Before the White Stripes, the The Kills, or even Dos, Distorted Pony laid the underpinnings for the male/female rock duo, when, in 1986, a guitar wielding David U. collaborated with bass maestra Dora Jahr to lend their vision to the sagging LA underground.
One year and three drummers later, technology supplied what millions of years of evolution could not, a drummer in the form of a machine. The following months saw the addition of Theodore Jackson, augmenting the machine’s beats with rattling percussive stylings and Robert Hammer’s noise-laden guitar.
In 1990, vinyl had yet to become a nostalgic footnote, instead being used as a means of production for the release of the band’s first 7″ (Piece of Minds Records) and their follow up 12″ EP. „Work Makes Freedom“ (Bomp! Records).
The period between these two records was marked by Distorted Pony’s renewed faith in man and led to the arrival of London May (ex- Dag Nasty/Samhain), a drummer made of flesh and blood.
In January 1992, the band recorded their first long player with the help of the affable Steve Albini. The following spring saw the release of their wiredrawn „Punishment Room“ LP (Bomp!) followed by an extensive tour of the US.
Distorted Pony commenced 1993 with a harrowing, blizzard driven tour of the West Coast. By mid-year they were back in Chicago recording their second full-length album, with the same frolicsome Mr. Albini at the helm. Ill will, humidity and physical confrontations resulted in the recording of what is now considered a seminal documentation of noise-era alternative rock and roll.
The collective sentiment that Distorted Pony could never again match such intensity in the recorded form, combined with a shared malaise towards one another, saw 1993 culminating with the demise of Distorted Pony. In 1994, Instant Winner (Trance Syndicate) became the band’s posthumous swansong.
In 2010 the original line up reformed to again provide a sonic noise assault to all comers.
𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑃𝑜𝑛𝑦’𝑠 𝑏𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑔𝑢𝑛 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑢𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛, ℎ𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑔𝑢𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑔𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑠 𝑔𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑎𝑡𝑠 𝑓𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑠𝑎𝑦 “𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟’𝑠 𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑦 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑐ℎ”…..Portland Weekly