The Need were a queercore band originating in Olympia, Washington in the late 1990s.

Formed by Rachel Carns, drums and vocals, and Radio Sloan, guitar and bass, both were veterans of other indie rock bands. Rachel was previously in Kicking Giant , The Fakes , Witchypoo , Slant 6 and Ce Be Barns Band , which Radio had been a member of as well. They made their debut in Olympia in 1996.

Their music has been described by one critic as "...post structuralist, deconstructive punk rock..." Certainly the band had its own aesthetic, made more apparent by its distinctive art work and posters, created by Rachel, and a willingness to experiment. This, perhaps, lead to their best known creation, The Transfused. In collaboration with Nomy Lamm , the band took the long discarded notion of the rock opera and breathed new life into it. In true DIY style, friends and neighbours helped build sets and audition for parts and The Transfused was mounted at The Capitol Theatre in Olympia in 2000, and eventually travelled to many other cities. If nothing else, the band had managed to revitalize a form of musical presentation no one had taken seriously for decades.

Their last album, recorded in 2000 was prophetically titled The Need is Dead. On this recording they further expanded their range of instumentation with the addition of synthesizer and samples, contributed by Joe Preston of The Melvins, and theremin, played by producer Mike Lastra of Smegma.

After this the band parted ways and Rachel Carns now performs in the band King Cobra .

Discography

"Jacky O' Lantern" 7" single on Outpunk Records (1997)

The Need LP on Chainsaw Records (1997)

The Need 10" EP with Joe Preston and DJ Zeena on Up Records (1998)

KaraNEEDoke double 7" collaborations with Slim Moon , Nomi Lamm , Audrey Marrs, Tracy Sawyer, Tamata Poljak on Kill Rock Stars

The Transfused by Nomy Lamm with The Need CD on YoYo Records (2000)

The Need Is Dead LP on Chainsaw Records (2000)

Compilations

"Sam" on Destination 7" Ross Records (1996)

"Crown" on YoYo-a-GoGo - Another Live Record CD/LP YoYo Records (1997)

"Talk Potty" on La Foresta Della Morte Soundtrack CD Toyo Records (1999)

"Girl Flavour Gum" on The New Women's Music Sampler CD Mr. Lady Records (1999)

"Vaselina", "Crown", "Majesty" on Homocore Minneapolis: Live & Loud CD Lefty Records (1999)

"American Woman" on ProjectorLP YoYo Records (1999)

"Eating Amy Out (of House and Home)", "The Green Manalishi With The Two Pronged Crown" on The Science Of What? split CD with Erase Errata and MeMe America Toyo Records (2001)

External links

• The Need Webpage
• Review of The Need Is Dead