Punkabilly/garage rockers
the Bad Checks formed in 1980 in Raleigh/Durham, NC. The founders, brothers
Robin and
Clifton Mann (guitar and bass, respectively), are the only two members who have hung on for the entire ride. The group released
I'm Paranoid, its first single, in 1982 on Loretta Records -- the band's own label.
Hunter Landen of
"Crash" Landen & the Kamikazes joined the group soon after as frontman and played his first show with
the Bad Checks in 1984. A year later,
the Bad Checks released
Graveyard Tramp and took to the road, performing with punk powerhouses like
the Dead Kennedys,
Suicidal Tendencies,
Sonic Youth, and
the Replacements. The band has gone through more drummers than
Spinal Tap and has released a number of albums over the decades. The group's most recent LP,
High Dollar, was released on Yep Roc Records in 1998 and is pure garage punk tinged with blues.
–
Megan Frye, Rovi