Number One Cup was formed in ‘93 after guitarists Seth Cohen and Pat O’Connell and drummer Michael Lenzi met at a Stereolab/Unrest/Gastr Del Sol show in Chicago. Although Lenzi was a drumming neophyte, Cohen and O’Connell were won over by his instincts and brought him into the fold. Before long, the three found themselves splitting song writing and singing chores with exciting results. After a few acclaimed singles for Lenzi’s Sweet Pea label the band began working on their Flydaddy debut.
The resultant Possum Trot Plan, recorded with new addition John Przyborowski on bass, was a wonderfully off-the-cuff collection of pop gems.
The album’s single Divebomb was a bona-fide indie hit in England and received attention at both college and commercial radio in the states. Nonetheless, the band found itself saddled with Pavement comparisons that were only partially justified. Through the constant touring that followed the band began to carve out a more singular identity and vision for itself. The first sign that a change was in the offing came in the form of the Kim Chee Is Cabbage EP a year later. A slightly better produced effort that found the band toying with a bigger rock sound, adding muscle and angularity to their melodies. The move towards a fuller, more realized sound took hold on Wrecked By Lions; the band’s sophomore full-length produced by Brad Wood. Songs like Ease Back Down and the irrepressibly melodic Malcolm’s X-Ray Picnic provided evidence the band was coming into its own. |
