Magnapop

Magnapop are a rock band based in Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 1990, the band has consistently included Linda Hopper as vocalist and Ruthie Morris on guitar. The lineup now comprises Hopper, Morris, bassist Scott Rowe and drummer Chad Williams.

History

The band originally played under the name Homemade Sister and later Swell before finally settling on the name Magnapop. The band's original line up included bassist Tim Lee (The Wind Breakers, Tim Lee Three) and drummer David McNair (Oh-Ok, Billy James, The Indicators, The True Levellers). The band's first single ("Merry" b/w "Rip the Wreck" and released as Homemade Sister) was played frequently on Atlanta college radio stations, WREK and WRAS during the early 1990s. The band played frequently in Atlanta at such music venues as The Masquerade, The Point, and Variety Playhouse. Their first high-profile show was at the 1991 New York New Music Seminar along with three other bands that were introduced by Michael Stipe.

Their self-titled first album was produced by Michael Stipe of R.E.M. as a demo in 1990, to be released on Caroline Records two years later, and re-released by Play It Again Sam Records. They followed it up with Hot Boxing (produced by Bob Mould) in 1994 and Rubbing Doesn't Help in 1996, before their record label folded. In the meantime, bassist Shannon Mulvaney left the group. The band supported R.E.M. on their 1995 world tour.

On January 25, 2005, a re-formed Magnapop released Mouthfeel on the Amy Ray's record label Daemon Records and, in Europe, on DevilDuck Records. Their biggest singles to date are "Slowly, Slowly", "Lay It Down" and "Open the Door."

In May 2006, Magnapop completed a successful tour of Belgium and the Netherlands, and returned to Atlanta to begin work on the followup to Mouthfeel. Rumour has it that the recordings have been completed but a release / tour will have to wait until 2009.

Notable covers and tributes

"Open the Door" has been covered by Eels, and their song "Favorite Writer" was covered by R.E.M. on their Bad Day single in 2003.

Juliana Hatfield wrote "Ruthless" in honor of the band's guitarist after touring with them in 1996 ("We're all gushin', but I swear we really mean it, man/We're all sucking up to Ruthie.")

Discography

Albums

Title	Year	Label	Notes
Magnapop	1992	Caroline Records	Produced by Michael Stipe
Hot Boxing	1994	Play It Again Sam Records/Priority Records	Produced by Bob Mould, limited edition contains the bonus tracks Pretty Awful and Merry (Acoustic)
Rubbing Doesn't Help	1996	Play It Again Sam Records/Priority Records	Produced by Geza X, limited edition contains the bonus tracks Voice Without a Sound and Hold You Down (New Mix), import edition contains Cherry Bomb
Magnapop	1997	Play It Again Sam Records/Priority Records	Re-release of the original demo with four bonus tracks
Mouthfeel	2005	Daemon Records/DevilDuck Records

Singles and eps

Title	Year	Album	Notes
Merry/Rip the Wreck	1989	n/a	Released as Homemade Sister on Solid Records
Sugarland	1992	n/a	Tracks: Merry, Garden, Skinburns, and Snake
Kiss My Mouth	1993	n/a	Tracks: Texas (Demo), Lay It Down (Demo), Precious, and Nowhere
Slowly, Slowly	1994	Hot Boxing	B-sides: Song #1 (Fugazi cover), Here It Comes (Demo by Ted Nicely), and Puff
Lay It Down	1994	Hot Boxing	B-sides: The Crush (Demo); Slowly, Slowly (Demo); and Piece of Cake (Demo)
Fire All Your Guns at Once	1996	n/a	Tracks: Come on Inside (Longer Version), Hold You Down, Voice Without a Sound, and Down on Me
Open the Door	1996	Rubbing Doesn't Help	B-sides: True Love and Re-Hab
This Family	1996	Rubbing Doesn't Help	Includes a remix of the title track
Big Bright Cherry	1996	n/a	Tracks: Puff; Slowly, Slowly; Slowly, Slowly (Demo); The Crush; Here It Comes; and Merry (Acoustic)

Compilations

Title	Year	Track
Here No Evil - A Tribute to the Monkees	1992	Pleasant Valley Sunday
Delicacy & Nourishment - Lyrics by Ernest Noyes Brookings Vol. 3	1992	Ear (Demo)
Outlaw Blues Volume Two - A Tribute to Bob Dylan	1993	Every Grain of Sand
Mouth Watering Good Music	1994	Texas
Indie Top 20 - Volume 19	1994	Slowly, Slowly
Do Something	1994	Slowly, Slowly
The-You-Have-No-Alternative + It's A Priority Sampler	1995	Skinburns
Mad Love - The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack	1995	Slowly, Slowly
Step Right Up - The Songs of Tom Waits	1995	Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis
Bio-Dome - The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack	1996	Come on Inside
Priority Records 1996 Rock Retail Sampler	1996	Juicy Fruit
Select Trax - Vol. 6	1996	Open the Door
Certain Damage - Volume 72	1996	Come on Inside
New Music Monthly - Volume 34 - June 1996	1996	Open the Door
Turn It Up & Pass It On - Volume 7	1996	Open the Door
Five Ring Circus - 29 Bands from Athens, Georgia	1996	Voice Without a Sound
Five Ring Circus	1996	Voice Without a Sound
The Great Summer Pop Sampler	1996	Cherry Bomb
huH cd 22	1996	Hold You Down
Pet Sounds, Vol. 1	1999	Cherry Bomb
Crime & Punishment in Suburbia - Original United Artists Motion Picture Soundtrack	2000	This Family