Black humor beats black metal any day (David Sprague, Art Black)
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Controversially named Cop Shoot Cop formed in New York in 1987 as a trio of Tod A. David Ouimet and Phil Puleo who, beyond playing drums, also played “metal”, i.e. he used found objects on his drum set. Their music was influenced by jazz and swing, as much by traditional rock music.
One of their first records was 1989 “Headkick Facsimile” EP which originally came out on Japanese label Supernatural Organization and was reissued by band’s own label Subvert Entertainment in 1994 with two bonus tracks. Wharton Tiers engineered the record.
Eventually they added Jack Natz (electric bass) to the line-up and Tod A. started playing bass, as well, in addition to being a vocalist. Novelty of dual-bass/no-guitar setup helped them to gather attention, much like band posters that were seen around New York.
Jim Coleman was recruited to replace Ouimet who quit the band a couple of times and joined again, but both of them were featured on CPC debut 1989 “Piece Man” 7″. Their first full-length called “Consumer Revolt” was recorded by a well-known producer Martin Bisi as earned the distinction of being the only dual-sampler/dual-bass/no guitar album in music history.
Ouimet left for good after the first tour and album in order to form short-lived Motherhead Bug, and later he was featured as a guest on some of CPC albums.
Guitarist Steve McMillen was added to the line-up in 1994 for an album called “Release” which came out on Interscope Records, which, as some journalists argued, turned CPC into a mainstream rock band. “Release” also became their last record, as Tod A. claimed that they were treated unfairly by Interscope, while other band members disagreed and tried to finish the album, although Interscope declined to release it. Some of it eventually resurfaced in one form or the other on an album by Red Expendables, one-off group which featured Natz, Coleman, Puleo and a newcomer named Michael Kaminski.
After the band demise, Tod A formed Firewater, Coleman recorded as Phylr and started a band with Maurio Teho Teardo called Here and Jack Natz was playing bass in reformed Lubricated Goat. Puleo recorded solo material under the name The Wog and he was also in Audio Dyslexia and The Children, along with Coleman.
Tour guitarist Michael Kaminski was featured in the news due to a robbery of a video store that he tried to commit while using a bottle of cologne shaped to look like a gun.
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Band Members:
David Ouimet (Firewater, Foetus In Excelsis Corruptus Deluxe, Foetus Symphony Orchestra, Motherhead Bug, Of Cabbages And Kings, Sulfur)
J F Coleman (Baby Zizanie, F.I.L., Here, Phylr, Red Expendables)
Jack Natz (Black Snakes, Lubricated Goat, Red Expendables)
Phil Puelo (F.I.L., Phylr, Red Expendables, Swans)
Steve McMillen (Motherhead Bug)
Tod Ashley (Firewater, Lubricated Goat)
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[nextpage title=”Discography” ]
Headkick Facsimile LP / Cass (Supernatural Organization, 1989 / Subvert Entertainment, 1994)
Pieceman EP 7″ (Vertical Records, 1989)
Consumer Revolt LP / CD (Big Cat UK, 1990 /1992 / Circuit Records, 1990 )
White Noise LP / CD (Big Cat UK, 1991)
Suck City CD / 12″ ( Interscope, 1992 / Big Cat UK, 1992)
$10 Bill 12″ / CD (Big Cat UK, 1993)
Ask Questions Later CD / LP (Interscope, 1993 / Big Cat UK, 1993 / Restless, 1993)
Room 429 12″ / CD (Big Cat, 1993 / Interscope, 1993)
Interference 7″ (Interscope, 1994)
Money Drunk 6″ Flexi-disc (Interscope, 1994)
Release LP / CD (Interscope, 1994 / Rough Trade Germany, 1994 / Big Cat UK, 1994)
Two At A Time 12″ / CD-Single (Big Cat UK, 1994)
Any Day Now 12″ / CD-Single (Big Cat UK, 1995)
Meathead / Cop Shoot Cop Split CD (Fifth Colvmn, 1996)
Meathead / Cop Shoot Cop Split 7″ (Sub/Mission Records, 1996)
Compilation Tracks:
“Dive” on New York Eye And Ear Control (Matador, 1990)
“System Test” on Real Estate – New Music From New York (Ear-Rational, 1990)
“Room 429” on Mesomorph Enduros (Big Cat UK, 1992)
“Chameleon Man” + “Suck City” on Mortar (Permis De Construire Deutschland, 1992)
“Got No Soul” on Altered States Of America (Lime Lizard, 1993)
“Relief” on Funky Alternatives 7 (Concrete Productions, 1993)
“Surprise, Surprise” on Metal CD Collection 13 (Metal CD Magazine / Northern & Shell Publications, 1993)
“Two At A Time” on S.F.W. Soundtrack (A&M, 1994)
“$10 Bill” + “It Only Hurts When I Breathe” on The Big Cat Five (Big Cat UK + Rough Trade Germany, 1994)
“Any Day Now” on The Day We Exhumed Disco (Caroline Records (Spain), 1994)
“3 A.M. Incident” on Johnny Mnemonic Soundtrack (Columbia, 1995 / Sony, 1995)
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[nextpage title=”Note from Michael Kaminski” ]
I was hired as a “tour guitarist,multi-instrument” and things went so damn well, Tod wanted me to record with him. I was hired as a band member and screwed over what info was released because Interscope would have sued those guys. This is not the real story. I was wondering were all the record of me in the band are…..they are not available for some dumb reason.
I’m sober now 8 years and would love to make an update on this article.
Making music in CA and happy.
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