The Cucumbers are an American power pop band from New Jersey, founded in Hoboken in the early 1980s by husband-and-wife duo Jon Fried and Deena Shoshkes.[1]
The Cucumbers | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Hoboken, New Jersey |
| Genres | Power pop |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Labels | Profile Records, Fake Doom Records |
| Members | Jon Fried, Deena Shoshkes |
| Past members | Yuergen Renner, John Williams, Kurt Wrobel, Nels Johnson, Tom Dugan, Charles Hargrove, EdNo, Steve Villano, Al Houghton |
| Website | thecucumbers |
History edit
Fried and Shoshkes met in their freshman dorm at Brown University and first performed on campus, doing folk and jazz standards acoustically, two voices accompanied by Fried on guitar. They lived together and wrote songs together and, in the early 1980s, moved to Europe.[2] Their first song, "My Boyfriend", became a hit on the college radio charts, leading to national tours, a couple of videos on MTV, and reviews in Rolling Stone and People.[3][4][5] They have been the subject of profiles in the New York Times, specifically by Jon Pareles.[6][7] In the early 1990s, Shoshkes and three other musicians—Alice Genese, David Cogswell, and Frank Giannini—formed Over the Moon, an alternative rock group making music aimed at children. They released one eponymous album and performed at rock clubs, churches, and other locations in Hoboken and New York City.[8] According to Nj.com, "...with a second child on the way, lead singer Deena Shoshkes and guitarist Jon Fried moved from their musical roots of Hoboken to Millburn. A suburban house gave them more room to raise their new family. Although the Cucumbers stepped out from the limelight of the Jersey scene they had been part for many years, they never stopped making music."[9] They have received praise from music critic Robert Christgau.[10]
Discography edit
Albums edit
- Who Betrays Me...And Other Happier Songs (1985) - Fake Doom Records
- The Cucumbers (1987) - Profile Records
- Where We Sleep Tonight (1994) - Zero Hour Records
- Total Vegitility (1999) - Home Office Records
- All Things to You (2004) - Fictitious Records[11]
- The Fake Doom Years (2016) - Life Force Records
- The Desk Drawer Tapes (2021) - Life Force Records
Extended plays edit
- The Cucumbers (1983) - Fake Doom Records
- All Shook Up (1986) - Fake Doom Records
References edit
- ^ Bush, John. "The Cucumbers - biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
- ^ Popson, Tom. "SLICES OF LIFE WITH HOBOKEN'S CUCUMBERS". Chicagotribune.com.
- ^ "Cool As the Cucumbers". Billboard. 11 June 1994. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
- ^ Robbins, Ira A. (1985). The Rolling Stone Review: 1985. Rolling Stone Press. ISBN 9780684183336. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
The Cucumbers' unpretentious boy/girl bop is as fresh as it is irresistible.
- ^ "Picks and Pans Review: The Cucumbers". People Magazine. 1 February 1988. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (December 30, 1987). "Pop: The Cucumbers, Group From Hoboken" – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (February 18, 1984). "Pop: Cucumbers of Hoboken" – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ McCormick, Moira (20 June 1992). "Rocking the Cradle". Billboard. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
- ^ blogger, Brendan Harte Gilsenan / NJ com (June 6, 2011). "Jersey Impact: The Cucumbers". Nj.com.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide: The Cucumbers". Retrieved 19 March 2013.
- ^ "Cucumbers". Trouserpress.com.