Artist description The Children's Zoo's musical menagerie blends intricate, gliding bass work in the style of Cocteau Twins and Cure, echoing guitar filigrees, and elaborate, highly dramatic male vocals, all set to the demure rhythmic pulse of the drum machine

Music Style Moody, droning art-rock

Musical Influences Cocteau Twins, David Sylvian, The Cure, Roxy Music, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Danielle Dax, Sisters of Mercy, Wolfgang Press, Hugo Largo

Similar Artists Cocteau Twins, David Sylvian, The Cure, Hugo Largo, Wolfgang Press, Sisters of Mercy

Artist History The Children's Zoo coalesced in summer 1986 around the nucleus of Christopher Bollman (former bass prodigy for goth-punkers The Naked and the Dead), archly poetic frontman Robert Rowan Conroy (late of Burning Rome), and an Irish emigre named Tommy Sheridan with a talent for coaxing the most elegantly echoing rifflets from his guitar. Initially using the names Piltdown Man and The Brown Recluse, the trio were aided by various guest drummers (Naked and the Dead's David Patti as well as Joe Truck of Burning Rome/Chop Shop/Scarecrow), but didn't truly find their sound until the arrival of The Drum Machine, coinciding with their adoption of the puzzling but memorable moniker The Children's Zoo. Throughout the first half of 1987, the Zoo recorded several excellent demos, and drew raves for numerous performances at hip NYC clubs CBGB, Area, and Lismar Lounge. For reasons unclear to this day, the threesome disbanded at summer's end. Bollman put down his bass professionally to pursue interests in cello, luthiery, sailing, and carpentry. In 2002 Bollman reformed The Naked and the Dead, now defunct again; he is currently working on a a new band with fellow Naked and the Dead alumnus Greg Fasolino. Conroy and Sheridan briefly worked on a semi-traditional Celtic music project, before Sheridan returned to his native Dublin, Ireland, where he became involved in the emerging Irish arts/internet scene. Robert Rowan Conroy, hooking up with ex-Concrete Witchdoctors axeman Mike Grime, fronted 99 Stellavista and Sisterboy (issuing an eponymous CD in 1996). Conroy later sang for Neutral and Morricone Youth. At present he utilizes his unique and rugose vocal cords withh British DJ Jonny Perl as groovy duo Misty Roses.

Group Members Christopher Bollman: bass; Robert Rowan Conroy: vocals, Tommy Sheridan: guitar

Instruments Bass, guitar, drum machine

Press Reviews THE ISLAND-EAR (1987)

Location New York, NY - USA

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