{{Short description|American dark wave band}} {{More citations needed|date=October 2020}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Switchblade Symphony | image = Switchblade Symphony-Sinister Nostalgia.jpg | caption = | origin = San Francisco, California, U.S. | genre = {{Flatlist| * Dark wave * gothic rock<ref>{{cite web |author=Phares, Heather |title=Switchblade Symphony biography |url=http://AllMusic.com/artist/switchblade-symphony-p174979/biography |work=AllMusic |access-date=2012-05-06}}</ref> * symphonic rock * industrial rock}} | years_active = 1989–1999 | label = Cleopatra | website = | current_members = | past_members = Susan Wallace <br /> Tina Root <br /> Robin Jacobs <br /> George Earth <br /> Eric Gebow <br /> Scott van Shoick <br /> Justin Clayton }}
'''Switchblade Symphony''' was an American gothic rock band from San Francisco, California. Their music combined orchestral sounds with heavy synth sequences and ethereal vocals to create a union of classical music and gothic rock.
== History == Switchblade Symphony was formed in 1989 by composer Susan Wallace and vocalist Tina Root. The band's name refers to the cutting up elements of classical music to mix them with harder sounds.<ref name="interview">{{cite web |last=Porter |first=Alicia |url=http://www.darkwaver.com/eklectique/switchblade.html |title=Eklectique: An Interview with Switchblade Symphony|website=Darkwaver.com|accessdate=February 8, 2007}}</ref>
They released their first album in 1995 on the Cleopatra Records label. They also had two live guitarists, first Robin Jacobs (who later joined Razor Skyline) and then George Earth (most recently of Small Halo, also with Tina Root), and three live drummers, first Eric Gebow (now with Blue Man Group), Justin Clayton, and then Scott van Shoick. The band's second album, ''Bread and Jam for Frances'', was released in 1997.<ref name="Inc.1997">{{cite journal|author=Vicki Aubin|title=Short Circuits|journal=CMJ New Music Report|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oVDTEZdWha0C&pg=PA32|date=November 10, 1997|publisher=CMJ Network, Inc.|pages=32–|issn=0890-0795}}</ref> The album peaked at #119 on the CMJ Radio Top 200.<ref name="cmj-12-97">{{cite journal |last1=Helms |first1=Colin |title=CMJ Radio Top 200 |journal=CMJ New Music Report |date=December 22, 1997 |volume=52 |issue=550 |pages=5–6 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/CMJ/1997/CMJ-New-Music-Report-1997-12-22.pdf|access-date=December 12, 2021 |publisher=College Media, Inc. |location=Great Neck, NY |issn=0890-0795}}</ref> By April 1999, the band had sold 80,000 copies of both of their albums.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Reesman |first=Brian |date=April 1999 |title=The Scene Is Now: Darkwave |url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=SioEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA48 |magazine=CMJ New Music Monthly |pages=48-49 |issue=68 |issn=1074-6978}}</ref>
They released their third and final studio album, “The Three Calamities" in May 1999, also on Cleopatra.<ref>https://switchbladesymphony.bandcamp.com/album/the-three-calamities-2</ref>
Switchblade Symphony disbanded in November 1999. Subsequently, Tina Root started Tre Lux. In 2008, Tina Root and George Earth formed Small Halo, a band based out of Los Angeles, California.
Their song "Clown" was featured in the 1998 film ''Wicked'' starring Julia Stiles. Their song "Gutter Glitter" was also featured in an episode of ''The Boulet Brothers' Dragula''.
== Discography == === Albums and EPs === * ''Serpentine Gallery'' (1995) * ''Scrapbook'' (1997) (EP) (out of print) * ''Bread and Jam for Frances'' (1997)<ref name="Inc.1997" /> * ''The Three Calamities'' (1999) * ''Sinister Nostalgia'' (2001) (remixes) * ''Sweet, Little Witches'' (2003) (live performances and video track) * ''Serpentine Gallery Deluxe'' (2005) * ''Live in Los Angeles'' (2019) (live performance)
=== Singles === * "Clown" (1996) * "Drool" (1997)
=== Other === * ''Fable'' (1991) (out of print demo cassette) * ''Elegy'' (1992) (out of print demo cassette) * "Girlscout" (single) (recorded with Jack Off Jill) (1998)
=== Compilation albums === * ''From the Machine'', featured the song: "Mine Eyes" (Index Records, 1990) * ''Gothic Rock Volume 2: 80's Into 90's'' (1995) * ''Gothik'' (1995) (re-released in 2006) * ''Wired Injections'' (1996) * ''Gothic Divas Presents: Switchblade Symphony, Tre Lux, and New Skin'' (Cleopatra, 2006) * ''Psycho Tina's Hell House Of Horrors'', featured the song "Witches (Live)" (Cleopatra, ) * ''Burning From the Outside: Retail Slut'', featured the song "Clown (Razed In Black Vs. Transmutator Remix) " (Cleopatra, 2007) * ''The Devil's Songbook'', featured the song "Wicked" (2010) * ''Virgin Voices 2, A Tribute to Madonna'', featured the song "Lucky Star"<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Virgin-Voices-2-Tribute-Madonna/dp/B00004RJ1O |title=Amazon.com: Various Artists: Virgin Voices 2: Tribute to Madonna: Music |website=Amazon |access-date=September 15, 2017 |archive-date=July 11, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711221917/https://www.amazon.com/Virgin-Voices-2-Tribute-Madonna/dp/B00004RJ1O |url-status=dead}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * [http://www.trelux.com/ Tre Lux] – Tina Root's new band * [http://www.cleorecs.com/ Cleopatra Records] – Switchblade Symphony's record label
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Category:Rock music groups from California Category:Musical groups from San Francisco Category:Trip hop groups Category:American gothic rock groups Category:Female-fronted musical groups Category:Musical groups established in 1989 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1999 Category:1989 establishments in California