El Dorko

Bio:

El Dorko History 1989: I move to Los Angeles, CA from Valier, Montana to work in the film industry. I met Bruce Leonhart while working on an Eric Burdon video. Bruce was in a band playing out in Hollywood, trying to build enough of a following to get a major label deal. Over the next few years I met tons of musicians in the film industry. Among them were Joe Russo who played in several big name comic book/horror bands when they needed a replacement bass player, and Todd Sterling who played drums for Woodpussy. Mid 1995: I picked up a guitar and started making repetitive riffs, or "hooks" as many reviewers call them. Eventually, I'd memorized about 18 of them, so I wrote some lyrics to go with the music. I took my guitar over to Bruce's place and used a drum machine to record a mini unreleased e.p. I decided it would maybe help my friends to see you could release your own record without a major label. I asked Ira Proctor to start drawing some pictures for the album art, and I asked my brother Joe Gaylord for a couple thousand dollars to get the pressing and printing done. I knew Bruce would record it for free, plus I was going to make him play guitar on the harder parts. Late 1995: Over the course of a few days and a few beers in Bruce's garage, Todd and I layed down the guitar and drum tracks, Joe came in to do the bass, I recorded the vocals, then Bruce did some guitar fills and leads. In all honesty, Bruces guitar work is what made the songs as good as they are...his subtle soloing is immaculate in the punkest sense. So, we did the final mix, took it in for mastering, then I took the wax to El Segundo for pressing. January 1996: Maximum Rock n Roll and Mike Thrashead @ Flipside both give us excellent reviews. The album sells around the world and I finally pay Joe back the money. Early 1998: A work injury limits my guitar playing even more than it already was. Late 2005: Myspace site goes up, you hear 4 of the songs. 2007: Starting again with the repetitive riffs.

Member Since:

October 31, 2005

Members:

Doug, Bruce, Joe and Todd

Influences:

The problem with writing an influences list 10 years after your album came out is...well, there have been so many bands that came after us who I would probably claim influenced the recording. I guess I can think back a ways to Naked Raygun, Effigies, 7 Seconds, TSOL, F.U.'S, Straw Dogs, Minor Threat, Dead Kennedy's, Subhumans, Husker Du...you know...the second wave of bands that made punk rock accessible, making it easier for inaccessible bands like Big Black, Butthole Surfers, The Wipers, etc. to get some recognition. El Dorko will never get the kind of recognition those bands got, but, in our own way we opened doors for other bands. Those bands might even be forming now...kids I know who are picking up guitars, getting their first drumsets...watching Democracy Now! before school..

Sounds Like:

Sounds like...crap, but that's because it was recorded on a 6-track recorder that recorded directly to a cassette tape (1/8"). Being what it was, I think it sounds great. The review in Maximum Rock n Roll said "El Dorko - LP When I first laid eyes on the back cover--an intricately-drawn scene depicting rotting skeletons with bulging eyeballs--I started to worry. I've learned a few things in this life. With very few exceptions, blood-and-guts cover art equal a record that I don't really need to hear. It's nice to be surprised now and then, though. El Dorko are a full-on, hardcore-straight-outta-1984 punk band who write short, catchy songs with a great full-bodied guitar sound. If you're following the current crop of mohawk-and-studded-vinyl punk rock (Blanks '77, Rickets, etc.) then you could do far worse than these guys. Although I'd never paint their logo on the back of my leather jacket, El Dorko are right up there with the best of them. (4/96)" - Tim Yohannan

Record Label:

Squatter's Inc.