Although never having attained commercial success, The Fuzztones have certainly achieved legendary status as Cult faves during their 24 year career. Their fiery brand of Garage-Psych Punk pre-dated the entire Garage Revival of the 1980's and has influenced hundreds of groups. Born in the summer of 1980 in the bowels of NYC's Lower East Side, The Fuzztones were soon regulars at legendary NYC hotspots such as CBGB's and the Mudd Club. By utilizing fuzzbox ( an antiquated effects pedal used by many 60's groups to achieve overly distorted "psychedelic" guitar sounds), the band created a raunchy sound they referred to as Grunge... On their 1984 debut single, "Bad News Travels Fast", lead guitarist Elan Portnoy is credited as playing "lead grunge", (at least a decade before the Seattle Grunge invasion)! Their Beatle Boots, paisley and leather attire, genuine human bone necklaces, and passion for Vox guitars has influenced the fashions and images of bands as diverse as the Hoodoo Gurus ( who also modified the Fuzztones infamous skull and crossed Vox Phantom guitars logo for use on one of their album covers) to Marc Almond who aped The Fuzztones by wearing black turtlenecks with bone necklaces.