The Rubinoos are one of the most revered and critically acclaimed power pop acts of the late ’70s and early ’80s.
The Rubinoos carried on the great pop tradition of UK bands like the Hollies and the Beatles espoused by other American acts like the Raspberries. They were formed in the Bay Area of San Francisco, California, USA, in 1973 by Tommy ‘TV’ Dunbar and Jon Rubin, who were thrown out of high school together and enrolled in a so-called Progressive School where they learnt to smoke illegal substances. They called themselves the Rubinoos after Jon’s surname, Rubin acting as vocalist while Dunbar played lead guitar.
Dunbar’s brother Rob was in a band called Earthquake and their manager, Matthew King Kaufman, helped get the Rubinoos gigs. He also added them to his impressive roster on Beserkley Records and their debut album was released in 1977.
The Rubinoos became a popular live attraction particularly for their show stopping ‘Rock And Roll Is Dead (And We Don’t Care),’ co-written by Rubin and Carlin. Regardless of their lack of major success they plowed on though Ader left in 1980 and by the time of their 1983 mini-album, Party Of Two, they were a duo of Rubin and Dunbar. The band has continued to record and tour, enjoying particular popularity in Japan.