Cobra Verde is a Cleveland, Ohio based rock band perhaps best known as Robert Pollard's backing band for Guided by Voices from 1996 to late 1997. They were featured on The OC tv series episode in which they appeared in as a Foreigner cover band in 2006. They also have a fair amount of underground success independently with their unique glam/punk sound since forming in the wake of the demise of Death of Samantha circa 1992.
Initially, when singer John Petkovic took to the studio and borrowed the title of the Werner Herzog film of the same name; from his previous group Death of Samantha, he brought in Doug Gillard (lead guitar), Dave Swanson (drums) and had studio owner Don Depew fill the roll of bass player (formerly of Cleveland metal outfit Destructor).
This lineup held for the band's first three releases until Petkovic began to shake up the roster; the band has gone through several musicians since then, with Petkovic being the constant.
Newer circa 2005 members
Tim Parnin - guitar
Frank Vazzano - guitar
Ed Sotel - bass
Mark Klein - drums
2005 saw the release of the all-covers CD "Copycat Killers" and a cover of Foreigner's Waiting for a Girl Like You was featured on iTunes from The OC soundtrack. A new studio album was expected after this discography was initiated in 2006, but has yet to emerge.
Discography
Viva la Muerte (1994)
Vintage Crime EP (1995)
Egomania (Love Songs) (1997)
Nightlife (1999)
Easy Listening (2003)
Copycat Killers (2005)
[officialsite]www.cobraverde.com