was booking bands at Rick's Casablanca was brought to hear the band. The band signed a six-month management contract which brought with it better paying gigs at Rick's. When the six months ended, they started regular gigging in the Deep Ellum neighborhood of the city. Presswood left and Kenny Withrow joined as guitarist, playing his first show in July 1985 at the Starck Club in Dallas. John Bush joined on percussion in September of that year: his first show with the band was September 12, 1985, at Poor David's Pub in Dallas, when the band was backing Bo Diddley.

New Bos, the name the band assumed then, were a local favorite, packing in the fans at now-famous Deep Ellum venues such as "Theater Gallery", "500 Cafe", and "Club Dada". They were also regular performers at the annual Fry Street Fair on the University of North Texas campus in Denton, Texas. During this period of the band history, Edie's name was not used in that of the band.

Release of the albums and the successful first one

Their debut album, Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars, was released in 1988 and became a commercial success. It produced the US top 10 hit "What I Am". The following album, Ghost of a Dog, was released in 1990 and was less successful. New Bohemians disbanded soon after the album's release. In the mid-1990s, Brickell, Bush and Withrow gave birth to The Slip, a side project.

Years later, New Bohemians released both a compilation and a live album. In 2006, current members reunited to record and tour, with the release of the album Stranger Things on July 25 that year. On September 3, 2007, the group mourned the accidental shooting death of band member Carter Albrecht, who was killed in Dallas that day.

On October 12, 2018, the band released the album Rocket. On February 19, 2021, the band released the third album after the reunion, Hunter and the Dog Star.

Live shows and concerts

The band played live at the "North Oak Cliff Music Festival" in October 2014 with the current lineup as well as keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist Matt Hubbard. The band reunited again in April 2017 with three concerts at the "Kessler Theater" in "Oak Cliff".

Members

Current members

• Brandon Aly – drums
• Edie Brickell – vocals, guitar
• John Walter Bush – percussion
• Kenneth Neil Withrow – guitar

Previous members

• Carter Albrecht – keyboards, electric guitar, harmonica, vocals (died 2007)
• Wes Burt-Martin – guitar
• Matt Chamberlain – drums
• John Bradley Houser – bass guitar, woodwinds (died 2023)
• Eric Presswood – guitar
• Chris Wheatley – keyboards
• Chris Whitten – drums
• Paul "Wix" Wickens – keyboards

Discography

Albums

Studio albums

Live albums

Compilation albums

Singles

Awards and nominations

References

1. Spin magazine, March 1989, Vol 4, Number 12
2. D Magazine January 1989
3. ^ "Billboard > Edie Brickell > Chart History > The Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
4. "Edie Brickell & New Bohemians: Biography and History". AllMusic. Retrieved December 25, 2015.
5. What It Is Edie Brickell Andy Langer, June 2, 2000, The Austin Chronicle, Retrieved February 8, 2008
6. "Edie Brickell & New Bohemians Master Mood with 'Hunter and the Dog Star' (Album Review)". Glidemagazine.com. February 18, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
7. Brooks, Mike. "Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians Pack the Kessler". Dallas Observer.
8. "Billboard > Edie Brickell > Chart History > Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
9. ^ Australian (ARIA) chart peaks:
   • Top 50 peaks: "australian-charts.com > Edie Brickell in Australian Charts". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
   • "Circle": Scott, Gavin. "This Week In 1989: May 21, 1989". Chart Beats: A Journey Through Pop. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
   • Top 100 peaks from January 1990 to December 2010: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 41.
   • "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall": "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 15 Apr 1990 (61–100)". ARIA. Retrieved April 29, 2017 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The number in the HP column indicates highest position.
   • All ARIA chart peaks to March 8, 2018: "Response from ARIA re: Edie Brickell chart history, received March 8, 2018". Imgur.com. Retrieved March 8, 2018. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
10. "Das österreichische Hitparaden- und Musik-Portal". austriancharts.at. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
11. ^ Peak positions in Canada:
    • "What I Am": "RPM 100 Singles" (PDF). RPM. March 11, 1989. p. 6. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
    • Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars: "RPM 100 Albums" (PDF). RPM. March 25, 1989. p. 19. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
    • "Circles": "RPM 100 Singles". RPM. Vol. 50, no. 5. May 29, 1989. Retrieved June 9, 2022 – via Library and Archives Canada.
    • "Mama Help Me": "RPM 100 Singles". RPM. Vol. 53, no. 4. December 8, 1990. Retrieved June 9, 2022 – via Library and Archives Canada.
    • Ghost of a Dog: "RPM 100 Albums". RPM. Vol. 53, no. 6. December 22, 1990. Retrieved June 9, 2022 – via Library and Archives Canada.
12. "Suche - Offizielle Deutsche Charts". www.offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
13. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Set "Tipo" on "Album" or "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Edie Brickell & New Bohemians".
14. "Dutch Charts - dutchcharts.nl". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
15. "charts.org.nz - New Zealand charts portal". charts.nz. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
16. ^ "EDIE BRICKELL & THE NEW BOHEMIANS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
17. "British certifications – Edie Brickell". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 9, 2022. Type Edie Brickell in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
18. "American certifications – Edie Brickell". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
19. "Billboard > Edie Brickell > Chart History > Alternative Songs". Billboard. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
20. "Billboard > Edie Brickell > Chart History > Mainstream Rock Songs". Billboard. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
21. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". irishcharts.ie. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
22. "Dutch Charts - dutchcharts.nl". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
23. "charts.org.nz - New Zealand charts portal". charts.nz. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
24. "Cash Box" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. June 23, 1990. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
25. "Edie Brickell & New Bohemians". IMDb.com. Retrieved August 17, 2021.

External links

• Brandon Aly's official website
• John Bush's official website Archived August 1, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
• New Bohemians Live Music Archive at archive.org
• What They Were – Article from Dallas Observer, 1998
• History of Deep Ellum – Dallas Observer, 1999
• Edie Brickell & New Bohemians discography at Discogs
• Edie Brickell & New Bohemians at IMDb

• Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
• American alternative rock groups
• Folk rock groups from Texas
• American neo-psychedelia groups
• American southern rock musical groups
• Jam bands
• Musical groups from Dallas
• Musical groups established in 1985
• Musical groups disestablished in 1991
• Musical groups reestablished in 1997
• 1985 establishments in Texas
• Edie Brickell
• Female-fronted musical groups
• Thirty Tigers artists
• Mixed-gender bands