Cheer-Accident is an American indie rock ensemble headed by Thymme Jones. Jones took the name of the band from a Hallmark Cards shopping display, and first formed the group in 1981 with singer Jim Drummond and drummer Mike Greenlees.
Biography
Cheer-Accident's first album, Life Isn't Like That, was released in 1986, after which Drummond and Greenlees left the group. They were replaced by bassist Chris Block and guitarist Jeff Libersher. The group's second release, 1988's Sever Roots, Tree Dies, which was produced and engineered by the Phil Bonnet. Their 1990 EP, Dumb Ask, was produced by Steve Albini, and following this the group signed to British label Neat Records. However, the album was pressed poorly and the group severed its ties to the label, and went back to recording for Complacency Records with Bonnet, who by that time had joined the group on guitar. Block left the band in 1992 and was replaced by Dan Forden, after which the group returned to the studio. In 1994, the group released The Why Album and helped start a local Chicago Public-access television show called Cool Clown Ground. Albini recorded the group's next release, Not a Food. Shortly after these sessions, Forden left the band and was then replaced with Dylan Posa. By this time, Cheer-Accident members were collaborating regularly with other Chicago indie artists such as U.S. Maple, Bobby Conn, Gastr del Sol, and Smog. In January 1999, Phil Bonnet died of a brain aneurysm while the group recorded material for its eighth album, Salad Days. The group decided to continue with Jamie Fillmore filling Bonnet's role as guitarist. Also, a 1997 recording session, which yielded a 52-minute song called "Trading Balloons", was released as an EP. Salad Days was finally released on Skin Graft Records in October 2000. The group serves as an occasional livebackup band for Harvey Sid Fisher. In 2001, Fischer and the band collaborated on a cover of "52 Girls" for the B-52s tribute album, Wigs on Fire!, which was released on Nihilist Records. In 2003, the group recorded another full-length for Skin Graft, Introducing Lemon, as well as a soundtrack CD to a comic book called Gumballhead the Cat. In 2006, Cheer-Accident performed at North East Sticks Together in Boston.
