Lyres (band)

Lyres
OriginBoston, Massachusetts, US
GenreGarage rock
Years active1979 (1979)–2026

Lyres were a Boston-based garage rock band led by Jeff "Monoman" Conolly. Formed in 1979, their most popular songs include "Don't Give It Up Now", "She Pays The Rent" and "Help You Ann".

History

The original lineup of the band featured Conolly (organ and vocals), Rick Coraccio (bass), Ricky Carmel (guitar), and Paul Murphy (drums). Conolly, Corracio and Murphy played together in the punk/garage rock band DMZ.

In 1981, The Boston Phoenix described Lyres as "the city's reigning garage band." In December of that year, the New Musical Express (NME) praised the band's first EP, AHS 1005, and its "infectious rhythms". NME's Richard Grabel wrote that Lyres had "an understanding of the dynamics of interplay between rhythm guitar and cheesy organ that borders on the remarkable" and that "what they do is too perfect to ever be out of fashion."

Former DMZ members Coraccio, Murphy, Peter Greenberg, and Mike Lewis all rejoined Conolly in Lyres at some point from 1979 to the early 2000s. The A-Bones drummer Miriam Linna (a former drummer for the Cramps) and the A-Bones and Yo La Tengo bass player Mike Lewis filled in with Lyres for a show in 1986. Stiv Bators of the Dead Boys and Lords of the New Church, and Wally Tax of the Outsiders also recorded with the Lyres in the late 1980s.

Connolly moved to California in 1989, and Lyres became less active. They performed off and on until 2026, going through a large number of personnel changes. Conolly was the only constant. Their final show was in February 2026.

In March 2026, Conolly revealed that he had been diagnosed with bladder cancer, setting up a GoFundMe page to raise funds for treatment. A benefit show at the Boston nightclub The Middle East featured local bands including Mission of Burma, The Dogmatics, Classic Ruins, Unnatural Axe, and The Flies. Conolly died at his home on July 31, 2026, at the age of 69.

"Help You Ann" and "She Pays The Rent"

The song "Help You Ann" was released as a single in 1983 and as the second track of Lyres' debut LP, On Fyre, in 1984. It was named number 13 on the list of the greatest Boston songs of all time published by Boston magazine in 2006. The single ranked number 24 on The Village Voice annual Pazz & Jop critics' poll for 1983. Blender magazine placed it at number 360 on their list of the 500 best songs from 1980 to 2005. The song was recorded by the Chesterfield Kings on a 1998 single and covered by Courtney Love on her live shows in the early 2000s. Love has expressed her admiration for Lyres a number of times.

Swedish band the Nomads released a version of the Lyres' tune "She Pays The Rent" in 1985 as the A-side of a single. Music critics highlighted the horn section, which was unusual for garage rock bands.

Members

Final lineup

Previous members

Discography (incomplete)

LP albums

EPs

Singles

Compact Discs

Compilations

In other media

The song "Help You Ann" was featured on the game Destroy All Humans! 2 and on the TV show Rescue Me.[citation needed]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Deming, Mark. "Lyres". AllMusic.
  2. ↑ Simmons, Doug (September 8, 1981). "Honest Lyres". The Boston Phoenix. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  3. ↑ Grabel, Richard (December 12, 1981). "Indie USA: American Independent Singles". New Musical Express.
  4. ↑ "Lyres and DMZ lines up". Limbos.org. Archived from the original on June 1, 2009. Retrieved May 9, 2010.
  5. ↑ Fennessy, Kathleen C. "A Promise Is a Promise – Lyres". AllMusic.
  6. ↑ Deming, Mark. "Wally Tax". AllMusic.
  7. ↑ Milano, Brett (2007). The Sound of Our Town: A History of Boston Rock and Roll. Commonwealth Editions. p. 112. ISBN 978-1-933212-30-2.
  8. ↑ Angel, Johnny (February 13, 2003). "Monomania". LA Weekly.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  9. 1 2 Schinder, Scott; Lamey, Charles P.; Robbins, Ira. "Lyres". Trouser Press. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  10. 1 2 Shanahan, Mark (August 1, 2026). "Jeff Conolly, Boston garage rock legend and Lyres frontman, dies at 69". The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  11. ↑ Shanahan, Mark (March 4, 2026). "Jeff Conolly of Lyres has always been talented, uncompromising, infuriating. As he faces cancer, little has changed". The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  12. ↑ Rimas, Andrew (July 15, 2006). "Rock This Way". Boston Magazine. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  13. ↑ Christgau, Robert (February 28, 1984). "The 1983 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll". The Village Voice. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  14. ↑ "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born". Blender. October 2005.
  15. ↑ Foster, Nancy L. (August 18, 2004). "The Lyres to set Toast on fyre Aug. 20". The Somerville Times.
  16. ↑ "It Must Be Love!". New Musical Express. October 27, 2001. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  17. ↑ Sullivan, Jim (December 2, 1998). "Checking in on the latest Courtney". The Boston Globe. p. F01.
  18. ↑ Hopper, Jessica (April 14, 2014). "You Will Ache Like I Ache: The Oral History of Hole's 'Live Through This'". Spin.
  19. ↑ Finch, Madeline (Summer 1986). "The Nomads: She Pays the Rent". Sound Choice. p. 58.
  20. ↑ Christgau, Robert (March 11, 1986). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved September 28, 2024 – via robertchristgau.com.
  21. ↑ Phares, Heather. "Cheapo Crypt Sampler Review". AllMusic.