His Majesty’s Request: A Wink O’Bannon Select

In the spring of 1978 in Louisville, KY, several punk bands formed one of the earliest regional alternative scenes in the U.S. Wink O’Bannon was a prime architect of that scene. His smart, muscular, and kinetic guitar style, though drenched in the history of the rock, punk, and blues players he so avidly consumed, was uniquely his own. As a member of many Louisville-related acts, most notably roots rockers Bodeco and guitar-driven juggernauts Eleventh Dream Day, he continued to be a monumental force through more than 40 years of passionate devotion to rock.

Wink passed away on June 30, 2020. “His Majesty's Request” (Motorific Sounds) is an album comprised of some of Wink’s favorite songs performed by his friends, in most cases backed by the band Antietam (Tara Key, Tim Harris, and Josh Madell). Participants include Louisvillians Will Oldham, Todd Brashear (Slint), Catherine Irwin and Anna Krippenstapel (Freakwater), Tara Jane O’Neil, David Grubbs, Chip Nold (Babylon Dance Band), and Wolf Knapp (Antietam founding member); as well as mates Ira Kaplan, Georgia Hubley, and James McNew of Yo La Tengo; Eleventh Dream Day comrades Rick Rizzo, Janet Bean, and Douglas McCombs; and Sue Garner (Shams, Run On, 75 Dollar Bill), Carter Suter (of Lexington’s No Excuse), and Juanita, Louisville’s pre-eminent garage band, including many of Wink’s past students, now in their 28th year.

His Majesty's Request honors Wink’s memory as a performer, an archivist of the Louisville music scene, and a teacher to subsequent generations, by directing proceeds from the project to two Louisville charities whose mission is to educate and enrich young people in the Metro area through music: GRL and AMPED.

Preorder and the release of the first single happens today (September 15th), with the official release on October 15th. Check out Antietam's Bandcamp to get your copy!

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