Artist description A 2001 review in Boston Sound Check magazine puts it this way: “Life should have a soundtrack. Relationships should have make-out music. Break-ups should have theme songs. Bullyclub has written an emotionally charged, musical script to cover all the bases…showcasing beautiful constraint and liquid poetry…”.

Music Style Rock/Pop

Similar Artists Replacements, guided by voices, wilco, Pixies, Buffalo Tom

Artist History Portland, Maine’s Bullyclub are a hard band to pin down. Neither a group of practicing bullies nor a collection of recovering meanies, they are instead a four-piece band that revels in making unapologetically melodic, literate guitar pop music. Music that can be big or little. It can be dense or simple. It’s like indie-rock that’s all grown up, or a singer-songwriter having a real bad day, or, you know… Singer/songwriter Doug Cowan, born and bred in rural Maine, survived on K-Tel Hits albums until he discovered his brother’s record collection in the early 80’s, which consisted mostly of early Neil Young and Elvis Costello vinyl. Adopting the apparent DIY attitude growing in underground music, he took two guitar lessons, ignoring everything but three barr chords, and promptly started a punk band without a name. Cowan sharpened his lyrical style and jagged guitar chops in the 90’s as front man for Portland’s agit-guitar band Pluck Theatre, and later as “the guitarist on the right” for pop heroes Between Dreams. Meanwhile, British born John Nunan was touring Europe as singer for The Omega Party before relocating to the safety of Portland and the Bullyclub drum stool in 1998. Accomplished musician Mark McDonough, joining the band on what surely must have involved a bet or possibly even blackmail, added the bass for a remarkably tasteful and powerful rhythm section. Producer Jose Ayerve, so intrigued by the Bullyclub sound and ethic, joined the group permanently as a guitarist and backing vocalist during the 2000 recording of the debut release, Likesongs (Pigeon Records, 2001). With the lineup set, the band has created a definitive sound, drawing comparisons to the Neil Young-inspired crunch and croon of bands like Wilco and Buffalo Tom, as well as the lounge-ie rock and lyricism of American Music Club and Red House Painters. And this sound is starting to make some noise, as Bullyclub was voted one of the top three pop bands in the Portland Phoenix 2001 Readers Music Poll and then chosen to showcase at Boston’s 2002 NEMO conference. “Too many words…not enough music,” Cowan understates in describing his writing style. On first listen to Bullyclub, there’s all the melody you’d expect from crafted guitar pop, but on closer inspection, you’ll find some wicked word-play and near obsessive avoidance of lyrical clich�. “It’s music for the emotionally challenged, which I believe most of us are,” Cowan says, “and if you don’t get someone’s attention by trying to write old emotions in a new way, then why bother…and along the way, I make some mistakes, some very embarrassing mistakes, but sometimes they hit the mark.” Likesongs is full of those hits. From the yearning for family and love of songs like “Fail Better” and “St. Valentine”, to the nearly juvenile bitterness of “Pick (on someone your own size)”, to the begrudgingly romantic “Dummy”, there are verses of sadness and humor, and choruses of hooks that tie it all together. A 2001 review in Boston Sound Check magazine puts it this way: “Life should have a soundtrack. Relationships should have make-out music. Break-ups should have theme songs. Bullyclub has written an emotionally charged, musical script to cover all the bases…showcasing beautiful constraint and liquid poetry…”.

Group Members Doug Cowan - Guitar/Vocals John Nunan - Drums J0se Ayerve - Guitar Niel Collins - Bass

Instruments Guitar/Bass/Drums

Albums Likesongs

Press Reviews Reviews: “…Bullyclub has a tense, rich sound that is complete from beginning to end. The music is an alterna-pop commodity, with jumpy guitars, tugging baselines, and hard smacking skins.” Boston Sound Check Magazine CD Reviews “…if I don’t get to see the band (Bullyclub) live, I will perish in the fires of my passion…lead singer Doug Cowan has a luscious throaty texture to his voice…with interesting, literate lyrics…” Casco Bay Weekly, Portland, ME Nocturnal Emissions “Bullyclub is a band with a hard edge…founded on the driving full sound of John Nunan’s drumming…punctuating the rhythm section are Cowan’s aggressive guitar and heartfelt vocal. Cowan’s tales are snippets of life…that create fully formed stories…” Face Magazine Cover Story : “Bullyclub: The Force of content” “…well written lyrics, tight compositions, and understated guitar licks help Bullyclub distinguish itself…Cowan strings words together like an abstractionist…’Dummy’ brilliantly delivers…” Portland Press Herald Night Notes “…many cuts off Likesongs introduce new and disarming little hooks that reward…reminding long-time fans and the uninitiated alike why brainy, guitar-driven pop is still pretty damn cool.” Portland Phoenix Off the Record CD review

Additional Info 11 song CD (Pigeon Records) Produced by Jose Ayerve and Bullyclub

Location Portland, ME - USA

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