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Cardiacs

This article is about the English rock band. For other uses, see Cardiac arrest (disambiguation).

Cardiacs
A composite image of the band onstage
Cardiacs live at Reading Rock Festival 1986
Background information
OriginKingston upon Thames, England
Genres
DiscographyCardiacs discography
Years active
  • 1977–2008[a]
  • 2024–present
Labels
Spinoffs
Members
Past members
Websitecardiacs.net

Cardiacs[b] are an English rock band formed in Kingston upon Thames by Tim Smith (guitar and lead vocals) and his brother Jim (bass, backing vocals) in 1977 under the name Cardiac Arrest.[c] One of Britain's leading cult rock bands, Cardiacs' sound folded in genres including art rock, progressive rock, art punk, post-punk, jazz, psychedelia and heavy metal (as well as elements of circus, baroque pop, medieval music, nursery rhymes and sea shanties), all of which was topped by Smith's anarchic vocals and hard-to-decipher lyrics.[10][17] The band's theatrical performance style often incorporated off-putting costumes and make-up, complete with on-stage confrontations. Their bizarre sound and image made them unpopular with the press, but they amassed a devoted following.

Tim Smith was the primary lyricist, noted for his complex and innovative compositional style. He and his brother were the only constant members in the band's regularly changing lineup.[16] The band created their own indie label, the Alphabet Business Concern, in 1984 and found mainstream exposure with the single "Is This the Life?" from their debut album A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window (1988). Their second album, On Land and in the Sea (1989), was followed by Heaven Born and Ever Bright (1992), which displayed a harder edged, metal-leaning sound retained in the subsequent albums Sing to God (1996) and Guns (1999).[18] The final Cardiacs album, LSD, was left unfinished after Tim Smith was hospitalised with dystonia resulting from a cardiac arrest and stroke in 2008, which caused the band to go on hiatus indefinitely.

Smith's illness brought increased and belated critical recognition to Cardiacs, with several music outlets calling Sing to God a masterpiece.[d] His death in 2020 saw a raft of tributes on social media. Many rock groups including Blur were influenced by Cardiacs' eclectic music, which appeared on streaming services in 2021. Alternately billed as "Cardiacs", "The Cardiacs", and "Cardiacs Family & Friends", Cardiacs members "past, present, and future" performed the music of Tim Smith at several sold-out gigs in 2024.[19]

  1. ^ Dalton, Stephen. "Album Reviews - Heaven Born and Ever Bright". NME. Archived from the original on 9 May 2008. Retrieved 10 March 2023 – via Cardiacs.com. Tim Smith's mental art-rock project still churn out their unique brand of turbo-charged whimsy with scarily psychotic gusto.
  2. ^ a b "80's Psych Rock Legends To Play Full UK Tour". Uncut. 24 October 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference roughguide was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Bendel, Graham (4 May 2010). "Why A Heart Attack Must Not Arrest The Cardiacs". The Quietus. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  5. ^ Mr. Spencer (20 April 2011). "The Cardiacs - an epic overview by Mr. Spencer with help from Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon and Captain Sensible". Louder Than War. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference pse-garage was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cashmore, Pete (2 June 2015). "Cult heroes: Tim Smith led the Cardiacs in the face of hatred – and much love". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 June 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  8. ^ Barton, Mark (10 December 2015). "Re-issue Of The Year - The Cardiacs - The Seaside". God Is in the TV. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  9. ^ Reilly, Nick (22 July 2020). "The Cardiacs' Tim Smith has died at the age of 59". NME. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  10. ^ a b Kaufman, Gil (22 July 2020). "Tim Smith Dead: The Cardiacs Singer Dies". Billboard. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  11. ^ Demalon, Tom. "Cardiacs Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  12. ^ a b Sacher, Andrew (22 July 2020). "Cardiacs' Tim Smith, RIP". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  13. ^ Sgrignoli, Marco (20 July 2022). "Cardiacs - biografia, recensioni, streaming, discografia, foto". Ondarock (in Italian). Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  14. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (22 July 2020). "Tim Smith, frontman of cult band Cardiacs, dies aged 59". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  15. ^ Mark, Alvin (22 July 2020). "Tim Smith, the Cardiacs frontman, dies at 59". Music Times. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  16. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference quietustimsmithdead was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ Sacher, Andrew (23 July 2020). "The Essentiality of Cardiacs' 'A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window'". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  18. ^ Rowlands, Marc (10 January 2018). "Members Of Faith No More, Voivod And Napalm Death Join Fundraiser For Cardiacs Vocalist". Kerrang!. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  19. ^ tinysiren2002 (17 May 2024). "Sing To Tim – The Smith & Drake Ensemble/Crayola Lectern/Spratleys/Cardiacs & Friends – Garage, London & Brudenell, Leeds 4-6 May 2024 - Joyzine". joyzine.org. Retrieved 19 June 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)


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