Artist description SEE HISTORY

Music Style punk/surf/lounge/jazz

Musical Influences Adam & The Ants, Husker Du, The Replacements, Minor Threat, Primus

Similar Artists Husker Du, Primus, Buzzcocks, Firehose

Artist History The band known as UKLA was formed in suburban central CT. in the post punk/pre “alternative” year of 1986 by 3 high school sophomores, Wes Sekula (lead vocals, guitar) Brian Williams (bass, vocals) and Jon Kleinman (drums, vocals). Bored with the Reaganesque mid –eighties suburban high school life, the three formed a then unfashionable, pre Nirvana power trio and dubbed themselves “Green Panic.” Inspired by groups of the day Husker Du, the Replacements and REM, Green Panic were pulled from the basement by 16 year old punk rock maven Fuschia Vomit, AKA Tris Oakley. She was talked into managing the band and set up a series of “all-ages” high school and Elks hall shows during the winter of 1986. Oakley also arranged a basement recording session with Clarion XD5 4-track wizard Bob Cormier. The resulting cassette enabled Oakley to book the pubescent trio into rock clubs including a stint at New York’s legendary CBGB. Just as Green Panic was on the verge of notoriety, they were blacklisted by most of the nightclub booking agents and Elks hall representatives following a series of incidents allegedly perpetrated by the band and it’s followers during and following Green Panic shows in 1987-88.In 1989, In order to beat the blacklist, Green Panic changed its name to the Gasoline Gang, and moved to Boston, MA. They recorded “Run & Hide/Up in the Air” and “87” with bizarre hermit Dave Renz at Renz Studios (a one room hut in rural CT). The tape caught the ear of Boston Rock scenester/confidence man Martin Doyle, who took over as manager and booked the still underage band into a series of furious shows with such artists as Bullet LaVolta, Buffalo Tom and The Lunachicks. Ultimately, outside distractions and confusion reigned and the trio broke up in 1990, vowing never to work together again.Ridiculously, after a series of musical projects, the inevitable reunion took place in 1992. Dubbing themselves UKLA, they went into the studio with former Lemonheads producer Tom Hamilton. From the sessions they released their Car and Space themed “W-O. ” split single with popular surf rockers The Bald Guys in 1993. Throughout 1994-1996 UKLA released two more singles (“Spaceships/OLE’” and “Noel Mayoro/Audience,” recorded by Middle East Soundman Y-Mike) and embarked on a long series of shows playing with bands such as Throwing Muses, The Fleshtones and a surprise show with Replacements frontman Paul Westerberg. During that period, The band was approached by punk enthusiast & Fan Attic Records founder Ron Lacer, who made the band a cornerstone of his “Runt of The Litter” Boston Punk/Pop tape and CD series. In 1996, UKLA was asked to perform in the WBCN Rock & Roll Rumble. Fan Attic Records was ready to release the new UKLA CD, but the band decided to call it quits during a sold out show at the Middle East Café in December of 1997. 2 years after the break up, Lacer and Elis Eil founder of new label ELIS EIL records conspired to finally release the UKLA CD. Entitled “LTD” and edited by Godsmack producer Andrew Murdock, it contains 23 tracks from almost all of their cassette and vinyl releases from 1986-1997.

Group Members Wes Sekula-Guitar/VOXBrian Williams-Bass/VOXJon Kleinman-Drums/VOX

Instruments Guitar, Bass, Drums

Albums UKLA, LTD.

Press Reviews “UKLA’s LTD. is an epic chronology, born in the tradition of punk but landing on planets of jazz, pop, garage, surf, psychedelia, and rocket science…These punks are making art! UKLA’s rhythmic gyrations and glottal undulations are simultaneously bone cracking and neck stretching… a sound to fill the void between Television’s Marquee Moon and Husker Du’s Zen Arcade… LTD. was over a decade in the making…from the trippy paranoid strains of “Venus Flytrap” to the spaced out phasey layers of “Sandpeople” UKLA’s unique arrangements are like hot wax globules oozing into the third ear you never knew you had, promptly planting themselves like subliminal alien bulbs deep inside your soul. The disc progresses backwards through time and space through Boston and Hartford, through the early 90’s and late 80’s until we end up in a Farmington, CT. basement. Here captured on cassette 4-track is the birth of UKLA (then known as Green Panic). “What It’s Like,” “Get Up” and “Roadkill” crackle and blister with thumb-splitting power chords and smug teen wisdom, threatening to usurp the lo-fi anthem throne long occupied by Randy Alvey and his “Green Fuzz.” Never before has a rock band combined the lyrical charm and musicality of Cake with the loose hazy confidence of the Troggs. Music fans should pray that Fan Attic/ELIS EIL keeps this disc in print long enough for the masses to catch up.” -Ken Cormier, The Noise, Boston, MA.] “While it's standard fare for bands to claim that their music defies or transcends categorization, UKLA's deft pick pocketing from psychedelia, pop, sci-fi, jazz, rockabilly, and surf legitimately does create something different. Don't get me wrong, the group has both feet firmly planted on decidedly punk ground but, as with any great band, UKLA takes chances and brings something new to the table. Layered, hypnotic soundscapes fit neatly within blistering basement/garage rock on this 23-track collection which flows chronologically backwards through the ten year evolution of the group under its various monikers (UKLA, The Gasoline Gang, and Green Panic). This is the kind of thing which catches your interest on the first listen and just gets progressively better. I only wish I had caught on to these guys before -- the liner notes mention that UKLA broke up recently which means that I lose out in a big way unless this CD gets the attention it deserves and maybe sparks a reunion (?). Here's hopin'.”Chris Wissmuller Askew ReviewsHanover, MA.RE: "Noel Mayoro"/"Audience" 7": UKLA's hodgepodge of blues, jazz, lounge, pop, rock, and New Wave is certainly refreshing.The slow build of "Noel Mayoro" is reminiscent of the blues until the bass line explodes into jazz-infued bedlam that would make Les Claypool proud."-Elissa Dennis, The Noise Boston MA. RE: "SPACESHIPS/OLÉ" 7":"When you are in a three piece band, you have got to make sure nobody slips, and in this case UKLA has dried up the floors and made sure everyone is wearing super glue on their shoes."-The Pit Report #30 Boston MA. RE: "W-O / TJS 510" Split 7" with Bald Guys "a cool hybrid of the Minutemen if they performed on the Muppet Show"-The Noise #151 June '95 "A kind of new version of the music used in the movie 'The Three Stooges in Orbit" -Stubble #12 Aug. '95 RE: "Old / Teenage Boardroom-"...I’m not sure if it's the guitar or the bass - one of them fell down the stairs and played upsidedown"-New England Performer #4 April '94 Re: Run & Hide/Up in the Air “Gang Green meets the Dogmatics…Run & Hide pretty much says it all without trying to say anything, which is better that trying to say everything while saying nothing at all” Butch & Brenda The Noise #95, May 1990

Additional Info Vinyl! Spaceships/Ole' 7 inch, Noel Mayoro/Audience 7 inch

Location Allston, MA - USA

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