Subverse Aphrodesia

Doo Wop vocal group formed in the late ‘50s best known for its hit recording “Chapel Bells.”

 The Rhythm Aces released six singles nationally. Wynn’s next band Mel and the Trend cut "Hit Record" and "That's When the World Really Began" for Mercury Records.

http://www.melwynnworld.com/id22.html

Grew out of the Rhythm Aces in the late ‘60s. The band scored a national recording contract and made a 14-track album titled “Better Late than Never.” 

Band that became The Glass Prism 

Band that evolved out of The Glass Prism 

Per Wikipedia: The Buoys were a progressive rock band from the early 1970s. Its membership included Bill Kelly, Fran Brozena, Jerry Hludzik, Carl Siracuse (Carl Syracuse formerly of The Glass Prism), Chris Hanlon, and Sally Rosoff, based in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. They are most famous for their recording of Rupert Holmes's "Timothy", a song deliberately written to get banned, based on a theme of cannibalism. The song hit #17 on US charts in 1971.

 Probably the first American band to record the Chicken Dance.

Per Philadelphia Weekly, Aug. 2002: 

Truszkowski claims he recorded the song in 1967 for a Jolly Joe and the Bavarians album called Follow Me. "We needed one more song to finish the record, and the saxophone player brought in this song he heard in Germany," he says. "Years later every band is playing it and there is this dance craze. If I had known then what I know now, I could have been a millionaire 50 times over. I would have taken the song to Colonel Sanders and Frank Perdue. It would have been huge."

Ten-piece horn band popular in "the Disco era," performed a set of originals in addition to covers. Rumored to have recorded an album at Abbey Road studio in London that was never released.

George Wesley wrote original material for this popular area jam band (and notably his first band) that primarily performed tunes by the Grateful Dead.

Another George Wesley band performing from approx. ’79 to 1985. It also included Frank Pullo aka Frank Grace, who with the late Joe Cathrall later formed The Detonators. 

Wilkes-Barre act signed to a major label in the mid-70s and recorded most of an album which it never saw released. 

Asparagus Sunshine

 Jazz-rock fusion band from the Poconos played locally in the late 1970s and early 1980s and notably performed a reunion show at last years Delaware Water Gap COTA jazz festival seen recently on WVIA TV.

http://www.hybridice.net

 Art rock band originally from Danville that despite a three decade career (under various incarnations) and significant success in the ‘80s never signed to a major label. Known in the early years for its psychedelic light show, it would later be compared frequently to Styx. Its most popular song “Magdelene” was recorded and eventually released by Boston. The band’s Susquehanna Sound Productions studio a.k.a. Magnetic North is now operated as Saturation Acres. 

http://www.kingsindisguise.com/pages/sparks.html 

Touring almost constantly from 1977 through 1989, the band performed swing and rhythm & blues classics as well as originals and won a national "unsigned band" contest in 1986 with "Real Man's Car," a song recorded at WVIA for Homegrown Music. Two of its members now perform in Railroad Earth. 

http://psychonursetheband.blogspot.com 

The controversial Psycho Nurse formed in the mid-1980's and played CBGB's in NYC on a regular basis, as well as opening for The Ramones on tour in 1991. “Their material was very "In Your Face" but often with a sense of humor. Their lyrics and burlesques performances offended as well as amused audiences.  

Made an impression in the mid-80s. In the words of member John “Fud” Zavacky:

“We were an 80's semi-glam band that recorded one single album in 1987 called "Only the Beginning". While everyone else was covering Whitesnake songs, we were writing ones that sounded an awful lot LIKE Whitesnake songs. At the time, it was me, Mark Sutorka, Jeff Occhipinti, Greg Evanski and Leo Bochi, Vocal, Guitar, Guitar, Bass and drums, respectively. We were considered the best band nobody ever heard because we gigged so rarely, but we rehearsed 7 days a week and were exceptionally tight, all things considered."

 http://www.timjohnsonband.com

Stillwater native Tim Johnson’s Nashville hit, "Between the Sun and San Antone," topped the Billboard Top 100 in the early 1980s beating out Randy Travis "Forever Amen" for a spot on the chart.

Growing up in the '80s in NEPA, it was impossible not to hear "Where Are You Now?" by this Plymouth, Pa. one-hit wondinfo@forrestegan.comer taken under the wing of former Dakota members Bill Kelly and Jerry Hludzik. Great photo on this site: http://www.aor-fm.com/bands/124_synch.aspx.

(Thanks info@forrestegan.com for the reminder!)

Bedful of Metaphysicians

Self-released a critically acclaimed LP in the mid ‘80s that has achieved a certain cult following despite only a handful of public performances.

http://www.dakotajerrykelly.com

Folk-country influenced rock band formed in the ‘90s by Buoys members Bill Kelly and Jerry Hludzik. Started on WVIA's Homegrown Music as the Jerry-Kelly Band.

 Popular in the mid-90s. In the words of member Charles Havira:

“Freight Train loved to play live. We had songs but we improvised a lot in between them. We were pretty loose about the whole music business thing and we let it all hang out when we played. A lot of emotion at our shows. The band I played with were/are great musicians -- Kevin Murphy/Anthony Sabol/Jami Novak/Justin Gibbon. We recorded a number of times through the years, have a ton of live recordings, but only released 1 CD. I hope to put some of those shows up on www.cornucopiarecordings.com.” 

http://www.myspace.com/meremortalsmusic

Formed by vocalist and songwriter Eddie Appnel and saxophonist Buz O’Malley, Mere Mortals (1991-2002) released three albums, made two music videos and made a huge splash locally while landing gigs from NYC to L.A. The band attracted the attention of record labels but ultimately disbanded with its members going on to spawn the now defunct Bent Blue and current acts The Underground Saints (Patrick Flynn and Mark Keisinger), NewPastLife (Billy Lieback), and Music for Models (Marko Marcinko). 

http://www.myspace.com/inmemoryoftim 

Voted best original band in electric city’s Readers Poll 2002, 2004 and 2005, the unforgettable roots rock band released an EP and three full-length albums before the untimely death of bass player, contributing songwriter and co-frontman, Tim Hopkins led the band to redirect its ambitions in 2005. 

http://www.badlees.com

In 2007, the Selingsgrove-born folk rock band was reported to be in the studio working on its first new CD in five years, scheduled for a fall release. Guitarists Bret Alexander and Jeff Feltenberger and drummer Ron Simasek would eventually add frontman Pete Palladino and bassist Paul Smith to form its current lineup. Alexander, Smith and Simasek have also toured extensively with side project The Cellarbirds. 

The Wilkes-Barre alt metal band formed in 1998 by vocalist Benjamin Burnley and drummer Jeremy Hummel regrouped in 2000 with Aaron Fink and Mark Klepaski of Lifer. Signed to Hollywood Records in 2001 and has released three of a promised five albums while touring nationally with notable success despite some cancellation issues and break-up rumors and lawsuit by Hummel who was replaced in fall 2004 upon the birth of his first child.

La Société Expéditionnaire

 charleshavira.com

http://www.kid-icarus.com/

 Solo recording project by Eric Schlittler turned lo-fi indie rock quartet. Summersteps Records, Moscow PA.

 http://www.myspace.com/okaypaddy

Voted best original band in electric city’s Readers Poll in 2006 and 2007, this Scranton-based band psychedelic pop band has charmed crowds with its enthusiastic live shows. Prison Jazz Records, Scranton; Wallride Records, Baltimore.

 http://www.thefivepercent.com

 http://www.myspace.com/thereigningtoads

 http://www.myspace.com/felixsarco

http://www.myspace.com/themenzingers 

The Scranton punk band released its debut album "A Lesson in the Abuse of Information Technology," in July 2007, after being picked up by Go-Kart Records (www.gokartrecords.com). 

 http://www.myspace.com/cabinetwax

 www.andthemoneynotes.com

 http://www.myspace.com/stellanardella