Rodan (3)

Rodan was an American post-hardcore/math rock band from Louisville, Kentucky, active in 1992–95. The band's main lineup included Jeff Mueller and Jason B. Noble on guitar and vocals, Tara Jane O'Neil on bass/vocals, and Kevin Coultas on drums. The band was preceded by an experimental hip-hop project King G & The J Krew, started by Mueller and Noble with Greg King (2) in 1989. They spent two years painstakingly working on a debut album Indestructible Songs Of The Humpback Whale, which was released in 1992. The group started playing live with a more rock-oriented lineup, under the name King Kid International (Jeff and Jason on guitars/vocals, Tara O'Neil on bass, and Jon Cook on drums). Soon after, King Kid Intl became Rodan. Cook soon left the band; he was briefly replaced by John Weiss, and finally by Coultas. In 1993, Rodan recorded an Aviary demo. Two songs from this tape were re-recorded and released as How The Winter Was Passed 7-inch on Three Little Girls Recordings. Their debut album Rusty on Quarterstick Records in 1994 was co-produced by Jason Loewenstein and included six tracks from Aviary, some re-recorded in Chicago by Robert Weston (Shellac). Never officially signed to any label, Rodan had been actively collaborating with Simple Machines – they appeared on several compilations and played at the label's Working Holiday festival. The band's members played a fictional musical group Truckstop in the cult road movie Half-Cocked, and also contributed to its soundtrack, released by Matador. In 1995, Rodan also recorded three songs for a John Peel session. Kevin Coultas left the band the same year, replaced by Jon Cook at live shows. Soon after, Rodan disbanded. Members of the group continued working together in various bands: Coultas played with Noble in Rachel's, and O'Neil in The Sonora Pine, while Mueller and Noble started Shipping News in late 1996. In 2013, Quarterstick Records released Fifteen Quiet Years compilation. It includes songs recorded for BBC Peel Sessions, Rodan debut single, tracks from Half-Cocked soundtrack, and a few songs previously available on 7-inch compilations on Simple Machines, Compulsiv Music, and Slamdek Records. All tracks were remastered by Bob Weston.