- Band Members: Trevor Whatever, Spike, Vadge Moore, Whölley Smökkes, He Who Cannot Be Named, Chip Fracture, Eric Valentine, Spike Slawson, Sigh Moan, Blag Dahlia, Salt Peter, Gnarly Watts
- Genre: Rock & Alternative
- Influenced by: The Cramps
- Followed By: Union 69, The Riptides, Motosierra, Submachine
- Similar Artists: L7, The Cows, The Jesus Lizard, Mono Men, Lazy Cowgirls, Suburban Nightmare, New Bomb Turks, Black Lips
Dwarves began in Chicago as a teen garage rock outfit called the Suburban Nightmare, a sound that was partially carried over into the first Dwarves release, 1986's Horror Stories. After the first album, Dwarves blazed across the country for seven more years, leaving a trail of blood from their own self-inflicted gashes, a trail of drug stories (according to popular myth, bassist XXXXX disappeared in Detroit on a crack binge during a 1992 tour, never to be heard from again), a trail (or tale) of bizarre stage-show sex acts, and a trail of numerous 15-minute-long live shows.
Dwarves unsurprisingly self-destructed shortly after a failed hoax, whereby the band issued a press release stating that guitarist He Who Cannot Be Named had died. The album Sugarfix also carried a tribute to the guitarist, who was actually very much alive. Sub Pop was not amused and dropped the band, which later re-formed for 1997's Young and Good Looking. Come Clean followed in early 2000. Four years later the band returned with The Dwarves Must Die, including guests Dexter Holland from the Offspring, Nick Oliveri from Queens of the Stone Age, Nash Kato from Urge Overkill, and voice actor Gary Owens. ~ Matt Carlson, All Music Guide