Kristian has been lucky enough to play with a wide variety of wonderful musicians. But the regular members of his backing band, The Rock Gods, who are all artists in their own right and members of myriad other scintillating projects, are: Joe Berardi (drums), William Bongiovanni (bass), Dave Bongiovanni (guitar) and Jonathan Lea (guitar).
Influences
Here a Bowie, there a Bowie, everywhere a Bowie Bowie! Yes his attempts at ever portraying a single genuine human emotion are unconvincing, but who can argue with that back catalog! "In The Heat of the Morning" - genius! I wish Leonard Cohen were an influence but I'm not that rarified (yet). I can dream, can't I? I'm a village elder so I must include: MONKEES, Beatles, Small Faces, Bowie, MOVE, Kinks, Bowie, Sunshine Company, Michel Polnareff (cannot be underestimated - my sister gave me his first LP when I was 12 - a tender age!), Mamas and Papas, Bowie, LEFT BANKE, Byrds, IDLE RACE (How I longed for the chutzpa to steal Alan Betrock's copy of "Knocking Nails In My House" when I apartment sat for him in Jackson Heights - but thank God I didn't!); the Moles, THE COWSILLS, and Bowie; The Merry-Go-Round, Love, Tim Buckley, THE NEW YORK DOLLS; more recently Geranium Pond, Blossom Toes and Bowie; then of course Television, Cramps, Sex Pistols, CRAMPS, Siouxie, Cramps, Contortions, Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, Beirut Slump, and Bowie. Echo and the Bunnymen, Psychedelic Furs and Bowie: I loved the New Wave! Feel free to ask me about my Thompson Twins 12"s. Cyndi Lauper ("I Drove All Night"), Bananarama ("Rough Justice")- the ridiculously synthetic 80's was the second wave of a goofball high on studio trickery that translates into psychedelia as far as I'm concerned! YES to Eno "Here Come The Warm Jets". YES to Portsmouth Sinfonia. NO to Eno worldbeatairports pussyfootingdavidbyrne shit. But YES to Eno/Bowie! Yes to Roxy Music for that matter! Joni Mitchell's first LP, and to a lesser extent "Blue" and "For The Roses", DONOVAN, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Judy Collins (well - on Wildflowers at least), Sandy Denny, "Fire Fleet and Candlelight" by Buffy Sainte Marie (my mom was a huge folkie so we heard these records over and over and OVER, but when "Lyke Wake Dirge" came on, my ears really perked up: those Strings! - I'm DYING to have Peter Schikele arrange a song for me!) and Bowie (I'm still MAD Nirvana covered "Man Who Sold The World" before I did. Petulant? Delusional? Wait, you're both right!). JO ANNE CAMPBELL, and CANDY JOHNSON (Bryan Gregory of the Cramps gave me her Methedrine-a-go-go version of "Fever" and I never recovered - how many Swinging Madisons songs were stolen from that bass line?) which reminds me Glen Campbell, oh yeah THE ZOMBIES (I would listen on my Sears portable stereo at night with the lights turned out and mist up at "The Butchers Tale"). Did I, could I forget - Sparks, Sparks, Sparks, Sparks, Sparks, Alice Cooper, and Bowie, Bobby Rydell, Louis Prima, Frances Faye and Bowie - TINY TIM!!! God Bless Tiny Tim is classic OSP (Other Sgt. Pepper) material. MRS. MILLER! The Munsters (the band), Stone Poneys (I actually illustrated their lyrics to make a home-made Beardsley-lite booklet like the one that came with "Gift From A Flower To A Garden" - you should see the picture for "New Hard Times". Cringefest blackmail!) and Bowie. THE MOON (given to me by Miki Zone of the Fast circa 1975, along with the lesser but still pleasurable Paper Garden - I loved the Moon album SO MUCH that whenever I found one I'd buy it to win converts for them, and I'm proud to say that when I gave human musical encyclopaedia Andrew Sandoval his copy he didn't know them. That has NEVER happened again. But he actually didn't have the Grapefruit LP til I gave it to him either. I guess that's payment enough for him giving me a lovely pristine copy of the Millennium!). THE BEE GEES, JOBRIATH, Hayley Mills (Early Mumps considered doing her classic "Cobbler Cobbler" Buzzcocks style, with the proto-punky line "The boy I love is killing my feet", and I have a lobby card for the spooky, beautiful but SLOOOOOOOOW "Whistle Down The Wind"), Twiggy, and Bowie (It's really time to revisit "Never Let Me Down" - that LP is full of fantastic pop stuff!). Unashamed: first three Procol Harum LPs. And I LIKE the Doors, unlike some self-styled revisionist creeps pretending to have personality. At least the pre-3-B's Doors (-Boogie, - Beer belly, - Beard). BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD. Neil Young's first LP, and most of "After the Gold Rush" plus "A Man Needs A Maid". The Sex Pistols -again- they're worth it! And OK I give: We listened to the Stooges' first two LPs ad nauseam just like every other wannabe in NYC circa 1977, but we DID do it when they were NEW, 8 years or so BP (Before Punque), and I know "Loaded" and "White Light/White Heat" note for note, I went to Altamont (!) to see the Stones, and to MSG to see Led Zeppelin (although the tickets were comps). AND, MOST OF ALL, LANCE LOUD!
Rolling Stone calls Kristian Hoffman "one of the underground's best songsmiths", and The Album Network calls the singer/songwriter/producer/keyboardist "almost blessedly skilled". If that sounds gushy, read on!
Kristian Hoffman's most recent project has been producing, arranging, co-writing, and playing multiple instruments on long time friend and collaborator Ann "Bongwater" Magnuson's long awaited newest CD "Pretty Songs and Ugly Stories", just released on December 2 2006, with the attendant fanfare of a sold out standing ovation show at Los Angeles' buzzy Redcat Theater in the legendary Disney Concert Hall.
The album is an ambitous orchestrated assault on most of Kristian's and Ann's fave musical styles, including Bowie-damaged glam rock, stripped down lounge cabaret, crazed sitar inflected psychedelic ragas, overblown over-produced Richard Harris musical harrassments, and intimate McGarrigle weepers.
The "Pretty Songs" sessions were frequented by a a galaxy of gifted stars and collaborators: The ubiquitous Rufus Wainwright contributed a muti-tiered choir of vocals to "Whatever Happened To New York", which he also sang live with Ann for none other than New York City's Mayor Bloomberg on stage at PSI in November 2006. The fabulous Chapin Sisters have added their trademark gorgeous three part harmonies to two songs as well. Heather Lockie of KCRW faves Listing Ship is the CD's one woman string orchestra, and other guests include the fabulous Lisa Jenio of Candypants on flute and backing vocals on several tracks, Jonathan Lea of the Jigsaw Seen , Abby Travis, and Weba Garretson. DJ Bonebrake of X played vibes on two numbers, and drums on another.
"Pretty Songs" is currently available through Amazon, CD Baby and Ann Magnuson's My Space page.
Currently living in Los Angeles, Kristian's most recent solo album is called simply "&". The L.A.Weekly said " '&' is the record that every fan of the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Kinks, and great songcraft in general, has been pining for. Frighteningly Excellent!" Uncut called it " a spectacular operatic art rock power pop album, crammed full of invention", as if that isn't a mouthful!
"&" is a collection of duets with many of Kristian's favorite musicians, and some notion of the eclectic nature of his songwriting can be gleaned from the incredible list of participants: Russell Mael from Sparks, Stew from The Negro Problem, cult legend Ann Magnuson, Rufus Wainwright, Maria McKee, Darian Sahanaja of the Wondermints (who is also vocal director and keyboardist for the Brian Wilson "Smile" tour, album and DVD), Michael Quercio of The Jupiter Affect and the Three O'clock, Steve MacDonald of Redd Kross, Anna Waronker, Lydia Lunch
, Abby Travis, plus a performance by Paul "Pee Wee Herman" Reubens and beautiful string arrangements by pop genius Van Dyke Parks.
You can buy Kristian's CD "&", or his earlier solo CDs "Earthquake Weather
" and "I Don't Love My Guru Anymore" from www.CDbaby.com. Songs are also available from CDbaby as downloads.
Kristian wrote many of new wave legend Klaus Nomi's best known pop songs, including "Total Eclipse" (also recorded by Soft Cell's Marc Almond). He is featured extensively in the recently released Klaus Nomi documentary "The Nomi Song" as are four of his songs.
Kristian is also known as the main songwriter of NYC CBGBs era punk/pop band Mumps, whose lavish CD/DVD two disc career retrospective "How I Saved The World" was just released by Sympathy For the Record Industry. The notoriously flamboyant Lance Loud, the lead singer of Mumps, is known as T.V.'s first reality star, and was also the first out gay character on American television, in PBS' award winning 70's documentary"An American Family". All Music Guide calls Mumps "the 'great lost band" of the CBGB era" and the L.A. Weekly called them "a groundbreaking wild combo prized for off-kilter thrillers" which the L.A. Times say have "great hooks and snotty lyrics". For more information, pictures, and ephemera, visit www.mumpsmusic.com.
Also available from CDbaby is the original out-of-print 1995 Mumps compilation "Fatal Charm" at a bargain price. For "How I Saved the World", the brand new 2 disc CD/DVD extended and enhanced Mumps compilation, with a 24 page full color booklet, go to www.Sympathyrecords.com.
Kristian has two earlier solo albums, both produced by one-time Spark Earle Mankey, who is highly regarded as the most skilled purveyor of shimmering L.A. pop production:
"Earthquake Weather" for which Magnet dubbed Kristian "a true American original" and about which BAM said "fearlessly plunders and reinvents all that is good in melodic rock music". A highlight among many is an uber-rare appearance of the Cramps' own Ivy Rorschach on lead guitar on "That's Our Secret".
"I Don't Love My Guru Anymore" which Genre hailed for it's "left-field lyrics and splendid, classic pop style".
Kristian is also currently a DJ on the incredible and luscious on-line radio sation, Luxuriamusic.com. His show, which runs from noon until 2:00 P.M. most Sundays (unless he is on tour) is called Pepperland Spicerack. The playlist is mostly late 60's/early70's lite psych, peppered liberally with quirky novelty records and whatever Kristian feels like playing! Expect to hear East Bloc psych faves like Czerwone Gitary, Illes, Skaldowie. Prudy, and Olympic; French folk/psych heroes Eric Charden, Gerard Manset and Michel Polnareff, along with liberal doses of Blossom Toes, Los Brincos, and anything Kinksy, Beatley, or just plain weird! Luxuriamusic.com has a default Auto DJ Jukebox from the incredible collection of Erik Bonerz, and also features such stellar live DJs as Howie "The Blessed, Danzig, D-Generation" Pryo, Kari French, The Millionaire (musical director of the legendary Velvet Hammer Burlesque Shows), Steve "The Now People" Stanley (who also produces incredible re-issues for the fab Rev-Ola label), our own Andrew Sandoval (who just produced the Bee Gees first three LP box set), and many more entertainingly obsessed record collectors! For a calendar and how to log on, check out Luxuriamusic's MySpace profile - they're in Kristian's "Top Friends" directly below.
Kristian also appears on numerous tribute CDs, and as a musical guest on many other albums. A complete discography is available at his extensive website (www.kristianhoffman.com), which also includes regularly updated diaries and blogs, news, photos, and exclusive MP3s and recordings.
An in-demand keyboard player, Kristian toured for five years as a member of the legendary Kinks' own Dave Davies solo band, and appears on three of his recent CDs.
Kristian is currently a member of Abby Travis' band, as well as playing keyboards with John Waters legend Mink Stole, Ann Magnuson, and making regular appearances with songwriter extraordinaire Carolyn Edwards. Kristian makes regular Los Angeles area live solo appearances backed by The Rock Gods, which the L.A. Weekly called "a dynamic wonder."
Kristian is also an illustrator and graphic artist, and had two one-man gallery shows in Los Angeles in 2005. He has designed album covers for Los Angeles punk legends X, Andrew Sandoval, and others, illustrated books for Lydia Lunch and poet Iris Berry, and is also the proud illustrator who drew the famous "bendover girl" from the New York Dolls debut LP insert.
But it is songwriting that remains Kristian's greatest love, which often results in such unabashed and over-the-top accolades as: "To say Hoffman is a great songwriter is an understatement ... the man and his music are pure genius! - Genre
Be sure to visit The Official Kristian Hoffman Website for a more detailed history, loads of kooky trivia, extensive diary entries, and scads of pictures!
Bassist "Speedie John" of the legendary NY Power Pop band, "The Speedies" will perform at the Knitting Factory with his new band " The Beat Killers" as part of Mondo Hollywood, Sunday 8/10/08 on the Main Stage at 6pm
Have you a great weekend! Schönes Wochenende! Zhou Mo Kuai Le!
"FROM CHINA TO CHINA" / Galerie MooiMan (3.August ~ 21. September 2008)Ausstellung of MUSKBOY zusammen mit Ewoud Broeksma in Galerie MooiMan in den Niederlanden.
THIS TUESDAY ON INTOXICA: SPECIAL GUEST KIM FOWLEY!! WE WILL BE LISTENING TO HIS RARE 45'S & ALSO TALKING TO HIS NEW "WITCH" THE FABULOUS MISS WENDY!! TUESDAY AT 9PM CALIFORNIA TIME ON LUXURIAMUSIC. COM! OR GO TO YOUR ITUNES STORE & TYPE IN "INTOXICA HOWIE PYRO" & SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE & LISTEN ANYTIME YOU WANT! OR CHECK http://jellsmayhemsgarage. podomatic. com/ FOR DIRECT DOWNLOADS OF ALL MY SHOWS!
Well, I have to say that was the BEST compliment I have EVER, EVER received and I think I can live off that one for quite a while! Thank you so much! Have a great day :)
Kristian, There is a guy who played in a band called The Shades who played around the Trenton NJ area in the late 70's early 80's who says he knows you. He lives in Wales now. His band used to do "Muscle Boys". Do you know who I am talking about?
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