They never rose to household name status but Jeff “Mono Man” Conolly’s bands DMZ and Lyres left an indelible mark on (to use the term he hated) “garage rock”. Conolly died at his Massachusetts home last Friday after a struggle with bladder cancer, aged 69
Raised in Connecticut, Conolly moved to Boston in the mid 1970s and fronted DMZ from 1976, mixing British Invasion melody and punk rock’s urgency with obscure ‘60s garage music.
DMZ attracted the attention of Seymour Stein's legendary Sire Records, joining a roster that included the Ramones, Talking Heads and the Flamin' Groovies before releasing their sole album in 1978 and then breaking up.
With Lyres, the band he formed in 1979, Connolly built that obsession into a distinctive sound driven by Vox Continental organ, reverb-soaked guitars, pounding rhythms and impassioned vocals.
Despite being active for decades, Lyres released only four studio albums. Their reputation rests more on their electrifying live performances, influential singles and EPs, and the enduring impact of their classic debut “On Fyre”. They are all required listening, as is the box set seven-inch compilation on Munster Records, "Lucky 7", from where the obituary photo comes.
