Indie-List_V2_N30
Welocme back, my friends, to the show that never ends...
THE INDIE-LIST DIGEST.
Volume Two, Number 30
Princeton-Seattle-Chicago-Raleigh
Published twice each week (if we're lucky).
In this issue:
archivist introduction;Rodan/Slug/Spatula
We Have a Weiner
Jojo review
blake babies
Spinanes/I Was Bitten By Chris Knox/CMJ Marathon stuff
Yo La Tengo and Chris Knox (no biting, no groping) in Seattle
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Obligatory editorial intro...
1. Would JC (at least I think that's your name) or whoever is making
the Indie-List index please write to me or Lena so we can tell people
about it and how it's set up and all that? Thanks...
2. Mentioned below is a band called Analogue. Chris (Mr. Archivist if
you're nasty) is in this band. And I promised to review their demo tape
a while ago, and have finally gotten to it.
A 3 piece from NC State who have done some listening to a certain
one-time NC State grad student by the name of Sooyoung Park. Traces of
Bitch Magnet throughout, along with a Pavement-y track, some Polvo-ish
pieces here and there, and even a Slint-like moment or two ("hey, can you
turn up my amp a bit?" vs. "Steve, these headphones are fucked up"). I
enjoyed it quite a bit, as the cited influences/ideas above are not
necessarily true at all times and they're not stronger than the somngs
themselves. *3/4 - the core is there, it's just a matter of some time
to pull it all together. (Good enough for you, Chris? :) Drop Chris a
line for more info on Analogue...
3. Quick Show-Review! Get the ball to Thing!
Poster Children/Mercy Rule/Jacob's Mouse at Terrace Club, Princeton.
First in what should be a string of killer shows at Terrace (more on
that in a moment), and a pleasant experience for all. Jacob's Mouse
opened, and they ROCK. Twins Hugo and Jebb play a mean guitar and bass,
with an average of 6 pedals a piece...and Sam manages a pretty
convincing snarl from behind the drum kit. About half the set was from
_No Fish Shop Parking_, some was from their new LP (which I haven't
heard yet, but it's releases in the US on Relativity), and they finished
with "Ghetto Queen" from their Rough Trade 7" of World Domination
Enterprises covers. This one sent all the posers home early. :)
I'll admit that I didn't see any of Mercy Rule's set - they're from
Nebraska, that's all I know about them. Sorry, but the beer was flowing
and I met up with some folks I hadn't seen in a while.
And then the Poster Kids got up there and kicked some major ass. I
missed them when they played in Princeton in spring 1992, and I'm real
sorry I did. They were wonderful - loud, entertaining, fun. And don't
worry, Rose, nobody thinks you've "sold out". :) (Talking after the
show, we got into a discussion of the whole major/indie/whatever
thing...since it's all in our heads anyway, we can each set the
definition as we see fit to some extent, right? Bands that don't mind
unrolling their sleeping bags at the end of the night in a moderately
small room haven't really sold out, even if they do have funny vanity
license plates. :) An enjoyable experience all around.
4. Future shows at Terrace Club
E-mail me directly for more info on these, but if you're in the NJ area,
these shows are gonna be good (and we're re-working the policy for those
who aren't PU students, to allow some into the shows...)
November 13: Tiger Trap and Sleepyhead
November 20: William Hooker Quartet (featuring Elliott Sharp on gtr this
time) and Stereolab
December 5: Don Byron and quintet - if you haven't heard _Tuskeegee
Experiments_ or _DB plays the music of Mickey Katz_ yet, check them out
NOW. Real solid jazz, not watered down commercialized crap like the
Marsalis-family-nightmare.
Well, that's all for now...enjoy the rest of the list.
Sean
skmurphy@phoenix.princeton.edu
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From: karlof chris knox <karlofc@seq.cms.uncwil.edu>
archivist introduction;Rodan/Slug/Spatula
hello hello! i am your new archivist. My name is Chris Knox Karlof, not to
be confused with Chris Knox as a few people have....in fact i have met a
few people because they thought i was Chris Knox... [Have you been going
around biting people? - L.] ( Carrie! wink ). But now a few vital
statistics so all of you can have a clear picture of your archivist in
your mind whenever you are thinking about your archivist ;-) ;-)
Height : 5' 9''
Weight : hmmmmm
Age : 19
Sex : Male
Dental Record : 2 cavities
Shoe Size : 9.5
Glasses : Yes. (Just bent by my friend last night who was mad because
i had tricked him!)
Watch Type : Goofy counterclockwise watch.
oh well....who really cares...i just realized that no one will try to
picture my in their mind anyway!
But anyway maybe some more important things, i am a junior/senior
here at NCSU in raleigh, nc. I major in Math, which i enjoy to its
fullest. In my spare time, i waste half my life messing with the net,
half of my life playing and listening to music. I play in a band called
Analogue, which i enjoy very much, and hopefully i wont blab as much
about them as mark talked about Friendly ;-) ;-) ;-). I enjoy a wide
range of music, but right now i am stuck on Pittsburgh and Louisville.
well enough about me...
Rodan/Slug/Spatula @ Duke Coffeehouse 11/7/93
Well i saw this wonderful show last night. It is the second time
that i have seen rodan (the first being at the famous "Jon's House"
party).
[Chris refers to a party this summer in Princeton, advertised inthe
Indie-List, at my friend Jon's house. It was the last party we had
there, and the only prospect for another is if we can get Shellac to
stop by when they tour the East Coast. - Sean]
But first......I missed Spatula, which is sad. Spatula is a good
guitar/drums duo that is sorta unlike other duos like this. well, if you
listened just to their 7" you wouldnt know, but seeing them live is a
different story. If you ever see their split 7" with Evil Weiner, give it
a try. Next, slug. they made about 3/4 the racket as Don Cabellero did,
but only had 1/2 the energy. they were interesting...2 basses, 2 guitars,
singer, drums.....and weird shit that the drummer hit. It almost made you
think they had left/right bass and guitar on their recordings (which i
havent heard). It was loud and cool, but i think the vocals were kinda not
my style. The two basses were distorted and playing through Peavey 2x15"'s
(ugggh!). Lots of mid rumble! The guitarists were usually always doing
some high-one-note-repeato stuff. It was fun, but my friends didnt enjoy
it very much. Kinda like Six Finger Satellite, but not as innovative and
the vocals were sorta like rockabilly! Next, rodan. Awesome Awesome
Awesome. i liked them as much as before. If you have seen them, then you
know, if u havent then it is hard to explain. Lots of dynamics and cool
rhythms. Excellent bass and drum work. I can hear their songs maturing,
because some of their songs sound a little "dated". I would sort of
compare them to Bitch Magnet, but i wouldnt :). Be sure to see them if
they come to town. BTW, they have a new song on a 7" comp on Compulsive
records... be sure to pick it up. the whole show - **
i will fulfill with a wide grin and smiling eyes all your back issue
requests!
chris knox karlof
karlofc@seq.uncwil.edu
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From: "K. Lena Bennett" <keb@u.washington.edu>
We Have a Weiner
Three people answered the "name five bands Lou Barlow has been in" trivia
question correctly (about five more people answered incorrectly, counting
Sentridoh as a band), and of those three I put them in a hopper and drew
Stuart <johnson@mail.ph.ed.ac.uk> as our prizewinner. (Other correct
answers came from Doug Wolk and Tim Ross.)
Here's the scoop on Lou's bands from Kathleen Billus, the ultimate
authority on Barlowdom:
"The band on the Beat Happening tribute record [Fortune Cookie Prize, from
Simple Machines] was Leaky Chipmunk. He has played two shows with Bob Fay
(of Belt Buckle [which also counts as an answer] and erstwhile Sebadoh
member) and John Davis (Shrimper artist) as The John Davis Folk Implosion.
Lou, Bob and John are also releasing some music on a cassette label in
Scotland and possibly on some format in the States as either The John
Davis Folk Implosion or as Nervous Johnny and the Pothead. I think
they'll go with the former on that one... Lou's first band in high school
was Wayne and the Wangs, then he formed Deep Wound with J when J answered
Lou's ad in a local newspaper. Then, Dinosaur, of course. I guess you
can't really call Sentridoh a band since it's mostly just Lou...Oh, BTW,
Deep Wound released a single with the infamous "Lou's Anxiety Song". "
Lena keb@u.washington.edu
"Why don't you tell me 'bout the mystery quiche
I wanna know about the mystery quiche
Why don't you show me coz I've tried and I've tried and I'm still mystified
I can't chew it anymore and I'm not satisfied...."
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From: Glenn Susser <glenns@panix.com>
Jojo review
I'm not sure if the indie list is the proper place for Jonathan, but then
again, is there an appropriate place for the KING OF ODDBALLS?
[Jojo is definitely appropriate for this list! Imagine the world of
"indie-rock" without Roadrunner and Astral Plane and Pablo Picasso and
The Bermuda Song and all the rest of it... - Sean]
11/6 -- The Lone Star Roadhouse, NYC
I hadn't seen Jojo for at least 10 years prior to last night's show. I
missed him. I forgot what it's like to have my jaw hurt from having a
constant grin.
It was Jonathan's turn to do an unplugged show -- it was just him with his
big old hollow guitar. The show's themes seemed to be love, magic and
romanticism. His wit and intelligence more than compensated for his
sometimes "too cute" actions. What really made the show great was that a
large part seemed to be improvised. A couple of times, someone yelled out
a request and he said ok, and went right into the song. His flirtations
with one of the fans in Italian (except she apparently only knew one or
two Italian words) only showed how much he was enjoying himself. At a
request, he went into "Girlfriend," the teenage angst song from his great
debut album. As he was singing the part "G-I-R-L-F-R-E-N," the crowd
laughed, and Jojo showed his surprise at the apparent lack of recognition
of the song by saying he wrote those words about 25 years ago. Wow, was
it that long ago??
He walked on stage reciting the words to "Parties in the USA" from his
latest release, I, Jonathan. Much of the show was Jonathan totally
unplugged, sans guitar and all. His voice is almost as fresh as it was 25
years ago.
His song selection was weird as well as diverse. "Bang Bang Lulu" (from
the Bermuda song,) as well as "The Girl Stands Up to Me Now," "Cappuccino
Bar," and "My Career as a Homewrecker" from "Having a Party" were all
hilarious. Even more of a treat were songs from his self titled 1989
album, especially his version of "Blue Moon." He didn't do I "East With
Gusto, Damn! You Bet," but "Everyday Clothes" and "Closer" were even more
charming live. He did both the French and Spanish songs from the album,
as well as a few Italian songs. I dunno if he was serious, but he says
his next album will be all Spanish, and the longest one of his career.
Interesting. (That's the same thing I said when he first released
Jonathan Goes Country.)
>From I, Jonathan, he also did "I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar" and "You
Can't Talk to the Dude." And the big treat from the album was a delightful
version of "That Summer Feeling." And oh, how could I forget? His 7
minute version of "Pablo Picasso" should be stuffed in a manual called "
How to Pick Up Girls Without Gettin' Called an Asshole." (It was funnier
live, really.)
If you wanna remember what it was like to be a carefree goofy kid, if you
wanna laugh a lot, go see Jojo.
glenns@panix.com
and
73424.2630@compuserve.com
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From: solomon falls on his face in love with me
<STU_KEFITZGE@VAX1.ACS.JMU.EDU>
blake babies
i'm not positive that this really REALLY belongs here, but Amy had brought
up the idea about the new blakes comp, innocence and experience. i like
it for what it is: just a bunch of songs taken from two albums and a
couple ep's and some demos and stuff. they didn't really seem to have
much to work with. what i am slightly upset about is the actual reason it
has been released. if juliana hadn't hit the heights of "alternative"
popularity, this comp would never have been released. don't get me wrong:
i love juliana hatfield (she wrote me a letter last week heehee.) but i
would have wanted a bb's comp because people liked the bb's.
i think the best songs are the few that are demos where the sound is raw
and unpolished. their cover of neil young's "over and over," however is
very un-blakes and just sounds like a band trying to sound like neil
young. this album, altogether, only gets about * from this listener.
--daedalia
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From: Douglas Wolk <dbcloud@panix.com>
Spinanes/I Was Bitten By Chris Knox/CMJ Marathon stuff
First off: I totally agree with Sean that the Spinanes album, Manos, is
amazing. It's not all great, but "Noel, Jonah and Me" is one of the best
songs I've heard this year, and "Spitfire" isn't far behind. And I love
the way that Scotty gets about half the hooks for himself--Rebecca is
clearly thinking about writing songs meant to be played by guitar _and
drums_, instead of just guitar. They're also two of the sweetest people
you're ever gonna meet, and their two earlier singles ("Suffice" and
"Rummy," both on Imp) are both wonderful too.
Yes, I went to another Chris Knox show where, as at the show described in
the last I-L, Chris played "Mold In My Mouth" (the "ohh, what's wrong with
me" song). It was Halloween, so he'd wrapped a bunch of toilet paper
around his head; earlier in the show, he'd asked some woman to bang two
ashtrays together, and she'd said "only if you take your shorts off," so
he was wearing only a pair of really gross-looking briefs and a cut-out
T-shirt. He announced "this song has only been played once before in North
America" and launched into it, wandering out into the audience and feeling
up random people. When he got to me, he jumped into my lap, licked my face
all over and bit me _really hard_ on the cheek. (I can report that he has
very bad breath.) Then he tried to stick his hand down the pants of the
guy next to me, french-kissed his old pal Hamish Kilgour, who was in the
audience, etc. ... after a while, he handed the mike to somebody and
started singing about "all of you who were sitting in the back--you
thought you were safe, didn't you?" and wandered back, not stopping until
he'd groped pretty much everybody in the audience. Then he came back to
the stage and gathered us all around for a group photo... it all sounds
pretty terrifyingly gross, but really, it was a lot of fun at the time.
So this week was the CMJ Music Marathon. I'm sure others will be reporting
at greater length; since I was busy working, I didn't get to see too many
shows, but here's a few of the highlights I saw:
- Fifth Column. There's, like, three different bands and two labels called
Fifth Column; this is the lesbian punk band from Toronto. I saw them
twice; the first show was just okay, but at the second one, man! did they
rock! Caroline, their singer, is very stagey and theatrical--she takes a
little getting used to--but they're a super-cool band, and they play
together in well-thought-out ways. And I'm putting out a split single with
them in a few months, so stay tuned.
- Super Junky Monkey. They were the winners of CMJ's "Best Unsigned
Japanese Band" competition. And I never thought I'd be saying
this--prepare yourself, okay?--but they're a funk-rock band that's
_actually really good_. They're not important or major or brilliant or
anything, but they're totally fun. That they're all four-foot-tall teenage
girls doesn't hurt a bit, either, even though my friend Scott suggested
they change their name to Red Hot Knife...
- Lorelei. Hadn't seen them in a couple of years, and they've gotten to be
seriously damn impressive. They have a new single out on Slumberland which
I haven't heard yet, but which was supposedly recorded well over a year
ago. For something representative of their current sound, check out "Red
Red Wiggy" on the _Something Pretty Beautiful_ compilation.
- Utensil. Yes, it's Ira Robbins and Michael Azerrad's
new-wave-covers-only band. Wait! Don't run away! The material's all great,
of course (this time it ranged from "No Action" to "Your Silent Face" to
"Another Girl, Another Planet"), and Ira's actually a darn good guitar
player... not a band I'd want to see more than maybe twice a year, but
lots of fun at about that frequency.
- Spinanes. Only caught their College Day sit-down show, but it was
super-wonderful--and since it wasn't too loud, I heard the words to
"Hawaiian Baby" for the first time clearly.
- Archers of Loaf. It bothers me that they're so damn derivative (you sort
of wonder if they own any albums other than _Tossing Seeds_ and _Slanted &
Enchanted_), but they're sure energetic live. And the bass player, a sort
of cross between Bon Scott and Angus Young, is even more fun to look at on
stage than Laura Ballance.
- The Mad Scene/Fly Ashtray/Scaley Andrew/Very Pleasant Neighbor. Okay, I
put this one together, but it was all _really good_--Mad Scene and VPN
have both gotten way better over the last year, and Fly Ashtray have
gotten exponentially better. (I got an advance tape of FA's forthcoming
_Tone Sensations Of The Wondermen_ album two weeks ago and have played it
at least once a day and usually two or three times ever since. That's not
an exaggeration. Oh my God is it good.) And Scaley Andrew did a "reunion"
show of sorts, their first in several years: four brief instrumental
waltzes, totalling about ten minutes. Not quite what I was expecting, but
really fun.
- Epic Soundtracks. He may have gone from being one of the greatest noisy
drummers ever to being some sort of weird hybrid of Carole King and
late-model Neil Innes, but I love 'im just the same.
I can also report that Mary Lou Lord's "Some Jingle Jangle Morning" 7" is
pretty darn good, and almost nothing else about recordings at this
point--gimme a few days for my ears to recover, okay?
And if you've got a spare copy of Art of Noise's _That Was Close_ cassette
EP, let me know...
Douglas D. Wolk dbcloud@panix.com
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From: "K. Lena Bennett" <keb@u.washington.edu>
Yo La Tengo and Chris Knox in Seattle 11/5/93
Well, it would be hard for me to write a review of the Yo La Tengo set
because I was basically in musical ecstasy the whole time. They veered
from precise hard-driving noise to painfully beautiful slow pieces and
back in their trademark fashion. Everything was perfect. They did a
cover of Beat Happening's "Cast a Shadow" (I think that's the title) with
Georgia singing. They did their Antietam cover, "Orange Song," dedicating
it to Tim and Tara (who used to work in the Columbia libraries with my ex,
by the way, and also by the way I read somewhere that there will be a Tara
Key solo album sometime soon on Matador, I think). I got to meet James
McNew (YLT bassist) because he's a friend of Jim Woodring's, and I was
sitting with Jim and Mary, and he's a really nice guy, the sort that you'd
be happy to introduce to your mother. I like the Backstage because it's
generally pretty mellow-vibed there, an older audience ususally, which I
prefer because I just don't have the energy for the yoot' scene. Anyway,
the show was pretty uncrowded and tix were only $6; YLT deserves a
popularity commensurate with their brilliance but so far I guess they are
still in the "cult" category.
Kicking Giant from Olympia and formerly NYC was the opening band and I was
quite impressed with their quirky melodies and fantastic drumming by a
woman who played standing up (ow! my back!). She's going to go far. It
was a two-person band, with an Asian guy playing guitar who had a bit of a
Black Francis fixation at times but was still pretty interesting. I'd say
check em out.
And Chris Knox was the middle performer. I knew nothing about him but
when I wrote that YLT was "the best underrated band around," indie list
reader and UW employee Tracy Kimbrel emailed me back