I don't know why we come here, places no ordinary man would go
#############################
Indie List Digest!
April 12, 1994
Volume 3 Number 24
#############################
Anne's Culture Shock
Gef/Bek Thnng
Underworld Live/Disco Inferno
Friendly 7"
Rodan, Crain & Seefeel, and musings
Yo La Tengo and Sleepyhead
Spencer the Gardener
Slowdive, Magic Hour, Mistle Thrush
Rodan, Drive Like Jehu, Superchunk
ANNOUNCE: Indie Record Label List
ANNOUNCE: Burlingtonitus in Vermont
ANNOUNCE: Jiffy Boy Records show, NYC
AD: Second Coming
AD: Honeyrider Zine #2
------------------------------
Culture Shock: More than a Feeling?
One of Bloomington's more lively cultural traditions (aside from the
annual dwarf toss, but I have been advised not to discuss that) is
Culture Shock, an outdoor music festival on the Indiana U campus every
April. It's usually a pretty fun event, and it's also a chance to see
how long one's favorite local bands can stand gallantly around waiting
for miscellaneous technical problems to clear up.
This year, some of the more annoying planning problems seem to have
been worked out. For instance, in the past there have been two
stages: the large, well-equipped "Big Deal" stage and the small,
badly-equipped "Poor Relation" stage. This year, both stages were of
comparable size. Moreover, the bands on both stages performed at
different times instead of being forced to compete against each other,
saving the audience members considerable crises of loyalty.
I missed some of the festivities, and eventually things got rained
out, but here's a brief overview of some of the bands (all from
Bloomington, with one obvious exception) I saw:
% El Nino: In the days of Trailside Killers, his previous band,
vocalist Glenn used to rage and roar. Now he still does that, but
with melody & dynamics. A nice mix of jangly/surfy guitar rock,
usually upbeat. They are supposedly putting out a CD, but I don't
know when.
% The Smears: They've really gotten a tighter & faster sound these
days, and they seemed to have a great time. My favorite line is
Gretchen's chorus "Oh motherf*cker, you're so blind;" I can't really
understand much else, but I doubt if that's the point. In a triumph
of unfortuate scheduling, a fashion show was taking place not far away
during this set, complete with dancing babes. Or maybe that was a
deliberate irony. Who knows? The Smears should be touring this
(spring or) summer, I think.
% Antenna: Once more this band is the John Strohm Experience, since
Jake & Freda bailed after the band started to hit its stride. That's
not to say the new bassist & drummer won't find their niche as well.
But for now Antenna is back to its melancholy guitar ballads, lacking
the sound & fury its '93 shows could produce. They're still
recording for Mammoth, I believe.
% Squash Blossom String Pullers: I guess every town needs a troop of
deranged country-music purveyors, and these newcomers plunk, thump,
and yodel with gusto. I doubt if any of them REALLY have such marked
Hank Williams accents as they manifest in performance, though, which
leads me to wonder if an affinity for clogging is just one more
lifestyle choice.
% Yo La Tengo: Some wise person remembered that Hoboken, NJ's finest were
playing in town that night and edged them onto the bill. It rained
throughout the band's performance, which seemed kind of appropriate
for the low-key acoustic set they played. Mostly the songs were from
"Painful" and "Fakebook," closing with the Dead C's "Bad Religion."
Melodic yet goofy? Charming yet sensitive? Choose your adjective,
write it down, and don't show it to anyone.
[This performance proved to me yet again that Ira Kaplan et al. are
the finest re-interpreters of primitive-juvenalia rock currently
around. They performed J. Richman's Astral Plane with a delicacy
and technical deliciousness that was astounding, as pure as their
rendition of Speeding Motorcycle. Not to say that Richman and
Johnston have the same sorts of outlooks on life, mind you. But
their works betray the same lack (and hidden high quantity) of
technique -es]
Sadly, illness prevented me from going to see this band later that
night. I am still sad about this; in fact I'm so cut up I'm going to
have to go lie down.
az
------------------------------
From: ianc@cats.ucsc.edu
Subject: The Gef/Bek thnng
While lunching on a corporate credit card, a heep cool friend, fellow
UCSC CS class flunker (and, ahem, l@ser) Miss xxXxXx, delving into a
crepe, divulged that B3%%'s contract states that he can continue to
do indie projects. it was important to him and it seemed to be
important to Geffen as well. Has a cline between indie and mersh
species begun? I dunno. Are majors buying cred farms? Are we all just
animals with big heads that are stupid? "Feh."
{Selur Amui}
robLord
--
Robert Lord <ianc@cats.ucsc.edu> for IUMA info: iuma@www.echo.com
.___ ____ ___ _____ _____
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|___|______/____|__ /___|__ / bands/music/artists/images/bubbles
====================\/=======\/============================================
WWW http://sunsite.unc.edu:/ianc/index.html | FTP same:/pub/e-p/IUMA | 8U)=)
------------------------------
From: pjoe@grafix.wlink.nl (Joep Vermaat)
Subject: Underworld live doesn't live up/Disco
Hi All!
'Welcome to the Future' (with Underworld), 02 apr 1994, Paradiso,
Amsterdam
Ten o'clock we entered the future. We were welcomed by Orbital's
'Semi-Detached', an amazing piece (which can now also be found on
their latest John Peel sessions EP and on the "Trance Europe Express"
compilation). Soon after, Gert van Veen, the brain behind one of our
own Dutch housegroups, Quazar (even worse than 2 Unlimited), began
dealing the cards. Mostly crap. So we went upstairs to the chill-out
room. The small room was filled with couches on which you could
experience the 'brain machine'--glasses with lights that flash off and
on, giving you a relaxing effect. The place smelled like a flower
shop; they had scattered flowers all over the ground. So, no seats,
the floor too wet to sit on and very boring music. We even asked the
DJ for a Aphex Twin number ("Hey DJ, play 'Radiator' or no, do
'Brown-yellowish' :) ). He played, but mixed it in with sounds of
birds. How the hell are we supposed to chill out here? There was
nothing else to do, so we waited and waited.
Finally, at one o'clock, Underworld took the stage. This was what
we've been waiting for. Underworld has been hailed by the British
music press as the 'most important thing since the Stone Roses.' Their
live reviews made it seem like Underworld were gods hooked on
electronics. Even the Dutch music press, who are usually very
negative about British music, were also very impressed by their latest
"Dubnobasswithmyheadman" album, and we expected to be blown to another
dimension.
Underworld are (supposedly) the first to blend rock with house. So
both camps were present in the audience. Underworld began poorly, but
soon they rocked with 'Dark & Long.' After that they became boring.
Only 'Rez' and 'Cowgirl' were pretty cool, but nowhere as good as on
their records. They began repeating themselves too much, and it went
into a monotonous excursion to nowhere. The beats were downright
boring, hardly any melodies, the sounds were minimal and not
attractive, the influence of the guitar was barely audible, Karl Hyde
definitely can't sing, and the improvisations were so poor even my
2-year old nephew can do better than that with his rattles. Not even
the laser show or the psychedelic video fragments, which were being
projected on a screen, could add some sparkling moments.
After one and a half hours of this boring shit, Lawrence went upstairs
to the balcony so that he had a clear view over the whole set. What
he saw was pitiful. It was embarrassing. One guy of Underworld stood
behind a keyboard and held one finger on one key. Five minutes long!
The second guy stood behind a desk with lots of knobs and wheels, a
computer radiating blue light and also a keyboard. He held one finger
on one key and one finger on one knob. He didn't turn it though.
Meanwhile he was talking to the other guy and to Karl Hyde who had the
guitar strapped on (but wasn't using it). In the middle of the
monotonous repeating sounds they were creating, they were helding a
fucking conference!!! For all I know they could have been discussing
politics!!
So I witnessed this crap for 15 minutes from above. Then they started
'Mmm... Skyscraped I love you', and actually started making some good
music. So the conference was over. I waited a little longer though,
just in case I was being fooled with a dead parrot. But it was
obvious, Underworld were going for it now. So I rushed downstairs to
the dance floor, and yes, I went beserk. Unfortunately, it was the
last song...
After two hours of Underworld, DJ Darren took over. Again we had to
flee. This was not what we call good electronic dance music. We
waited for an hour, hoping for improvement, but it didn't come.
Welcome to the future.
Well, if this is supposed to be the future, we're outta here...
Five minutes later we were outside.
Okay, so Underworld sucked. We know that electronic music isn't
necessarily boring live. We know it can be done right as we have
exprienced earlier this year at 'Tegentonen' (Seefeel/Sun
Electric/Neuro Project). Later this year we'll be able to see and
hear Reload. And we think they will really kick some serious
electronic ass.
Record review time!
Disco Inferno - "D.I. go pop" (Rough Trade)
The band with the most bleakly sarcastic name in the world. They have
nothing to do with disco, but yes, they are burning. Disco Inferno
have been around for ages. They started five years ago in London.
Then they were a young three-piece (barely nineteen) influenced by Joy
Division, Durutti Column and Young Gods. Making breathtaking,
beautiful music, with simple guitars (not unlike the technique of The
Edge), heavy repeating bass lines and an almost danceable beat. That
was the Disco Inferno of "In Debt," one of our favourite albums, which
is now almost impossible to find (only Joep has got it and he thinks
it's the only copy in Holland).
Not long after, the band became very silent. They only released a
couple of two-track EPs ("Summer's Last Sound" and "A Rock to Cling
to") in two years. They bought a sampler, stopped sounding like Joy
Division and became very very angry. Ian Crause (guitar/vocals)
started to write about the rise of right-wing hatred, the angst in
living, fear of the future.
The samples they use are extraordinairy. They make music with sounds
of our everyday life. Dripping water, rolling waves, a paying
gamble-machine, singing birds, breaking glass, jet planes, etc...
They use the samples in the drum beats, the melody. The only
consistent part of the music is still the bass guitar.
As with the band's name, don't be fooled by the title of this record.
Disco Inferno make pop, but not as we know it. They make futuristic
pop music from a time that may never come. The music is more complex,
making chaos using the samples. It becomes very difficult to hear the
lyrics or even recognize the beauty of the songs. Disco Inferno still
have beautiful melodies, they only hide them under layers of sounds,
creating scary soundscapes. Listening to this album is very
disorienting. Every track has focal points competing for
attention, distracting you back and forth across soundscapes. This
music is not unlike the work of Terry Riley, using simple means to
make something so complex.
Disco Inferno are lost, alone in a world standing still, looking at
their own future. "I'll still be here/Some time next year/We're
waiting for a future/To come along and sweep us away" - "Even the sea
sides against us"
<=- The Two Pure -=>
Lawrence Pit : pit@wi.leidenuniv.nl
Joep Vermaat : pjoe@grafix.wlink.nl
------------------------------
From: "K. Lena Bennett" <keb@u.washington.edu>
Friendly 7"
Friendly - Bloodsucking Daemons, Machines and Banshees EP
This is a very delightful record. One of the band members is Mark
Cornick, former editor of our very own Indie-List, and acknowledged
pectoral tape-wearer. Four goofily-constructed pop songs in the
Thinking Fellers/Dog Faced Hermans vein. Very well done for a first
effort - lots of instruments playing together in a complex
arrangement, and probably not professional produced or recorded (the
sleeve is hand-xeroxed with no credits) - and it all WORKS! (Friendly
Record/Trashbox Design, 324 S. Cherry St., Richmond, VA 23220.)
Lena keb@u.washington.edu
"Celebrate the new dark age with us
Calculate the irony with someone you can trust" - Polvo
------------------------------
From: Timothy Joseph O'reilly <toreilly@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>
Subject: Rodan, Crain, Seefeel
I am surprised that nobody has reviewed any of these (with the
exception of Seefeel, about whom I would simply like to contribute my
10 cents (which of these bands is not like the others, which of these
bands just doesn't belong.....?))
RODAN "Rusty" LP (Quarterstick)
I would like to say a lot more than I have time to write about this
one, but here goes. Geographically (from Louisville, KY) and
musically, (with their epic length songs, Slinty dynamics, spoken
vocals, AND that instrumental on the 7" on Three Little Girls) it's
tempting to peg them as an outgrowth of Slint. It's also fairly
accurate, even though "Rusty" doesn't sound all that much like Slint.
Rodan when playing "cleanly" (i.e. w/out distortion), is more
melodic, less unorthodox, and more intricate than Slint. The two
guitarists play off one another very effectively, creating amazing
harmonies and counterpoints. On the first song, "Bible Silver
Corner," an instrumental, the drummer plays guitar adding yet another
layer, and making me feel like "Spiderland" is being played on three
turntables simultaneously. A masterpiece and the highest highlight of
the record. That song is also all "clean." "Shiner," a 2.5 minute
straight ahead "rocker," is the only disappointing song here, as it
doesn't live up to the live show and features Jason Noble's vocals a
little too prominently. The rest of the record feature Rodan
juxtaposing seemingly incongrous parts and making them work fluidly
and beautifully. Combining the beauty of a song like Slint's "Washer"
with the intensity of Don Caballero with shouting, the songs change
very quickly and chaotically, omitting any buildups or slowdowns; they
explode fiercely and quickly disintegrate into almost nothing, only to
explode again. Of these last four songs (yes, there are only 6 songs
on the record, which is 42 minutes long), I find "Jungle Jim" the most
effective, with the most explosive changes, the most surprises, and
bassist Tara Jane O'Neill's wonderful singing. I could say more but
I'll spare you with a simple ***.
Crain "Heater" (Automatic Wreckords/Restless)
A very fine, very loud, abrasive LP. Crain hail also from Louisville,
KY (maybe I should move there...), but unlike Rodan, like to build up
and release tension. Great dissonant-yet-hooky (in that air-guitar
inspiring way) guitar riffs, and out-of-key-yet-musical shouted vocals
a la Fugazi. No total mind-blowers here, save for maybe "Hey Cops,"
but no low points -- the album is consistently damn good. I just wish
they'd pare down the songs with less repetition, and maybe omit a
couple of bridges that drag. According to Suzanne McCarthy (Flower
Booking), they have found a sixteen-year-old drummer who plays as well
as Damon Che, allowing their touring drummer (who originally played
guitar and plays guitar and drums on the record, I think) to play
guitar live and has improved their live show tenfold. This album was,
incidentally, recorded a year ago, so look for bigger and better.
**
Seefeel "Quique" (Too Pure)
Don't believe the hype from across the Atlantic Ocean who seem to
believe that innovative = using computers, lots of effects, and
samples, and that generic = "standard" or "traditional" guitar, bass
and drums. (Generic = "Daydream Nation." Innovative = Technotronic).
Seefeel sound to me like a really shitty Labradford doing dancehall
covers of the intro of "Won't Get Fooled Again" (on track one),
Grandmaster Melle Mel's "White Lines" with an F/i sample (on track
three)...and I had more good comparisons but now I forget them. Each
of the nine songs on this record, moreover, last seven to eight
minutes apiece and feature NO CHANGES. If you listen to the song for
twenty seconds, leave the room, eat lunch, take a shower, and return,
you will not have missed a thing. I'll grant in a second that this
may have a "hypnotic" effect on somebody if under the influence of
hallucinogens, but so does a red carpet. And nobody would suggest
that a red carpet is as interesting as a Picasso "because it looks
really cool when you're fucked up." I find this to be the sentiment,
however, of many "techno" fans and ravers. I, however, am not having
it. *
I agree completely, however, with the sentiment that there is a place
for computers in music. Let's not give credit, however, simply
because a particular artist incorporates it into their music. I found
that Seefeel really compromise what they are trying to do by using
"traditional" instruments. There really is no need, because none of
the instruments were truly recognizable as such, yet they did not
sound like "new sounds" to me. I find that My Bloody Valentine, on
"Loveless," use guitars and computers very effectively. The sound of
the guitar is preserved, yet it really sounds like nothing else I've
heard (besides maybe some MBV clones).
I have heard, incidentally, several pieces of computer music which
have the right idea in every way that Seefeel do not. Paul Lansky is
a wonderful composer, and I really recommend that anyone interested in
this area check his stuff out. Two examples. One piece, whose name I
can't recall, features ten minutes of traffic taped directly to DAT on
a street corner, fed into the computer and manipulated and filtered to
the point where it was musical, yet retained the original sounds. It
is brilliant, because he picked a sound which has a natural buildup
and release and created a wonderful piece of music. Another piece
called "Small Talk" is the sound of spoken Chinese (a conversation
between several people), filtered through instruments (I think). It's
wonderful and truly innovative.
[The first piece (at least) is available on "Homebrew," released on
Bridge Records, I believe. It also has some delightful Gamelan-like
recordings of table-ware. And, like the I-L, it spawns from a NeXT
-es]
One last word: When instruments are not actually being played live,
for instance, when samples or tape loops are used, there is not much
of a performance element. It's like watching somebody play a
tape very loudly. Furthermore, because "electronic" music (for lack
of a better word), is truly a studio/album art, it just doesn't
translate the same way live. "Traditional" rock is a live phenomenon,
and is translated into an album, not vice versa. This is why a live
performance may often surpass a recording. Different mediums
translate in different ways live. Ever wonder why MC Hammer and Janet
Jackson need 5000 dancers on stage, explosions and other special
effects, etc., to attract people to come see their show?
That's all. Next time, Dazzling Killmen and Drive Like Jehu reviews.
toreilly@phoenix.princeton.edu
------------------------------
From: jdryden <jdryden@indiana.edu>
Subject: Jim Dryden's review
Yo La Tengo/Sleepyhead
Second Story, Bloomington, IN 4/9/94
The Second Story, a consistent source for decent national and local
bands, brought an impressive double bill to town. A big draw was
apparent despite the extremely British weather (rain, rain, rain) that
was socking in Bloomington for the weekend.
Sleepyhead, a Jazzmaster wielding threesome from NYC [I think] took
the stage early and did their own interpretation of the tornadoes
tearing it up in the Midwest this Saturday night. This trio got going
amid some heavy crowd indifference, but soon set the record straight
with a melodic tease straight out of the Only Ones' book. They sounded
pretty haggard, but the mix was steady and the leads were sloppy, and
the drummer sported a fine Kool Cigarettes T. At times they could
sound like a faster Codeine (Codeine on Speed?). I think a CD is due
out on Matador in May.
Having played Chicago the previous night and doing an impromptu--and
wet--outdoor set in the afternoon, Yo La Tengo, looking tired and
feeling loose, immediately made it clear that the pedal was going to
the metal as they opened up with "I Was the Fool Beside You for too
Long." Many of the other songs were also from Painful, but Yo La Tengo
were also throwing punches from the entire catalog, doing modified
versions of "Cone of Silence," and "Yellow Sarong." They know how to
carefully balance a half-spoken/half-whispered line with a blast of
electric hum, and it's precisely this tightrope act that makes the
band such a presence on stage and threatens to push every song over
the emotional edge. On record, the songs sound well recorded and
somehow precise; yet live, the songs start in steps, end in pieces,
and in between, all heck breaks loose and Ira Kaplan goes into his
Woody Woodpecker act, head going nuts, wrapping himself around the
guitar, and never missing his phase shifter. This night, Yo La Tengo
was easily one of the most dynamic hard/soft, loud/quiet bands around
and the fact that they pull this trick off consistently from night to
night is no mean feat.
Their whole methodology of making goosebump-inducing rock music was
revealed when the band invited the Sleepyhead guitarist up to do
Jackson Browne's "She's Gotta be Somebody's Baby." Ira told him the
chords, tentatively kicked off the song, and stopped it a couple of
measures later, telling the Sleepyhead guy to not play chords, just
make a racket, which he gloriously did. No pretension, no MTV
Unplugged, no fame-whining, no futile last gestures with a shotgun.
Just pure, wildass, flame-throwing rocknroll.
Jim Dryden
[and az and myself are STILL just sick about having missed the show...
Local gossip has it that shows of this quality may be getting scarcer
- shakeups in the local venue booking agents are underway, part of the
continuing trend of club-incorporation that has taken Bloomington.
It's had its ups and downs, but at the risk of being a negativist, I
don't think the recent changes bode well for original or interesting
music in Bloomington clubs. -es]
------------------------------
From: 6500tyw@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu (Tanya Young-Womack)
Subject: SPENCER THE GARDENER
SPENCER THE GARDENER, Santa Barbara's favorite unsigned band...
Santa Barbara's favorite local [unsigned] band is SPENCER THE
GARDENER, a unique and totally cool group led by Spencer Barnitz [Yes,
there is actually a person named Spencer in the band and, yes, he
once was a gardener!]. Their music is very difficult to describe, but
Spencer himself probably best defined the band's sound as "A Latin,
big band, spy movie, set-on-a-moody-tropical-beach-type band." I would
personally describe their music as a collage of jazz, r & b, '60s
surfer pop, Latin, big band, roots-rock, calypso, J. Geils Band
crossed with Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Joe Jackson, the
Beatles and the Beach Boys, and a little Mexican wedding band thrown
in to boot. You'd have to hear it to appreciate it (obviously)!
And I would have to say that many Santa Barbarans (and, for that
matter, Californians in general) DO appreciate the band's musical
style; after all, Spencer the Gardener has released three
self-produced albums and has built up a big enough following to
become "legendary" as Santa Barbara's "favorite band...We are talking
about an eclectic but accessible sound from a group of innovative
musicians here," as BAM magazine author Bart Mann wrote regarding the
band in the January 14, 1994, issue.
Despite experiencing a major setback in 1991, at which time the band
was involved in a head-on collision with a drunk driver near
Riverside, CA, an accident in which Spencer and Bo Fox, the band's
drummer until recently, were especially affected (the last of Bo's
steel pins in his arms/legs were just removed a few months ago), they
seem to have now regained their momentum and have released
their first album since the accident. Called "Kiss Me In the Deep
Blue Sea," the album, which was just released last year, features
Spencer on guitar, playing a style that BAM described as
ranging "from surf to funk;" John Schnackenberg on sax and Nate Birkey
on trumpet, a duo who provide "perhaps the most white-hot horn section
since Boingo's horns;" Jeff Lewis on bass, Bo Fox on drums, and Kev in
Winard contributing to the entire package with one awesome performance
on percussion. The end result of their efforts, as Mann wrote, "is the stuff
KROQ dreams are made of." I would have to second that opinion!
Recently, the band successfully completed their first headlining
performance at the renowned San Diego-area nightclub and recording
studio The Belly Up Tavern, and they currently tour throughout
California, from the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento areas to the
Mexican border. For further information, contact the band directly
at: SPENCER THE GARDENER-AOL, PO BOX 91157, SANTA BARBARA, CA
93190-1157 (Phone: 805/569-2941) or contact me at
6500tyw@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu (or you can try reaching me on AOL as "SB
Sally" but I don't check my messages as frequently there).
------------------------------
From: "LePageL/MF" <LePageL/MF@hermes.bc.edu>
Slowdive, Magic Hr, Mistle Thrush
Thought I'd dash this off while it's still fresh ---
Slowdive, Magic Hour and Mistle Thrush at Middle East, 4/10/93
The Middle East hosted a special benefit for the National Society of
the Deaf Saturday night. Uhhh, just kidding. But it sure was loud,
and though not painful, then body-rocking powerful. The ME was
playing this one as a techno show with a lot of bad dance music on the
PA, but the three bands on the bill hardly exemplarize the techno tag.
Maybe it was the swirliness factor that prompted the label--the one
thing all three had in common.
Openers Mistle Thrush (who really ought to be from the UK with a name
like that) belie their Boston roots with a sound in the tradition of
(forgive me) MBV and the Cranberries, a female singer wailing long
vocal lines over a roaring guitar wash. Although their single
"Beside" is pop melodic, most of their material relies more on subtle
vocal/instrumental phasing than hooks, and at times the singer's
limited range becomes problematic as a sense of sameiness starts to
creep in. No questioning their professionalism though--these guys are
tight. Their finest five minutes came late in the set when, with
guitars cranked to stun, everything dissolved into a white-out of pure
noise, driven by an impassioned percussion bang-along. The
astoundingly visceral chaos they created made you feel a little like
the guy in the armchair in those Memorex ads. I didn't think they had
it in them, but it was something to hear.
Magic Hour, another local outfit (former Galaxie 500 and Crystallized
Movements), played a solidly experimental set. As usual, the vocals
were all but inaudible, but that's not really what they're about
anyway, so it didn't matter. Magic Hour like to intone a verse or two
of something vaguely like a pop song before getting into their real
forte--feedback exploration. Their "rhythm" guitarist discovers just
how much noise a person can make without actually destroying her
guitar, and as she fine-tunes the roar, the lead guitar enters the
fray with long, occasionally melodic solos that give the band its
rhythmic drive. Their closer "Heads Down," from their recent 7",
sounds more like Crystallized Movements than anything else they've
done, and features a hummable pop tune as proof that if they wanted
to, they could go that route too. So far, to their credit, they don't
want to.
Enter Slowdive, a British band who specialize in pop music of the
spheres. Guitars and synth melt into stratus clouds of ether, with
the synth occasionally doubling the vocalist, a la Seefeel, to provide
an angelic echo insinuating itself into the deep space sound. By far
the most accessible band of the night, their pop sensibilities lend
themselves to a more ambient structure-melody lines that float by but
don't grab. And that's just fine, because it's a sweet groove, even
if you can't remember a note half an hour later. When it works, as on
the stellar "Slovaki Spacestation" the effect is like levitation at
zero gravity--a nice place to be.
--Lise LePage
------------------------------
From: "BGCV/Lars Rosenblum" <BGCV@musicb.mcgill.ca>
Subject: here are some reviewy viewy views ...
hi. reviews:
RODAN - rusty (1/4 stick)
--------------------------
this cd is amazing. (this begs repetition.) THIS CD IS AMAZING.
rodan is a billowing, earth-shattering, quake-inducing, thrusting,
swaying, powerhouse of intensity that must be seen to be believed. of
course, it is impossible to capture this type of momentuous natural
disaster with a recording, but rusty comes pretty damn close. what
can you say for a band that makes 6 songs last more than 40 minutes?
contains an alternate version of 'shiner' from the compulsiv for one
7" comp which is appreciably and markedly different. if you spend
money to purchase this fine gem and are not satisfied, contact me and
i will more likely than not reimburse you. i kid you not. catch
these guys live soon in a town near you if you live in the
northwestern usa.
DRIVE LIKE JEHU - yank crime (interscope)
------------------------------------------
i must admit that i haven't had time to listen to & appreciate this
fully, but so far, it is mind-blowingly, thigh-slappingly intense.
(as if we expected any different from these boys. yeh.) sort of
continues in the same vein as their eponymous debut headhunter cd, but
not so that it becomes tired or repetitive (with the possible
exception of one track which brings to mind 'hand over fist' from
their merge 7" quite obviously.) i definitely recommend this, as do i
all of their stuff that i have ever heard.
SUPERCHUNK - ? (their new cd) (merge)
--------------------------------------
i've never been one of those head-over-heels-in-love-with-mac-laura-
superchunk-merge-chapel hill-and everything connected with them
addicts, so it's no surprise that this didn't quite blow me away. i
have only skimmed the disc, however, so my review of this is far from
gospel. hell, i can't even remember the name of it! the album seems
to lose steam as the tracks go by, and the relatively formula
superchunk sound perpetuates itself. 'water wings' is a really good
track, but the only one that i have come across so far. if you're a
fan, i'm sure you will like.
thanks a lot, inde(ed), lars r@
------------------------------
From: al762@freenet.carleton.ca (Steve Niece)
ANNOUNCE: Indie Record Label List ready!
For those of you who are unaware, there is a list of addresses of
independent record labels available. This list contains addresses for
companies from all over the world, for several different types of
music. It is, however, predominantly for 'alternative' music. I am
the new editor of this list; I took over from ILJ member Sean Murphy.
I have an update of the list ready now, available to anyone who is
interested. I am currently talking with an indie-list member in the
UK who is interested in producing hard copies of this list, for a low
price of course...more details to come on that as we get things worked
out. If you want copy of the current list, simply e-mail me a SHORT
message with Indie Record Label List in the subject header to
<al762@freenet.carleton.ca>, and I'll e-mail you a copy ASAP.
Thanks,
Steve
--
What is wrong with me |Steve Niece
What is what I need |Carleton Mechanical Engineering
What do I think I think |Ottawa, Canada
al762@freenet.carleton.ca
------------------------------
From: searles@uvm-gen.EMBA.UVM.EDU
ANNOUNCE: Burlingtonitus in VT
Hi folks...
just wanted to let you all know about BURLINGTONITUS, a two-day
indiekindafest happening up here in Burlington, VT...more than 15 bands,
all ages, alcohol free, and to benefit WRUV 90.1 FM...our local
commercial-free indie-playin' station.
Day 1-Friday, April 15, 7 pm sharp: New Radiant Storm King, Morning
Glories, the Stand GT, Snowplow, and Buddy Sevaris.
Day 2-Sat., April 16, 1 pm: Madelines, the Smiles, Tuscadero,
Rollercoaster, Yum Yum Tree. Sat., April 16, 7 pm: Green Magnet
School, Tulips, Pest, Chisel, and Driver UFO.
Tickets are $5 in advance, $6 at the door for each show, or you can
buy all 3 tickets for $12. Free fla-vor-ice (tm) to the first 100
folks at each show.
call 802-865-9282 for info (that's my #) or email me at
searles@uvm-gen.emba.uvm.edu. Burlington is 1 1/2 hours south of
Montreal, 3 1/2 northwest of Boston. Hope some of you can make it...
brad
------------------------------
From: blue slurpee junky <whitebrd@eden.rutgers.edu>
ANNOUNCE: a cool show
i don't know how to list things in the indie list, but i figured this
was the place to send it. this is an ad of sorts. here goes: sunday,
april 17, at 6:00, jiffy boy records is putting on a show at under
acme in nyc to celebrate the release of our first cd, ten cent fix.
the show will feature lilys (the whole band this time), the barnabys +
1, raggedy ann (about to be on yo-yo), all about chad (on spinart),
and slow children playing (my band, if that counts for anything). the
show is $5 and you can call 908.249.5455 for details or direct e-mail
to <whitebrd@eden.rutgers.edu.> thank you very much and crack a fret
or two in honor of something.
-brandon
------------------------------
From: Erika Sherman <esherman@umich.edu>
AD: Second Coming
Second Coming are a local Ann Arbor, Michigan, band with influences
such as the Stone Roses, Unrest, Ride, and Slowdive. They have an
excellent ten-song tape available right now for just $5! (it's worth
it, I'm telling you!) check it out... you can write them at:
101 Hill Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
and send $5 and they'll send you a tape out as soon as they get it.
Erika Sherman <-------> esherman@umich.edu
DEFENDER OF COSMIC FREEFORM!!
------------------------------
From: He Who Cannot Be Named <nimbus@eden.rutgers.edu>
AD: Honeyrider Zine #2
Honeyrider zine #2
Honeyrider number two features interviews with the Grifters,
Sleepyhead, and Bridget Cross, amongst other articles and tomfoolery.
20 pages, 8.5x11" xerox... written and printed with love.
Interested? Get away from your computer and send a really well-hidden
buck to Vlahogiannis, 95 Ferry St., Jersey City NJ, 07307. Or e-mail
me for more info. Have a nice day, thank God.
<------------------------------------------------------------>
The Indie-List Digest is published a few times each week (usually
Tuesdays and Fridays) by the Indie-List Infotainment Junta, Unltd.
What Who Where
Editors Eric Sinclair esinclai@indiana.edu
Anne Zender azender@indiana.edu
Mailings Liz Clayton lclayton@uhuru.uchicago.edu
Archives Chris Karlof karlofc@seq.cms.uncwil.edu
FTP/Gopher /pub/music/lists/indie @ ftp.uwp.edu
Consultants: Mark Cornick, Joshua Houk, Sean Murphy, and K. Lena Bennett.
Indie-List is not copyrighted. It may be freely reproduced for any
purpose. Please cite Indie-List as your source.
<-------------------------------------->
please send your articles for the next
issue to <indie_submit@indiana.edu>.
<-------------------------------------->