The Lemonheads are an American alternative rock band formed in Boston in 1986, essentially the vehicle for Evan Dando's laid-back voice and effortless pop melodies. It's a Shame About Ray (1992) is the one everybody starts with — and their Mrs. Robinson cover keeps pulling new listeners in. Shop The Lemonheads vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
The Lemonheads formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1986. Although the band began with a fuller founding lineup including Ben Deily, it became primarily a vehicle for Evan Dando (vocals, guitar), the one constant member around whom a rotating cast of musicians has revolved. The band emerged from the Boston punk and college-rock scene and reached its widest audience in the early 1990s alternative boom.
The Lemonheads moved from early hardcore-tinged punk toward melodic, jangly alternative rock and power pop, built on Dando's laid-back vocals and strong pop melodies. Their best-known work balances breezy hooks with a slacker sensibility characteristic of early-1990s alternative rock.
It's a Shame About Ray has been reissued in expanded anniversary editions, and the band's Atlantic-era catalog appears in colored-vinyl variants. Original pressings and the Mrs. Robinson-era releases are collected by alternative-rock fans.
Listeners new to The Lemonheads almost always start with It's a Shame About Ray (1992). For related listening, see and .
