Acetone

Acetone formed in 1991, rehearsing endlessly and recording frequently at drummer Steve Hadley’s ramshackle pool house in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. During the post-Nirvana major-label feeding frenzy of the early 1990s, the band signed on Vernon yard records . On their eponymous EP and their full-length debut, Cindy (both released in 1993), Acetone showcased a dizzying range of influences: from the Everly Brothers to Isaac Hayes, the Velvet Underground to Martin Denny, Brian Eno to the Meat Puppets. Following the release in 1995 of a mini-LP of country covers called I Guess I Would and a new studio album called If You Only Knew, Acetone toured the world supporting Oasis, Mazzy Star, the Verve, Spiritualized, and Garbage. They signed to Neil Young’s Vapor Records and released their critically acclaimed self-titled album in 1997. Following the release of 2000’s York. Blvd., frontman Richie Lee tragically committed suicide in 2001. The band is the subject of Sam Sweet’s brilliant nonfiction novel Hadley Lee Lightcap, published by All Night Menu, as well as the rarities anthology Acetone 1992-2001, released by Light in the Attic. New West Records released the career-spanning box set I’m still waiting. which was named a best of the year from SPIN, Uncut Magazine, Aquarium Drunkard and countless others. In 2024, New West released Acetone's first ever live album, I've Enjoyed As Much of This as I Can Stand: Live at the Knitting Factory, NYC, May 31, 1998.