The Need

The Need is an American queercore band formed by singer/drummer Rachel Carns and guitarist Radio Sloan in Portland, Oregon in the mid-1990s. After issuing a series of seven-inches on labels including Kill Rock Stars and Outpunk, The Need relocated to Olympia, Washington and released two albums for Chainsaw Records. The duo's unsettling brand of post-punk art rock (combined with Carns' distinctive artwork) would set them apart and ensure their versatility. During the band's initial run, they played shows with such diverse acts as Tribe 8, Fugazi, The Ex and Bright Eyes, and toured with Le Tigre, BS 2000 and Blonde Redhead. Their third album, The Transfused, acted as a soundtrack to the rock opera of the same name. The Need dissolved in 2001, with Carns and Sloan shifting their focus to other projects. After briefly reuniting for benefit shows in 2010, The Need reformed for a second time in 2013 and released the album Resurrection.

Background

Rachel Carns formed Kicking Giant with fellow Cooper Union student Tae Won Yu in 1990. Based in New York, the pair recorded songs on Yu's 4-track and released a number of homemade cassettes. Through the network of underground fanzines and tape trading circles, Kicking Giant were introduced to the riot grrrl movement, which merged DIY culture and feminism. After performing at the International Pop Underground Convention in Olympia, Washington, the energy of the burgeoning Pacific Northwest punk scene proved infectious and both members were ready to leave New York. The duo parted ways temporarily in 1992 when Yu moved to Olympia and Carns to Washington, D.C. (where she briefly joined Slant 6 as drummer) before moving to Olympia to rejoin Yu and Kicking Giant. During the next three years Carns also performed and recorded with The Fakes, Sue P. Fox, The Pet Stains and Witchypoo. Kicking Giant issued their final album on K Records in 1994 before breaking up the following year.

MercyMe

MercyMe is an American contemporary Christian music band founded in Greenville, Texas. The band consists of vocalist Bart Millard, keyboardist James Bryson, percussionist Robby Shaffer, bassist Nathan Cochran and guitarists Michael Scheuchzer and Barry Graul.

The band formed in 1994 and released six independent albums prior to signing with INO Records in 2001. The group first gained mainstream recognition with the crossover single, "I Can Only Imagine" which elevated their debut album, Almost There, to double platinum certification. Since then, the group has released six additional studio albums (four of which have been certified gold) and a greatest hits album, 10. The group has also had 13 consecutive top 5 singles on the Billboard Christian Songs chart, with 7 of them reaching No. 1. MercyMe has won 8 Dove Awards and has had numerous Grammy Award nominations. On April 8, 2014, the band released its eighth studio album titled Welcome to the New.

History

Formation and early years