Afterhours

Along with Marlene Kuntz and C.S.I., Afterhours were the most important rock band to emerge from Italy in the 1990s -- although their career had started the previous decade. Their energetic and extremely personal style gained them huge success and the attention of the critics, who immediately recognized the talent of their leader, singer/guitarist Manuele "Manuel" Agnelli (b. 1966), whose multiple activities (musician, writer, producer, manager) gained him a pivotal role in the growth of the Italian indie scene. Formed in Milan in 1986, Afterhours -- the name comes from a Velvet Underground song -- debuted two years later with a 7" single released by Turin-based indie label Toast, including the tracks "My Bit Boy" and "To Win or Destroy." The initial lineup of the band was comprised of Agnelli along with guitarist Paolo Cantù, bassist Lorenzo Olgiati, and Roberto Girardi on drums. The EP All the Good Children Go to Hell (recorded with new drummer Max Donna) followed two years later, to huge critical acclaim. Its mixture of Lou Reed influences and pop melodies gained some attention outside Italy, too, as confirmed by a positive review in the English magazine New Musical Express. In the same year, Agnelli was one of the founders of Vox Pop, which would become Italy's most important indie label up to the first half of the following decade. Thanks to a positive review in U.S. magazine Alternative Press, Afterhours (with Girardi back on drums) took part in New York's 1990 New Music Seminar. At the end of the year, the band released its first album, During Christine's Sleep. In 1992 Afterhours returned with a brand new lineup -- Agnelli, Cesare Malfatti (guitar), Paolo Mauri (bass), and Giorgio Prette (drums) -- and a new EP, Cocaine Head, recorded with the help of Andrea...