# Lyres (band)

Lyres are a Boston-area garage rock band led by Jeff Conolly, founded in 1979 following the breakup of DMZ. Their most popular songs include "Don't Give It Up Now," "She Pays The Rent" and "Help You Ann".

## History

The original lineup of the band featured Conolly (organ and vocals), Rick Coraccio (bass), Ricky Carmel (guitar), and Paul Murphy (drums).
By 1981, The Boston Phoenix was calling Lyres "the city's reigning garage band." In December of that year, New Musical Express praised the band's first EP, AHS 1005, and its "infectious rhythms". NME's Richard Grabel wrote that Lyres had "an understanding of the dynamics of interplay between rhythm guitar and cheesy organ that borders on the remarkable" and that "what they do is too perfect to ever be out of fashion."
Former DMZ members Coraccio, Murphy, Peter Greenberg, and Mike Lewis all rejoined Conolly in Lyres at some point from 1979 to the early 2000s. The A-Bones drummer Miriam Linna, (a former drummer for the Cramps) and then A-Bones, Yo La Tengo and former Lyres bass player Mike Lewis filled in with Lyres for a show in 1986. Stiv Bators of the Dead Boys and Lords of the New Church, and Wally Tax of the Outsiders also recorded with Lyres in the late 1980s.
Lyres were less active in 1989, due to Conolly living in California for a brief period. After a renewed period of activity in the early 1990s, the band went through a dormant period until 1999. Conolly is the one member who has been in every lineup during the large number of Lyres personnel changes." In 2009, Lyres played at the Go Sinner Go festival in Madrid and an additional date in Porto Nuovo. This line-up included a fill-in Peter Greenberg on guitar.

## "Help You Ann" and "She Pays The Rent"

The song "Help You Ann" was released as a single in 1983 and as the second track of Lyres' debut LP, On Fyre, in 1984. It was named number 13 on the list of the greatest Boston songs of all time published by Boston magazine in 2006. The single ranked number 24 on The Village Voice annual Pazz & Jop critics' poll for 1983. Blender magazine placed it at number 360 on their list of the 500 best songs from 1980 to 2005. The song was recorded by the Chesterfield Kings on a 1998 single and covered by Courtney Love on her live shows in the early 2000s. Love has expressed her admiration for the Lyres a number of times.
Swedish band the Nomads released a version of the Lyres' tune "She Pays The Rent" in 1985 as the A-side of a single. Music critics highlighted the horn section used in the cover, which is unusual for garage rock bands.

## Current line-up

* Jeff Conolly (organ, vocals)
* Steve Aquino (guitar)
* Paul Murphy (drums)
* Dave Szczepaniak (bass)

## Discography (incomplete)
### LP albums

* On Fyre (1984)
* Lyres Lyres (1986)
* Recorded Live At Cantones (Pryct PR-1003, 1987)
* A Promise Is a Promise (1988)
* She Pays the Rent Live (1988)
* Live 1983 Let's Have A Party!! (Pryct PR-1004, 1989)
* Happy Now (1992)
* Some Lyres (1994)

### EPs

* AHS1005 12" 45 rpm (Ace of Hearts, 1981) [title commonly referenced as "Buried Alive" after the first track on the disc]
* Lyres (New Rose, 1985)
* Nobody But Lyres 12" 33 rpm (Taang! Records, 1992)

### Singles

* "How Do You Know?" b/w "Don't Give It Up Now" (Sounds Interesting S145-002A/B, 1979)
* "Help You Ann" b/w "I Really Want You Right Now" (Ace of Hearts, 1983)
* "Here's a Heart (w/Stiv)" b/w "Touch" and "She's Got Eyes That Tell Lies" (Ace of Hearts, AHS 2015, 1988)
* "Self Centered Girl" (Telstar Records, 1993)
* "We Sell Soul" b/w "Busy Body" (Taang! Records, 62 NR 18682-1, 2006)
* "Don't Give It Up Now" c/w "How Do You Know?" (Dirty Water Records, 2007)

### Compact Discs

* On Fyre + 8 Bonus Tracks (New Rose 35 CD, 1984)
* A Promise Is a Promise (Ace Of Hearts, AHS 325, 1988)

### Compilations

* Hotel Massachusetts

## In other media

The song "Help You Ann" was featured on the game Destroy All Humans! 2 and on the TV show Rescue Me.

## Related bands

* Barrence Whitfield And The Savages - Howard Ferguson, Peter Greenberg, Phil Lenker
* DMZ - Jeff Conolly, Mike Lewis, Peter Greenberg, Paul Murphy
* The Real Kids - Howard Ferguson
* The Zantees - Mike Lewis
* The A-Bones - Mike Lewis
* Yo La Tengo - Mike Lewis
* Darker My Love - Jared Everett
* Orange Rooftops - T.J. O'Brien, Jeff Gregory, Jeff Phelps, Jason Eaton