Jim Sclavunos is an American drummer, percussionist and producer from Brooklyn, United States. He works in rock music and is associated with New York’s underground and no wave scenes.

Career

Sclavunos begins playing in a series of New York bands from the late 1970s onwards, including Red Transistor, The Gynecologists, Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, Beirut Slump and 8 Eyed Spy. He is part of the no wave movement through Teenage Jesus & the Jerks and 8 Eyed Spy, and later plays with Sonic Youth and The Cramps.

He performs with Tav Falco’s Panther Burns and Lydia Lunch, and he is also a member of Alice Texas. His work places him in a long-running network of downtown and alternative New York projects.

Nick Cave collaborations

Sclavunos becomes a key member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds from 1996. He also performs with Grinderman, and both groups are part of his ongoing work.

Other projects

He forms The Vanity Set in 2000 and continues with that ensemble. His other listed groups include Devil Dogs, In Limbo, Trigger & the Thrill Kings, Shotgun Wedding, Congo Norvell, The Gunga Din, Silver Alert and Hypo.

Background

Sclavunos is described as half-Greek and half-Italian. At 6'7", he is one of the tallest rock musicians.