9353 is not your typical band. 9353 first sprang onto the Washington DC mus… Read Full Bio ↴9353 is not your typical band. 9353 first sprang onto the Washington DC music scene in the early 80’s during the heyday of the Hardcore scene. 9353 is everything that Hardcore is not. Its not the same 3 chords, its not Straight Edge. 9353 is still alive and well and the music they have created has spread far and wide. Now, due to the rise of the internet, that popularity is only growing more. And that story is not over.

Completely original, 9353 does not easily fall into any prepackaged genres or labels. While band members came and went over the years, one thing remained constant—Bruce Miles Hellington (formerly Merkle), the singer and creative force behind the 9353 experience. The artist that made the 9353 posters. The shows were mostly sold out for the early years during the original line up after the 5th show, but 9353 would never be seen as the next pop sensation and gigging around DC was not going to pay for much other than the first 2 albums. Shows started long before the date with the now famous critically acclaimed art posters plastered all over DC and ended long after the doors closed as fans and foes debated the performances with a passion that still puzzles many. If one word could sum up 9353, its controversial. If you saw them or heard them you either loved it immediately or hated it. Many learned to love the music even though at first listen it was so original as to almost shock the senses and disorient listeners, but after a few exposures it all made sense and some of those songs still play in the heads of people who have not heard them since way back in the eighties. The internet is starting to bring all these stories and experiences together and this fan page is devoted to bringing all the fans, old, new and undecided together in one place to discuss their memories, find sources to buy new and old releases and help their friends and families hear the greatest almost famous band of that time.

Bad luck, bad medicine, soap opera interpersonal relations and tragedy has always plagued the band, but occasional steely determination has kept the music alive for 27 years. No record label wanted to touch 9353 for long and did not know what to make of them, so they played and recorded and did it anyway. They released disks on R&B records, Dutch East and Adult Swim Records, a spin off of Dischord. None of that went as expected, so now they remain unsigned but not unsung. They are still willing to scrape and release, but at a slower pace whenever affordable. They will do it on their own Brainwashington label. Now its 2010. You don't think 9353 is going to curl up and die for lack of success at this time do you? If you ask them, they'll say they're just finally warming up.

The sound changed and stayed the same and matured and grew younger as members came and went and everyone got older and added more experiences to the mix. In the later years, new line ups of whomever could and was willing, able and free from full time jobs, busy careers and expanding family duties would play with Bruce for a few shows here and there. 9353 has had more members then Spinal Tap in fewer years. Thus, the musical influence of 9353 can be heard in many of the works of bands that followed after those first years in the 80s until even to this day when listening to other bands you have to ask yourself, “were they listening to 9353 when they created their sound?” While all members made valuable contributions, whether they had short stays or long, there is, has never been, and can be no other singer quite like the man who has carried 9353 on through the years. Bruce is not the band, but there could never be a 9353 without him. Of course everybody wants to see an original line up tour but it's complicated. Half of them are successful and very busy and the other half aren't. They also live thousands of miles apart complicating any serious time to rehearse. And they are all in other bands now. Dan has his own orchestra. Jason is a famous producer. They are both are rumored to be returning for some more 9353 recording in the very near future and we all look forward to that. Meanwhile, the re-records are frighteningly spot on. People are raving about the new disc.

What 9353 has released as of this date is only 3 LPs, 4 CDs, 4 early cassette demos and has been featured on 3 compilation disks only.