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Dead Tooth (band)

Dead Tooth
Dead Tooth performing in Brooklyn on February 2, 2025. Left to right: Taylor Mitchell, Michael Cohen, Zach James Ellis, John Stanesco, and James Duncan.
Dead Tooth performing in Brooklyn on February 2, 2025. Left to right: Taylor Mitchell, Michael Cohen, Zach James Ellis, John Stanesco, and James Duncan.
Background information
OriginQueens, New York
GenresPost-punk
Years active2018–present
Labels
  • Five Kill Records
  • Trash Casual Records
  • Greenway Records
Members
  • Zach James Ellis
  • John Stanesco
  • Taylor Mitchell
  • James Duncan
  • Michael Cohen
Past members
  • Andrew Bailey
  • Dylan DePice
  • Jason Smith
  • River Allen
  • Ethan Glenn
  • Mark Brickman
  • Ginno Tacsiat
  • Max Idas

Dead Tooth is an American post-punk rodeo core band based out of Queens, New York.

History

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The origins of Dead Tooth began in 2015 when frontman Zach James Ellis met guitarist Andrew Bailey of DIIV while they both worked at the same vegan diner in Brooklyn. The pair soon discovered that they shared similar musical styles and, after a few jam sessions, began performing and recording music together.[1]

The working moniker for the group was originally The Adventures of the Silver Spaceman, based on Ellis's solo work, but was rechristened as the newly formed Dead Tooth in March 2018.[2] This name was inspired by the aftermath of a bicycle accident that had caused damage to the tissue surrounding Ellis's front incisor and ultimately left his tooth lifeless; rather than have the tooth capped or dyed white, he chose to embrace the look and uses it as a point of connection to people with similar dental stories.[1][3]

The original lineup of Dead Tooth comprised Ellis (vocals), Bailey (guitar), Dylan DePice (drums), and Jason Smith (bass). The violinist River Allen aka Ghost Piss joined shortly after and the group released its first EP Still Beats through Five Kill Records in September 2018.[2] Allen left the group in 2019, but the lineup otherwise stayed largely the same until the COVID-19 pandemic, after which Bailey, DePice, and Smith gradually left for other ventures.[4]

Ellis met the saxophonist John Stanesco and guitarist Taylor Mitchell while working at a Kava bar in Brooklyn during the pandemic. Stanesco was asked to fill-in for Bailey on short notice, playing his guitar part on the saxophone instead, and started playing with the group regularly afterward. Mitchell was initially approached to perform as a stand-in for Bailey in wide shots of the music video to "Hot Summer" when he was unavaialbe to fly to New York for the shoot; Mitchell soon began playing lead guitar regularly as Bailey became less available. Around this time, Ellis also met the bassist James Duncan, who was a fan of Smith's bass playing, after performing a show. Stanesco, Mitchell, and Duncan all officially joined Dead Tooth in 2021. Ginno Tacsiat played the drums from 2020 to 2024, but had to leave due to other work commitments; he was succeeded as drummer by Michael Cohen, who has played with the group since 2024.[4] The group has also collaborated with the Brooklyn-based dancer Nola Sporn Smith on the music videos for "Hot Summer" (2021) and "Blind" (2022).[1][5]

Dead Tooth released their second EP Pig Pile in March 2022 through Trash Casual Records.[1][6] Later that month, they also played their first shows at the Savannah Stopover Music Festival and the South by Southwest music festival.[7][8] In January 2023, the band was listed by Spin magazine as one of "15 Artists to Watch" in the coming year.[9] In March–April 2023, they toured along the Eastern United States with the garage punk band Bass Drum of Death.[10][11]

Dead Tooth returned to the South by Southwest music festival in 2024; Clash magazine listed their performance as one of the 15 best acts from that year, remarking that they "stood out from the chasing pack by a country mile with their prime rock posing, lethal riffs, and soaked-to-the-brink-with-perspiration sense of post-punk deviance."[12] The band later toured Europe in November–December 2024, playing concerts in Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Switzerland, and Italy.[4][13]

Members

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Current members

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Former members

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Touring musicians

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Discography

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Extended plays

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Singles

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Ijumba, Ethan (February 8, 2022). "Dead Tooth chats about upcoming EP, new music & band's future". Variance. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  2. ^ a b Dembinsky, Ryan (December 21, 2018). "Dead Tooth's Zach James Explores "Still Beats" and New Beginnings". Post-Trash. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  3. ^ Peukert, Amanda (October 20, 2022). "Dead Tooth's New Single 'Sporty Boy' Is an Authentic Ode to Making Something Out of Nothing". Spin. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c "Music: Dead Tooth: Fermented Rodeo Core". Entertainment Now. November 4, 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  5. ^ Williams, Keegan (February 4, 2022). "Interview: Ahead of EP Release, Dead Tooth's Zach James Talks New Video, 'Blind'". New Noise Magazine. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  6. ^ Campbell, Erica (November 11, 2022). "Brooklyn post-punks Dead Tooth crash a DIY show in their new video for 'Sporty Boy'". NME. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  7. ^ "2022 Savannah Stopover Music Festival: Day 3". Savannah Morning News. March 13, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  8. ^ O'Connor, Andy (March 20, 2022). "SPIN at SXSW: The Lemonheads Reignite Austin With It's a Shame About Ray Performance". Spin. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  9. ^ "15 Artists to Watch in 2023". Spin. January 30, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  10. ^ DeSchutter, Bailey (December 18, 2022). "Bass Drum Of Death Announce North American Tour For 2023 In Support Of Forthcoming Album Say I Won't". MXDWN. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  11. ^ Peukert, Amanda (January 27, 2023). "Assembling the Whole Kit: Bass Drum of Death Founder John Barrett Surrenders to the Benefits and Beauty of Collaboration". Spin. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  12. ^ Murray, Robin (March 20, 2024). "SXSW 2024: The Best 15 Acts". Clash. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  13. ^ "Dead Tooth: "Being in a band turns your whole life into an art project"". Music for the Misfits. November 6, 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
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