Dumb and the Ugly were an Australian avant-garde metal band. Murphy and Sheridan had worked together in previous bands, generally working behind Ollie Olsen.
Dumb and the Ugly released a 12"EP (1990), a 7" single, "Blue Monk" / "Lazy 8" (1991), and a studio album on CD, Atmospheres of Metal (1992), all on the Dr Jim's label. The album includes guest musicians, Mia Stone, Jason Vassallo and Olsen.
In a 2002 interview, Murphy recalled his time in Dumb and the Ugly, they were "a 3-piece outfit in which I played drums and some samples. This was formed with some very old friends from my teenage years who also played with other acts. This act was in the style of Sonic Youth meets Hendrix and Chrome/Helios Creed."