Joe Strell

Who is Joe Strell?

Joe Strell began his musical career in 1980 as songwriter and bassist for The Imports, one of Chicago's first punk rock / post punk bands, which was named after their favorite section in the Wax Trax record bins. The Imports entertained local audiences with their dark minimalism, playing the intimate circuit of alternative dance clubs of the day including Ann Arkees, Tuts, Ruts, Waves, Gaspar's, Huey's, Jamie's Elsewhere, and the Lucky Number. The final lineup of The Imports consisted of Ben Krug, Tom Krug, Joe Strell, and Tom Wall.

The Imports released a 7" vinyl single on Cirkle Records which remains an obscure cult favorite and has gone through multiple printings. For their penultimate show on December 4, 1980, they opened for The Jim Carroll Band at Sam's in Minneapolis, a date they followed by headlining the next evening at the neighboring 7th Street Entry. After sharing the night with friends from Chicago in a cramped hotel room in freezing downtown Minneapolis, The Imports found their separate ways home through the blinding snow of a Midwestern blizzard.

In the fall of 1981 Strell left Chicago for Champaign, Illinois, where he eventually joined up with the new wave music / art rock band ¡Ack-Ack! in 1984. This band, known for its eclectic compositions, released 7" and 12" singles and contributed to a number of cassette compilations on the small, independent Office Records label. Playing out in local clubs several times a month for a couple years, Strell developed a talent for melodic Rickenbacker bass lines that became his trademark. The lineup for ¡Ack-Ack! consisted of Steve Shields, Lynn Canfield, Henry Frayne, Joe Strell, and Brendan Gamble. Previous band members also included Tim Stephens and Brian Reedy, who went on to form the power alternative trio Lonely Trailer.