James Chance and the Contortions is a New York City band led by saxophonist and vocalist James Chance, formed in 1977 and associated with the no wave scene. Their first widely released recording appeared on the compilation No New York in 1978. The band’s debut album Buy was released in 1979 on ZE Records. The Contortions also appeared in Das Todesmagazin (1979) by Rosa von Praunheim. In 2016, Chance released the single “Melt Yourself Down” with his original Contortions band. James Chance died in 2024.
