The Wylde Ratttz are comprised of some of punk/alt-rock's most renowned and respected names -- guitarists Ron Asheton (the Stooges), Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), Don Fleming (Gumball), bassist Mike Watt (the Minutemen), drummer Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth), and singer Mark Arm (Mudhoney). The group originally came together in 1998 when they were asked by movie director Todd Haynes to cover the Stooges classic "T.V. Eye" for his film Velvet Goldmine, a movie that was supposedly loosely based on the relationship between David Bowie and Iggy Pop during the early-'70s glam period (when the song appeared on the album's soundtrack, Arm's vocals were replaced with actor Ewan McGregor's, however). What was originally supposed to be a one-off project took on a life of its own, as the ad hoc group quickly penned and recorded an album's worth of garage rockers. But due to contractual red tape, the album remained unreleased. ~ Greg Prato