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295:", stating that the band "combines the complexity of art rock, the sledgehammer forcefulness of punk, brooding melodies and countless hours of toil into one of the city's most distinctive sounds", describing their music as "a roller-coaster ride of jarring guitar riffs and blaring free jazz saxophone, abruptly changing time signatures and dramatic, dynamic shifts".
331:
writer Zac Crain summed up the difficulty in categorizing the band: "In fact, there is no way to properly describe Sweep the Leg Johnny without completely missing the point, without chiseling away at the
Chicago-based band until it neatly fits into a category that is comfortable and familiar. And
247:, released in 2002. The album featured re-recordings of older songs as well as new material. The debut Check Engine album, meanwhile, was released in January 2002. The band played over 725 shows during their original time together.
198:, where they played together in Check Engine between 1993 and 1994. The two relocated to Chicago after graduating, where they recruited drummer Scott Anna and bass guitarist Matt Alicea, forming Sweep the Leg Johnny.
30:
301:
described them as "the only band in
America that can make a saxophone sound like it belongs in the middle of intimidating post-punk guitars and apocalyptic vocals". The
266:. Mitch Cheney is in a project called GREENESS. Sweep the Leg Johnny also reformed for a benefit gig in Chicago near the end of 2005. Sostak subsequently relocated to
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described the band's music as "a jazz-laden style of indie rock that featured plenty of mathy twists and turns". Reviewing
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Sweep the Leg Johnny combined elements of a number of styles and genres into a sound that was not easily categorized.
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After the band split up, Steve Sostak and John Brady also played in the band ZZZZ, which released one album in 2005,
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240:) which followed later that year. The band again went on hiatus as Stosak and Daly concentrated on Check Engine.
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Their first releases were a split single with
Streganona and the "New Buffalo" single, released on Divot Records.
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described their sound as a combination of "dissonant rock, progressive music, jazz, noise and punk", while the
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on Divot
Records. Following this, Matt Alicea left and was replaced by John Brady, formerly of Spanakorzo and
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232:. Stosak and Daly re-formed Check Engine in 2000 but returned to Sweep the Leg Johnny with their third album
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Anderson viewed their music as falling "somewhere between the dry, academic precision of 1980s
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Guitarist Mitch Cheney of Rumah Sakit joined the band in 2001, appearing on their final album
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395:"Walking Home On The Emergency Bed" (1998), Tree - split 7-inch with A Minor Forest
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405:(2002) - 7-inch EP also featuring Biddy Biddy Biddy, Casket Lottery, and Trocar
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398:"Synchronicity I" (2002), Makoto Recordings - split 7-inch with Haymarket Riot
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and vocalist Steve Sostak and guitarist Chris Daly met while attending the
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band formed in 1996. The name is a reference to a line in the film
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386:"Similarities" (1995), The Estate - split 7-inch with Streganona
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Vocalist Steve Sostak died in
February 2023, at the age of 49.
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666:, October 18-24, 2001. Retrieved January 26, 2014
617:"Sweep The Leg Johnny's Steve Sostak Dead At 49"
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35:STLJ live in Champaign-Urbana in the early 2000s
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254:. Chris Daly joined a group with members of
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685:, June 28, 2006. Retrieved January 26, 2014
262:called Just A Fire, and currently plays in
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495:Sweep the Leg Johnny: Sto Cazzo!
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478:Sweep the Leg Johnny Biography
270:where he worked as a teacher.
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705:. Retrieved January 26, 2014
619:. Stereogum. 7 February 2023
501:. Retrieved January 26, 2014
484:. Retrieved January 26, 2014
1135:Musical groups from Chicago
697:Tomorrow We Will Run Faster
656:Shepherd, Julianne (2001) "
353:Tomorrow We Will Run Faster
309:Tomorrow We Will Run Faster
236:(the title an obscenity in
218:Tomorrow We Will Run Faster
212:. The band then signed to
204:In 1997, the band released
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557:Check Engine: self-titled
401:"Transit Must Suffer" on
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555:Thompson, Jason (2002) "
513:McKeough, Kevin (2001) "
196:University of Notre Dame
637:Franklin, Greg (2000) "
291:described the band as "
216:for their second album
535:Reid, Brendan (2002) "
515:Sweep the Leg on a run
368:Live September 9, 2000
41:Background information
537:Sweep the Leg Johnny
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727:Sweep the Leg Johnny
718:Sweep the Leg Johnny
426:Sweep the Leg Johnny
220:, released in 1999.
171:Sweep the Leg Johnny
23:Sweep the Leg Johnny
994:The Moment of Truth
808:The Next Karate Kid
539:Going Down Swingin'
447:. 31 December 2008.
424:Crain, Zac (1999) "
374:Going Down Swingin'
245:Going Down Swingin'
675:Gray, Guy (2006) "
226:Abbey Road Studios
16:American rock band
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476:Howell, Stephen "
175:experimental rock
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141:Past members
108:Years active
1035:Video games
972:Mike Barnes
952:John Kreese
911:(1989–1990)
842:Live-action
336:Discography
252:Palm Reader
222:Tomorrow...
156:Matt Alicea
78:jazz fusion
1124:Categories
1077:Crane kick
932:Mr. Miyagi
924:Characters
835:Television
824:Karate Kid
623:7 February
561:PopMatters
499:PopMatters
410:References
362:Sto Cazzo!
256:June of 44
234:Sto Cazzo!
210:Swing Kids
159:John Brady
153:Scott Anna
150:Chris Daly
73:noise rock
947:Ali Mills
850:Cobra Kai
644:The Pitch
347:4.9.21.30
206:4.9.21.30
112:1996–2000
98:Math Rock
1108:Category
900:Animated
862:Season 1
857:episodes
800:Part III
703:Allmusic
482:Allmusic
357:Southern
355:(1999),
332:wrong."
313:Allmusic
293:art-punk
283:Allmusic
127:Southern
88:art punk
54:Illinois
1070:Related
792:Part II
731:Discogs
722:Myspace
381:Singles
238:Italian
187:History
50:Chicago
1062:(2020)
1054:(1987)
1046:(1986)
962:Kumiko
827:(2025)
819:(2010)
811:(1994)
803:(1989)
795:(1986)
787:(1984)
699:Review
677:Yakuza
341:Albums
260:Hoover
230:London
117:Labels
61:Genres
56:, U.S.
46:Origin
986:Music
123:Divot
625:2023
598:ZZZZ
268:Peru
258:and
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
