Moondog

• Formed: 1989, New York, NY
• Genres: Rock

Biography

In the spring of 1989, between the time he left Gorilla Biscuits and started Quicksand, guitarist Walter Schreifels started the short-lived New York hardcore act Moondog, named for a favorite (but also short-lived) local vegetarian hot dog stand. Basically, now that he had graduated from high school, Schreifels wanted to sing for a band and write about new experiences aside from just the normal scene topics he wrote about for Gorilla Biscuits. He had laid down some vocal demos for the Biscuits album Start Today as a guide for his bandmates, since they were still finishing up recording when he left for a spell in 1988 to tour Europe with Youth of Today. Schreifels was inspired by how great it felt to actually sing the words he had written; further encouraged by friends who had heard the demo, he decided the time was right to start something on the side. So, he quickly wrote some songs and hit the studio, handling the vocal, guitar, and bass parts himself, while fellow Biscuit Luke Abbey played drums.

Moondog contributed the song "Expression" to a local compilation, Look at All the Children Now, while the duo got together some friends for a show. With Schreifels on vocals and Abbey now on bass, they recruited guitarist Tom Capone, drummer Armand Majidi (of Sick of It All fame), and second guitarist Howie to round Moondog out for their first (and only) gig at CBGB's. But once everyone started playing together, Schreifels decided he didn't like the name Moondog, thus birthing Quicksand. The lineup (and sound) changed for Quicksand as well, Schreifels and Capone ultimately being completed by drummer Alan Cage and bassist Sergio Vega. Thus, the seven-song Moondog demo was never properly released (though it was sufficiently bootlegged) until Schreifels gave Anthology Recordings permission in the fall of 2006 to finally issue the songs digitally. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide