I just want to sleep for five more minutes
I just want to sleep for five more years...

#############################

      Indie List Digest!

       November 3, 1994

     Volume 4   Number 9

#############################


a reminder from IndieCoRe consulting
Sound City, UK musings
Built To Spill, Dis-, incoherent mumblings...
Good Music In... Austin?
Jawbox/Gut
Indie-L Exchange Announcement
ANNOUNCE: Vineland Tour Dates
ANNOUNCE: POSTER CHILDREN/STAKE DADDY SIX/HEGOAT
ANNOUNCE: moon x7
AD: Gapeseed CD
Acrophobia and Apologia from az

argh.  every time i think of flying to san francisco next week i hear 
Twig singing, 'airplanes are just sardine tins big enough to die in.' 
why are there always big plane crashes directly before i intend to 
travel? anyway, we're going next week, so please send us stuff and 
divert me from the prospect of flying across the country.

also, it was brought to my attention that i somewhat overeagerly 
edited Mike Fragassi's otherwise swell piece last time.  he compared 
(i thought) a certain band to 'PhishBjork'.  but what he really meant 
(and what he indeed originally wrote) was FishBjork.  as in Fishbone.  
so all you Phish-heads can put that fan mail (or hate mail) away.  and 
i will try to leave well enough alone in the future.

az

----------------------------


From: Mark Cornick <MSCORNIC@VAX1.ACS.JMU.EDU>
a reminder from IndieCoRe consulting

It's been a long time since this happened, so perhaps it's time for a 
reminder:

If a friend asks you how they can get on the Indie-List, the answer 
is: "Send mail to Sean Murphy, whose address is 
grumpy@access.digex.net"
NOT
"Send mail to bloofga@uhuru.uchicago.edu"

Under certain circumstances (i.e.  when Eric, Anne, Sean, or myself 
has switched the bloofga-matic into mailing mode) anything sent to 
bloofga goes out to the entire list.  Usually it is in a "trap" mode, 
so that anything sent to bloofga does not go to the entire list, but 
instead ends up in Sean's mailbox (lucky guy.)

Occasionally, someone tries to mail something to bloofga at the same 
time that Eric's mailing I-L, or I'm mailing TG.  This is rare, but it 
happens, and that's why you got the "i heard you run an indie-rock 
mailing list" message in yr box last week.

So the moral of the story is: unless your name is Eric Sinclair, Anne 
Zender, Sean Murphy, or Mark Cornick, don't mail anything to bloofga, 
ever.  And eat yr vegetables.

--mark


---------------------------


From: Sean Murphy <grumpy@access.digex.net>
Built To Spill, Dis-, incoherent mumblings...


Administrivia:

I realize that lots of you have seen messages to this effect before, 
but I think it's time to repeat it:

NEVER MAIL ANYTHING TO <bloofga@uhuru.uchicago.edu>. 

(Please check your FAQ files for more info, or write to the editors to 
receive a copy...) If you are replying to a received issue of the 
Indie List, please check the header on your mail-message before it is 
sent out...  automatic replies are sometimes misdirected...  thanks.

-----

Finally, some live shows return to the area...  I passed on Thinking 
Fellers (I know, foolish move, but cash flow dictates...), but caught 
Dog Faced Hermans/Wingtip Sloat (both wonderful, particularly DFH - 
here's hoping that Mr.  Wolk's mumblings about them breaking up after 
this tour ar dead wrong) and...

Kicking Giant/Built to Spill/Ditchcroaker, Black Cat, WDC, 10/21

Ditchcroaker - sucked.  They sounded like Counting Crows wannabes.  I 
played lots of "Road Zone" pinball during their set...

(For the pinball enthusiasts who don't get to play beta-tests in 
Chicago: Road Zone - an enjoyable new Williams machine, looks like a 
Pat Lawlor design to some extent, 2 large heads mounted (like Rudy 
from Funhouse), some OK modes, but I'm still a little shaky on the 
details.  5 games for $2 in DC, check display-card on your local 
machine for more details.)

Built to Spill - highlight of the evening.  Doug Martsch is a 
wonderful guitar player.  Much of his playing is informed by Neil 
Young (through a Dinosaur filter)...  but hearing the sounds and 
melodies he was getting while watching him play was really 
interesting.  Started with a couple new ones, then played a bunch from 
"Ultimate Alternative Wavers," then hit the stride - Twin Falls, 
Canned Oxygen, Car, one I can't remember, finished with a request for 
Nowhere Nothing Fuckup.  Really wonderful, highly recommended, 
particularly for fans of side one of "You're Living All Over Me" (the 
second-to-last real Dinosaur LP).

Kicking Giant - on record, I love them.  Live, I'm getting really 
bored - too much guitar-noise creation, not enough true song 
structures.  They were closest to Mecca Normal in terms of upsetting 
the crowd and the overall effect...  I recognized almost nothing, 
except fucked versions of "The Way You Are" and "Satellite." 
Disappointing.

NOTES - on the whole Halo Benders v.  Built to Spill deal...  Doug 
plays in both, and while BtS is his band, Halo Benders was supposed 
to be a collaboration between Doug and Calvin Johnson.  Unfortunately, 
the Halo Benders LP (God Don't Make No Junk) is pretty much dominated 
by Calvin's vocals, obscuring Doug's guitar and singing.

I know a lot of people who hate Beat Happening but like the Treepeople 
- for them, I'd suggest listening to BtS and skipping the Halo Benders 
LP.  The 7", however, with "Canned Oxygen" and that wacked dub-version 
of "Don't Touch My Bikini," is recommended even if you don't like 
Calvin - he's safely buried into the general mix.

For the record - I like both Treepeople and Beat Happening, but I 
was disappointed by the Halo Benders LP, and love all the Built To 
Spill I've been able to track down - 3 singles and 2 LPs.

One more thing:

If anyone has recommendations for good and inexpensive CD pressing 
plants in the US (or Canada, I suppose), please contact me by private 
e-mail - there's a project I'm involved in putting out, and we're just 
about ready to press it....

Grumpy Sean

grumpy@access.digex.net


------------------------------

From: stuart.mchugh@aldus.com (Stuart McHugh,AE-TS)
Sound City, UK musings

More random musings and disposable half-truths with a vague UK slant; 
this was intended to be published in a US fanzine, but since that 
seems to have gone by the wayside, you're stuck with it.  Hopefully 
the Melody Maker readers won't see through my thinly-veiled attacks on 
their favourites...

Now, the term Sound City might mean something to you.  A week-long 
music festival in Glasgow this spring, the organisers liked it so much 
they're doing it again.  Something to do with the colleges going back 
I reckon; an excuse for another bunch of gigs, but also the chance to 
get John Peel up to do a talk, entitled 'A Day in the Life of a Cult 
Indie DJ' or something.  He walked us entertainingly through the 
process that generates one of his shows, shared some thoughts, then 
threw the session open to questions from the floor.  'What's in the 
bag?' asked one spotty youth.  In fact it was a copy of the EP on 
Fierce Panda records, which as well as containing tracks from Ash 
(sounding disturbingly like early Soup Dragons), Credit to the Nation 
and others, also features Supergrass' 'Caught by the Fuzz'.  Not 
advice to take care while in the bathroom, no, this nifty tune 
describes the shame at being picked up by the local constabulary.  "If 
only your father could see you now...  you blackened our name' and 
rips along like Alternative TV and the Adverts jamming together.  Fine 
influences - if you're going to sound like someone, make it good.  
Elasica are a case in point - their 'Disconnect' is based around 
Wire's Question of Degree.'  This is indeed progress, as their 
previous single was, er, influenced by 'I am the Fly.'  I hope they're 
paying their dues, if not their royalties.  We mentioned Alternative 
TV, who were of course fronted by the original fanzine editor, 
Sniffin' Glue's Mark Perry.  This is irrelevant bar for establishing a 
thread to hold this piece together as Spare Snare whom, my contacts 
inform me, went down well at New York's CMJ festival, are no stranger 
to the songwriting talents of Perry and Ferguson.  And goodness, if 
they're not from Dundee.  Tindersticks, while tragically not Scottish, 
are another band who were conspicuous at CMJ, probably due to the 
large cloud of tobacco smoke that hovered above them for the duration.  
A sombre bunch who are usually in these occasions described as Jacques 
Brel meets Nick Cave, and who am I to go against convention?

But if Spare Snare are going to spend all their time in the US of A, 
who will take on the mantle of the Sound of Young Scotland (* Postcard 
records), I hear you ask (though you're going to have to speak up a 
bit)?  Well, probably the Sound of Old Scotland, as active at the 
moment are Edwin Collins, late of Orange Juice, and the similarly 
citrusy-monickered Nectarine No.  9.  Edwin's new lp, Gorgeous George, 
has been released and is certainly a return to form,.  the best stuff 
he's recorded since OJ split.  And the Nectarine boys, who got a 
rather suspect review from myself in the past, seem to have recaptured 
the form which made the Fire Engines and Win household names.  In my 
household at least.

But a band with genuine youth on their side is AC Acoustics, and hey, 
they're from Glasgow.  Their Able Treasury lp was undoubtedly the 
album of the year, an indescribable combination of everything that's 
good about music today, with no obvious influences to make it easy for 
us reviewer types.  Suffice to say you should own a copy, and come the 
New Year, you will be able to, thanks to Trance Syndicate of Texas, 
who have inked the deal that will make the lads from bonny Scotland 
household names across the pond.  (Well, in Mr.  Trance's house 
anyway).

Oddly enough, that takes us full circle, as the cigar-chomper at 
Trance heard the band on a Peel session tape, and promptly signed them 
up.  So what music has been knocking them dead in Glasgow these past 
weeks? Well, Sugar trod the boards at the Barrowland at the end of 
September and actually disappointed.  A friend remarked that he never 
thought the Barrowland could be too big for a band, but following the 
ear-splitting gigs that Sugar promoted 'Beaster' with, it seemed as if 
they were using the PA that Bob Mould took on his acoustic tour.  
Adding that to the fact that the gig was only around an hour in length 
and most of the tracks were taken from the new lp FUEL (with none from 
Beaster), this made for a disappointing gig.  Not even that reassuring 
trickle of blood from the eardrum to compensate.

You've heard me witter on about what matters in UK rock.  What do the 
music papers think?

It doesn't matter.

Though they have hit on an interesting concept.  I don't know if 
Fantasy Football or similar is a big thing in the US? (It's surely an 
American concept?) Basically you take the sport of your choice, give 
everyone a hypothetical $20 million or so to buy a team with, them run 
a hypothetical league based on real weekly results.  Well, the NME is 
doing a Fantasy Rock Group contest.  You have to assemble a 5-piece 
combo built to hit the charts gaining points on chart placings, gig 
reviews, and NME front covers.  It was sounding promising for a moment 
there, eh? It's that crucial NME influence that spoils it, though, as 
all you need to do to win is choose a team with Bert from Suede, 
Beavis and Bonehead from Oasis, and studiously avoid anyone from the 
Levellers or Chumbawamba, who are unlikely to get the slightest 
mention within the hallowed pages.  Such is the predictability of the 
UK press.

So with that we travel across the pond again to look at a few new 
things that let's face it, the majority of readers will stand a chance 
of picking up at their local record emporium.

Well, there's a split single from Harriet Records, featuring Quivver 
and Shiva Speedway.  Quivver are a female 3-piece from Massachusetts, I 
believe, and make a fairly decent racket.  But it was the side by 
Shiva Speedway which interested me.  While not brillantly put together 
the soung sounded pretty gear.  What bore investigation was the demo 
tape which probably captures the true sound of the band.  The press 
release says they have influences of Black Sabbath, Huggy Bear and the 
Wedding Present.  Add to that Iggy Pop, Throwing Muses and Sonic Youth 
and you're almost there.  What this means is that they have a sound of 
their own with no one obvious influence, which is certainly the 
makings of a good band in my book.

Finally, when the Gits' lead singer died it seemed that that might be 
the end of the road for them.  And it was, but the remnants of the 
band have formed the Dancing French Liberals of 48.  They have a single 
out which retains the hard edge of the Gits but with an outragrously 
sing-along chorus which shows that they are ready to take the world by 
storm.  Really.  Until next time, music lovers...



--------------------------------


From: "Josh Ronsen" <rons@midway.uchicago.edu>
Good Music In... Austin?


Those of you who have cared enough to notice that I generally have 
not enjoyed Austin's music scene very much lately will be surprised 
to read of my opinions here:

Blind Willie's Johnson, The Cryin' Out Louds, PORK @ Emo's
==========================================================
I missed BW'sJ.  The Cryin' Out Louds are an Austin band who do 
garage/'50s/punk stuff, '80 Joan Jett/'80 Ramones I guess.  I enjoyed 
it.  The singer jumped about, grabbed maracas when he wasn't singing, 
rolled on the floor, but it fit in with the music.

I came here to see Pork whom I first saw when they opened for 
Stereolab a month or so ago (at Emo's of course).  Pork are a female 
trio who do plain, fun unpretentious punk.  Their songs, sometimes 
sung by the guitarist and sometimes by the bassist and sometimes 
together are mostly about love and being hurt or blinded by love 
(their excellent cover of "I'm A Hog For You Baby").  They also had a 
song with the chorus: "la la la la la nyah nyah nyah nyah ha ha Ha Ha 
HA!" Their sound: rough, energetic, sparse.  The drummer stands and 
has no snare or cymbals in her kit, just upturned bass and two toms.  
They are not as cool as Chicago's late Barbie Army (the girls of 
slender means, if you recall), but cooler than anyone else I can think 
of that could be placed in the category of female punk groups.  Other 
cool covers: "Don't Cry No Tears" which the Wedding Present also 
covers (and where I know the song from, I don't know who wrote 
it), "The She Goes" and "I Wanna Be Your Dog", but most of their stuff 
was originals.  They just this night released a CD on No.  6 records 
and I highly recondmend it.  I will get it myself when I have the 
cash.

The Romulans, Blast Off Country Style, Air Miami, Egg's @ Emo's
==============================================================
I really didn't go to this show to see any of these people in 
particular, but rather just to see some live music that was 1) free 
and 2) almost guaranteed not to revolt my sensibilities.  The Romulans 
(?) were an interesting, wacky duo of synth/sampler/sequencer and 
guitar that dwelled completely in the dead waters of early '80s 
English New Wave type bands: Psychedelic Furs, Simple Minds, Flock Of 
Seaguls, Duran Duran, etc.  But the amusing fact was, that they seemed 
to take themselves and their music so seriously, that I laughed at 
each and every New Wave cliche that they used (i.e.  their entire 
set).  I really enjoyed myself, especially they way in which the 
singer (the guitarist) sang his vague-yet-oh-so-meaningful-and-deep 
lyrics.  And it seemed every chorus just repeated the title of the 
song four times ("My eyes burn inside...").  Oh boy.  But I was 
amused.

Blast Off Country Style were even more goofy than I thought they would 
be (I had only heard the "Teenage Unicorn" (?) 7").  The women were 
dressed in pjs and the men in matching cowboy outfits.  Goofy goofy 
goofy goofy.  I enjoyed every minute of it.  The guitarist was having 
some buzz problems with her amp, which was doubly sad, not only 
because this caused her a great deal of distress, but the her sound 
was so weak and plinkly to begin with (which I liked in contrast to 
the heavy, quick bass lines) ...  Oh well.  But I couldn't really 
notice much of this, because she was behind the singer's hyperactive 
stage presence.  I liked it.

I think I read on here recently that someone thought Air Miami was 
dull, and I expected to see them as such.  But while they were 
certainly more toned down than everything by Unrest that I've heard 
(excepting "Imperial") I thought they were sorta delightfully somber 
and intersting.  Not very interesting, but not dull (to me at least).  
I want to compare them with Galaxie 500, but I don't want Robert Lim 
to make allusions to my beady eyes to the entire list! Both Mark and 
Briget were quite competent as guitarists and worked well in weaving 
their (guitar) harmonies together, but I wanted her hear a lot of 
tasty guitar solos, or at least two of them (I think Bridget took one 
near the end).

I did not enjoy Eggs very much.  They were ok, but they were just not 
my type.  What I did like about their set was when the singer 
announced they were going to do a particular song.  The trombone-ist 
announced that he had been reading "The Fountainhead" and quoted a 
passage to the effect of 'the man who does an individual act is better 
than the group who do a common activity' and stated that he wasn't 
going to do the aforementioned song, but a different one instead.  
Upon hearing this, the singer called up somebody with a whip (not 
out-of-place in Emo's with the huge S&M Flintstones painting in the 
bar) who taught the Randian a lesson or two in comformity.  Ha ha.

All in all a good night of music made even more pleasant by the fact 
that I knew some people in the audience, which usually I don't, so I 
chatted and hung out with some friendly people.  Hey: I know there are 
some other people in Austin on this list.  Let's get together and go 
to a show or something.  Email me (my email address says Chicago, but 
I am in Austin).

Since seeing the above shows, I got the new Pork CD, which happily 
sounds just like them live.  I also got the new EPIC SOUNDTRACKS CD, 
which I am very happy hearing.  It's like his first one, but not 
quite as smooth, a tad stranger and J.  Mascis is nowhere in sight! 
Let's see, I also picked up the new LIDA HUSIK/Beaumount Hannant 7" on 
the Rough Trade Singles Club.  She does a guitar/voice pice on a: and 
then Hannant samples it and makes a techno song out it.  It's 
interesting, but not as good as anything on her first 2 LPs, I think 
(and if you haven't heard these, what are you waiting for? Popwatch to 
put her on their cover?) And if I haven't speant enough money already, 
I also got Tortoise's first (?) LP, which is very nice.

-Josh
rons@midway.uchicago.edu



------------------------------


Moo-Town Snacker <mc21@midway.uchicago.edu>
Jawbox/Gut

Jawbox w/ Gut at Stafford Opera House, Bryan, Texas

GUT was a pleasant surprise.  I expected a rather generic local band 
(except they are not local anymore--I think they are based in Austin, 
and I heard tonight that this was their last show anyway).  They did 
some interesting stuff without being gimmicky.  There was a nice 
variety of rhythms thoughout the songs.  The screamed vocals sound 
like Ian Mackaye in Minor Threat sometimes, and sometimes they 
reminded me of Trenchmouth in the inflections or whatever.  With this 
noisy front man doing kung fu around the stage, the band maintained a 
tight sound, I thought.  I was pretty impressed with the drummer as 
well.  Maybe an Austin chimichugger can give us the skinny on this 
phat band.

I count it as a flaw that I have to remind myself to listen to a 
JAWBOX record.  That is, I have to remind myself that I find something 
enjoyable about the music.  Then when I do listen to it I find it's 
pretty good.  Only I forget it all over again later.  I count it as a 
strength of the band that I have always left a live performance by 
Jawbox feeling quite satisfied.  The only exception was when they 
opened for Sugar at a semi-large venue (Aragon in Chicago).  Tonight 
they played a fine show here in Texas and I was not finding evidence 
of the criticisms of a few weeks ago--something about a lack of 
passion which I took to mean mechanical playing.  They played three 
new tunes, three or four off of Novelty, and one from Grippe as 
well.  Even though they were in Texas, they didn't play their Grace 
Jones number (ok, somebody set me straight here: I am sure that Grace 
did a cover of "Sound on Sound" with the BBs backing her up.  Is this 
T or F?).  They play Austin tomorrow (Wednesday) with JBSX.

--Martin

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
 I begin with a good dose of medicine. First a		O
 little salt and senna leaves, and then a little	X    Martin Coleman
 ginger and Spanish liquorice. It is the finest 	O
 medicine I have ever struck and does not purge a man	X  m-coleman@tamu.edu
 too much.						O 
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX


------------------------------


From: hhahn@students.wisc.edu
Indie-L Exchange Announcement

Here's a periodic blurb for the Indie-L exchange.

+++ What is the Indie-L exchange?
ILx is a mailing list, under the aegis of Indie-L but separate, 
conceived as a forum to promote the exchange of indie music.  This 
encompasses sales and trades of indie CDs, vinyl, and cassettes.  Both 
'for sale' and 'wanted' posts are encouraged.  The mailings go out 
weekly, contingent on the amount of traffic.  Each issue will be a 
list of items offered for sale or wanted along with the name and 
e-mail address of the person to contact.  All business should be done 
privately; the sole purpose of the list is to inform you whom to 
contact.

+++ How do I subscribe?
Send a message to <hhahn@students.wisc.edu> asking to subscribe.  A 
note with more detailed information will be sent to you as 
confirmation.  DO NOT SEND MAIL TO ANYWHERE ELSE.

Thanks,
Harry


--------------------------


From: Prgcore94@aol.com
ANNOUNCE: Vineland Tour Dates

NYC's Vineland will be taking to the road shortly, after being hounded 
out of their fair city by landlords, D-Generation, and shady staffers 
from Sen.  Al D'Amato's office who are "just helping out" with 
wanna-be Governor George Pataki's campaign.

Friday, November 4:             Campus Club, Princeton University  (w/Fudge)
Saturday, November 5:         Penn State University (w/Hurl)
Sunday, November 6:           DC, Black Cat
Monday, November 7:          Cleveland, Euclid Tavern (w/ Picasso Trigger,
maybe)
Tuesday, November 8:         Columbus, Stache's (w/Moviola)
Wednesday, November 9:    Champaign, The Blind Pig
Thursday, November 10:      Detroit, Zoot's (w/the Pastels)
Friday, November 11:          Chicago, Empty Bottle (w/Dis-)
Saturday, November 12:      Morgantown, Nya Bingie

Be sure to pick up a souvenir T-shirt, with artwork courtesy of 
Pitchblende's male model Treiops Treyfid, because I'm really tired of 
them taking up so much space in my closet.

kisses,
Jon Fine
prgcore94@aol.com


------------------------------


From: $JFENNEL@LWCVM1.LWC.EDU
ANNOUNCE: POSTER CHILDREN/STAKE DADDY SIX/HEGOAT

On THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10 the POSTER CHILDREN will be playing at 
Longwood College in Farmville, VA, with STAKE DADDY SIX and HEGOAT 
(from Richmond).  The show is free for everyone.  If you need 
directions or whatever, e-mail me at

   $jfennel@lwcvm1.lwc.edu

or call 804-392-4920.

yay!
jennie fennell


------------------------------


From: dann medin <DLM94001@UConnVM.UConn.Edu>
ANNOUNCE: moon x7

roadrunner recording artists/etheral musicians of mindscapes THE MOON 
SEVEN TIMES will be playing an extremely inexpensive ($2 fr students, 
$3 fr non) show fr whus @ th university of connecticut/student union 
room 282south this saturday afternoon, 11/05 @ 1:30pm w/th earl schieb 
5, december god, & th adamtrees.  fr directions or additional 
information contact dann medin.  thanks.

                                    also...archers of loaf & ivy 11/12...
email- dlm94001@uconnvm.uconn.edu
phone- 203.427.4793

------------------------------


From: kyork@sciences.SDSU.Edu (Keith York)
AD: Gapeseed CD

Silver Girl has ventured into releasing the first of many planned 
full-lengths on CD.  It is by the NYC trio GAPESEED.  It is entitled 
"Lo Cell." It contains 8-songs in the murky waters of 
Pavement/Polvo/Grifters/Sonic Youth vein. They are currently on tour 
trying to get their collective presence known about and hopefully 
appreciated.  The CD contains 8 songs at a little over 30 minutes in 
length for the ticket price of $10.

Thanks for your attention.

silver girl
po box 161024
san diego, ca 92176 usa


Keith

<------------------------------------------------------------>

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