The Sonics

The Sonics
The Sonics performing at the Double Door in Chicago on February 27, 2014. Left to right: Freddie Dennis, Rob Lind, Larry Parypa, Dusty Watson, Jerry Roslie
The Sonics performing at the Double Door in Chicago on February 27, 2014.
Left to right: Freddie Dennis, Rob Lind, Larry Parypa, Dusty Watson, Jerry Roslie
Background information
OriginTacoma, Washington, U.S.
Genres
Years active1960 (1960)–present
Labels
Members
Past members
  • Andy Parypa
  • Bob Bennett
  • Ricky Lynn Johnson
  • Don Wilhelm
  • Mitch Jaber
  • Stuart Turner
  • Jerry Parypa
  • Tony Mabin
  • Rich Koch
  • Marilyn Lodge
  • Bill Dean
  • Ray Michelsen
  • George Fencil-Wallace
  • Michael Gone
  • George Crowe
  • James Butsch
  • Suzie Kattayama
  • GoodTime Charlie Lewis

The Sonics are an American garage rock band from Tacoma, Washington, that formed in 1960.[1] Their aggressive, hard-edged sound has been a major influence on punk and garage music worldwide, and they have been named inspirations to the White Stripes, LCD Soundsystem, Nirvana, The Hives, and other musical artists.

The band performed several early rock standards such as "Louie, Louie", and "Skinny Minnie" as well as original compositions like "Strychnine", "Psycho", and "The Witch". Their catalogue is generally based around simple chord progressions, often performed with a speed and tonal aggression that was novel for the time, making the band a notable influence on later punk rock bands, such as the Stooges and the Cramps.

  1. ^ Mark Deming. "The Sonics | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-05-02.