Indie-List_V2_N37
Made with the finest British attention
To the wrong detail...
The Indie List Digest
Volume 2, Number 37
December 10, 1993
Princeton - Seattle - Chicago - Raleigh
In this round...
Slant 6/Cake Like/Mob Action, the Black Cat, wash dc 12/4/93
Dambuilders Review, the Umpteen's
Einsturzende Neuebauten : Hamletmaschine, Interim.
recent ramblings and new greetings
fIREHOSE
Donner Kebab und Blitzen! Coventry!!
More Reviews from Bing!
Great new indie from Ottawa!
Lou, Blood Oranges, Uncle Tupelo
Indie-list vs. Bryan Cox
**ADS**
Uprising Advertisement
Sonic Bubblegum
Drummer Wanted (DC)
and I have nothing to say this week. enjoy. :)
==========
[ note : Meredith's item was modified to remove certain identifying details ]
From: Meredith T.
Slant 6/Cake Like/Mob Action, the Black Cat, wash dc 12/4/93
Hi, this is my first time reviewing for the indie list (i've
wanted to for a while but haven't had time) so bear with me. What a great
show! Mob Action opened. They are from DC. Dree (bass/vox) and Gabe
(guitar, some singing) were previously in the band Pitchman, and Chucky
(guitar and singing on one song) is from Smooch. This was their first
show. They were pretty decent, playing straight ahead fuzzy old NOU
sounding Dischordy stuff. I don't think that they'll do anything
brilliant or original musically, but they do have a lot of energy,
especially when Dree and Chucky sing. Dree's bass playing also adds
necessary cohesiveness to the sound; I think they would sort of fall apart
without her. She gets bonus points for having a picture of Wednesday
Addams on her bass, too. I have heard that there is another band from
Chicago called Mob Action, if anyone has info, email it to me because the
dc version wants to know about them so they can figure out if they should
change their name.
The next band that played was Cake Like. WOW!!! They are a
guitar/bass/drums trio, and this was their first show outside of NYC. I
hadn't heard of them before last night, but they totally blew me away.
What they played was amazing- sort of a combination of John Zorn's
dissonant chords, recent Shudder To Think sounding guitar effects and
sheets of noise, sometimes silly Blast Off Country Style vocals, with the
grrrl power authority of Slant 6. They didn't seem to have a lot of
technical skill, but that fact only added to my respect for them, because
they did so much with what they knew. The drumming was simple and crazy,
but it worked with the arty noisiness of the band. The bass player sang
in a variety of voices, and sometimes the songs would have worked better
without vocals, but overall their sound was definitely original,
interesting, and tres impressive. After their set I hunted down their
bass player to find out more info about the band (i was praying they had a
7") and she told me that they hadn't recorded yet, but John Zorn (!god!)
had heard them play at the knitting factory and immediately signed them to
his label and is recording them Dec. 26. He is releasing them in the US,
Japan and France, so look for a cd in a couple of months. Oh- they also
sell really nifty t-shirts with two people dancing, but at $10 they are a
bit overpriced. And, for gossip value, the guitarist is dating Craig
Wedren, my personal post-indie hero from Shudder to Think, and the bassist
is his ex. Love triangle mania! Go Cake Like!
Slant 6 was pretty good, but didn't compare to the wonder that was
Cake Like. They played a few interesting new songs, and older stuff from
their 7"s (Time Expired Violation, Semi Blue Tile, 30/30 Vision, Nice
Times Nine and (i think?) What Kind of Monster are You.) They played the
older songs super super fast, and I think 30/30 Vision lost some of its
power because of this. And unfortunately they didn't seem too into their
music. I saw their first show when they were REALLY bad, and I remember
thinking that stage presence or energy would make up for their blah sound,
but they have improved 100 million times since then, so although I guess
energy isn't as important now, I sort of expect that the jumpy, powerful
music that they play would translate into some more stage presence.
Unfortunately Marge the drummer is going to England until February, so the
band won't be playing for a while, but I heard that they might be going on
tour again when she comes back. Even though they aren't incredibly
terrific live, they are tight and interesting and definitely worth seeing
if you have the chance.
:-) :-)
Meredith
==========
From: Stephen King <sking@acs.bu.edu>
the Dambuilders @ the Middle East, Boston 12/2
The Dambuilders did nothing but amaze me once again. The show was
the release party for their new 7" on Rockville. The first in the 50
state series. I have not had a chance to listed to it yet. Anyways, they
played all the favorites except mine, Colin's Heroes. A few new tunes
thrown in like "Oregon" and and one they hadnt played for a while in
Boston, "Wyoming", both which are on the new 7" including "New Jersey"
What a concept!
The buzz around Boston is a new band on the scene called the
Umpteen's. This trio has a 4 song demo floating around town that has all
the kids dancin and smilin. Their discopoploungeact feel is almost
Coctailesque, but with a new kind of disco beat, really cool. I've got a
friend who knows one of them and is going to get the word on some more
stuff coming out by them. Scooters and Ginger Ale.
Steve
sking@acs.bu.edu
==========
From: "Jeffrey A. Curtis" <jac15@po.CWRU.Edu>
Einsturzende Neuebauten/Heiner Muller : Die Hamletmaschine.
Heiner Muller is (was?)(born 1929, that's all I can find out so
far) a German playwright, who wrote this play based on Shakespeare's
Hamlet, called, in translation, _The Hamletmachine_. And this new cd by
Einsturzende Neuebauten is their rendition of this play, with their music
accompanying. Well...not being fluent or even very familiar with spoken
German language, this whole thing was almost completely lost on me. It is
almost all talking, no singing, and really very minimal musical
accompaniment (which was really what I was hoping there would be more of,
I really like EN's industrial music--they define industrial music for me).
The whole thing is about 31 minutes long. All I could understand in it was
every so often I would hear the names Ophelia and Hamlet being said, and
that was it. As much as I like the sound of Blixa Bargeld's voice, there
was just not enough rythm or noise here to please me. German-speaking
folk may enjoy this, though. However, luckily, I was able to trade this
in and get full value for it, and traded it for:
[For the record, if you ever find the Holger Hiller/Heiner Mueller
collaboration which slips my mind at the moment, grab it - Arto Lindsay
guests on it, along with many other folks - it's a truly moving,
gripping musical experience. Sorry you didn't like this one... - Sean]
Einsturzende Neuebauten : Interim. (Mute)(Sorry, not sure if
Hamletmaschine is on Mute or not...)
This is one of two Interim cd-ep's EN put out at the time of
Tabula Rasa's release, this is the one that starts out with the English
language version of The Interimlovers (Interimseliebnen or something like
that in German--my apologies to speakers of that language!). Like I said
above, I really like Blixa Bargeld's voice, but I really like it better
when he's singing in German. One of the things I like about
foreign-language music is that you don't have to worry about the words, as
crappy lyrics can really ruin a good song sometimes. Not that EN's lyrics
are crappy, quite the opposite, I think their lyrics are really very
thought-provoking, interesting, poetic, and, uh, lyrical! But when Blixa
sings this song in English, for some reason, he kinda sounds like some
sort of lounge singer! Some kinda suave dude. I think part of it, too,
is that German is so much more of an industrial-sounding language...at
least to my ears. It's not too bad, maybe I just need to hear it more,
but that was my first impression. There is also a remix of the German
version of it that is pretty cool, with samples of noises from EN's first
album thrown in! There are 3 other songs not on Tabula Rasa, all of which
are great, one of them is kind of on the quiet side, and its lyrics are
taken from an old Japanese Haiku. Another song is called "Ring My Bell"
which I thought for sure was going to be a cover of the '70's disco song
by that name, but it's not even close, fortunately, or unfortunately,
wherever your tastes lie :) I think I will seek out the other Interim ep
now, this one really is good.
JC
jac15@po.cwru.edu
PS: The Fugs' First Album has been re-released on cd, and is
required listening for y'all.
==========
From: Nathan in Virginia <MPNAT@VTVM1.bitnet>
recent ramblings and new greetings
HI indie list, just recently subscribed so I hopefully won't repeat to
many past sentiments.
I am a grad-student at Va Tech in quiet southwest Virginia The location is
kept upto date on Indie Music with the help of WUVT (plug for favorite
radio station where I DJ) 90.7 if your ever driving on 81 south of
Roanoke. I am new to the list (just received second list) and I hope I
will be able to add lots of witty reviews etc. in the Future.
Blacksburg (home of Va TEch) may be small but with the help of a diligent
radio station and Squeeler Records (Joe the Fireman, Milk Badger, etc) we
have been able to bring some cool shows including most recently; Geezer
Lake,Picasso Trigger (together),Archers of Loaf, Slowchange Madagascar
Supersuckers, Fastbacks, Crackerbash, etc. Reviews may be upcoming for
future s hows. Rumour has it that these bands really enjoy Blacksburg for
receptive audiences that give a shit about the music. E-mail for possible
gig locations.
My most recent favorite purchase is Built to Spill on C/Z records. If
this thing has not been discussed a review will be upcoming soon. This
ranks above all my other recent purchases/acquisitions of Yo La Tengo,
Pitchblende, Justin War field, the Charlottes, Fastbacks to name a few.
This Built to spill album is simply incredible.
[Lena's comments: I too have this record (entitled Ultimate Alternative
Wavers - great title!), and I do think it is quite fine. A side project
of a guy from the Treepeople from Boise. A very talented bunch, good
songwriting (eclectic pop-neurotic type variety), strong musicianship.
Probably fans of the smoother Sebadoh stuff might like it. BUT I must
say that despite all its strengths, it hasn't really grabbed me....]
[This LP is one of my favorites of the year...it's up to par with the
first Treepeople LP which totally floored me - Doug has left the
Treepeople for good and wants to sorta be a recluse in Boise, but if he
keeps making records like this, I won't complain... - Sean]
More from Blacksburg later, Nathan
==========
From: SCREWBALL@delphi.com
fIREHOSE tour-following...
I don't know if this belongs in an "indie" list, since fIREHOSE
are on a major label. To me, though, any band that drives its own van,
tours five months out of the year, and pays for everything out of pocket
is as independent as they get. 'Nuff said?
[of course it's ok to talk about fIREHOSE! they fucking rock, even if
their most recent LP wasn't worth the plastic it was printed on... J.
Mascis should get the fuck out of the recording booth... - Sean]
btw, none of these are objective reviews. If that bothers you, please skip
this. :)
Later,
screwball
(screwball@delphi.com)
fIREHOSE/Mule, Slim's, San Francisco, CA, Thursday, December 2
Mule are from Detroit. This band has systematically removed the
brand names from all their equipment. Preston (guitar, vocal) says, "They
don't sponsor us, so why should we advertise for 'em?" Agreed. Good,
solid rock, vocals a bit rough, but good energy, and an all-around solid
act. Mike Watt joined them on stage for one tune, much to everyone's
delight. He promptly blew a string, too, but that didn't stop him. He
doesn't stop for anything.
fIREHOSE...formerly on SST, now with a label that shall remain
nameless as far as this list is concerned. Everyone in the band and crew
was coming down with some really nasty bug, but that didn't stop them from
playing the kind of no- nonsense, no-holds-barred, rip-roaring
power-pop-punk that they've been known for from Day One. Good, tight
set--opened with "The Red And The Black" (Blue Oyster Cult!), closed with
"Slack Motherfucker," in between played a mix of tunes spanning their
entire career and then some. Ed fROMOHIO has become one hell of a
fine guitarist, George Hurley is as solid as ever, and Mike Watt is--well,
Watt: funny, intelligent, and an incredible musician. Not to mention one
hell of a nice guy.
The crowd was enthusiastic and crazy, as can be expected. Never
mind that the Buzzcocks and All were playing the same night; these folks
showed up and had a blast at Slim's--one crazy, silly, happy crowd. Shit
may happen, but there will always be a fIREHOSE gig.
All/fIREHOSE/Mule/My Name, The Cattle Club, Sacramento, CA, Friday, December 3
My Name--don't know much about them, I'm afraid. They're a
three-piece, played a pretty decent set of good, solid rock. Apart from
that, I really can't say much. [I think they're from Seattle. I know
I've seen their name up on telephone poles around town quite a bit in the
last year or so. - Lena]
Mule--again, good, solid rock. And again, Mike Watt on stage with
them. Their drummer looks like the kind who's going to be carded until
he's 35 or so. At least.
fIREHOSE--Watt felt like shit, but that didn't keep him and his
crew from putting on another fine show. Preston from Mule joined them for
"Sophisticated Bitch" at the encore, which was a lot of fun. A
rip-roaring good time had by all.
All--these poor guys showed up late because their tour bus lost
its transmission. The bus and their equipment trailer arrived on the back
of a flatbed semi. In spite of all that, they put on a really fun,
no-holds- barred, high-energy show that reminds you of what makes punk
rock great. Their new singer moves like Milo (Descendents!) when he's on
stage. The crowd was going nuts. They played three encores and left the
club full of sweaty, happy people. No idea what they've had to do, since
they were only just starting their tour. Hint: NEVER buy a used school
bus for your touring vehicle.
fIREHOSE/Mule/Chug, Cactus Club, San Jose, CA, Saturday, December 4
Chug are from San Jose. Their rhythm section is pretty good.
Their bassist plays fretless. Apart from that, I'd better not say
anything.
Mule--I'm afraid that I'd only repeat myself. They're nice guys
and good musicians, but I'm just not real familiar with their music.
fIREHOSE--Watt looked and sounded much better than the previous
two nights, and apparently felt so, too. He blew a string that refused to
allow itself to be replaced, so he wound up borrowing Kevin's (Mule). He
seemed delighted with the feel and sound, and told everyone that it was
one of the best sounding basses he'd ever played. Kevin managed to get
Watt's base up and running, but Watt finished the set and the encores with
Kevin's bass. Preston came up for "Sophisticated Bitch" again, which
worked out well. The audience was the rowdiest of all the shows I saw on
this round; one of my friends told me that was normal, since there
apparently isn't one heck of a lot to do in San Jose. Even so, everyone
managed to have a good time.
==========
From: James Nash <CCX020@raven.coventry.ac.uk>
Donner Kebab und Blitzen! Coventry!!
Lots of reviews below; first live then recorded stuff. But first a
reminder to buy the new Breed album "Violent Sentimental" for an overdose
of beauty and sorrow; this lot have the talent to sell gross amounts of
records.
Ted Chippington (comedian) @ Jug of Ale, Birmingham
21st November 93
TED COMES FROM Birmingham and most of his act tonight consisted of
asking the audience if they were from Small Heath or Moseley. Inbetween he
told one joke, sang a few disco numbers and grimaced a lot. Ted is the
worst comedian in the world. It was a classic Ted gig. One third walked
out, one third started talking VERY LOUDLY and the rest hung on every word
and gesture. "Kipper Tie" was tonight's joke. Highlight was the song
D.I.S.C.O. "D...Delightful I...Irresitable S...Supersexy C...err O...Oh
Dear". Ted is the best comedian in the world. "I was walking down the road
the other day." <Someone in the audience laughs> "I'm glad you liked that
one. I was walking down the road the other day. Oh, I did that one
already. I was..." And he still dresses as if he's a member of Darts. **
Radial Spangle/Sundial/Idaho @ Princess Charlotte, Leicester
22nd November 93
A VERY COLD Sunday night inevitably meant a poor turn-out at this
superb venue. Idaho played a mournfully controlled set which I liked but
didn't know why. Not much fun but they could go far if they learn some
pathos. **1/2 Sundial were good but it was just too much drone. Best
moments were the unexpected ones, like the drum machine on their new
single. Nice light show as well. My companion suggested they sounded like
Rush-meets-Nirvana which is cruel but not entirely untrue. Jason 'Sp3'
Pierce seemed to like them. ** Radial Spangle murdered their back
catalogue tonight but got away with it. Missing singer whatsername, they
lacked depth but the songs always shone through to save the err... night.
By the end, they seemed to be having fun, or was it that damn Burton
bitter again? Anyway, the drunken photographer guested on vocals and the
bassist noticed me tapping my feet in time to one song and pointed out
when to stop. Ach, no need, I know the album back to front. *
Boyracer/Starpower/The Fortune Cookies @ Browns, Coventry
24th November 93
THE FORTUNE COOKIES opened and I was transported back to the
magical years of 1986/7 when floppy fringes and anoraks ruled the world.
Got a bit boring after 3 or 4 Primal Scream/Field Mice pastiches but TFC
showed signs of experimentation and for a new local band deserve * Hula
Hoop didn't turn up - some nonsense to do with work permits - so we had a
long wait for Starpower. Browns had re-opened tonight after a very swift
expansion to twice the size, both upstairs for the venue and downstairs
for the cafe/bar. Much nicer inside now; there's room to breathe. Despite
tonight's show being free, it was less than half full; at least I didn't
have to queue at the bar (might explain today's king-size hangover).
Starpower turned out to be very Mega City 4/Julian Cope-y, nicely executed
power poprock. They all (apart from the drummer) want to be stars; the
lead singer was the main culprit with his purple skin- tight jeans, for
chrisssake. I felt too pampered by their performance as if they were
begging 'please like us and become a fan'. No doubt many will as the
songwriting ability is there in spades - "Day and Night" is an excellent
tune - and they are all very capable (or is that culpable?) with their
instruments (especially the drumer). *1/2 but not normally my cup of
dahjeeling. Last up were Boyracer who were half-Seam half-Jam and, to be
frank, half-boring after a few songs. I like both bands but the
combination didnt work. How can I liven this review up? Oh yeah, Tracey
Tracey (ex-Primitives) was in the audience. *1/2
NOW SOME RECORD REVIEWS...
Elevate - Magicspill EP (Encyclopedia of Modern Wonders for Boys and
Girls - distributed by SRD in UK or 4 pounds stlg to 67 Mill Lane,
West Hampstead, London NW6 1NB, UK; add extra postage if non-UK)
A SUPERB 10" EP cum mini LP from a band who have been listening to
a lot of JAMC and Loop. Guitars that envelop(e) not suffocate, a well-
judged sense of dynamics, plently of pedal and some serious distortion
slow-rock-outs make the 4 full-length songs here hugely enjoyable.
Standouts are "Shows How Halo" with its "over&over" refrain and the
excellent "Single Figures 8.9.10" with a Mark E Smith impression thrown in
for free. You also get some indecipherable liner notes. It took me a week
to work out what speed to play this at and I had only bought it by
mistake. Best mistake of the year!! **1/2
Rollerskate Skinny - Shoulder Voices (Placebo PILLA 3)
I MUST ADMIT to being very disappointed with the overall quality
of this LP which I bought on the strength of 2 great tracks heard on the
radio. The general theme here is Mercury Rev on a more light-hearted
Flaming Lips trip and a hint of hardcore guitars; lots of weird dippy rock
which easily wears thin. "Bow Hitch Hiker" is by far and away the best
track and it gets dragged out to twice its natural length because of it.
"Violence to Violence", "Bella" with its Eastern chanting & simple
melodies, and "Miss Leader" all get the thumbs up. The rest are decidedley
iffy. Shame, really. Nice artwork on the sleeve though. **
Various - 12 Hours Fast (Flying Nun FNUN1 - CD only)
2 TRACKS EACH from 7 Flying Nun artistes for only 2 pounds?! They
must be barmy! Can't fault this compilation for value and I hesitate to do
so for content. You must all know the JPS/Bats NZ-sound by now and both
these bands are represented here. Straitjacket Fits' "Cat Inna Can" is the
usual summery doo-wop guitar pop while Headless Chickens go all funky
disco; their "Choppers" is Ebeneezer Goode meets 99 Red Balloons. David
Kilgour provides more ephemeral pop and the 3Ds echo the soulful power of
bands such as The Sea Urchins (RIP). The best tracks are JPS Experience's
remix version of "Into You" and Chris Knox's stunning "Not Given Lightly"
- the ultimate song to fall in love to and wow! what a voice! More please,
this is habit forming. **1/2
[Not Given Lightly is now available on a
10" EP of the same title from the Communion label in California, which
has also released Knox's Meat CD. The two of them together will
give you all the tracks that were on Knox's Flying Nun releases Seizure
and Croaker, plus one! - Lena]
Aphex Twin - On EP (Warp WAP39CD - part 1 of a 2 CD set)
TECHNO! TECHNO! TECHNO! Massive Kraftwerk influence from Aphex
Twin maestro Richard E. James. "on" has a kitchen sink beat with high-
pitched keyboards, "xepha" is hi-nrg spookiness (lots of sludge monster
slurp noises), "73-yips" is reminiscent of those Tetsuo soundtracks and
'd-scape' is a synthesiser pendulum doodle. Altogether, as good an
introduction to weirdo techno as any. The second CD has a load of remixes
of 'on' and probably isn't as good as this. *1/2
Pussy Crush - Get a Life! 7" EP (La-di-da 030 - La-di-da Productions,
57 Davigdon Rd, Hove, East Sussex BN3 1RA, UK)
More grrrl-powered Brighton rock-punk. "Not Me" appears to be a
Huggy Bear bashing tirade, "Not on a Thursday" is pure '85-Fuzzbox
(although I doubt extremely they would want to hear that!) and "Society is
a Human Disease" speaks for itself. By no means a classic but plently of
lo-fi punk merriment. *
[La-Di-Da is alive? Yay! The John Cunningham 12" I have is absolutely
wonderful for folks who like their wimp-pop with farfisa organs dropped
in...and if Mike "cherry-red-guy" is involved, then it's going to be
pretty good on reputation alone... - Sean]
Well that's about half the backlog cleared up. Cheerio for now.
--James Nash <ccx020@raven.cov.ac.uk>
Sir Henry's request for a bazooka to bring down "the
really big sods" was denied on the grounds of diplomacy.
==========
From:UN050077@WVNVAXA.WVNET.EDU
More Reviews from Bing!
Screeching Weasel - Anthem for a New Tomorrow: CD
I don't usually pay much attention to the instruments when I
listen to music. I mean, I like to hear a nice raw guitar, but I'm usually
pretty flexible about instrumentation. BUT... when it comes to vocals, I
know what I like, and I like Ben Weasel. I've developed a real weakness
for singers with just the right amount of snot in their voice (eww..), and
Ben's got it. Hip-punching punk with just enough pop-silliness to let you
know that they don't take themselves too seriously. This album seems a
little bit darker, and a little bit more goose-bumpolitical than their
previous outings. (Take that with a grain of salt, cuz I never bothered
studying the lyric sheets on the other ones) As my friend Rat put it,
"some girl musta just broke up with him." But that's just being nit-picky.
It's a darn fun record.
Junction - Swingset: CD
Boy, I keep listening to this and trying to be objective about it,
but I don't know if it's possible. I just like the people in this band
too darn much. Junction is from Morgantown's sister-city, State College,
PA. Don't ask me how Morgantown and State College became sister-cities,
since they're hundreds of miles away from each-other. For some reason, we
seem to have this incestuous music-thing going on between us. J.
Marinelli (Yent'l, Swiss Army Tractor) and J. Demko (Ice Fan, Lincoln)
just made the pigrimidge to State College to form a new phenomenon called
Glendale. (absolutely amazing. All the best stuff from Drive Like Jehu
and Fugazi, with all bad bits filtered out.) I'm sure we'll be importing
some people from State College to fill J. and J.'s places before too
long. That's just the way things seem to work.
Anyway... the Junction CD. This is a really good representation
of Junction. It's very well produced, but Junction is the kind of band
that should be well produced, and they are tight enough live that a
produced CD doesn't sound like a different band than you're used to. (or
vice versa) Their lead-singer Vanessa sounds like the singer from
Hammerbox would sound if she took a valium and tried to sing pretty.
Musically, Junction has an undenyable, but tasteful DC influence, which is
probably best compared to the layering and texturing of Shudder to Think,
mixed with the punchy talkshout stylings of a Guy Picciotto. (if he were
to clear his throat)
Junction is a mature band that may very well be in their prime. I
hope it lasts for them. I would reccommend this CD to anyone who has ever
enjoyed anything from our nation's capital. Good music.
I also bought the New Bomb Turks - Drunk on Cock EP, and the
Bikini Kill - Pussy Whipped CD today, but I'm going to withhold my
judgement until I get to spin em a few more times. [Something about
those titles.... ;) - Lena]
I'll leave you with the chorus of a song that I haven't yet
finished:
"They can take alternative,
grunge, hip-hop, punk or pop.
There ain't no corporation
gonna touch my indie rock!" :)
Bing Hypotenuse (aka Curtis Duhn) UN050077@WVNVAXA.WVNET.EDU
Bing's Haus of Soft, Creative, Nonviolent Playthings...
... the record label: Star City, USA 26504-4040 (It'll get there, I swear.)
... the BBS: (304)291-3046 [14.4K baud], or (304)292-4054 [2400 baud]
==========
From: Victor Kamutzki <victor.kamutzki@canrem.com>
Great new indie from Ottawa!
Spent the weekend in Ottawa and picked up a couple great new indie
singles y'all might want to know about:
Resin Scraper - Crash Course/Losin' Your Mind/Starship
I really like these guys. Three guys and girl, actually. This is
their debut 7" on Birdman Sound Records, limited edition of 300.
Screaming hardcore along the lines of New Bomb Turks, Action Swingers,
Cosmic Psychos, etc. "Crash Course" is a Resin Scraper original, "Losin'
Your Mind" is a Lazy Cowgirls tune and "Starship" is an old MC5 tune.
Very excellent, and you get a little Resin Scraper sticker that looks like
a pack of Zig Zags.
Spiny Anteaters - Soundcheck
Forgot what was on the B-side (damn!), but highly recommended if
you dig the Polvo/Bailter Space thing.
Both singles are available for $4 (CDN) from Birdman. They do the
mail order thing, so you might have to chip in an extra couple bucks if
you're doing it that way. The address:
Birdman Sound
593 Bank Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1S 3T4
(613) 233-0999
Birdman is the record store outside Toronto, and better by far than most
Toronto record stores. If you're having trouble trying to get your hands
on a particularly elusive piece of vinyl, call Birdman. Godhead.
Cheers,
Victor Kamutzki
==========
From: LePageL/MF <LePageL/MF@hermes.bc.edu>
Show review: Lou Barlow, Blood Oranges, Uncle Tupelo at the Paradise, Boston,
MA
Tonight, Lou was the sad man, opening this Born to Choose
extravaganza with quiet intensity. Yes, it was another solo acoustic set,
but unlike October's Middle East gig, you could hear him AND his guitar,
together and separately. He seemed to be trying out a lot of new
material, along with a few from past Sebadoh recordings. I liked the song
about being in love with his sister Lisa, and the one asking his
ex-girlfriend to ditch "that guy." My friend Ronnie was going to yell for
"Soul Mate" as many times as necessary, but Lou, ever-accomodating, played
it on the first holler. (Ronnie was grateful.) But poor Lou, he seemed to
get more passionate and more sad with each song. By the end of the set,
we were drawing straws to determine who would go up there and give the guy
a hug. Chickens that we are, we settled for applauding with great warmth
and conviction.
Next up was Blood Oranges, a local rock/country/bluegrass outfit
who've been kicking around for a while. They have a couple of excellent
records out (_Corn River_ cd is classic, IMO), and have been consistently
impressive live. So of course, tonight, they were only good. On the plus
side, Cheri sang more lead. She has a tough but tender alto voice, and
writes great songs in a bluesy country/rock vein. The rest of their new
stuff sounds up to their usual high standard, with one killer kiss-off
tune ("You better look over your shoulder"). On the down side, they
didn't seem to be quite in synch, particularly the guitar and mandolin,
and consequently, solos were a little more pedestrian than I've come to
expect. Still, a great live band, and a good show -the highs points more
than compensated for the ragged execution.
Uncle Tupelo headlined with energetic aplomb, looking young and
only a little bit earnest. I've always loved the off-kilter dynamic they
get by mixing folky acoustic verses with high-rev punky choruses; their
songs lurch but in a good way. Live, they were loose and loud, with tight
vocal harmonies . Tweedy and the other guy traded lead vocals, and
between songs Tweedy skulked around the stage looking like an overjoyed Ed
from Northern Exposure. He made you feel happy just watching him. They
played a bunch of stuff from Anodyne along with a few from previous
releases, augmenting their instrumental attack with a very competent
fiddle/mandolin/banjo player. The encores were great: covers of
"Willin,'" "Everybody Knows This is Nowhere," and "Truck Drivin' Man,"
along with "Gun" which remains my favorite song off _Still Feel Gone_.
Everything I could have hoped for, and worth the two year wait.
Sadly, no more shows until after Christmas (I'm going to B-more to
see the folks). But who knows, maybe this will be my big chance to check
out the highly touted, much improved Baltimore indie scene! All for now
--- Lise [lepagel/mf@hermes.bc.edu]
==========
From: Paul H Williams <phwst1+@pitt.edu>
Indie-list vs. Bryan Cox
INDIE-LIST ADDICTS: I'm compiling a list of favorites things of the year.
So send me your opinions to phwst1+@pitt.edu! Include: 20 of your fav.
songs, 10 of your fav. albums, fav. book, fav. movie, fav. concert, and if
any submissons are brilliant, I'll probably included it in the WPTS (Univ.
of Pittsburgh) Program Guide. Offer only good until 12/31/93!
[Please note: send responses to this question to phwst1+@pitt.edu!!! If
you send them to Lena or Sean or Liz or anyone else from the junta, they
will be mercilessly DELETED!]
"Something Pretty Beautiful" CD compliation (brilliant p.o. box 17116
richmond, va. 23226 usa)
This 19 track CD brings the powers of FUDGE, SMALL FACTORY, TREE
FOREST ANGST, THE TRIBBLES, MAGPIES, TWITCH HAZEL, and ALL ABOUT CHAD into
a great compilation. Original, I was mostly interested in the VERONICA
LAKE song, but it's sorta lame and goes on far too looong. Although, the
CD has just been released this year, it compiles tracks as far back as
1989. If you like SpinART's "...One Last Kiss" and Simple Machines "The
Machines" comp. you should really pay another $10 for this.
"Route 666: On the Road to Nirvana" by Gina Arnold
(St. Martin's Press 175, New York, ny 10010
Ms. Arnold traces the history of music from the LA punk scene to
Nirvana's solution to music. I never heard of the Sex Pistols, until 1987
and didn't even know what the hell college music was, so this book is an
important bible of information. Gina is like a America Express Card, she's
everywhere I wanna be. She bitches about the Olympian youths who drive
around their youth mobiles completely oblivious that the International Pop
Underground Convention is going on, sits eye-to-eye with the Cobain
family, and explains the 'k' in K Records means "Knowledge." (pp.111) [I
thought it referred to a movie theater in Baltimore ;) - Lena] Run to your
bookstore that brought you "Generation X" and say "I'm lonely, crazy, and
in need of help. Could I have a copy of 'Route 666:On the Road To Nirvana'
PLEAZZZE!" Make sure you bring money and a picture ID.
[Gee, everyone on Chugchanga has been trashing this book! That's the
wonder of indieness and the free press - we can all disagree! :)]
[K, keeping kangaroos. - Sean (with help from Carol Channing :) ]
Paul Williams<phwst1+@pitt.edu> "Indie-rock ain't noise pollution"
"Make Love Rock, Not war"
**ADS**
From: Chris Khoury <ckhoury@cps201.cps.cmich.edu>
UPRISING RECORDS UPRISING RECORDS UPRISING RECORDS UPRISING RECORDS
You can buy great midwestern punk/trash/jazz/instro such as:
El Smasho (MRR's favorite band), Grout (Detroit Punk at its best),
Urban Farmers (Instrumental Jazz/Eastern punk bad craziness), and more!
Contact ckhoury@cps210.cps.cmich.edu or write: Uprising Records
for a catalog PO Box 4412
Ann Arbor, MI 48106-4412
UPRISING RECORDS UPRISING RECORDS UPRISING RECORDS UPRISING RECORDS
==========
From: mhibarge@chipcom.com (Mike Hibarger)
Sonic Bubblegum is an indie label from Boston.
You can get our catalog via e-mail by sending
a message to mhibarge@chipcom.com. Some of our
more noted releases include: Belt Buckle (a
side project of Lou Barlow), Treepeople,
Green Magnet School, the Tulips and Pipe.
==========
From: "Joanne Kundrat \"x 6153\"" <JKUNDRAT@BROOK.EDU>
Drummer Wanted (DC)
Drummer wanted for original, loud, psychedelic noise band in DC.
Greenroom is the name, and the influences include: Rapeman, Jesus
Lizard, Mudhoney, Superchunk, Reverend Horton Heat and Minutemen.
Creativity, good timing, transportation essential! If
interested, e-mail: jkundrat@brook.edu
thank you!
jo kundrat
<------------------------------------------------------------>
The Indie-List Digest is published every Tuesday and Friday by the
Indie-List Infotainment Junta, Unltd.
What Who Where
Editor Sean Murphy skmurphy@phoenix.princeton.edu
Moderator K. Lena Bennett keb@carson.u.washington.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 and Joshua Houk
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 LENA!
<----------------------------------------------------->
[Submitted by: karlof chris knox (karlofc@seq.cms.uncwil.edu)
Fri, 31 Dec 1993 23:10:11 -0500 (EST)]