Blotto

Blotto was a rock band from Albany, New York which mixed music and humor. They were formed in 1979 out of the remains of The Star Spangled Washboard Band, a post-hippie comedy jugband. Blotto walked a line between a New Wave pop combo and

Blotto was a rock band from Albany, New York which mixed music and humor. They were formed in 1979 out of the remains of The Star Spangled Washboard Band, a post-hippie comedy jugband. Blotto walked a line between a New Wave pop combo and a soul/R&B bar band, but with comical songs. Their songs were played on the Dr. Demento Show and they appeared on television's Uncle Floyd Show. They toured frequently and were popular primarily in the northeastern United States, especially among the college student audience.

After releasing two EP records on their own Blotto Records, they heard the siren song of the music video revolution early. They produced a video for their song "I Wanna Be A Lifeguard", working with video production students at a local Albany college. The video was played often during the early days of MTV due to its catchy tune and humorous appeal. This exposure lead to their album Combo Akimbo, which was released with assistance from Peter Pan Records, and a "Video 45" on VHS from Sony with three videos of their songs. Blotto worked with famed producer Bob Clearmountain on one of the songs on their album.