Indie-List_V2_N7 INDIE-LIST DIGEST * VOLUME 2, NUMBER 7 "The French have a word for it... sasse'." (Hi, Margie.) Brought to you by Mark Cornick, Joshua Houk, Liz Clayton, and Sean Murphy. This week in Indie-List: How punk are you? "Beyond The Jangle" Beat Happening Discography Wanted Indie 500, more rambling reviews. More indie submission stuff... contribution for the next IL! (hopefully) Indie 500 Toronto (put descriptive things in your subject lines! dangit) ********************** IMPORTANT! CORRECTION Cyndy Chan's phone number, as printed in last week's digest, is wrong. * DO NOT * DO NOT * DO NOT * call that number and ask for Cyndy. The rightful owner of that phone number is extremely pissed off about getting numerous calls for Cyndy at odd hours of the day. Her correct number is (804) 648-4305 (that's 648-ID0L, d00d.) ********************** From: Mark <markcrva@aol.com> Subject: How punk are you? My Simple Machines Working Holiday calendar lists July 12 as National Nude Day, and boy is it the right time of the year for it. Lows in Richmond this week have been in the high 70s. Highs have been over 100. And just in time, the air conditioner in my car has stopped conditioning. sweat So, whazzapening? Not much really. Eeyore Tower Of Power Swimming Pool Cash Register Deodorant Wingtip Breakfast Cereal Rainbow, or whatever they're called today, will be embarking on a US tour later this summer. Do try to catch them if you can, as they include my housemate Scott, my fellow Friendlyboy Mike, future source-of- confusion-as-housemate Eerie Mark (i.e., a different Mark than yours truly), and numerous other people too numerous to mention. It will truly be a night of 1,000 stars. See yr local ticket scalpers now. Mike K, just back from Indie-500, tells me he has engaged the services of noted Egg, Popsicle Melt and Grenadiner Rob Christiansen to record some Friendly toons on 24 tracks. (!!!) This will likely take place no earlier than September, and the results will probably end up on the Friendly/Mollyhouse split cassette and maybe a vinyl single as well. Well, I got a dictionary installed on my Mac earlier this week, and just out of curiosity I looked up "punk": > punk n. 1. Slang. a. A young person, especially a member of a > rebellious counterculture group. b. An inexperienced young man. 2. > Music. a. Punk rock. b. A punk rocker. (etc.) Hmm, interesting. I omitted it for space, but the definition goes on to define punk as also referring to Chinese incense. (?) The nouns are followed by some adjectives. > --punk adj. Slang. 1. Of or relating to a style of dress worn by punk > rockers and often characterized by unusual clothing, hairstyles, and > makeup. 2. Of poor quality; worthless. (etc.) Poor quality? Worthless? Hey pal, punk means cuddle, OK? :-) Anyway, it looks like they have a separate definition for "punk rock", so I look it up: > punk rock n. Music. A form of hard-driving rock music characterized > by harsh lyrics attacking conventional society and popular culture > and often expressing alienation and anger. (See "Fugazi" or "the Ex.") "Punk rocker" is defined as "a performer or follower of punk rock." OK. (No defintion for "indie", or for "grunge.") Speaking of harsh lyrics attacking conventional society: - KINGDOM SCUM, _Golden Asshole Legacy_ LP: If you've never heard Kingdom Scum before, they sound something like Negativland meets Consolidated at the Tube Bar. A little industrial, a little rap, a little low-fi chaos. Scum's revolutionary/anarchist bent is played up more here than on their previous releases, but they somehow manage not to be ridiculously, anally PC about it (hey, I don't like offending people any more than the next guy, but political correctness has gotten way out of hand as of late.) Maybe not too big on entertainment, but it's got a dope beat and it drops the knowledge, know what I'm sayin brotherman? And, this is one of the better sleeves I've seen so far this year. ** (Staalplaat/Eerie Materials, PO Box 14592, Richmond VA 23221) ********************** From: brian <Brian.May@mel.dit.csiro.au> Subject: "Beyond The Jangle" Just dustin' off the crash mat for the European leg of the world tour when I realized what happened last Saturday night. "Beyond The Jangle" is The Bats, Jean Paul Sartre Experience and the StraightJacket Fits ("futts" to the NZ-ers out there) touring round Australia (now) and to where most indie list-ers are sometime after (soon). First on were the JPS Experience. I missed them as I thought I could rock up at 10:30 and see the first band - no problem. Wrong. JPS.. were on at 9:45, so I missed them. Luckily, I saw them play with the Inspiral Carpets the Friday before. They play the kind of music I like hearing live but always manage to lose my concentration to end up checking out the celing or the lights. What can I say? Dischordant wash of noise, very tense. Sorry, my descriptive powers - or memory - have clean flown out the window for now. The Bats were next. I read an interview with them the other night where they were accused of only having one song. They agreed. The interviewer did add that it was a good song, maybe as an afterthought. I'd rather say that their songs are very similar - you've just got to listen to them heaps of times before you notice the difference. Am I getting old? I pricked up my ears when they played "Block Of Wood" - right at the end of the encore. No "North By North" though. Straightjacket Fits, nice, very nice, very nice indeed. Only know a couple of songs, so all I can say is that I hope the US contingent see them on the BTJ tour. All this might seem a bit vague to most. It does to me too, but this writer did fall asleep during Bailter Space a couple of years ago (without earplugs). It's funny - I seem to have a vague attack every time I go see an NZ band. Any ideas? brian (PS - if you want to mail those ideas, I'll be out of Australia from July 9-Sept) ********************** From: "K. Lena Bennett" <keb@u.washington.edu> Subject: Beat Happening Discography Wanted I just got my first Beat Happening disc and man, what took me so long. I am filled with delight. If I could marry this record, I would! (Oops, someone already said that.) Anyway, can someone provide me with a good discography? [ What took you so long, indeed! The following lists albums and some EPs only; there are, of course, numerous 45s on various labels, and several compilation tracks... - "Beat Happening" tape EP (K, 1984) - "Three Tea Breakfast" tape EP (K, 1984) - _Beat Happening_ LP (K, 1985) (above three items are on 1983-85, K/Feel Good All Over, 1990) - "Crashing Through" EP (53rd & 3rd UK, 1988) - Jamboree (K/Rough Trade, 1988, reissued on K/Sub Pop 1992) - _Black Candy_ (K/Rough Trade, 1989, reissued on K/Sub Pop 1992) - Dreamy (K/Sub Pop, 1991) - _You Turn Me On_ (K/Sub Pop, 1992) Everything from 1983-85 on, except "Crashing Through" (which includes some alternate versions of stuff that ended up on Jamboree; I've never even heard it) is available on CD & tape. Everything from "Crashing Through" on is available on vinyl if you look hard enough. There is also a collaborative EP with the Screaming Trees on K/ Homestead. Yes, the Screaming Trees; they were a struggling non-mersh band once too; in fact, two Trees co-produced Jamboree. And, of course, there's the _Fortune Cookie Prize_ tribute compilation on Simple Machines, which is not so bad as far as tribute records go, which is usually not very far. - Mark ] P.S. Since I found out on Friday that I'm actually not getting laid off from my job as I had been told I was, and also I got a new credit card (9%!), I bought a shitload of used CD's this weekend including Polvo, Nothing Painted Blue, Tone Dogs, and Sebadoh, and another entry in my slowly increasing Robyn Hitchcock collection. I also bought _The Book of Jim_ by Jim Woodring from Fantagraphics Books and if you haven't discovered Jim yet you haven't truly experienced the beautiful horror of life on this planet. Lena keb@u.washington.edu Who is doing this from work, has been mistaken for Joshua Houk on alt.music.alternative, and who is bonking an undiscovered cartoonist ;) [ Maybe if she didn't steal metaphors from Houk she wouldn't be confused with him. :-) - Mark ] ********************** From: Sean <skmurphy@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> Subject: Indie 500, more rambling reviews. Wow. Stability is a good thing. And I'm proud to say that 50% of the Indie-List Junta Ltd. has not yet changed net addresses...and I think Iknow who's not gonna change until they get kicked off the net once and for all... :) [ Snipe, snipe, snipe. Just wait till you get out of school and find you can't kick the habit. Then you'll be bouncing around looking for the best deal too. :-) - Mark ] Anyway, it was a wacky, wild weekend at the Indie 500 in Vincentown, NJ, a truly bustling burg notable for sod farms and a high concentration of convenient stores. (Isn't alliteration fun? :) 2 days, a total of 27 bands or performers, and lots of sun (I'm sporting the ever-popular "cooked lobster" look right now). I'm not going to bother trying to describe everything, 'cause parts are just a blur, and I missed a few bands due to dinner breaks and such... The highlights for me were really more in the people there than in the musical performances - getting to see some old friends, hanging out with people I knew, and meeting mew people who were also really cool. Of course, meeting people had its low points as well - a few people were total assholes, but they were few and far between, thank goodness. As for the music, Saturday's highlights included the Ultracindys (Swirlie-ish stuff from Norfolk, VA), Apple-O (this time a duo, both from Rutgers - simple, funny songs), the Lily (Wally was flying solo when he arrived - "the bass player quit, and the drummer's going into rehab" were his remarks upon reaching Vincentown) doing a neat, almost acoustic version of "Claire Hates Me", and the Swirlies - after the show had nearly been shut down by Brandon's dad due to folks drinking and setting off fireworks, the Swirlies played the single best set I saw all weekend. Powerful, driving, intense, noisy, swirly. They only played for 20 minutes, but they were a great 20 minutes. Sunday: The Technical Jed really surprised me with their mix of southern and Brit rock stylings, Hassan Chop! put on a great set, New Brunswick's Grit rocked the house with their two person drum-and-guitar attack, and Versus kicked it with the return of Rob, the old drummer, after a nine-month break. Small Factory was great as usual, although they switched back into pop mode instead of rock mode. And Envelope gave me a good reason to go home at the end of the show. Damn, it was a good day until the fat-man took the stage...Gerard really needs an attitude adjustment, fast. Like I said, the better parts of the weekend were spent talking with people - the whole Rutgers crew was pretty cool, I hadn't seen the Small Factory folk in a while, and Mike Appelstein and I spent most of the time waiting for the all-star celebrity jam - Ritchie Blackmore, Jimmy Page, Bob Dylan, Robert Cray, Bill Bruford, and lots of other seventies stars... :) Oh yeah, Spent was cool, but sounded more like Superchunk than usual - this isn't necessarily bad, but I'd like to see them do something a little different. Picked up a few cool fanzines (Spleen #2 was particularly good, as was Keith D'Arcy's "Burning The Midnight Firefly" - a cool 40 page zine and a 70 minute cassette for $5!), a few records and tapes, and was pleased on the whole. What more couldI expect at this point? So, to follow up such a weekend of musical excess, I had to follow with a record buying trip...yielding such gems as the new Coctails CD for $4, a copy of the classic compilation "No New York" (finally, I have a copy of this - Teenage Jesus & The Jerks, Arto Lindsay's old band D.N.A., Mars, and the Contortions - a definite 5-star release if you ever wondered where Sonic Youth, the Swans, and Live Skull got their ideas from), Matt Johnson's "Burning Blue Soul" (1981 release on 4AD before he started calling it The The - cuts, burns, makes me shiver and think - where has the genius gone?), and the grand prize of the day: Run To The Roar by Tammy Faye. (P.T.L. Records, out of print) Our favorite televangelist's wife goes out on her own on this 1980 release, showing us why she was such an integral part of the P.T.L. empire. All killer cuts, especially the title track and "My Dependable Friend". And the cover art is the true key - the front is Tammy trying to kiss a lion, while the back shows off her fine dance steps back in the old, svelte days... :) No ratings necessary - if you see it, you'll know it and buy it. Oh yeah, I also found this amazign double single set called "Bostonot" - nine Pacific NW bands get together to deconstruct the first Boston album in its entirety...needs to be heard to be believed - almost as faithful a parody as Schlong's "Tumours" single, which covers the entire "Rumours" album by Fleetwood Mac, all the way down to the cover art... So, I have no money and feel tired and am headed on vacation next week...see ya. Sean skmurphy@phoenix.princeton.edu ********************** From: Steve Silverstein <ST201268@BROWNVM.brown.edu> Subject: More indie submission stuff... I was in an unusually self-indulgent mood at the moment for no apparent reason, and thought I'd mumble a bit about a few friends' bands for a bit at least. Vegetarian Meat, an odd keyboard-guitar duo with an assortment of drummers went in the studio with Kramer recently to record their first full-length CD. It will probably still be on No. 6, as was the orange "Squirrels in My Pumpkin" 7". I think unlike the 7", this one will feature a live drummer, not a drum machine. I haven't heard from Alex in a bit though, and know little more about this. The Maggotz recently got mentioned in a Northern New England scene report in MRR, so I thought I'd mention them too. Their style can only be described as ska-core gone weird. They mix a few destructo (severely) covers in with their short and wacky originals. Last I heard they were working on final details to press a 7". Brendan, their guitarist, can be reached via E-mail. And, while I was at it, I figured Jason would kill me (since he reads the list) if I didn't mention his band, Swoon. Not to mention the fact that they're worthy of mention. They'll soon be in the studio recording a few tracks with Rob Christiansen (Eggs, Grenadine). Reasonable reference points of comparison include the Pixies, Senator Flux, and Velocity Girl, though none is all that close. Don't know quite what else to add. Other news. I caught a few bands this weekend, all from Providence. Smear play a traditional early-'80s style hardcore, with films running behind them during shows. High energy and noisy, quite solid. Also with them was Uber Alles. Sort of Spin Doctors/Chili Peppers funk groove with more hardcore guitar sound over it and 2 strong vocalists. Opening was Providence College's Skipping Sequence, who also were pretty decent. Somewhat generic and a bit lacking in energy, but the songwriting was good. Uber Alles and Smear are 2 of the 22 (mostly good) Rhode Island bands included on the Monkey One Wrench comp cassette, which is worth checking out. Other acts on the tape include Spindle Shanks, Super Bug, and Euthanasia (now in SF). My final endorsement, which I don't recall anyone else mentioning since I started reading, is the Dambuilders' EP, Tough Guy Problem. Sorry if I'm late on this, but it captures them as well as the singles, and features 4 new songs, 2 of which are state songs, and one of those is "Idaho", my favorite state song. Strong stuff, worth a listen. I also caught a bit of the new Tsunami, which I liked immensely. Deep End. -Steve ********************** From: Matt_Kelly <MATTKELLY@antioc.antioch.edu> Subject: contribution for the next IL! (hopefully) I never think about things like sunburn until after I'm torched and can't sleep. I just got back from a KPFA-Radio-paid staff retreat. I'm paid staff even if I don't have a show yet. I work on the computer doing data entry and processing around the subscriber base for KPFA. Not only am I sunburned, but I'm burned out on thinking about and listening to people talk about how to squeeze more money out of our listening audience and how to have people sound more professional on the air and stuff. These aren't reasons I chose to work in community radio. This is the 6th radio station I've worked at (including one I helped start for my senior project at Antioch College) and the biggest. MAXIMUMROCKNROLL Radio used to be broadcast and produced at KPFA, but was booted after our new program manager took over and found some reason to get rid of them. MRR Radio was almost immediately picked up by KALX 90.7 fm truly one of the best stations in the world. (WFMU in New Jersey being the very best) But now there is no indie rock or punk programming at all on the 94.1 fm airwaves. But I'm planning to change that. <evil laughter> <fade to black> I saw a couple of shows this week, Bratmobile/Beekeeper and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. 6-25-93 The Bratmobile/Beekeeper show was at the doomed Chameleon Club in the Mission in SF. Doomed because it's so small and because the local law enforcement people have been harrassing it. The Club holds 100 people easily, but it's legal capacity is only 49 or so. During the Bratmobile/ Beekeeper show they management of the Chameleon announced that this might be the last show because they had been busted again by the fire marshall. I spoke to the same woman a few days later on the phone and she said all the scheduled shows would continue (through the end of the month) but after that they would be booking bands with less draw. (Boss Hogg is still playing with Star Pimp on July 16th according to my most recent information.) On to the show! Beekeeper played first, and they were quite good! At first I thought I'd be able to file them in with all the Amrep wannabe bands, but after only a few minutes I realized they were playing on a much different level than that. I got lost in the music. I wondered what was going on in their heads. I tried to figure out what it would be like to be playing in that band- right then! I can't put my finger on exactly what it is about Beekeeper that impresses me, but they sure had my brain going. Mission of Burma and Volcano Suns are the only bands that come to mind when I try to describe their sound. A local band called FORD were in the second slot, but they very very much sucked playing a 50 minute improvisational jam and then later laughing to their boyfriends (some frat guys hangin' in the back making fun of Bratmobile) that they annoyed everyone..hah hah.. I can't believe they are listed as the opening act for Sebadoh in August..ick Bratmobile were great. And it occured to me that its probaby much easier to keep rhythm when you only have guitar, drums and vocals. "It gives me a hard on to dis other girls" was the first thing out of Allison's mouth when they climbed onstage after Ford's torturous set. I recognized a couple songs from their LP "pottymouth" - including Cool Schmool and their cover of Cherry Bomb. Other cool covers included songs by Hank Sr and Blur's BANG. At one point in the show Bratmobile asked if any guys wanted to dance onstage shirtless, and a guy climbed up and gogo-ed for a while in his boxers with a cigarette limply hanging from his lip. It was pretty great. The same guy later was sorta crowd surfing and Allison said "throw him in the bathroom!" where he was promptly thrown. I'm not sure if it's Allison's hips or the killer drums that have me hooked, but I'm really starting to fall for this band. [ Another Blur cover? (there was one on _Teenbeat 100_ too.) Strangely enough, when moving into my new house, I found a Blur button stuck in my window. Blur, what a great band <sarcasm> - Mark ] 6-28-93 For some reason, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion were slated as the opening act for Sister Double Happiness. We showed up, paid 6 bucks and walked into the Kennel Club just as JSBE were playing their first song. The set was very tight consisting mostly of newer material from their Matador album. I'm always blown away by Jon Spencer, and this time was no exception. They even got the mostly SDH audience worked up. It was kind of amazing to see a bunch of local metalheads won over to a truly original band. The applause at the beginning of the set was kind of tenative, but by the end people were really into it. They (we) screamed for about 5 minutes trying to get the band to come out and do an encore. But it didn't happen. Man, I've seen so many bands come back and play a couple songs after far less applause than that.So we left. A great way to spend 50 minutes is to show up, see the band and then leave. My friend snagged an interview with Jon for Cool Beans! and he mentioned that Boss Hog will be coming to SF in afew weeks. I can't wait! 7-2-93 We stumbled into Gilman on Friday night rudely missing the first 4 bands. As our eyes adjusted to the dark 3 guys were on stage apparently setting up Bratmobile's equipment and getting ready to play some music. "We're Fratmobile" they announced then launched into an awful cover of Flipper's Sex Bomb. Bratmobile climbed onstage after that one song, made the instruments sound better by plugging them in properly (guitar) and then ran through almost every song on their album plus a few songs Ididn't know. They didn't seem to be having as much fun at Gilman as they did at the Chameleon but they played a fine set none-the-less. Afinal band came on after Bratmobile who called themselves The Clams. They could at least play the instruments (unlike Fratmobile) and cranked out a song about a roommate who never does their dishes. In my opinion the Clams should have done a full set. But I wasn't there to endure the first 4 bands so I probably shouldn't talk. I wasn't down front when the singer sprayed the audience with ketchup either. :) As far as SF gossip and stuff goes, HWCBN from the Dwarves is NOT DEAD, but he did quit the band. The local weeklies completely believed the lie and printed repeatedly that he had been stabbed in Philadelphia etc. What was amazing was that within a week they had a new guitar player and were playing a show. The new rumor is that they have been kicked off Subpop because of this stunt, but somehow I doubt this too. Been listening to: JSBE Bratmobile Thinking Fellers Moonshake Muffs Chumbawamba Vaselines Sentridoh Star Pimp Been reading: Girl Germs Superdope Speed Kills Crank Gearhead Rollerderby --*-*-*-*-*-- mattkelly@antioch.edu --*-*-*-*-*-- Cool Beans! BBS 510/THE-COOL Indie Lists/Mykel Board/Cult of 510/843-2665 Dead Cow/Music Nerdiness for all! Cool Beans! #1 interviews with Helmet, Sebadoh, Jesus Lizard, Aaron Cometbus, reviews etc SOLD OUT! THANKS! Cool Beans! #2 interviews with Jon Spencer, Swirlies, Seam, 13th Floor Elevators and more available in August. --*-*-*-*-*-- ********************** From: Mark Bunster <mbunster@hibbs.vcu.edu> Subject: Indie 500 Hi. Nothing too revealingly interesting has happened in Richmond lately that hasn't been noted by the principals (Mark and Cyndy Chan, for instance). I saw one of the fellas from Hegoat, though. They've recently moved here from Farmville (VA.) They're doing Twisters Tuesday and playing in Norfolk at Lewis' on Friday. They play loud and angry. Anyway, A review slanted and geared to discuss Richmond's involvement at this event. Perhaps Sean can give a better overall focus. Heat and humidity dominated, as everywhere else on the East Coast, the July 3rd-4th Indie 500 Music Festival in farmy Vincentown, NJ. When not wiping brows, an estimated 2-day crowd of 400 [this is my estimation--Mark B] roiled and boiled their way through 22 NJ-local and East Seaboard bands, including four (count 'em) outfits from Richmond, city of 2nd place trophies. Schwa and the Kneivals surfed their way through the haze on Saturday, while Hassan Chop! and the Technical Jed turned in spirited performances on Independence Afternoon. Hassan Chop! is playing out the string, finishing up out-of-town gigs before a cessation of activity by August 1st, but continuing to draw praise from wider and wider circles. The Jed have compressed their crackling brand of musclepop into an efficient machine that should motor their influence straight out of Richmond and onto the regional scene, so catch them around town while you can. Other groups at the fiesta included the Swirlies, Monsterland, Small Factory, Versus, Gerald Cosloy's Envelope, the Barnabys and Spent. Not all was well down on the farm--Jiffy Boy Records, organizers of the festival, faced (for them) unexpected hassles with alcohol on premises, as well as trespassing on neighboring property. To bring the ruffians in line, the Saturday night headlining Swirlies rushed through a 20-minute set and the Sunday lineup was sharply curtailed to fit within a sunset curfew. Promises of camping space turned out to be false, and the air was sometimes as tense as it was sticky, but overall the event was calm, and the man who came to suck the nastiness from the portapotty promised to bring three units for the price of one, should there be an Indie 501. -- Mark Bunster |Exchange conversation if you dare-- Survey Research Lab--VCU |Share an empty thought or a laugh. Richmond, VA 23220 | mbunster@hibbs.vcu.edu | (804) ELK-O-COP | -edFROM ********************** From: Liz <lclayton@uhuru.uchicago.edu> Subject: Toronto FROSTBACKERS!! (ahem. no offense, really, just wanted to get yr attention). I just tried mailing all the subs (all 3) on the Indie-List whose addresses have "toronto" in them, but they ALL bounced (I love that), so I'll ask all of you jerks if any of you can provide any info on what I wanted to know: I was thinking of taking a weekend in Toronto sometime this August. I need the following info: a) how to get in to see Kids in the Hall (do you have to be someone special to be in the studio audience, or can you just walk in off the street like an idiot, or what?) b) any cool shows happening in Toronto over the course of the next coupla months. thanks heartily, liz Oh, and I must add: The new Terminals CD, Touch, is completely and utterly brilliant, any Xpressway/FN fan should moisten their shorts heartily over this, it's really really amazing. Go get! ********************** THE INDIE-LIST DIGEST is published every Tuesday by Indie-List Publishing Junta And Barbecue Concepts, Unltd. (A Non-Entity.) Editor: Mark Cornick <markcrva@aol.com> Moderator: Joshua Houk <houk@cybernet.cse.fau.edu> Mail Manager: Liz Clayton <lclayton@uhuru.uchicago.edu> Archvist: Sean Murphy <skmurphy@phoenix.princeton.edu> Articles for next week's issue should be sent to Josh. Questions, comments, complaints, and bicycle tires should be sent to Mark at the address above, or by US mail to 609 S Laurel St, Richmond VA 23220. Write for phone number. see you next week! [Submitted by: Sean Keric Murphy (skmurphy@phoenix.princeton.edu) Sat, 17 Jul 1993 08:50:28 -0400]