Death of Samantha

The Profile

Death of Samantha is an American alternative rock band from Cleveland, Ohio, formed in 1983 by John Petkovic. Named after the Yoko Ono song, they fused post-punk and new wave angularity with garage-rock drive, releasing a run of late-80s records before splitting in 1990. The band reunited in the 2010s and issued the retrospective If Memory Serves Us Well.

Cleveland alternative/post-punk band led by John Petkovic; name taken from Yoko Ono’s “Death of Samantha”; active 1983–1990 and 2011–2014; notable album Strungout on Jargon.

A single, glowing review hails Death of Samantha’s Strungout on Jargon as a sharp blend of new wave tension and garage-rock grit. The piece traces clear lines to Pere Ubu, Velvet Underground, and other 70s/80s touchstones, praising the album’s energy and alienation. Specific tracks like Coca-cola & Licorice and Simple as That get shoutouts. Overall verdict: influential, stunning, and a better antidote to revivalism than most modern imitators.