Dream Syndicate are at the foundation (alongside
the Velvet Underground,
the Stooges, and
R.E.M.) of contemporary alternative music simply because at the time when most bands were experimenting with new technology,
the Syndicate deigned to bring back the guitar. Fronted by
Steve Wynn (b. Feb. 21, 1960) and including
Karl Precoda (guitar),
Dennis Duck (drums), and
Kendra Smith (bass), the band formed in Los Angeles after
Smith and
Wynn had relocated there from Davis, CA. They debuted with a self-titled, unbelievably
Velvet Underground-like EP on
Wynn's own Down There label. It was shortly off to Ruby/Slash for
Days of Wine and Roses, the most lauded record on the college charts that year. The record has been cited as influential from artists as diverse as
Kurt Cobain to
the Black Crowes' Chris Robinson. Live, they had developed into an assaultive guitar band prone to jamming, which helped earn them the tag as leaders of L.A.'s paisley underground movement.
Released in 1984,
Medicine Show was met with mixed response by the college crowd. By this time,
Smith had left the band and was replaced by
Dave Provost on bass and
Tom Zvoncheck on keyboards.
Wynn took his cues from
Neil Young & Crazy Horse on the record rather than
Lou Reed (who was considered a preferable source at the time), and the rootsier sound caused a backlash with the fan base. As the band label-hopped, a new lineup and falling morale spawned
Out of the Grey (Big Time) in 1986 and the
Elliot Mazer-produced
Ghost Stories (Enigma) in 1988. The band had realigned to include
Mark Walton on bass and
Paul B. Cutler on guitar. They recorded
Live at Raji's in 1989 as their swan song.
Wynn has since recorded albums as a leader and with
Gutterball (featuring the
House of Freaks and
Silo Bob Rupe) and is continuously collaborating with other musicians. His 1996 solo record had him backed by the Boston band
Come.
Smith went on to work in
Opal with
David Roback, a prototype version of his
Mazzy Star, and has since recorded solo albums as well. After a long hiatus from music,
Karl Precoda reappeared in 1997 fronting
the Last Days of May, a neo-psychedelic instrumental trio.
Duck continued to work with
Wynn as a touring drummer and bassist
Mark Walton played with
the Continental Drifters. A documentary of
Dream Syndicate's last tour, Weathered and Torn, has been released on DVD.
–
Denise Sullivan, Rovi