The sonic conglomerate known as Gallery of Mites came into being in the year 2001, when Monster Magnet drummer Jon Kleiman, together with original Magnet vocalist and longtime visual propaganda specialist Tim Cronin, decided they needed a few extra hands in the studio. Also deeming a new set of songs far too aggressive for use by their garage rock outfit the Ribeye Brothers and realizing neither of them could play lead guitar all that well, they began inviting fellow veterans of New Jersey's prolific stoner rock community to collaborate on the ten-man project that would become Gallery of Mites. Participating in the sporadic, year-long sessions for what eventually became the ensemble's Bugs on the Bluefish debut were such scene luminaries as guitarists Ed Mundell (Atomic Bitchwax, Monster Magnet), Phil Caivano (Monster Magnet, Blitzpeer ), Tommy Southard (Solace, Godspeed), Stu Gollin (Halfway to Gone), and Mike Schweigert (Lord Sterling); bassists Joe Calandra (Monster Magnet) and Jim Bagliano (Lord Sterling); and harp player Duane Hutter (Black Nasa). A final but very special cameo was provided by Unida and ex-Kyuss vocalist John Garcia, lending his inimitable pipes to one of the band's high-energy, Stooges- and Stones-inspired stone rockers. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, Rovi
