Creators of cantankerous, chaotic L.A. garage punk, Lamps made their reputation with a noisy, stripped-down sound seasoned with occasional bursts of electronic anarchy as the band pounded out the beat. A group that notoriously takes their time between releases, Lamps first stepped out with a self-titled EP in 2005, while their better-structured and more-frantic sophomore album, Under the Water Under the Ground, belatedly appeared in 2012. They introduced a new lineup that was every bit as frantic as before on 2020's People with Faces.

Lamps was the brainchild of singer and guitarist Monty Buckles and drummer Josh Erkman. Buckles was also a filmmaker who directed videos for Be Your Own Pet, the Intelligence, A-Frames, and Black Lips, and he was loosely involved with the Los Angeles underground music scene before starting Lamps with Erkman. Buckles and Erkman got as far as some practice sessions at Buckles' apartment before the duo petered out. The two decided to give it another chance, though, and things shaped up with the addition of bassist Tim Ford. After recording a pair of demos (the first on a cassette machine, the second in Ford's eight-track home studio), Lamps played their first gig at a friend's party, which led to a paying show supporting the Orphans and American Death Ray at L.A.'s underground venue Juvee. Larry Hardy caught Lamps at a show with the Deadly Snakes, and he soon signed the act to his label. Their self-titled nine-song debut EP, which featured Piranhas guitarist Nai Sammon on a few tracks, arrived in 2005. The band's first full-length, also entitled Lamps, was released in 2007 and boasted a more expansive, but still cranky and abrasive, sound.

Between Buckles' directing career and the commitments of the other members, it was five years before Lamps were able to release their second album. 2012's Under the Water Under the Ground presented a fuller and more carefully structured sound without compromising the dirty heart of their music. Fans would have another long wait before the third full-length album from Lamps, and during their layoff, bassist Tim Ford left the band. 2020's People with Faces introduced bassist and vocalist Denée Segall to the group; the album was produced by garage punk kingpin Ty Segall. ~ Heather Phares & Mark Deming, Rovi