Jones took the name of the band from a Hallmark Cards shopping display, and first formed the group in 1981 with singer Jim Drummond and drummer Mike Greenlees.
In 1994, the group released The Why Album and helped start a local Chicago Public-access television show called Cool Clown Ground.
[1] In January 1999, Phil Bonnet died of a brain aneurysm while the group recorded material for its eighth album, Salad Days.
In 2001, Fisher and the band collaborated on a cover of "52 Girls" for the B-52s tribute album, Wigs on Fire!, which was released on Nihilist Records.
[2] In 2003, the group recorded another full-length for Skin Graft, Introducing Lemon, as well as a soundtrack CD to a comic book called Gumballhead the Cat.