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Michael J and Abbe Kanter met in an improv acting class in Hollywood. They fell in love, but even this wasnt enough, so they became The Tyrants in Therapy.Early in the ordinary year that 1984 turned out to be, TIT started gigging in L.A. rock clubs that no longer exist.Motivated by the desire to share their bemused view of the world, the early Tyrants were financed by indulgent music publishers, and recorded songs that were preoccupied with subjects like cowboys, communists, and fascism.But the world did not embrace their ironic candor, and the Tyrants first record
3 People Nude Below the Waist stiffed despite the B side presence of the now classic In Shadow of Hitler.On a dare, TIT did a dance single. But it too met with wide-ranging indifference.Then in 1986, the Tyrants hit pay dirt by delivering a spicy menudo of NewWave soul and East L.A. disco to JDC Records, a tiny San Pedro-based independent label. Entitled Too Tuff To Cry, the throbbing 12-inch caught on big time with the L.A. Latino New Romantic underground and shot TIT into the thick of the national dance music scene, selling upwards of 30,000 units in Southern California and Mexico.Throughout the 80s, TIT continued to release a steady stream of 12-inch singles on various LA indies and kept up a schizophrenic schedule, playing discos one night and rock clubs the next.The early 90s brought the Tyrants to another plateau of success, as the slinky grooves of Big Pink House (written with Terry Shaddick of Physical fame) and their cheeky put-down rap Boy received significant airplay on urban pop radio.The acclaim of the dance world was good, and national radio play was even better, but the Tyrants were still not satisfied. "We had evolved beyond dance into strange new territory," says Abbe Kanter, TITs female half. "After seeing us live, fans were asking where they could buy the new songs, so it seemed natural to form a label and release a full length disc."They named the label Emotional Coathanger Records, and their new songs morphed into something they dubbed "Punk Cabaret," a freewheeling style that gives full rein to the Tyrants multiple personalitiesTheir first full length CD "Meet The Tyrants In Therapy," emerged as an adventurous sonic safari that uses evocative samples and rhythms dating from the 1940s to the present, seamlessly blending rock, dance, punk, blues and cabaret, and addressing topics like human rights, suicide, lesbianism, pedophilia, and cake.A slew of originals include the glistening Om Shanti Om (written with Trans-Xs Pascal Languirand of Living on Video fame), Down In Flames Togethers detox odyssey, the explosive Twisted Life, and Sex Is Backs fashionista cool.In the set, TIT also covered some of the songs they loved growing up. Theyve had fun deconstructing Serge Gainsbourgs heavy breathing classic Je Taime (Moi Non Plus), bending the gender in Arthur Alexanders Anna, and gleefully rolfing Slades skinhead anthem Them Kinda Monkeys Cant Swing into a Rocky Horror Show romp.To help out on the disc, the Tyrants corralled a crew of talented session aces including Bobby Robles and Romeo Prado (Thee Midniters), Stuart Woods and Duncan Faure (Bay City Rollers), Marc Mann (Oingo Boingo, George Harrison, E L O), Kevin Jarvis (John Wesley Harding), David Kaffinetti (Spinal Tap), Pascal Languirand (Trans-X), and writer/pro-ducer Guy Roche (Selena, Expos).The result is a 14-cut opus that entertains, enlightensand might just horrify anyone burdened with overly delicate sensibilities.Great reviews from around the world and international digital penetration were just finebut it still wasnt enough for the Tyrants in Therapy.Since the summer of 2001, they have infiltrated the airwaves with their deliciously subversive take on male/female relations.In a series of shows made for cable television, TIT has funneled their feverish imaginations into a seasons worth of high-concept, low-tech confessionals. A growing legion of guerilla TV aficionados in L.A. tune in to indulge voyeuristically as these glamorous gladiators confront, cajole, and seduce each other, punctuating the proceedings with memorable music and imaginative short films.In March 2009, The Tyrants released their new 21-cut CD entitled “High Class Trash†that includes new songs and several that have accompanied video episodes seen on their TV series. Nine years in the making, "High Class Trash" is an excellent sequel to their wonderful debut, "Meet the Tyrants in Therapy." To say it rocks would be to miss the mark, because it also pops, grooves, countrys, cabarets, dances, romances…in other words, it’s trademark Tyrants.For the record, The Tyrant Michael was born in Detroit, grew up in California, and attended university there. He wrote journalism and advertising before surrendering to music as a career.AbbeAbbe is a native of LA, studied drama at Antioch College and A.C.T., and then acted for stage, movies and TV. She taught her own acting workshop before becoming a Tyrant.Drenched in sophistication, dripping with acerbic wit, and tumble dried in absurdity, the Tyrants live show is a kaleidoscope of social commentary, dance beats, a lick or two of kick ass country, a dollop of NewWave, and a decadent dose of cabaret.All carried off with attitude to burn in a one-of a-kind performance so mind-bending youll forget how to get home even if youre sitting in your own living room.But what else would you expect from a couple who call themselves the Tyrants in Therapy?www.tyrantsintherapy.com
