Whirlwind Heat

From Free net encyclopedia

Whirlwind Heat are a three-piece band from the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The band's name originates from the cover art done by Raymond Pettibon for Sonic Youth's 1990 release Goo. Although they are avid genre-hoppers, they are often categorized as alternative rock.

The band was formed in 1996 by Moog synthesizer-player/vocalist David Swanson, bassist Steve Damstra, and drummer Brad Holland, all sixteen years old at the time. They played their first show on St. Patrick's Day 1997. In 1999 the group was joined by guitarist Jason Eberspeaker and released a 45, continuing to play gigs around Michigan.

One such gig was attended by Jack White of the White Stripes, who offered to record them. On June 20, 2000, the same day as the release of the White Stripes' album De Stijl, Whirlwind Heat recorded a handful of songs in White's attic studio. A single entitled "Glaxefusion" was released on Italy Records soon after, as well as a track on White's 2001 compilation Sympathetic Sounds of Detroit, released by Sympathy Records.

Eberspeaker soon left the band to follow a career in fine arts. In August of 2002, over a brief four-day period, the remaining trio recorded what would be the debut album not only for the band, but for White's label collaboration with V2 Records, Third Man Records. (White also produced the album.) The album Do Rabbits Wonder? was released on V2 Records on April 15, 2003.

In 2004 the band released a short EP entitled "Flamingo Honey", written and recorded in five hours. The EP features ten songs, all exactly one minute in length.

The band's second full-length album "Types of Wood" is expected for release sometime this year and, like "Do Rabbits Wonder?", will feature photos from noted fashion photographer Terry Richardson.