Bedhead was an American indie rock band, active from 1988 to 1998, based in Dallas, Texas. Members consisted of Matt and Bubba Kadane (vocals and guitar), Tench Coxe (guitar), Kris Wheat (bass), and Trini Martinez (drums). The band released several EPs and three LPs on Trance Syndicate, touring intermittently.
The band formed without a name and became active in 1988. Drummer Trini Martinez was the first addition to the duo's band in 1990, followed by guitarist Tench Coxe and bassist Kris Wheat.
Bedhead broke up shortly after the release of Transaction De Novo, in 1998. Kadane said that the break-up happened due to both the fact that the members lived in three different places and the Bedhead name being shared with a hair-product company from their hometown of Dallas. He went on to become a college professor, joining the faculty at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas in 2014.
The New Year and Overseas
In the summer of 1999, the Kadane brothers formed The New Year and signed to Touch and Go Records.
The Destructors Club
In 2024, Bedhead's rhythm section, Trini Martinez and Kris Wheate, came out as part of the long-in-the-making The Destructors Club, a project that also includes Britt Robisheaux, Big Youth, Scientist and before their passing recorded collaborations with the late Lee "Scratch" Perry and the late Mark Stewart (frontman of the British post-punk band The Pop Group). Their debut, a 12" entitled The Destructors Club Meets... Scientist was released a year after Mark Stewart's death to celebrate his life and his crucial work. The band straddles the line between post-punk and unorthodox dub and has a full-length LP in the works.
Chronology
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
! Date
! scope="col" rowspan="1" style="width:47em" |
|-
|rowspan="1"|1988
!scope="row"|Band forms without a name
|-
| rowspan="1" |Jan 1992
! scope="row" |First Bedhead show in Austin for a friend's art opening
|-
|rowspan="1"|May 1992
!scope="row"|Release of Bedside Table/Living Well 7-inch on Direct Hit Records
|-
|rowspan="1"|Dec 1993
!scope="row"|Release of The Rest Of The Day/I'm Not Here 7-inch on Direct Hit Records
|-
|rowspan="1"|Feb 1994
!scope="row"|Tour of Germany (with an invitation from a German band)
|-
|rowspan="1"|Apr 4, 1994
!scope="row"|Release of WhatFunLifeWas on Trance Syndicate Records
|-
|rowspan="1"|Summer 1994
!scope="row"|Failed attempt to record songs later to appear on Beheaded
|-
|rowspan="1"|Oct 25, 1994
!scope="row"|Release of 4-songCDEP19:10 on Trance Syndicate Records
|-
|rowspan="1"|June 1995
!scope="row"|Toured the West Coast and played various shows in the rest of the country
|-
|rowspan="1"|July 1995
!scope="row"|Recording session for The Dark Ages EP and Beheaded
|-
|rowspan="1"|Jan 1996
!scope="row"|Tour of US deep south
|-
|rowspan="1"|Feb 20, 1996
!scope="row"|Release of The Dark Ages 3-song EP (CD/10-inch)
|-
|rowspan="1"|June 18, 1996
!scope="row"|Release of Beheaded 11-song LP/CD
|-
|rowspan="1"|June/July 1996
!scope="row"|4-week US/Canada Tour
|-
|rowspan="1"|Mar/Apr 1997
!scope="row"|3-week Eastern US tour (last week of dates cancelled due to an illness in the band)
|-
|rowspan="1"|May 2–9, 1997
!scope="row"|Recording session for Transaction de Novo
|-
|rowspan="1"|Aug 1997
!scope="row"|Shows in Austin and Dallas to preview the yet-to-be-released Transaction de Novo
|-
|rowspan="1"|Nov 4, 1997
!scope="row"|Release of one-sided 12-inch vinyl version of 4-songEP19:10
|-
|rowspan="1"|Feb 10, 1998
!scope="row"|Release of Transaction de Novo 9-song LP/CD
|-
|rowspan="1"|Mar 9-22, 1998
!scope="row"|Western US tour
|-
|rowspan="1"|Apr 10-May 2, 1998
!scope="row"|Eastern US tour
|-
|rowspan="1"|May 9–20, 1998
!scope="row"|European tour
|-
|rowspan="1"|May 20, 1998
!scope="row"|Live session with VPRO
|-
|rowspan="1"|Aug 3, 1998
!scope="row"|Band breaks up
|-
|rowspan="1"|Oct 20, 1998
!scope="row"|Release of "Lepidoptera"/"Leper" 10-inch
|-
|rowspan="1"|Summer 1999
!scope="row"|Matt and Bubba Kadane form The New Year and go on to release four full-length albums as of 2017
|-
|rowspan="1"|Apr 25, 2000
!scope="row"|release of Macha Loved Bedhead CDEP
|-
|rowspan="1"|2012
!scope="row"|Formation of Overseas, who released their debut (and only album) in 2013
|-
|rowspan="1"|Nov 11, 2014
!scope="row"|release of BEDHEAD 1992-1998 box set
|-
|rowspan="1"|Apr 18, 2015
!scope="row"|release of Live In Chicago LP/CD
|-
|rowspan="1"|Feb 16, 2024
!scope="row"|release of "Atmosphere/Disorder" (split 7" of Joy Division covers with Codeine)
|}
Musical style and influences
Bedhead's music was generally subdued, with a polyphonic sound based on the interlocking of single-line melodies played by three electric guitars and one electric bass guitar (often played with a capo), nearly always using clean (undistorted) tones, prompting comparisons to the Velvet Underground. In reality, many of the group's songs only begin slowly before building in speed, intensity, and volume. Bedhead also experimented with time signatures less commonly used in rock music, by playing some songs in 7/8 or 5/4 meter.
Members
- Matt Kadane – guitar, vocals
- Bubba Kadane – guitar, vocals
- Tench Coxe – guitar
- Kris Wheat – bass guitar
- Trini Martinez – drums
Discography
Studio albums
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
! Year
! scope="col" rowspan="1" style="width:11em" | Album title
! scope="col" rowspan="1" style="width:15em" | Release details
|-
|1994
!
|
- Released: April 4, 1994
- Label: Trance Syndicate
- Format: LP, CD, CS, DL
|-
|1996
!
|
- Released: June 18, 1996
- Label: Trance Syndicate
- Format: LP, CD, DL
|-
|1998
!
|
- Released: Feb 10, 1998
- Label: Trance Syndicate
- Format: LP, CD, DL
|}
Singles
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:left;"
! scope="col" rowspan="1" style="width:2.5em;" | Year
! scope="col" rowspan="1" | Title
! scope="col" rowspan="1" | Format and notes
! scope="col" rowspan="1" | Label + release date
|-
|rowspan="1"|1992
!scope="row"|"Bedside Table/Living Well"
|rowspan="1"| 7", 1000 copies ||rowspan="1"| Direct Hit Records, May 1992
|-
|rowspan="1"|1993
!scope="row"|"The Rest of the Day/I'm Not Here"
|rowspan="1"| 7", 33 ⅓ RPM, 2000 copies ||rowspan="1"| Direct Hit Records, Dec 1993
|-
|rowspan="1"|1998
!scope="row"|"Lepidoptera/Leper"
|rowspan="1"| 10"
|Trance Syndicate, Oct 20, 1998
|-
|rowspan="1"|2024
!scope="row"|"Atmosphere/Disorder"
|rowspan="1"| split 7" of Joy Division covers with Codeine
|Numero Group, Feb 16, 2024
|-
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EPs
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
! Year
! scope="col" rowspan="1" style="width:12em" | Album title
! scope="col" rowspan="1" style="width:18em" | Release details
|-
|1994
!
|
- Released: October 25, 1994
- Label: Trance Syndicate
- Format: CD, CS, one-sided 12" 33 ⅓ RPM (12": Nov 4, 1997)
|-
|1996
!
|
- Released: Feb 20, 1996
- Label: Trance Syndicate
- Format: 10", CD
|-
|2000
!
|
- Released: April 25, 2000
- Label: Jetset Records
- Format: CD
|-
|}
Compilations
- 2014: 1992–1998 <small>(5 LP/4 CD/DL box set)</small> (Numero Group, Nov 11, 2014)
Live albums
- 2015: Live 1998 (Record Store Day LP edition titled Live In Chicago) (Numero Group, LP: Apr 18, 2015; CD & DL: Apr 28, 2015)
Unreleased
- 1995: Untitled Collection of Jazz Standards (Leaning House)