Originally recorded in 1968 and slated for release on Sire Records, Microminiature Love languished unreleased until last year, when it was finally unearthed by De Stijl Records (who put out a limited, vinyl-only pressing of the original album). Its creator, Michael Yonkers, is a legendary figure in Minneapolis music-lore, who, through his own modifications, created his own guitars and effects. However, Microminiature Love is no mere curiosity or feat of gadgetry.

Raised on a steady diet of Link Wray and the Trashmen, Yonkers pushed the boundaries of distortion and truly transformed it into a powerful voice. The songs on Microminiature Love defy immediate categorization, but in them are shades of Pere Ubu, the howl of Iggy, the blunt primitivism of the Godz, and the seeds of countless other underground heroes.

Michael Yonkers started his musical career as the leader of Michael & The Mumbles, who played proms and dances all over the Twin Cities area. Constantly refining and re-imagining their sound, the band gradually morphed into the Michael Yonkers Band with Michael’s brother Jim Yunker on drums and Tom Wallfred on bass. In 1967, Michael cut his Telecaster down to a plank; one of the many modifications he made to his equipment. He still plays this same guitar on stage today.

Soon enough, the band hooked up with Peter Steinberg, a local music impresario, who set them up with a contract with Sire Records. As Cecile Cloutier points out in her thorough piece from Minneapolis’ City Pages, this was one of many times throughout the course of rock history that the fertile music underground was being mined by the majors. At the time, bands like The Fugs, Captain Beefheart and The…

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Microminiature Love

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Michael and the Mumbles

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• Michael Yonkers - Sold America (MP3)
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• Bio - Yonkers

• Cover - Microminiature Love
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