The alternative trio Cold Water Flat were caught in the Nirvana-fueled hype machine of the early ‘90s, when every young American band with angst-laden lyrics and dirty guitars was hailed as the Next Big Thing. Cold Water Flat, like countless others, never fulfilled such lofty expectations; then again, like many groups caught in the grunge sweepstakes, they weren't aiming for rock stardom anyway. Cold Water Flat was formed by Paul Janovitz (vocals, guitar), Ted Silva (bass), and Paul Harding (drums) at the University of Massachusetts in 1990. Like Buffalo Tom, the band of Janovitz' brother Bill Janovitz, Cold Water Flat found a supportive audience in Boston. Janovitz moved to New York in 1992, and the group was on the verge of splitting up when the European label Play It Again Sam expressed interest in them. Cold Water Flat then recorded the album Listen, released in America by Sonic Bubblegum and overseas by Play It Again Sam in 1993. The band eventually signed with Fort Apache/MCA Records and their self-titled major-label debut appeared in 1995. However, despite some airplay on college stations, Cold Water Flat didn't catch on nationally, and the group disbanded. In the late ‘90s Janovitz joined Dragstrip Courage, releasing Echo Rock in 2000. ~ Michael Sutton, Rovi
