INDIE-LIST DIGEST * VOLUME 2, NUMBER 5
"It's HOT! Damn hot! Africa hot! Tarzan couldn't take this kind of
hot!"
Brought to you by Mark Cornick, Joshua Houk, Liz Clayton, and Sean
Murphy.
This week in Indie-List:
Itchy-itchy ya-ya-ya-ya
SF stuff & some plugs
Indie-List stuff... (from Sean)
U.K. band named Linus, I think
CWA review
----------------------------------
From: Jack (don't ask) <Mark.Cornick@launchpad.unc.edu>
Subject: Itchy-itchy ya-ya-ya-ya
What a week it's been. I resigned as editor of Indie-List due to
unreliable net access, then came back when I found a reliable way to
do it! Yikes! (besides, no one else wanted the editor's job anyway,
thankless as it is... :-) :-)
I have replaced my access.digex.net account, which I pay by the
minute for, with two free accounts. (Why two? One doesn't have news,
and one doesn't let you upload anything.) For the time being, the
Indie-List will be sent from <mcornick@cap.gwu.edu> and everything
else for me should go to <Mark.Cornick@launchpad.unc.edu>. This is,
as usual, subject to change if I find something that works better.
Later in this issue, or maybe in a future issue, you'll find Liz's
analysis of the Indie-List subscriber rolls, now over 400 strong.
Jeez, with this many readers we could get record service and get
fifteen copies of the new Best Kissers In The World LP... nah. :-)
I'm making my actual, physical, permanent move to Richmond this week.
Anyone wishing to send me letters, tapes, records, CDs, zines, bombs,
chow chow, or anything else through USPS, is highly encouraged to do
so to: Mark Cornick, 609 South Laurel St, Richmond, VA 23220. Phone
number on request.
Friendly recorded some tunes Monday night, with Eerie Mark Melts
"recording" (taking a cue from Steve Albini, who's "recorded" several
albums.) These will end up on a "demonstration minicassette" which
we'll do something non-release-oriented with. Friendlysongs on a
commercially available recording are still a while down the road, as
are live shows. (But if you're going to be at Indie-500 this weekend,
be sure to check out the final Hassan Chop! show - they're playing
first on Saturday, I think. Plug plug plug. For those whill missed
it, Hassan Chop! is basically over, with the Chop!pers dispersing
into Slow Loris, Friendly, and other groups.) Speaking of which, due
to my new work schedule, I won't be at Indie-500 after all. Sorry.
A couple o' records:
HALO BIT, "Stay Away For Awhile" 45 (SpinArt, PO Box 1798, NY NY
10156- 1798): Debut vinyl from this Rhode Island quartet, featuring
Alex Small Factory on vox -- aw, c'mon, you didn't really think you
could have a band in Rhode Island without involving SF in some way,
did you? :-) To their credit, the Halo Bit sound almost nothing like
SF, a band I can't abide. (See below.) For one thing, HB is a
primarily electric band. (Nothing against acoustic guitars -- I'm
just a fuzzy electric kinda guy.) The B-side, "Dad's House", is my
favorite track on this 45, a little slow but well played & sung. This
comes off as almost college-rocky a la (eek!) 80's Athens bands at
times, and the vocals aren't particularly well recorded, but somehow
this works on the entertainment level. Give it a shot. (BTW, this is
the first SpinArt 45 I've seen without those ugly generic SpinArt
labels. Way to go! :-) *1/2
JERKY BOYS, s/t CD (Select/Atlantic): If you didn't know who the
Jerky Boys were before this month, you probably do now, since
Newsweek, the Washington Post, and various other noteworthy
publications have done articles on the "prank call explosion" (heh
heh heh.) The Jerky calls are classics of the genre, done to
perfection. I wouldn't be surprised to hear Bart Simpson emulating
them (instead of the Tube Bar) next season on the Simpsons. There's
not an awful lot I can write about this cd that hasn't been said --
just listen to it, jerky! **
THE PETALS, 3-song cass-ep (Brilliant, Box 17116, Richmond VA 23226-
7116): Yet another acoustic indie-pop trio, this one from Richmond
and feauring Ceci Costanzo from Throttle magazine on vocals.
They play up the country/folk elements of acousticness more than most
other similar groups -- I keep expecting them to suddenly break into
"Peaceful Easy Feeling." Ceci has a pretty nice voice, too. There's
not enough here to make them really distinctive, but it's a good start,
and with some more/better songs they could be strummin' with the
best of 'em. *
On the "things to look for" list are the new Kingdom Scum LP/CD, being
released by Stallplaat (sp?) in Europe and available stateside via
Eerie Materials. The test pressings are in, so this oughta be
available before too long. There's going to be a new Swirlies single
as well, but that's all I know about it.
BTW: As you've probably noticed, most everyone on staff has a sacred
indie-cow they don't particularly like. I don't like Small Factory.
Josh can't abide Trumans Water. Liz doesn't see the appeal of Unrest,
and Sean, well, Sean is too hard to predict, but he's probably got
one too. (Chia Pet? :-) :-) :-) This is just our own personal
opinion, not a dis of anyone who likes (or reviews) these bands. Dig?
later
--mark
Mark.Cornick@launchpad.unc.edu
"When Captain America throws his mighty shield/
All those who chose to oppose his shield must yield"
----------------------------------
From: Matt_Kelly <MATTKELLY@antioc.antioch.edu>
Subject: SF stuff & some plugs
I'm so broke I can't afford stamps. Because of this I haven't picked
up anything new for a few weeks. I will list what I've been
listening to though..
Palace Brothers-there is... Chumbawamba-Shhh
Bitch Magnet-Ben Hur Slint-both LPs
Seam-Headsparks Pavement-Westing
Pixies-boots Halo of Flies-boot of first show
Sebadoh-Bubble and Scrape Swirlies-What to do about Them
Fanzines:
Ablaze! #9 & #10 A Day in the Life of... #12
Shampoop #2 Mudflap #5
Crank #?(I loaned it out) Eight Track Mind #77
Roller Derby #11
If you need info on how to obtain any of these please just e-mail me.
I'm living in Berkeley, CA currently and even though I'm basking in
the incredible amount of shows that come through here (compaired to
Ohio where I went to school) (Antioch) I really miss Waffle House..
<sniffle>
[ Waffle House! Yes! There is no Waffle House in Charlottesville,
either. There is one in Richmond, though. There were Waffle Hice
everywhere else I went to school, i.e. Asheville NC and Harrisonburg,
but not C'ville. I miss my scattered & covered! :-) - Mark ]
My very limited scope of info on the Bay Area: Larry Livermore is
back from England (you didn't even know he left right?!), Nuisance
have played their last show (it was in Petaluma, CA and I'm very very
sad to see them go, an incredible band I wish more people could have
seen -- 2 CDs on Lookout!), Aaron Cometbus is gearing down to put out
2 (two) issues of Cometbus mag (one will be all by him, and the other
will be a more 'normal' issue), and the Pond video that is being
shown on 120 minutes recently was shot at the Anti-Flannel show
February 13 with 3 other Subpop bands Velocity Girl, Fastbacks and
Hazel. (How's that for a run-on sentence?)
Now on to the IMPORTANT stuff...
I run a BBS and put out a zine called Cool Beans! The BBS is a Cult
of the Dead Cow BBS, a distrubution point for Mykel Board's
MAXIMUMROCKNROLL columns, and has all the Indie Lists online for
reading or downloading. The BBS is aimed at music nerds (who me?)
and contains discussion areas for Punk/Noise/Grunge/Indie
Rock/Neo-hippy stuff/Metal(or Grind as the local kids keep
insisting)/Coffee/Tape Trading/Drugs/Beer/and other stuff that I
doubt I could explain in this space. 12-2400 baud 24 hrs
510/THE-COOL 510/843-2665
Cool Beans! #1 with Helmet, Jesus Lizard, Sebadoh, Aaron Cometbus and
a bunch of other junk is available for very cheap, please e-mail me
for ordering details. #2 (which isn't ready yet) will have Swirlies,
Seam, and a 13th Floor Elevators Original Member interview. (theme
for #2 is head injuries)
At some point I'm going to try to send out electronic versions of CB!
as well, but not yet, so if you wanna get one of the last 20 copies
on paper write me now!
mattkelly@antioch.edu (I'm not still there, I just have an alum acct)
----------------------------------
From: Sean Keric Murphy <skmurphy@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>
Subject: Indie-List stuff...
Another week, a few more records checked out...
Liz Phair - "Exile From Guyville" (Matador)
Ignore all the hype about the feminist agenda, ignore the bullshit
about Spin magazine's review of the album and Liz' response, just
listen to the songs. That's what's important here - 18 beautifully
crafted songs which are raw and emotional and heartfelt - "Fuck and
Run" is absolutely amazing - and well played, to boot. If you've
heard the Girly Sound cassettes, you already know what Liz is capable
of - now see what she can do in a real studio with someone else's
money :) . This is truly essential listening for everyone out there
who's been in a relationship (and I guess that would be all of us at
one time or another). ** 1/2
I'd also like to urge all of you to rush out right now and purchase
the following items if you don't already have them - Tsunami's Deep
End (more on this in a moment) and Nothing Painted Blue's "Power
Trips Down Lovers Lane". Franklin Bruno is the master of wit. I
want a triple bill of NPB, Eggs, and Wimp Factor 14. Mind-blowing
lyricism, and decent rockers as well. "Scapegoat" and "Officer
Angel" both make me really happy and sad and confused at once, and
that's why I love them.
About "Deep End": I'm sure Mark's been waiting for my remarks or
responses on this one (well, maybe not...), so here goes: The pacing
is a little off for my tastes as well; I definitely would have split
up Water's Edge and Geniuses (but there was nowhere for them to go,
really). 460 makes sense if you have vinyl, 'cause it ends side one
(just like it's ended their live shows for over a year now). And
Writing Letters is re-recorded from the "Cow Arcade" cassette - it's
still my least favorite on the album, even though the lyrics are
great. But taking the time to re-record gtr parts and a few vocals
in England improved what was already a great album. And hearing Aaron
Stauffer sing "Flameproof Suit" is worth it - I actually saw him do
this with Tsunami live last summer...he couldn't remember the lyrics
to the first verse so he sang the second verse instead...:) I still
think it's going to be one of the year's best (just as it was one of
last year's best demo tapes :) and even though I think they're crazy
for doing it, touring with LollaIII might be good for them (even
though these are the same people who set up the "Lotsa Pop Losers"
festival as a mockery of the whole lollapalooza mentality...).
And, if you can find it, check out Entertainment Weekly's "Cool"
issue - one of the scariest pieces of pop culture I've seen in a long
time. Articles on cool music cities (San Diego, with hot acts
Truman's Water and Rocket From The Crypt), cool singers (Liz Phair),
cool newspeople (Katie Couric from the Today Show), and the cool
summer concert, the side-stage at LollaIII. There's even picture of
Royal Trux and Tsunami in there...yikes! No "Cute Band Alert" but
otherwise worth checking out (especially at a newsstand for free,
just browsing through it... :) :)
[ There was a copy of Circus in the break room at Kroger last week,
so I flipped thru it to see what was hot in metal right now. Lo and
behold, there's a full page on the Lolla3 side stage... pictures of
everyone save Mosquito and (Free) Kitten, and brief, somewhat amusing
descriptions of the bands. So there you go -- Unrest, Sebadoh, Royal
Trux and Tsunami (and everyone else) in Circus. What's next, Lou
Barlow on the cover of Tiger Beat? Pavement in Hit Parader? BTW,
Circus inexplicably referred to the most recent Royal Trux album as
"Cats And Dogs." Am I missing something here? - Mark ]
And, a couple big show invitations:
1. The Indie 500. I trust that others (namely Mark) have talked
about this at length, but I'm the person living closest to it, and I
can supply directions if needed (and maybe a place to crash, but no
promises -I've already got 2 confirmed for my couches, and probably
more on the floor).
2. July 25, at Princeton's hottest performance space, "Jon's Living
Room" (not to be confused with the lame Providence club "The Living
Room"): Pitchblende, Rodan, Hurl, and Codeine. Time TBA. Cost:
probably $5. We're still working out the details, but the bands are
confirmed. Drop me a line for more info on this one - it's gonna be
way cool.
If you haven't seen it yet, check out Chickfactor #3 - nice
interviews with Stereolab, Liz Phair, and Andrew-from-Eggs, although
the record reviews are a little skimpy this time around.
That's all for now...
Sean
P.S. I'd like to thank Margie at sassy.mindvox.com for helping me
correct the errors of my ways seen in last week's list...note that
there are no references to "kids" or "boys" or "girls" in this week's
entry... :) :) :)
----------------------------------
From: Mike Trogni <mjt@zaibatsu.chi.il.us>
Subject: U.K. band named Linus, I think
When I saw 1/2 Japanese at the Garage in North London a month ago a
band named "Linus" opened up for them that were pretty good. Anybody
have more information about them or what label they are on ? Musical
output of any sort ?
Anyway, here is my first 'electronic concert review' in a looong time:
"Roger Manning/et al" at Lounge Axe, Chicago, IL Jun 25 10:30:00 CDT
1993
I've always admired Roger Manning and most of the 'anti-folk' movement
coming straight out of NYC. The scene seemed to dry up and blow away
after the owner of 109 Records started Law school."Broome Clost
Anti-Folk Sessions", an excellentphonographic document produced by
Roger, was released before this happened.
Anyway, these days Roger seems to be the only survivor (except maybe
Paleface who actually put out an album last year and very bravely
opened up for some terrible Ohio pop band at the Cabaret Metro last
year). Especially after Manning's (roger not barbara ;-) ) anti-gulf
war stance he became wildly unpopular. At lounge axe last friday he
was the opening act (first support band if you are from the UK) but
still played a fiery 45 minute set of one old song ("1010 blues",
from the self-titled SST album), stuff from his new ShimmyDisc CD,
which he said was pretty much the same as the homemade cassettes he
was selling his last tour through.
He played a cover of "Youth Against Fascism", off of "DIRTY" by Sonic
Youth. It was great.
Anyway, his set was over soon ("Play all night - see where it gets
you!") and I split to see the last ever NBC letterman show.
Mike
----------------------------------
From: lroberts@bellahs.com (Laurence Roberts PSE)
Subject: CWA review
Saw Cunts with Attitude (CWA) last night at Paula's Clubhouse. It was
Wednesday, which is Faster Pussycat night, when the coolest girl
bands play. It's about my favorite place to see shows. Next week
Bratmobile plays there -- they're also playing at Gilman and I think
the Chameleon this week.
Anyway, CWA are a white-girl rap group. They have a track on Stars
Kill Rock, the 2nd Kill Rock Stars comp (only on the CD version,
though). It's called "Only Straight Girls Wear Dresses," and it's
the story of a dress-wearing dyke who makes another girl eat her
words concerning proper lesbian apparel. Live, the track was one of
the big stand-outs.
Remember the Yeastie Girls? The Yeasties generally didn't have
backing tracks, and "flowing" wasn't really in their vocabulary --
they sort of chanted. They did perform on one of the few listenable
tracks on the last Consolidated Record, "You Suck," which proved that
with a bit of production-values, they could be pretty good.
CWA do have backing tracks, but they're not exactly slammin' all the
time. Sometimes they just relied on the output from a Rapman toy
keyboard, which was o.k., if a bit tinny. On a few songs, they used
guitar and bass, but it was a little lo-tech. But they're from
Olympia, so lo-tech is fine. I overheard a woman complaining that it
wasn't dance-able, and asking her friend if Bratmobile was
dance-able, so she'd know if she should come back next week. Some
people just can't get past the idea that everything must sound
polished, in-synch, and sterile. Most of the audience was much more
forgiving, because the lyrics expressed ideas that were unique and
worthwhile.
Speaking of which, the other highlight was Chickenhawk, in which a
butch dyke on a motorcycle picks up a straight girl. The chorus is a
joyous chant of "Boy, I fucked your girlfriend -- and she is done
with boys!" This song captured the macho, bragging element of rap,
and recasts it as bulldyke bravado.
Because I don't really believe in the idea that music must be
polished, CWA are fine with me the way they are. But with a producer
who could lend a hand with the beats, loops, and samples, they could
arrest the ears of even people who won't listen if they can't dance.
Larry-bob
lroberts@bellahs.com
----------------------------------
(masthead)
THE INDIE-LIST DIGEST is published every Tuesday by The Indie-List
Publishing Junta And Original Endicott Style Spiedies, Unltd. (A
Non-Entity.) This is Volume 2, Number 5. Compiled by Mark Cornick and
Joshua Houk. Mailings by Liz Clayton. Archiving by Sean Murphy.
Anything intended for publication should be sent to Joshua Houk at
<houk@cybernet.cse.fau.edu>.
Anything related to your subscription to Indie-List (such as requests
for address changes or to be removed from the list) should be sent to
Liz Clayton at <lclayton@uhuru.uchicago.edu>.
Requests for back issues via mail should be directed to Sean Murphy
at <skmurphy@phoenix.princeton.edu>. The digests are archived for FTP
and Gopher access at <ftp.uwp.edu>, in the /pub/music/lists/indie
directory.
All other questions, complaints, compliments, suggestions, and fresh
Vidalia onions should be directed to Mark Cornick at
<Mark.Cornick@launchpad.unc.edu>. Anyone desiring info on the
original Endicott style spiedies should write Mark as well.
be seeing you...