The dB's
American alternative rock and power pop group.
The dB's are an American alternative rock and power pop group formed in New York City in 1978. Their debut album, Stands for Decibels, is regarded as a notable lost power pop album of the 1980s. The band consists of Peter Holsapple, Chris Stamey, Will Rigby, and Gene Holder, all originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Quick Facts
- Years active
- 1978–1988, 2005–present
- Origin
- New York City
- Genre
- Jangle pop
- power pop
- college rock
- indie rock
- Label
- Albion
- Bearsville
- I.R.S.
- Rhino
- Monkey Hill
- Bar/None
- Propeller Sound Recordings
- Current members
- Peter Holsapple
- Chris Stamey
- Will Rigby
- Gene Holder
- Past members
- Rick Wagner
- Jeff Beninato
- Eric Peterson
Facts from the source article.
History
In 1977, Chris Stamey played bass with Alex Chilton in New York and cut a single with Television's Richard Lloyd. That single, backed with a track featuring Rigby and Holder, came out in 1978 under the name Chris Stamey and the dB's. Peter Holsapple moved from North Carolina and joined the band in October 1978. Their single "Black and White" appeared on Shake Records in 1980. The British label Albion Records put out their first album, Stands for Decibels, in January 1981. Critics loved it, but it didn't sell much. Trouser Press noted the band borrowed from 1960s pop and psychedelia and 1970s acts like Big Star, but Stamey and Holsapple's songs were too original to be mere copies. Holsapple wrote straightforward tunes like "Big Brown Eyes" and "Bad Reputation," while Stamey's "Espionage" and "Tearjerkin'" leaned more experimental and quirky. A second album, Repercussion, followed on Albion in 1981, along with the single "Judy." Both albums later got reissued together on one CD. Stamey left after the second album to work as a solo artist and producer. The remaining members recorded Like This, released in 1984. They signed with Bearsville Records in the US, but distribution snags delayed the album, and Bearsville went under that same year. Rick Wagner came in on bass, and Holder switched to lead guitar.
Other projects
After the dB's split, Peter Holsapple became a sideman, spending four years as a full-time auxiliary guitarist and keyboardist for R.E.M., starting with the Green tour and lasting through the Out of Time album. He then toured with Hootie and the Blowfish and later joined the Continental Drifters. His solo albums are Out of My Way (1997), Game Day (2018), and The Face of 68 (2025). Chris Stamey has put out six solo records and worked as a producer. In 1985, Coyote Records released the Christmas Time mini-album, credited to the Chris Stamey Group with Special Guests the dB's; it was expanded in 1993 and again in 2006. Will Rigby drummed for Steve Earle and others, while Gene Holder kept recording and producing. In 1991, Stamey and Holsapple reunited as a duo, not under the dB's name, to make the album Mavericks.
Reunion
The dB's classic lineup got back together in 2005 for four shows, two in Chicago and two in Hoboken. That same year, they cut a cover of "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" to raise money for the New Orleans Musicians' Relief Fund. They played New York's Bowery Ballroom in January 2007 and Cat's Cradle in North Carolina the following month. In March 2012, Holsapple, Stamey, Rigby, and Mitch Easter (filling in for Holder) took the stage at South by Southwest. Their album Falling Off the Sky came out in June 2012 on Bar/None Records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What genre of music does The dB's play?
The dB's's music is classified as Jangle pop, power pop, college rock and indie rock.
Which record labels has The dB's released music on?
The dB's has released music on Albion, Bearsville, I.R.S., Rhino, Monkey Hill, Bar/None and others.
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