American new wave band formed in Los Angeles in 1979 by composer Danny Elfman, evolved from the earlier performance-art group the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. Lineup also included Steve Bartek (guitar), John Avila (bass, from 1984), and a long-running brass section.
Eight studio albums between 1981 and 1994. Commercial breakthrough single "Weird Science" from the 1985 film of the same name. Other notable releases: Only a Lad (1981), Good for Your Soul (1983), Dead Man's Party (1985), and Boi-Ngo (1987). Elfman transitioned to a major film-scoring career starting with Tim Burton's Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), eventually dissolving the band in 1995.
