Birth name Anthony Joseph Genaro Role Musician · jacktalcum.com | Name Joseph Genaro Years active 1983–present | |
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Also known as Joe Jack Talcum, Jack Talcum, Jasper Thread, Butterfly Fairweather, Butterfly Joe, Jonk Provuc Labels Fever Records, Restless Records, Enigma Records, Hollywood Records, Chunksaah Records, Schuylkill Records, Fistolo Records Albums Photographs From the Shoebox, Big Lizard in My Backyard, Beelzebubba, Metaphysical Graffiti, Bucky Fellini | ||
Anthony Joseph "Joe" Genaro (born October 15, 1962 in Wagontown, Pennsylvania) is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the guitarist and co-lead vocalist for the punk rock group The Dead Milkmen. Residing in Philadelphia, Genaro has performed with a number of punk and indie rock groups, most recently including The Low Budgets, and is also a solo artist.
Contents
- With the Dead Milkmen 19831995
- As a solo artist 1984present
- Other projects 1987present
- Dead Milkmen reformation 2004 2008present
- Discography
- References
With the Dead Milkmen (1983–1995)
The Dead Milkmen properly formed 1983, evolving out of a home-recording project with a mythological back story that Genaro had begun in 1979. The members of the group regularly employed pseudonyms, and Genaro most frequently called himself "Joe Jack Talcum" (stemming from the character of Jack Talcum that Genaro had imagined as the leader of the band in their mythology) in the context of the group, although he also used the pseudonyms "Butterfly Fairweather" and "Jasper Thread" on certain records.
The band's debut LP, Big Lizard in My Backyard, was released in 1985, and their initial twelve-year career saw some college radio and MTV success, notably surrounding singles "Bitchin' Camaro" (1986) and "Punk Rock Girl" (1988). Genaro acted as the group's guitarist, co-lead vocalist and co-songwriter, and occasionally played keyboards and piano. The band originally disbanded in 1995, regrouping in 2008.
As a solo artist (1984–present)
Genaro has consistently recorded solo material since the early 1980s. Between 1984 and 1999, he self-released eight cassette tapes composed of home recorded songs. The four-piece group Butterfly Joe, named after one of Genaro's pseudonyms and featuring Dead Milkmen drummer Dean Sabatino, assembled to perform Genaro's solo material. They released a self-titled, full-length album on Razler Records in 1999, but went on indefinite hiatus shortly thereafter.
In 2005, the Virginia-based Valiant Death label released a CD of material from Genaro's cassettes, Home Recordings 1984–1997. Under the name Joe Jack Talcum, he released Photographs from the Shoebox, a split LP/CD with Mischief Brew, in 2008 on Fistolo Records. The next year, his Live in the Studio album was released on CD and digital download formats. This record featured Genaro backed by a drummer and slide guitar/banjo player. Genaro also frequently tours behind his solo material.
Other projects (1987–present)
Other groups with whom Genaro has played include Ornamental Wigwam (circa 1987, a two-piece with Dead Milkmen bassist Dave Schulthise), Touch Me Zoo (1990–1997), The Town Managers (1996–2000), The Fresh Breaths (2000), The Low Budgets (2000–2008), Ukebox (circa 2006) and No! Go! Tell! (2009). Generally a guitarist, Genaro has also played bass guitar (in the cases of the Town Managers and Ukebox) and organ (in the case of the Low Budgets) in these bands. He has also formed a large number of home recording-based groups, including Jiffy Squid (circa 1993), We're Not From Idaho (circa 1995), Sock (1993–1998) and The Cheesies (circa 2003–present).
Dead Milkmen reformation (2004, 2008–present)
After the 2004 death of Schulthise, the three surviving members of The Dead Milkmen reunited for two concerts, joined by Low Budgets bassist Dan Stevens. In 2008, the band properly reformed with Stevens as a full-time member, and began performing sporadic concerts and working on new material, resulting in the 2011 album The King in Yellow.