|
Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZHOFFS, Susanna(b 17 January 1957) Pop singer, guitarist. She was a founder member of the Bangles in Los Angeles '81 with sisters Vicki Peterson, guitar, and Debbi Peterson, drums, with Michael Steele (ex Runaways) on bass. The new group was called the Bangs at first, one of the West Coast 'paisley underground' bands, a 'big hair' group that belied their glitzy appearance by covering Alex Chilton songs before it became fashionable. They toured with the Beat and Cyndi Lauper, guided by Police manager Miles Copeland. Hoffs's tracks on a Rainy Day compilation of West Coast music '83 included a good version of Dylan's 'I'll Keep It With Mine'; the band's EP on Independent Records Syndicate label was well received, then their proper debut album All Over The Place '84 on Columbia revealed good singing and playing. Different Light '86 was no advance, including a bubblegummish 'Walk Like An Egyptian', and a hit with Prince's 'Manic Monday'; they ended with Everything '88. Their hectic success had been a pressure cooker, leaving no room for families. Hoffs played in teenpic The Allnighter '87, directed and photographed by her mother Tamar Simon Hoffs. She carried on a pop solo career: When You're A Boy '91 didn't do very well, but she gained in strength as a performer and made an eponymous comeback '96 on London with guests Mick Fleetwood and Jim Keltner, co-writing 'Enormous Wings' with Sparklehorse's Mark Linkous, the album described by one critic as 'a revelatory collection of spunky power-pop and abrasive slow burners'. She is married to film director Jay Roach, formed goofy retro '60s band Ming Tea with actor Mike Meyers, recording part of the soundtrack for Roach's spoof spy movie Austin Powers '97 starring Meyers. Vicki Peterson had formed The Continental Drifters with Susan Cowsill and John Walton (ex Dream Syndicate); then she toured on guitar with the Go-Go's. The Bangles re-formed in 1999, and in 2011 had been back together longer than their first stint. (Steele had come back, but left in 2006.) Doll Revolution 2003 was their first album of new material in 15 years, followed by Sweetheart of the Sun 2011, their material probably benefitting from slow cooking. In 2006 Hoffs began making duo albums with Matthew Sweet with Under The Covers, Vol. 1 on Shout, an album of covers from the 1960s. Sweet, born in Lincoln Nebraska in 1964, released the first of eleven solo albums in 1986; the pair celebrate the rock and pop they loved growing up. Jim Fusilli in the Wall Street Journal wrote that each album was a delight. An album of 1970s songs in 2009 was followed by Under The Covers, Vol. 3 in 2013, celebrating the 1980s. |