indie-list-25.txt
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* * * THE INDIE-LIST DIGEST #25 * * *
* * Homebrew independent pop rocks for the coffee generation! * *
* * * April 3, 1993 * * *
* * Brought to you by Mark, Joshua, Liz and Sean * *
* * * Mailed weekly from Indie-List World HQ in Chicago, Ill. * * *
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From: Now, Voyager <cornick@access.digex.com>
Our twenty-fifth issue is a WHOPPER, our biggest weekly issue yet at
NEARLY 60K. YOU made it happen, YOU deserve a big ol' slap on the
back and the draught of your choice! :)
Due to miniscule response, the Indie-Stry Directory plan has been
put on indefinite hold. It may be revived in the future, but maybe
not.
Sometime soon, you will be receiving the first edition of the
Indie-List Index. This idea was suggested by a reader whose name I've
forgotten (Pat P, maybe?) Say you wanted to find all the Beat
Happening reviews, or everything written by Joshua. This index will
make it possible. Between this and our new, improved archive (see
trailer), you can get the facts fast! I have completed the index thru
issue 10 and Josh will be finishing it.
Now that I'm employed once again, I can afford to buy a few records:
* SWIRLIES, _Blonder Tongue Audio Baton_: The Swirlies are probably
never going to shake the MBV comparison, which is a shame 'cause
they're starting to (slowly) develop an identity of their own.
There's still plenty of the ultra-distorted Bilinda sound present,
but a few of these songs are actually played clean (!) and have
passable melody lines. And they've still got their Sonic Youth
fixation, with a few tracks of just plain noise. Despite the fact
that they're still very derivative, the Swirlies are taking a few
tentative steps towards something unique. **. (Taang!, Box 51,
Auburndale, MA 02166)
* PAVEMENT, _Westing (By Musket And Sextant)_: The early recordings
from Pavement, compiled on one CD. You get _Slay Tracks_, _Demolition
Plot J-7_, _Perfect Sound Forever_, the "Summer Babe" single (aka
_Exact Wording Of Threat_) and a few compilation tracks. The rough
sound of the early stuff (esp. _Slay Tracks_) is going to turn off
some of the people who started with _Slanted & Enchanted_, but this
is brash, fantastic, essential stuff, without a doubt worthy of
***, but since Dan "Goombah" Koretzky took so long to get this out,
I'm only going to give it **1/2. Snub. (Drag City, Box 476867,
Chicago, IL 60647)
* VELOCITY GIRL, Copacetic: Hrm, I dunno, guys. I'm a little
disappointed. This is by no means a bad record, but listening to the
recent Slumberland compilation, and everything else they've done so
far, I know they're capable of more. My main problem is with the
recording, which too often sinks Sarah's vocals deep in the mix -- I
realize that they have a philosophy of her voice as just another
instrument, but her voice is _so damned nice_ that they should
emphasize it a little more, IMO. The songs on here are pretty good,
though, and maybe they'll be better live. And the CD does improve with
repeated listens. But overall, I'd only give this * max. Linus/
Jack and Eric review this later, too, so don't just take my word for
it. (Sub Pop, Box 20645, Seattle, WA 98102)
* MILK BADGER, "Triskelion": Five OK Shimmy-ish pop songs from just
down the interstate from me, in Blacksburg (hi, Eric.) Reminded me
most of someone like Uncle Wiggly. If the recording on this was a
little lower fidelity, they would probably endear themselves to the
folks at _Chemical Imbalance._ Typically Squealer-ish hand-crayoned
sleeves, no two alike! (Plain black wax, though.) Overall this is
good, unassuming indie pop. *1/2. (Squealer, PO Box 229,
Blacksburg, VA 24063-0229)
* TAR, Clincher: Probably the most accessible Tar release yet. The
dense sound is still there, but tempos are up a bit and the sound is
a bit more polished. Seven songs on this EP; two are live and one
("Teetering") is a version of a song from their last 7". Let's hope
this is a preview to a good, solid Tar LP, something I've waited for
for a while. **. (Touch & Go, Box 25520, Chicago, IL 60625)
On April 2 (my 21st birthday) I went to the Cool-Aid concert at JMU in
Harrisonburg, VA. I missed the first band, Pseude Pharm, but they're
friends of mine and I've seen them umpteen times, so no big deal.
They get an absentia rating of *. Afrikan Drum Fest from
Charlottesville was next, doing several drum/dance pieces on (you
guesed it) African drums. Cool stuff, whether you're a drummer (like
me) or not, *1/2. Damn Near Red from Richmond played a fantastic
set of post-hardcore grrl rock. They sounded a lot better this time
than last time I saw them, and their songs are sounding great. **.
Eddie From Ohio (from DC) were next and were just plain awful. This
sort of acoustic Dead-influenced folk rock may go down like soda pop
with the folks at the Birchmere, but they get less than * from me.
Headlining were Burma Jam from Richmond, who are now down to a
four-piece with the departure of sax-man Ernest. Regardless, they put
on a solid set of hardcore-reggae-beat, with some new songs that
don't all sound the same (the main problem with their album,
_Emergency Broadcast System_.) **1/2 for them.
Bummer of the week: One of Richmond's better places to catch bands,
the Kokopeli Cafe, burned in a suspicious fire earlier this week.
Between this and the general disrepair of the Metrodome, before too
long we'll all have to crowd into Twisters and the Nile Cafe to see
bands. This will not be a happy day. Considering how long the
Kokopeli was closed before it reopened, I wouldn't count on them
being back any time soon, if at all. Fuck.
Upcoming Virginia shows of possible interest:
April 4: FUGAZI and JAWBOX at Trax, 11 St, Charlottesville. Tix are
(of course) $5.00, all ages, available from the usual suspects. Call
Trax at (804) 295-TRAX.
April 8: UNREST, ROYAL TRUX and UNCLE WIGGLY in a benefit for rock
programming on WTJU-FM 91.1, at Sigma Nu, Carrs Hill Rd,
Charlottesville. Tix are $5.00 in advance, $7.00 at the door, all
ages, available at TJU, Plan 9, Spencer's 206, and probably
elsewhere. BYOB. Call TJU at (804) 924-0885.
Also, the WTJU Rock Marathon Program Guide is out, both on paper and
on the net. For the sake of saving space and not boring our
non-Virginia readers, if you want a copy via email, contact me, or
read any of the USENET groups alt.music.alternative, rec.music.misc,
va.general, or chv.general.
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From: MGANGLOFF@gems.vcu.edu (Mike Gangloff)
hey y'all. this is my first posting an' i'm coming atcha straight
outta richmond, va.
several recent richmond singles:
LABRADFORD "Everlast" b/w "Preserve the Sound Outside" -- according
to the notes, one side is mastered at 45 rpm, the other at 33 rpm
and there may be some confusion as to which is which. "we encourage
liberal experimentation," the labradforders write. i like both sides
at both speeds -- enormously distorted guitars (i think) and maybe a
sampler (?) turning out creeping, buzzing glaciers of static over
some ominous background vocal muttering. i like it a lot, but then
again, i've spent a lot of time four-tracking my window fan's
various sounds. Retro 8 records, 518 N. Columbus St., Alexandria VA
22314
AURORA PARALYSIS "Borrow My Body" split w/EGGS "The Obliviist" --
another drone and hum workout from the auroras, minimal strums and
drums set the rhythm while frances simmons slips her vocals in and
out of the flow -- alternately soothing and disquieting, like
nightmares when you're trying to sleep on a bad couch (ahem). it's
not quite up there with MY aurora fave, "the messenger" (released
last summer on Brilliant Records, p.o. box 17116, Richmond VA
23226-7116), but it's plenty for you, bub... and it gets heavier
than some aurora fare when guitarist scott hudgins kicks in the
distortion part way through. scott's in sliang laos too, who just
released the way cool "Alabama Ego"/"Shining Path" single which was
mentioned by someone here a couple weeks ago. To get back to the
single at hand though, the eggs side is pretty good too. A
two-headed dog brought to us, appropriately enough, through a joint
venture by Landspeed and Saltpeter records, P.O. Box 4066, Duke
Station, Durham NC 27706.
LABRADFORD/PITCHBLENDE/AURORA PARALYSIS 3/26/93 at the metrodome,
richmond, va.
a pretty grueling show all in all -- unlike mark, i enjoyed
labradford's two man "we will crush you with our layers of sound"
guitar and synth stuff. pitchblende was good too, though like last
time i saw them, their vocals were almost completely lost in the
mix... but their guitars were coming through loud and fuzzy!
unfortunately, aurora paralyis wasn't nearly as good as the last
time i saw them. the whole band seemed to have just woken up --
absolutely no energy coming off the stage. of course, the audience
was down to about 25 people or so, and everyone was just standing
around -- not much energy there either. the metrodome is a pretty
bleak place to see a show these days -- they lost their beer license
a while ago and the water had apparently been shut off to the
building recently as well... they're also changing the sound system
around and don't seem to have the bugs worked out yet. oh well.
aurora paralysis and pitchblende are playing winkies in 5 weeks or
so -- should be much more fun.
someone asked about a midnight new music show on KPFK Los Angeles --
you're probably looking for "12 O'Clock Rock," a weekly show run (at
least in part) by Andrea 'Enthal. She also writes a monthly column
in Alternative Press and years ago wrote for Spin...
too bad to hear Bliss is no more -- i thought they sounded great the
one time they played richmond.
Also -- *blatant plug* -- we still have a few limited edition "Eros
Catholica" 12-inchers from LID. if you're interested, write to
Radoactive Rat Records, 238 South Cherry Street, Richmond VA 23220
or email me at MGANGLOFF@GEMS.VCU.EDU for price and other
information.
--mg
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From: Linus Van Pelt <jis@Panix.Com>
Welp, got the new Velocity Girl album last week, and saw them live at
the Knitting Factory last night, so I think a review of these things
is in order.
First, the album, Copacetic. Not bad, songwise, but the
production really brings it down. Like the blurred photos on the
cover, the band's sound on this disc is majorly filtered. Almost as
if you are listening to them while your ears are ringing from
standing to close to a bunch of house speakers. But that isn't to
say it's a total bomb. There are really great songs and melodies
buried in this blanket of sound (as their live show proved). Stuff
like the single _Crazy Town_, _A Chang_ and _Here Comes_ are just
really good. But it may take some time to get used to for those
used to the harder edge of they're earlier singles.
Second, the concert at the Knitting Factory, NYC, Sat. 27th Midnight.
They played two shows the night before and one show that night (at
nine). So I was kinda expecting them to slack off. As much as I
love these guys (and gal), they seemed really lackluster live when I
saw them at Wetlands with Beat Happening, Gravel and Codeine last
October. Sarah Shannon, back then, lived up to the rumors of being
totally dead on stage. But last night's show popped that nasty
bubble in a big way. Not only were they alive, and full of life
(barring the fact that they said that Brian was "hit" by a car 15
minutes before the show and 2 guys from Sub Pop came out and beat up
the driver), but they were really amazingly good. Sarah was actually
having fun on stage. Joking, bullshiting, making fun of the audience
in a good way (especially when some hormone crazed indie person
screamed "aaaaarrrrchieeee". Beauty... :) Most of the songs in the
45 minute set were new. Not _Forgotten Fave_ (fuck me....), or
Crawl, but they did do _I Don't Care if You Go_. Other than a
slight problem having Sarah's vocals going through the house mix
okay, they show was well worth the 12 bux. And hey, I got to see
Belly too. But I won't review them, since I'm not that big on
them.
Welp, that's all I gotta say.... Later Skater.....
Linus Van Pelt
jis@panix.com
"Happiness is standing too close to the speakers so my ears are still
ringing...."
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From: stuart <johnson@mail.ph.ed.ac.uk>
After my brief list debut, a Bettie Seveert rave of a week or two ago
(yes I've got the album and yes it sounds identical to their live
show) I guess I should make an introduction. I am (stand up, hang the
head in embarassment) Stuart Johnson a postgraduate physics student
at the University of Edinburgh, that's Scotland. There's not much of
a scene of any sorts really going around here, but there are a few
local bands that I'll try to introduce in the future. For the mean
time some record reviews, with I guess a slight Sarah theme:
Miranda Sex Garden Play 7in (Mute Records): It starts beautiful and
quiet with this lost voice in the wind effect that builds slow into a
choir-like vocal with a cello floating along behind it. Until half
way through, it cracks. The voice is broken and nasty and some
spiteful noisy guitar looms in and before you've been around long
enough to quite work the drama of it, its gone. Choir-like vocal
fades. Unexpected and lovely but this kind of operatic staging should
be more effective over a full albums length. The album's out March
30th, called Suspira.
Saint Etienne _so tough_ LP (Heavenly/Creation): _so tough_ adds a
perfect completeness to Saint Etienne's vision of the British way of
life. The album just drips with the same atmosphere of their only
previous _foxbase alpha_ only it benefits from a more certain
confidence. It is richer in sweet mellow noises, eveything seems
rapped in the heavenly twee vocals that should have everyone reviving
their Sarah Records twee faves, and still it comes out sounding with
an ambient 'so tough' dance groove thats already filling student
dance floors. The sampled sound bites that slot in between the tracks
provide the english setting, along with the black and white street
life snapshots that make up the inlay booklet. Anyone outside these
isles (you poor check-clad yanks) just can't appreciate this stuff.
The real fun starts with tracing the origins of those sampled sounds.
I get these childhood flashbacks like this stuff has been taken
straight from my own playground memory, some sort of common collage
to growing up in seventies Britain with the TV permanently switched
on in the background. This has just never been laid in front of me
before. Maybe. Maybe I'm putting to much into it. But just deny that
the moment in the chorus of _You're in a bad way_ where the line goes
"Just dial my number or c-call my name..." and she mouths that extra
rounded consonant onto "c-call" isn't a truly knee trembling moment,
I have to sit down evry time. A cigartte, a cup of tea, and a sticky
bun. Please.
Fieldmice _for keeps_ LP (Sarah Records, PO Box 691, Bristol BS991
1FG. UK.): This is nice. Real nice and nothing more than that. The
fieldmice always enjoy stepping either side of the laid down Sarah
line and always come off sounding the more interesting for it. _for
keeps_ is no exception sliding in some calm hazy sounds beneath some
regular Sarah songs. _Five Moments_ is the best, the first, given a
_so tough_ groove and this would come so close to being Saint
Etienne. Only this album dates from 1991, another example of my low
budget out of date record buying style that requires many a dedicated
hour spent cruising the tosh of the markdown racks and cut price
clearance bins. I can see side two of this getting the most frequent
plays, late nights. _Tilting At Windmills_ that opens the side is a
fresh, breathy instrumental and leads into three gentle love songs,
an empty melancholic air to them, before the side ends with a loud
noise rush of an instrumental that would easily pass for Spacemen 3.
Real nice. Also I'd recommend, if this is your sound, checking out
their mini-lp previuos to this one Skywriting which features a more
jangly feel and a truly sublime experiment on the theme Love, Sex,
Chocolate.
The live event of the last month here? Probably the Huggy Bear/Bikini
Kill Riot Grrl roadshow that hit town two weeks ago and which I
missed due to a terminal cold disease (ahh that damp air), but which
I hear went pretty highly rated. Said roadshow, according to reliable
press reports, has had the honour of being banned from playing in (is
it?) Derby this week. Now they must be real rebels.
Anyway, to the point. The live event of the century (as far as
Edinburgh goes)? No ideas? Well, for their first full live
performance since 1969 the Velvet Underground, or some gods
somewhere, have seen fit to choose here. Yes, here. The Edinburgh
Playhouse, June 1st and 2nd, and my ticket's bought. I'll see you
afterwards to discuss the ethics of sad revivals and commercial
cash-ins. Meantime I'll just sit here thankfully and mutter in wonder
'...but why Edinburgh... ...but why Edinburgh...'. Now, I can die
happy.
Thanks, stuart.
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From: al@IRIS.CLAREMONT.EDU (Noisy Bridge Rod and Gun Club)
I!H (anagram of HI!),
Aaron of the grunge list (be ye on this list, too?) remembered me
about a great New Zealand disc that I've had for months and gasp
haven't reviewed yet.
Sandra Bell _Dreams Of Falling_ CD (XPRESSWAY via Turbulence) Bruce
Russell, head of XPRESSWAY records (and 1/3 of Dead C.) is a 4-track
god, and the records that his lable releases vary from feather soft
acoustic guitar/piano etherea to white noise, often within the space
of a single record and sometimes within the space of a single song,
but they all are bound by the thread of no-fi garagity. This here
disc by Sandra Bell is beautiful, dense, scary, sparse and angelic;
not at turns, but all at once. Her voice is strong and plain, and it
fits this music in much the same way that Peter Jefferies' fits his.
Jefferies helps out on about half the tracks, playing some of the
multiple instruments with which he is well-versed. His influence is
apparent and acknowledged by Ms. Bell, but she definitely has her
own vision, both lyrically and musically. Titles like "Subway
Nihilism" and "Lost Train" describe the mood here, and all the
seemingly contradictory "feels" melt into a strong and cohesive
whole. Absolutely essential for XPRESSWAY fans, and recommended to
others who like strong, noisy, feathery, ethereal pop. **1/2
--
Michael L. Medlin al@iris.claremont.edu
"6 to 7 he'll be all alone
so he turns on television"
--Peter Jefferies, "The Fate Of The Human Carbine"
[ Oh, as long as we're on the subject, Cargo is releasing the
Xpressway compilation _Killing Capitalism With Kindness_ (originally
on Turbulence Recs. of Belgium) in the U.S. - Mark ]
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From: EARN@PORTIA.CALTECH.EDU
Saturday, March 20th: The Mountain Goats, Diskothi-Q, Shoeface, and
Refrigerator. at Munchie's, Pomona - hub of the imaginary "Inland
Empire" music scene.
Mountain Goats - This was a lot of fun. Intelligent, amusing, and
even moving "folk" ('cause it's just one guy + acoustic guitar).
Lots of coffee-fuelled Feelies-ish hyperkinetic strumming. We got a
bunch of stuff from the Hound Chronicles and new stuff that was even
better. Most of the folks were entranced sitting X-legged on the
floor (Alex sez to me "it looks like they're watching TV" - it was
that good). An ecstatic ovation got us an encore of "The
Anglo-Saxons" and a Johnny Cash song that ended with "that extended
chord means I've forgotten the second verse".
Diskothi-Q - Not their best show of late, but more of the long,
droning songs and less of the joke songs, which is a good sign to me.
Intruiging and wordy (just *bordering* on pretentious) pop/rock with
a bit of a Nothing Painted Blue fixation. Joined by Franklin of NPB
for the last two songs -more of a celebrity appearance than a musical
collaboration, but the twin-guitar attack sounded really good.
Shoeface - A loud, fast, engaging set. These guys have gotten way
more punk/pop than their earlier punk/rock sound. More hooks,
changes of pace, and Nathan sings more, all of which help. Supremely
tight, but not afraid to get noisy. Gordons and Jam covers. Better
than you'd think from the records.
Refrigerator - These guys were recording a live album for Ajax, but
it might not have been their night to do it. We got a sort of
greatest hits selection of stuff from Lonesome Surprise, Rael, etc.,
even a long version of "State Trooper", but things didn't quite
click. Dennis was heard to say "even the gimmicks aren't working
tonight" after "Everything's Coming up Cowboys" petered out. Maybe
they just started too late (1 am), I don't know. Still quite
diverting, and still simultaneously more punk and more intimate than
anyone else around. Hopefully they'll try again, so their greatness
can be revealed to brave souls everywhere.
All in all, not bad for four bucks. I'll be back.
The Imperial Butt Wizards, Permanent Green Light, Rosemary's
Billygoat, and the Primordial Undermind at Al's Bar, LA 3/26/93
PU - well I can't very well be objective about the Undermind set
since I'm in the band, but suffice it to say it was the best show
we've played in the BIG city, mostly thanks to new bass guy Dave.
(the RB guitarist sez to me "you guys got a lot more power since the
last time I saw you", "No," I sez, "we just got Dave.")
Rosemary's Billygoat - The sound was pretty much standard LA funk/
metal/thrash, not really memorable, but then the emphasis was on the
lead singer's antics. He began with the mike inserted into an actual
army surplus gas mask, doffed his trench coat to reveal a natty Smurf
vest and pelted us with props such as hamburgers (for "Jack's in a
Box" about their favorite fast food joint poisoning scandal) and fake
body parts (I like children/I really care/ I like children/medium
rare). I dunno, sort of funny but not my cup of tea, and they went on
way too long. Apparently they're friends with the Butt Wizards, and
get on their bills alot. Typical.
Permanent Green Light - Except for some ragged vocal harmonies, Mike
Quercio's latest psyche/pop star vehicle were in fine shape. Cool
songs, dreamy lyrics, meaty guitar, and fluid bass lines. The first
single and the live shows are so good I don't know how they messed up
the rest of the CD so badly. This was the first time I've heard them
do "The Goddess Bunny", a sweet and sincere tribute to LA's only
wheelchair-bound, lip-synching malformed transvestite queen.("don't
make fun/cause it's not funny"). It's supposed to be on a
forthcoming comp of bands who play the Jabberjaw club - I'll buy
that.
The Imperial Butt Wizards - You know, some of the Wizards do
actually play music during the show (including Mr. Quercio on bass),
but after seeing these guys four times I'm at a loss to describe it.
This is because attention is inevitably drawn to the huge pit of
surrealistic anarchy created by the rest of this group and most of
the audience. Imagine all the stupid fun of GWAR with all the
weirdness of the Butthole Surfers and the physical interaction of
Crash Worship topped off with a generous helping of pyrotechnics and
abject destruction. Let me explain - The club was packed (with a line
outside) as the Wizards took to a stage festooned with a purple
toilet, a matching washer/dryer set, and several suspicious looking
bags of flour with fuses suspended about. The act began with a
band-sanctioned "battle royale" between five damaged Viet Nam vets
who believed (and looked convincingly) they were Salvador Dali. The
music kicked in, the toilet exploded, smoke bombs went a-flying and
the requisite slew of three-foot tall stuffed animals were thrown to
the audience for dismemberment as the major appliances were tipped
off the stage and beaten with baseball bats. When the first "song"
ended and the smoke cleared (a little) I and half the audience were
left panting, covered in Dali paint and ankle-deep in white styrofoam
pellets while the other half had fled for their lives. And it had
just begun. Other highlights included the visit of the Polynesian
King and his court to deliver leis and Christian literature (I swear
those torches were burning the ceiling), and the "lusty sailor" who
the booker prevented from exploding his 10 ft long inflatable
crocodile landing craft (even as they futilly tried to burn a flame
retardant American flag). I left completely exhausted, covered in
paint, sweat, styrofoam and soot with my headless teddy bear skin
trophy, and happy as a clam. You will see them if you get a chance.
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From: Kathy Fennessy <kathyfen@microsoft.com>
Subject: Submission: going down, down, dragging me down...
1st off, thanks to Kathleen Bennett for her review of the 2nd CURSE
listener's mtg., as well as an update on the current situation.
CURSE, for those who missed the explanation the 1st time, stands for
Censorship Undermines Radio Station Ethics. This non-profit, legally
represented organization was formed to return democracy & increase
community involvement at KCMU. The latest news we've garnered in
regards to its current music situation, is that station manager Chris
Knab & Program/Music Director Don Yates have locked up approx. 1,500
LPs & 400 7"s of a "harsh & abrasive" nature. CDs are
next....Expect further articles on the CURSE vs. KCMU fight in the
next Tower Pulse! & the June/July issue of Details.
New (-ish!) music: finally got ahold of the Dead C's "DR503" reish
on Feel Good All Over. Not bad, per se, but I was ultimately
disappointed; seemed kinda sterile & aimless to me, altho' they do
eek out some cool guitar sounds. Steve-- who's probably reading
this right now (he's also on this list)-- thinks I might like some
of their later, more "melodic" stuff better, so I intend to check it
out. I did, however, enjoy Sandra Bell's Dead C- backed "Dreams of
Falling" (Xpressway) quite a bit. It was previously available only
as a cassette, but is now out on CD (I ordered mine-- at a great
price, natch'-- fr. Ajax). Like the Dead C, it's "dark" stuff, but
not too dark, I didn't think. Her voice has been compared to
Nico's, which does make sense, but she isn't quite as stilted or
stentorian (not a slam against Nico, incidentally, who I like). I
was also reminded a bit of Kendra Smith & Lida Husik, altho' Bell's
music is less folky or psychedelic than that of those 2 (who I also
dig quite a bit). She shares that cool-- somewhat sexy-- ironic
tone of voice that they do, however. Somewhat pretentious, but
otherwise purty cool.
Also recently picked up Crystallized Movements - "Revelations fr.
Pandemonium" (Twisted Village) after hearing raves about these guys
for yrs. Also purty cool; a real guitar extravaganza. I was
reminded a bit of the early Flaming Lips. I have no idea how this
compares to earlier releases, 'cause it's the only thing I've heard
fr. these Connecticutt slackers.
On the old music/reissue front, picked up copies of (the
Australian!) X's comp. on Amrep, the MC5's - "Back in the USA"
(Atlantic-Rhino), & Captain Beefheart's "Mirror Man." The X comp. is
great-- highly recommended, esp. to fans of Feedtime, the Cosmic
Psychos, & Fugazi. Real bass-heavy p-rock w/distinct, intelligent
lyrics. The only tune of theirs I'd ever heard before is the
excellent, "I Don't Wanna Go Out", fr. a great (bootleg) comp. of
early Australian punk, "Where Birdmen Flew". Would make a great
companion piece to Sub Pop's great Scientists' comp. The MC5
release is fr. the early '70s, & is probably the most
straight-forward thing they ever did. Not as innovative or
"revolutionary" as their 1st record or even their last ("High Time",
also Atlantic-Rhino), but some of their most memorable songs &
performances. A buncha short, catchy li'l punk nuggets clocking in
at about 25 mins. Beefheart's "Mirror Man" is for folks who like
his jazzy stuff the best; 4 long tunes w/wild lyrics & lotsa
skronkin'. Highly recommended. Steve says he recalls it as a
difficult listen, which is true to some extent but not as difficult,
I didn't think, as the more highly-touted "Trout Mask Replica."
On a music-related note, I saw "The Year Punk Broke", too....unless
you're a hardcore fan of Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr., Babes in Toyland,
the Ramones or-- especially-- Sonic Youth, do not go! I thought it
was pretty terrible (glad I was able to get in for free!). The live
Sonic Youth & Nirvana performances are probably the best parts of
the flick, but the photography & sound thruout are lousy, & it's
otherwise pretty dull (esp. Thurston Moore!). What I would highly
recommend (instead?): "England's Dreaming" by Jon Savage. A long,
but VERY engaging read about when/where/how & why punk REALLY
"broke".
And that's all I could afford this month! Hey Joshua: you forgot to
send me Jim Caliguiri's Mind Over Matters fr. CMJ. Fortunately,
Tim Cook fr. C/Z "hooked me up". Hopefully, my Mind Over Matters in
reply to Yates' recent dialogue about how Tim's-fucked-KCMU's-fine
will appear soon. Later....
Kathy Fennessy
CURSE Administrative Director/Microsoftie
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From: elabow@csugrad.cs.vt.edu (Eric Labow)
Hi-Tee-Ho from the land of rain, rain, rain, snow, rain, and rain that
is Southwestern Virgina. By the time you read this my townhouse
will be underwater if it keeps pissing rain like this.
[ Believe it! My back yard is still damp and weather's been dry for
days now. Time for the Ditch Witch! - Mark ]
Anyway, just to give a Skronk 'zine update: The comprehensive Skronk
Retro issue is now out for the people. Since there was limited
distribution on the earlier issues, we decided to put our favourite
interviews, live reviews, and album reviews into the Retro issue,
which includes interviews of: revolutionaries Nation of Ulysses,
mammoth saxophonist Thomas Chapin, Pavement, giant improv drummer
William Hooker, the Jazz Passengers, Basehead, and pianist Don
Pullen. live reviews of: Sun Ra Arkestra, Dave Holland, Pavement,
Bill Frisell, David Murray, and more; plus tons and tons of record
reviews. 50+ fat pages of skronkin' literature.
Skronk #6 is also ready to burst out any day now with an interview
with David Murray, review of the Coltrane festival in
Charlottesville, and a special not-to-be-missed Mike Watt glossary!
To get a copy o' the fat Retro Skronk send $3 (or for issue #6 send
$1) to:
Skronk
1800 Grayland St.
Blacksburg, Va 24060
please make checks payable to Brent Burton. Thanks.
Now onto the reviews....
American Music Club "Mercury" (Reprise) - major label debut for this
great mark eitzel led fivesome. all their past stuff has blown me
away and "mercury" follows the same form. i'd give it equal marks
with their previous "everclear" release except mercury's got 3 more
tracks. eitzel sings his usual beautiful, emotionally drenched
love/hate/despair barroom-blues ballads. he is one of the most
talented songwriters and the BEST male vocalist in rock music today.
this album might also spawn a few hits that your local commercial
radio station might pick up too ("mercury" and "over and done").
Wow. **
Basehead "Not in Kansas Anymore" (Imago) - ok another adventure into
michael ivey's playful views at sex, dating, women, pot, beer, and
the MAN. it struck me at first as not coming close to the quality of
"plays with toys" but after a couple more listens i was diggin' it as
much as the first one. as in "plays with toys", ivey keeps the same
country hick bar atmosphere and does some funny interplay between the
band, and the staged audience and mc. leave it to ivey (who complains
about not getting airplay by either alternative or rap radio) to
whip out a single like "Do You wanna fuck (or what)?". so, pull up a
big laz-ee-boy, light up a spliff, and pour on the basehead. *1/2
Frank Black (Elektra) - sorry pixies fans but black francis continues
the formula of creating the same boring songs that have comprised the
last few pixies albums. on this album he has mastered the way to
write stupid, repetitive lyrics that a five-year old could come up
with (they really shouldn't have printed them). though, some songs
are poppy and catchy. but the stupidity remains. i couldn't make it
past the 10th track.....next. *1/2
God is My Co-Pilot "Speed Yr Trip" (The Making of Americans) - god is
my co is fast becoming one of my favourite bands. this album,
similar to "i am not this body" is comprised of 26 short 15 sec to 2
minute spurts of energy. saxman john zorn adds a perfect touch of
skronk to an already ferociously noisy lineup. sharon topper's
screeching voice is laid over the top of sharp guitar riffs and
punchy drumming. lyrics are fun and hateful as on the last album.
interesting interplay between sharon topper and the guitarist on a
few of the tracks. jad fair also plays on two tracks. if you can't
find this in your local store, write to AJAX mail-order at: AJAX PO
BOX 805293, Chicago IL 60680-4114 and they'll be happy to sell you
cool stuff like this cheap. **
Kramer "The Guilt Trip" (Shimmy Disc) - ladies and gentlemen, may i
present the hardest working man in show business....Kramer. the
prolific one does not disappoint, delivering 2 cd's (3 lp's) full of
syd barrett influenced lyrics and bevis frond guitar psychodelia.
yeah this should have been out a year ago likehe was advertising but
he had a kid which delayed the completion of the project. a little
tough and tedious to sit through the entire thing but it's worth
while in small doses. *
Master Musicians of Jajouka (Axiom) - moroccan music produced by 20
or 30 musicians led by Bachir Attar. if you've seen the movie naked
lunch, you've heard this music before (used as the background music
when bill enters interzone). incredible patterns and rhythms that
burroghs describes as "listening to the primordial sounds of a 4,000
year old rock 'n roll band". if your into music that deviates from
the basic western style of beats and sounds, you'll dig this.
produced by bill laswell. by the way, there's a good article in the
new option on this "group". no rating - not fair to compare this to
anything else.
Velocity Girl "Copacetic" (Sub Pop) - I'm as much as a v. girl
groupie as the next person, so i'll just give it 4 stars and let mark
explain why it's good. **
[ er, um, Eric wrote this without reading my review earlier in this
ish. Sorry for any confusion. - Mark ]
i can't believe WEEN was on MTV Beach Party - I'm so ashamed.
-eric
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From: Ara Hacopian <ahacop@wam.umd.edu>
Here's what I played on Friday March 26, 1993 on WMUC-FM 88.1 College
Park, Maryland from 6:00-9:00am.
Veloctiy Girl - Pretty Sister
Veloctiy Girl - Crazy Town
Veloctiy Girl - Copacetic
Veloctiy Girl - Here Comes
Veloctiy Girl - Pop Loser
Veloctiy Girl - Living Well
---Basically I played the first half of the new VG LP cause it just
got in at the station and I haven't heard it yet. I would have played
the whole thing, but I got in a half hour late and by this time it
was a little after 7:00 and I figured people were started to
listen---
Beat Happening - Indian Summer
Eugenius - Indian Summer (I think this is the best version)
Luna - Indian Summer (The Luna Promo CD5 came in, bunch o' covers)
Luna - ride Into The Sun
Teenage Fanclub - Every Picture That I Paint
Stereolab - Eloge D'Eros (new single, GREAT song! Sung in french!
Actually got a phone call about it..at 7:30am?!)
Damon & Naomi - This Car Climbed Mt. Washington (just got this in,
and have heard so much about, unfortunately I didn't get a big
chance to listen to it)
Heavenly - I Fell In Love Last Night
Medicine - Aruca
Even As We Speak - Goes So Slow
Spiritualized - 200 Bars
Swirlies - Upstairs (still haven't gotten the new LP)
Catherine Wheel - I Want To Touch You
Catherine Wheel - Dead Girl Friend (could have been good...it was
trite)
Sebadoh - Brand New Love
Veronica Lake - See Me When You Are 16 (got a call about this song)
Th' Faith Healers - This Time
The Telescopes - Flying
Tsunami - Load Hog
Sleepyhead - Like A Girl Jesus
Veronica Lake - This Is My World
As always I play a bunch of Vaselines tunes as soon as its past 9:00
(this means the 9:00 DJ is late) He showed up at around 9:40 after
calling me and telling me he was going to be late. So I played 40
minutes of Vaselines tunes. If he had come any later I would have had
to start repeating tunes. Fine with me...
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From: ejaffe@farpost.chi.il.us (Eriq P. Jaffe)
<Insert obligatory "It's My First Post" paragraph here> :)
And now on to a few short reviews...
Arcwelder, "Raleigh" b/w "Walls" & "Rosa" (Touch & Go, P.O. Box 25520,
Chicago, IL 60625). The more I listen to these guys, the more the
name Husker Raygun comes to mind. Not that it's a bad thing, really.
"Raleigh" is a winner, bordering on being a noisefest yet not
succumbing, and the distorted harmonies are a nice feature. "Walls",
like all of drummer Scott Macdonald's songs, are the most
Du-reminiscent (please note that I had to restrain myself from saying
"Du-rivative"), which is probably attributable to Arcwelder's being
from Minneapolis, as well as Macdonald's very Bob Mould-like
delivery. Oddly, I never liked Mould's style, but that seems to be
changing. The harmonies carry again. "Rosa" is straightforward,
with even more nice little harmonies. *
Screeching Weasel, _Snappy Answers For Stupid Questions_ EP (Selfless
Records, 8827 Hanford, Dallas, TX 75243). It's a live radio
broadcast, so buyer beware. It DOES boast energetic versions of "The
Science Of Myth" and "Jeannie's Got A Problem With Her Uterus", but
the vocals are too all-over-the-mix to really recommend, unless
you're a collectorweenie. **
Various Artists, _Achtung Chicago! Zwei!_ (Underdog Records, P.O. Bo
14182, Chicago, IL 60614). The goal of these things, according to
the liner notes, is to "put out a comp with no crappy songs", and
this disc almost pulls it off, with very strong work by 8 Bark
("Perpetual Scowl"), Smoking Popes ("Run Away"...if you don't like
Big Drill Car, you won't like Smoking Popes, either...), Los Crudos
("Pelamos (We Fight)", a hardcore song done entirely in Spanish), and
Trigwater ("Glue"). Unfortunately, it IS a compilation, and not all
of the tracks are ace (such as Cap'n Jazz's "Naive" and Prophets of
Rage's "Draw the Line"). I counted no fewer than 3 mentions of Chuck
Uchida, not counting the track by his band (No Empathy). Chuck
continues to re-inforce his reputation as a low-rent Steve Albini.
As an added bonus, Underdog has added 13 of the 14 songs on the
original _Achtung! Chicago_ comp, and it's worth it even if only for
Flea Circus's "Skank Minnow". In the compilation genre, it really is
a winner. It's available for $8 post. paid from Underdog, and
they're as indie as it gets... *
Screeching Weasel (again?), "Radio Blast", b/w "The Girl Next Door"
(Underdog Records (again?), P.O. Box 14182, Chicago, IL, 60614).
This limited (to 2,000) 7" boasts both better cover art (the "band
pictures" on the back are priceless), as well as better production.
The songs are nothing astonishing, but "Radio Blast" is a bile-filled
pop gem that makes Elvis Costello's "Radio Radio" seem like an
Ass-Kiss Anthem. "The Girl Next Door" is standard, with clever
lyrics against a tight hard-edged guitar attack. Quite
reccomendable. *
And a bonus mini-show review, if you care:
Bettie Serveert In-Store, Reckless Records, Chicago, 3/27/93
------------------------------------------------------------
Well, they got there nearly an hour late, which put everybody in a
crabby mood, as Reckless's ventilation leaves a little to be desired.
They finally arrived at around 4pm, and proceeded to play only five
songs, and there was a very tall guy standing in front of me, so all
I could see was guitarist Peter Visser jumping up and down,
occasionally. The five songs, though, were fantastic. Excellent
versions of "Balentine", "Tom Boy", and "Palomine" being the, uh,
highlights. The sound was good, which is surprising, since the sound
at Reckless is usually two steps below practice amps in an airplane
hangar. But the vocals were very clear, and a little distorted,
sounding very much like those of the album. And Peter Visser is one
of the best new guitarists in a long time. I give the show **, but
more if it had been any longer.
And that's it.
Background: Buzzcocks, "Moving Away From The Pulsebeat", _Another
Music In A Different Kitchen_
--Eriq.
(ejaffe@farpost.chi.il.us)
Six hundred miles an hour / Three inches off the ground / Your feet
feel the concussion / As you pass the speed of sound
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From: Kathleen Bennett (comix/postmodernism consultant)
<keb@u.washington.edu>
I seem to have discovered an obscure musical referentiality connection
between King Missile and Roger Manning, and I wondered if anyone else
knew more about it? Normally this is the kind of thing one would
post on usenet in order to get the widest population of respondents,
but since the discussion on a.m.a. lately has been so stupid, and the
level of discussion regarding King Missile has been a thread every
month on "who sings detatchable penis?," I thought I might have
better luck here. Anyway, here goes:
In the song "The Evil Children," there's one point at which John Hall
talks behind the music (it's not even part of the lyrics, that is):
"All of their life, people expected them to do evil. They almost
never delivered." Now that line sounded very very familiar to me and
after racking my brains, I remembered a song by Roger Manning, that's
not even on his album (it's on a demo tape he sold to me at
Postcrypt), "#15 Blues". It's my favorite Roger song ever, extremely
sad and poetic and painful. There's one line where he goes (in his
dylanesque sprechtstimme voice) "All my life, people expected me to
do good. I almost ... never ... delivered." The line is delivered in
almost the same pacing and meter in each song, too. Knowing the
downtown NYC scene from my own time there way in the past, and
knowing that Steve Danziger of Pianosaurus (who I met at at least one
or two Knitting Factory open poetry readings in the 80's), plays
drums on Roger's SST album, and also played on King Missile's
_Mystical Shit_, I'm sure they know each other. So I'm presuming
that the line is an homage, not a ripoff. Still, it impresses me
that the only people who would get it were the ones who'd seen
Roger's live performances, or played with him, or had an obscure demo
tape from the mid-80's. Does anyone else have any information about
this connection?
Lena
keb@u.washington.edu
I need a new .sig,
one that won't bore me to tears....
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
From: matrobb@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Matthew Howard Robb)
Greeting from one of the wettest places on earth . . .
Things have been pretty cool music wise in this part of the world.
Just adding a multiplicity of viewpoints to some already-reviewed
records/shows
Indie-Fest in Philly: Tsunami/Pitchblende, Superchunk/Bettie Serveert
B.S. were pretty good, not as glorious as I was hoping, and the
Chrissie Hynde influence was showing itself even more than on the
record. (that's a good thing) But oh! that guitarist. He was pretty
ludicrous. Superchunk put on a fine set. It's impossible for me not
to like them. I was with Jon Solomon, who wrote "people are dumb" on
his and in repsonse to the overwhelmingly stupid stage divers. The
band seemed pretty uninterested in dealing with them and even got
vocal about it, almost as if they put on a great show in spite of the
lame crowd.
Tsunami/Pitchblende was quite fine. Pitchblende has always been
great on record and not live, as far as I'm concerned. Tsunami put
on a smooth set with an almost worshipful crowd. Fun (and ask me
sometime about sparklers . . . :)) and they played Water's Edge
without my asking. Then I had to go and embarass myself and gush to
Ms. Toomey that H2O's Edge was my fave song and was severely
chastised cuz it is, you know, a My Dad is Dead song. Whoops. The
Tsunami version beats it, tho.
Did Sean or I mention the Corndolly show went well?
Eggs/Purple Ivy Shadows/Pitchblende, Terrace Club, 3/27/93
Purple Ivy Shadows did just fine for one of their last shows ever
(drummer andy moving back to VA .. . . sad.) Eggs was simply
glorious and funny and fantastic and superlative and and and . . .
they came out in togas and candles and sang Rob's song from the "hey
that was my curtain" a cappella. Pitchlende's drummer did a really
nice job as a stand in, but i hope they get a real drummer.
Anyway, they also played the hemiola single and sexual tension and
tried to do fever and at that point andrew said "well, we've got
nothing left to lose . . " they were all drunk and had the crowd in
the palm of their hand, so they pulled off a brilliant cover of the
Who . . . "teenage wasteland," or whatever that song was. Sheesh. I
couldn't watch pitchblende after that.
So I picked up lots of vinyl, including LaBradford, which is all
moogy-spacey Stereolab/PurpleIvy stuff. Brilliant, on Andrew Egg's
Retro 8 label.
Also picked up a cd copy of marine Girl's "Lazy Ways" and "beach
Party." Quite listenable (understatement.)
Forgive the typos, it's been a long day . . .
Matthew Robb
matrobb@phoenix.princeton.edu
"i can make the phone ring in your house . . . "
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
>From Joshua Houk (houk@athena.cs.uga.edu)
More reviews and such. First, a little Athens news:
2/3rds of the late Roosevelt have formed Slobber, and have played a
few dates around here, and they've recorded a few song demo for
clubs/radio and stuff. A bit louder, but still in the same Meat
Puppets-ish style of Roosevelt.
1/3rd of the late Clamp has formed Slumberjack - sorta Bitch Magnet-y
with Porn Orchard/Breadwinner influences. They're playing out quite
a bit.
2/3rds of the late Bliss have formed another band that again starts
with a damn "S", but they haven't played out yet. The rythym section
continues on, while their guitarist relocated to Atlanta.
Porn Orchard, who passed away four months ago, has a soon-to-be
released second record out on C/Z Records, I think this month.
Upcoming shows of note: Mudhoney/Magnapop/Supersuckers (40 Watt).
Helios Creed (40 Watt). Mudhoney this Saturday, Creed next Thursday
(I think).
Le reviews:
o PAVEMENT - _Westing (by musket and sextant)_ [Drag City/PO Box
476867/ Chicago IL 60647]
Oh boy - every track the Stockton boys put out on 7", 10" and flexi.
If your only taste of Pavement has been the recent Matador stuff, you
owe it to yourself to see just why we're so goddamn fanatical about
this band. Pop meets noise meets snide goofiness at its best. The
disc is pretty much in chronological order of release, so you get a
nice progressional retrospective. Shoot, I don't think there's
anything more to add. (***)
o SENTRIDOH - _Most of the Worst and Some of the Best of Sentridoh_
[Shrimper/PO Box 1837/Upland CA 91785]
Aptly titled compilation of Lou Barlow's (mostly) solo recordings.
The A side is the "most of the worst" side and, yeah, they all pretty
much suck. Or at least are remarkably undistinctive. Two standouts
on this side, though - "Suede" and "Barbed Wire" are two absolute
gems. The flip is the "some of the best" side, and it's pretty all
around good. Lou teams up with (sister? wife? I'm laying odds on
sister...) Abby Barlow on two songs - the neato "What Would It Be
Like" and a pretty off cover of "Run To You" (yeah - the Bryan Adams
song...). The rest (including a couple Bob Fay collaborations) are
quite nice, though, especially a hilarious cover of "Mary Christ" and
the Joe Pop-o-pie-esque "Puffin On A Pot Pipe". Overall, it's well
worth seeking out despite the crap. :) (*1/2)
o FUCKTOOTH #6 ($1 and a 29cent stamp to LMD/1298 SOM Center
#130/Mayfield OH 44124, or $4 for a 4-ish subscription - and don't
write "Fucktooth" on the envelope!!!)
Cool informational queerzine with a punk feel. There's several
reports from 'round the US as well as info numbers, zine/record/live
reviews, a good editorial on moshing gripes, a bone to pick with MRR,
more editorials, poetry, more, and a just plain good read, to boot.
Nice uncrowded, readable layout. Well worth sending for - and if ya
need more info, the editor has internet access!
<aa704@cleveland.freenet.edu>. (**)
o DANGER #1 ($1.50 ppd [cash only] to PO Box 445/Athens GA 30603)
Quite a few seven-inch and zine reviews, and a couple comics. Clean
layout, and the reviewers are pretty good at what they do - but this
suffers from not having alphabetized the reviews! Christ - it's
almost as bad as Hudson Luce's ish of Factsheet Five. (Note: I am
not dissing the reborn Factsheet Five - it's quite a nice job,
imo.). Plus, they didn't like Bricks, the bastards. (**1/2).
Oh yeah - one more thing... I'm now doing an all-singles show weekly
on WUOG - major cool city. No fuckin' digital crap - give me vinyl
any day! :) . Plus, I'm still doing the weekly experimental show,
which is a ball of gas. I've heard rumors of a new Jandek album out,
so my eyes are peeled....
Tis all for this week... later, folks!
Joshua H
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From: M_PARAS@uvmvax.uvm.edu
Subject: stuff for indie list
hello.
just a few announcements...if you're planning on heading up to
Burlington (that's Vermont) anytime soon, here are some things you
might like to check out:
April 8 @ 10 pm, Bad Livers will be performing at k.d. Churchill's,
165 Church St. Bad Livers is a "bluegrass punk trio from Austin,
Texas... they play acoustic bluegrass music with the energy and
contrariety of a thrash metal band." I saw them open for the
Butthole Surfers two years ago. they were hotter than crushed pepper
flakes. they did a Metallica cover, and also "Ace of Spades", by, of
course, Motorhead. if they're in your local dialing area, check them
out.
April 15, in Cook Commons on UVM's campus, local neato band Epitaph
will be opening for Missing Foundation as part of a Knitting Factory
(the club in New York) concert series.
April 22, in Fleming Museum Theatre, Elliot Sharp and Safety will
perform, also part of the concert series. experimental jazz, is what
I hear.
all shows are in conjunction with our station, WRUV. check them out
if you're around (??). well, at least winter isn't over yet. April
2 and it's still snowing. I love New England (no, really). I
don't have any music to write about, sorry, I've had far too much
academic icky things going on for me to spend hours listening to new
music lately. it'll pass, I'm sure.
Mari Anne <m_paras@uvmvax.uvm.edu>
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From: Sean Keric Murphy <skmurphy@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>
And more ramblings from central NJ's cultural mecca...
A couple cool show reviews, and an expensive record day...why do I
keep doing this to myself? :)
Purple Ivy Shadows/Eggs/Pitchblende, at Terrace Club (3/27/93)
One of the best shows I've seen in a long time. PIS opened, playing
their second-to-last show ever (the last one will be Sunday, 4/4, at
the Wetlands in NYC), and did their usual excellent thing. Not too
many special instruments this time - Chris didn't play his tin
whistle tonight - but a great show all around - I'm glad they were
able to make it down here. Eggs put on one of the funniest shows
ever - starting with a bizarre rendition of "Flight Of Icarus" (not
an Iron Maiden cover, despite what Tim Adams said in the last Ajax
catalog), with Evan, Rob, and Andrew all in togas, carrying candles.
They proceeded to play most of the stuff from the recent singles -
The Obliviist, Sugar Babe, Sexual Tension (with audience singalong),
Gov't Administrator, some stuff from the album (Spaceman, John's Bar
Mitzvah), some new songs, too (Evanston, an ode to that fine town
just north of Chicago, currently home to Wendyfix). Evan forgot how
to play "Fever" mid-song, leading to an aborted version and then a
conclusion of "Baba O'Reilly". Yes, a Who cover. As Justin
Pitchblende said afterwards, "I hate the Who, but that was awesome!"
Patrick Pitchblende did a fine job drumming for Eggs, too. And then,
to conclude the evening's soft-to-loud progression, Pitchblende
crashed in and rocked the place. Started with "Lacquer Box" and
never looked back - a fine show which has me eagerly awaiting the LP
(which is supposed to arrive some time in the next couple weeks).
LaBradford at the D-Bar, Princeton (3/22/93)
The D-Bar is the bar in the basement of the Grad College here at
Princeton, and it's an odd place. ObGrungeBeerThread - cheap as
hell! Sam Adams for 1.25, Rooling Rocks for 75 cents! (back to
music) There were about 10 people paying attention to the music, but
it was very cool. One guitar, one bank of old synths and organs
(mostly Moog and Vox stuff). Drifting, spacey, moody, pretty nice
for a Monday night.
The Drovers at Terrace (4/1/93)
Yowza! This 5-piece from Chicago is a must-see live. Total insanity
- an Irish folk/punk/world-music hybrid. Their album (World of
Monsters, on Tantrum Records) is nice, but a little restrained - the
energy level in person is phenomenal. They played for nearly 2
hours, and had everyone in the room pumped. See 'em if they come to
your town - really nice guys and great music.
Oh yeah, records...
Sleepyhead - Punk Rock City USA (Slumberland, PO Box 14971, Berkeley,
CA 94701)
The growing-up process is fairly complete - this isn't quite the same
band who jangled your socks off with "Play", one of the finest
singles of the summer of '91. A fairly mellow album, enjoyable
start to finish, with more Dinosaur sounds than before. The last
time I saw them live was kinda disappointing, but now I'm psyched to
see them live. I just wish they had put their Game Theory cover on
the CD. **
MX-80 Sound - Out Of Control (T.E.C. Tones - a division of Ralph
Records)
This is one CD which compiles both LPs from this art-punk foursome
from Indiana via San Francisco. Owes some of its sound to Pere Ubu,
but I can certainly think of worse influences. Both LPs are rather
hard to find at this point, so the CD (76 minutes) is well worth
having. March on, metro, march on. **
Modern Lovers - The Original Modern Lovers (bootleg, i think)
There's an LP and a CD of this title - Modern Lovers recorded in
1972/3 by Kim Fowley. It's mostly demo versions of songs which
appeared on the first Modern Lovers LP (Roadrunner, She Cracked,
Girlfren, Dance With Me) and some other things as well - Jonathan
goes acapella for "Don't Let Our Youth Go To Waste" (which Galaxie
500 covered on their first LP). If you can find the vinyl, get it -
the CD (which I bought before I realized it) leaves off "I'm
Straight", one of my favorite JoJo songs. Still, an essential
document of one of Boston's finest. ** (and a bonus star for LP)
The Fall - Kicker Conspiracy 2x7" (Rough Trade)
1982? stuff from The Fall, well before Brix poked her nose into
things. Somewhat of a collector's item, but I had to have this
version of "New Puritan" - it's a much fuller version of the song
which originally appeared on Totales Turns. Classic ranting from
Mark E. Smith and company. **
The Girls - Reunion (Brasch Records, Belmont, MA)
The Girls were a Boston band in the late 70s and early 80s. They
rocked. This LP is a collection of tapes they made but never
released (except for "Jeffrey I Hear You" which was on a very obscure
7" once upon a time). Pretty excellent stuff - again, on the Pere
Ubu side a little. Daved Hild went on to work with David Thomas, and
I think members of this band have now resurfaced in Cul De Sac, who
have a great record called "Ecim". *1/2 (haven't listened to it
all yet, so this is just a preliminary rating based on the songs I
know)
Other purchases not ready for review - Huggy Bear/Bikini Kill split
LP (riot grrrl, takin' over the world... - Calvin Johnson); New Order
- Power, Corruption, and Lies (can't explain, but I've been on a huge
early 80s brit kick of late, and Age Of Consent is too good a song to
pass up for $3).
Also, the idea is being kicked around of a WPRB compilation CD, made
up of stuff from bands we know or like a lot - this is very
preliminary, but if you have any ideas, comments, suggestions (i.e.
how much work does it take? how hard is making a master for a plant
to process? stuff like that), e-mail them to me
(skmurphy@phoenix.princeton.edu) or my partner-in-crime, Matthew
(matrobb@phoenix.princeton.edu). We're hoping to see this done
before we graduate a year from now...
[ Rhetorical question: have you asked Jenny Toomey? - Mark ]
Glad to see that ye olde indie list has made it through 6 months with
not too many problems...
One more idea...anyone interested in compiling an indie-list guide to
good radio stations? It's always kind of a bummer to wind up in a
place where you can't find good radio (having just spent most of a
week in Washington DC, I got to experience this first-hand), but it
would help to know the good frequencies and call letters in advance,
just so you're not idly wandering "the left of the dial" (and
besides, some of these stations aren't at the left, like WPRB and
WHRB). I'm willing to make the list and update it periodically, but
my experience is lacking outside of Boston, central NJ, and points
between. Again, mail me directly if you're interested or know what's
good. Thanks.
Your friendly neighborhood archivist (who may be begging at one of
these stations for a radio show in 14 months or so... :) ),
Sean
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
INDIE BIZ
* STAFF: As you probably already know, the Indie-List Digest is
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* WE'RE LONELY! Please Please Please! Mail your submissions for next
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up in the next week's digest.
[Submitted by: Mark Cornick (cornick@access.digex.com)
Sun, 4 Apr 1993 18:23:09 -0400 (EDT)]