Laurence Bond Miller

LARYNX ZILLION'S NOVELTY SHOP
Avant Guard Camp Glam
1987  - 1997

Influences: Adam and the Ants, Charles Ives, Arthur Brown, and Killing Joke

Of all the many and varied real and not so real creations, LARYNX ZILLION'S NOVELTY SHOP, by all means possible, took Miller's cake.   It was his crowning achievement -- hands down.  We're talking pure mad genius, even if he does say so himself, and he clearly does. 

THE SHOP's original vision was first imagined in 1983, then inspired directly from Adam
and the Ant's peculiar glam-slam punk pop LP, "Kings of the Wild Frontier".  As time grew, other influences of Miller's past experiences crept in.   Charles Ives, Arthur Brown, Killing Joke, and even Frank Zappa ( not his potty mouth crap... no pun intended). 

Miller, or should we say Zillion, began recording the first of his compositions in 1987, bringing the whole mess into full manifestation in early 1990, shortly after he got sober
and clean.  Bam!

THE SHOP's first performance was a mime presentation to their first record, SOUTHPAWS UNITE!  Laurence/Zillion was asked to take part in an anti-war theatre collective, performing at Ann Arbor's Performance Network black box theatre, then still located on Washington Ave.  What with Zillion's fascist manifesto "Southpaws Unite!  Have we not the right?!?"  what greater opportunity could there be?

LARYNX ZILLION'S NOVELTY SHOP, now having completely materialized both in recording and performance, continued on in several different line ups for a good 7 years.  Not unlike Adam and the Ants, their running lyrical themes centered on clean living and raw sex, with plenty of comic overtone. The music, heavy handed in the drum department, was true percussive madness at it's absolute utmost.  One might even go so far as to suggest YOU do the math... if it weren't so cruel.

"When the band finally broke up in 1997, I thought to myself,
'Now, I can die'..."

(and you can quote Zillion on that)

     LAURENCE BOND MILLER   1987 - 1990 and 1990 - 1997
     Larynx Zillion: Band leader, lead vocalist, guitar, "the mosquito"
     Stray Ray: Guitar 1987-92
     Marsh Crabbits: Brass, Reeds, Winds, String   1987-92
     Bell Mountain (or Mount): Bass 1987-92
     Kern Stingboober: Bass 1991-92
     Barrel of Laughing Monkeys: Bass 1991-92
     Plichette Knox: Keyboards and FX 1992-97
     Peuntrafell: Keyboards and FX1987-90
     Gim Flivers: Keyboards and various misc. 1991-92
     Mr. Apple Shtick: Drums (four-armed) 1987-92
     Tin Parrow: Drums 1991-92
     Glanmane: Drums 1991-92
     Clare De Lune: Drums 1993-97

     JOHN O'REILLY  { the late }
     Poriah Dog:  Drums   1991 - 93 
 
     JOHN KENNEDY FOHRMAN
     John F!#%king Kennedy:  Keyboards, and Backing Vocals     1992 - 94

     DAVID SWAIN
     Chip Reed:  Bass, Baritone Sax, and Backing Vocals   1991 - 96
    
     ERIC BURNREIGHTER (Spelling):
     Home Slice:  Trombone    1992 - 93

     CHRIS SMITH:
     Hubba Chubba Bubba:  Trombone   1993 - 96

     CHRIS CASSELLO
     Buzz Amerika:  Lead Guitar    1994 - 96
     

     ______________________________________________________________________
     

     BRETT MOYER   
     Sci Fi:   Lights, fog, and strobes (also floor-tom-druming for a short stint) 1990 - 96

     DAN
     Can't recall the nick name...    Road Manager  1990 - 96  

     ______________________________________________________________________
     

     THE NOVELETTES ~  Backing vocals on select studio cuts
     Charmie Gholson as "Margaret" (1992-93)
     Cheryl Gholson as "Piggy" (1996)
     Whitley Setrakian as "Angel of Goodness" (1996)
     _________________________________________________________________

     One time members at our show  at West Park 1991

     TIM DELANEY as "Rin Tim Tim" on bass
     BEN MILLER as "Private Benzine" on Alto Sax
    _________________________________________________________________      

     Choreographed Dancers & Globe Movers at Performance Network 1990    

     Carmen Moyer (Choreographer and Dancer)
     Charmie Gholson   
     Judith (last name?)
     Another woman dancer whose name I forget!
     Arwulf Arwulf
     David Gilbertson    
     Judith's son
     _________________________________________________________________

     HARRIET KOZYN   The reincarnation of Perry Ellis    Larynx Zillion's seamstress

___________________________________________________________

REVIEWS
1991 thru 1996 

SOUTHPAWS UNITE single

“...Disneyland on fast-forward, spinning out of control...”

Decontrol (Alabama) / June 1991

SOUTHPAWS UNITE EP

“...probably won’t be understood by the American listening public until late in the 21st century...”

Ann Arbor CURRENT / March 1992

QUEEN OF QUEENS Cassette

“... * * * *  4 stars ... David Bowie at his most glam and experimental...”

Ann Arbor News / May 1996

QUEEN OF QUEENS Cassette

“...some of the most multi-layered twistedly complex rock and roll to ever spring from this city. Whether it be Steve Reichian time signatures, stereo headphone freak-outs, science fiction psycho ward confessions of a religious vision with a band that crashes the wall at 180 mph, Zillion is a master of bizarre timing, maniacal ravings and guitar solos from all-night radio stations, blasting from the boom boxes of hell!   In a world where most “R & R” bands are more concerned about THE BIG RECORD DEAL, Larynx Zillion’s Novelty Shop is cause for celebration!...”

Agenda - Ann Arbor’s Alternative / June 1996

QUEEN OF QUEENS Cassette

"...Ann Arbor’s Mothers Of Invention...while the Novelty Shop is open, step inside -  you could walk away with something as valuable as Penn & Teller’s Invisible Thread...”

Jam Rag (Detroit) / December 1996

LARYNX ZILLION
1st Promo Shot, 1990
Photo by Dr. Generic

Band leader and lead vocalist
(yes, that's a baton)

At this point, there was really no such LIVING band yet...

LARYNX ZILLION
2nd Promo Shot, 1992

LARYNX ZILLION pictured now as a real life performer,
seen here doning his "illustrated" stratocaster guitar.
(Paint job coutesy of local artist-musician-radio dj, Ed Special.)

Dig that romantic look with marching band appeal.  What gives, Zillion?

LARYNX ZILLION'S NOVELTY SHOP ~ The Band / circa 1992
Playing black box theaters, exclusively.  Why not?

JFK, Homeslice, Larynx Zillion, Chip Reed, (the late) Poriah Dog

LARYNX ZILLION'S NOVELTY SHOP / circa 1994 or '95
Technically, the band was now at their finest form and beginning to play out in the local clubs.
Here we have one of many out of focus shots from a rough photo session. With the loss of
their drummer and keyboardist, pre-recorded backing tracks were now employed,
using multiple drum tracks, keyboards, and SFX taken from the master
tracks off their home spun studio recordings.

Chip Reed -- Larynx Zillion -- Hubba Chubba Bubba -- Buzz Amerika
NOTE:  Larynx Zillion is wearing his infamous curtain costume, a "get up" he'd worn as early as 1992

LARYNX ZILLION'S NOVELTY SHOP
Just before going on at The Blind Pig, Ann Arbor in 1994.

Buzz Amerika, Hubba Chubba Bubba, Chip Reed, Larynx Zillion

Zillion Goes Airbrush

Below we have a 2 ft x 3 ft airbrush sign design, by one of the employees at
Ann Arbor's Tower Records, displayed in their Local Releases department.
Needless to say, they sold THE SHOP'S merchandice. Why not?
(June, 1994)

the rest is history...

MP3'S  (both released and unreleased material)

A song never learned, performed, or released.  In fact, all tracks were recorded by Zillion himself
in 1997, just after the band folded. 

 FRONT

 BACK

SONGS OF RECOVERY
(From Anything or Anyone)
Larynx Zillion's Novelty Shop
(c) 1992

Two Song 45 rpm 7" yellow vinyl
$10.00
(postage included)

BAND MEMBERS:
Larynx Zillion
Frothing Gills
Gim Flivers
Kern Stingboober
Barrel of Laughing Monkeys
Glanmane
Tin Parrow

Side A
1) IN US GOD TRUSTS

Side B
1) ALL OR NOTHING

QUEEN OF QUEENS
Larynx Zillion's Novelty Shop
(c) 1996
Four Song Cassette LP Pre-release
$7.00
(postage included)

BAND MEMBERS:
Larynx Zillion
Buzz Amerika
Hubba Chubba Bubba
Chip Reed
Peuntrafell
Clare De Lune
Piggy (of The Noveletts)

Side A:
1) QUEEN OF QUEENS (crucifixion mix)
2) FUNNY BONE (elbonic dance edit)

Side B:
1) I FEEL FINE (unmedicated scream mix)
2) CUSTARD'S LAST STAND (arrow head radio remix)