And don't forget the Joker...
#############################
Indie List Digest!
May 8, 1995
Volume 4 Number 27
#############################
Introductory Blather
[insert name of band you want to read about here]
Loud Music Fest '95
Venus Cures All, Aminiature, Versus, Seam
ANNOUNCE: Band Of Susans dates
ANNOUNCE: TOUR DATES for Sebadoh
AD:Quick Brown Fox
AD: Indie Record Store By Mail
AD: Releases from Dental Records
As the occasional visitors to the coeditor homestead can attest, Anne
and I are print, vinyl and otherwise collectors. Not in any
collectorskum sort of way, I don't believe; we aren't usually
completist enough for that. But there's a lot of stuff that floats
around here.
I wanted to justify this addiction by bringing some of it to your
attention.
A new piece of vinyl came into our life the other day, and while it
may be notable to us for its interpersonal resonances, it's worth
discussion with others as well. It's the Smears' latest "product," a
mixed bag of a 10" (that format that would be hated by linear
tracking) of garage-girl hits. It's entitled appropriately enough
"The Smears in the Garage." On it the threesome drunkenly and often
entertainingly riffle through a pack of oldskool songs, from The
Hurtin' Kind to Wild thing to Billy Childish's (and a Smears' live
show staple) Cum into My Mouth. The packaging is nice, in that
Nuggets sort of way, and while you may want to play this repeatedly,
beware the thiner than average vinyl stock. (Dionysus Records, PO Box
1975, Burbank CA, 91507)
On a recent trip northward, we were blessed to get copies of a couple
of our favorite zines. The first is the inestimable Beer Frame. Most
of you have heard of the "Journal of Inconspicuous Consumption," so
this is just to tell you that the latest issue, No. 4, is on the
stands. This time Paul Lukas takes on Pretzels, M&Ms, the Nutrageous
Bar, and the finer elements of Garlic Pressing. Mundane topics, you
surmise? Not when Paul Lukas is doing the musing and baiting.
Recommended highly. ($2 (or more - zines need your support) from Paul
Lukas, Beer Frame, 160 St John's Place, Brooklyn NY, 11217).
The second is the latest - in the deliberate time scale - issue of Liz
Clayton's zine, Wind Up (Mumble Mumble -- this time it's Wind-Up
Industrial Burnoff). Liz reviews cities and music of various forms,
interviews Six Finger Satellite, Stinky Puffs, and (with help from
Franklin Bruno) Silkworm, among others. Perhaps one of the more
enticing sections is the sequence of 25 people's guided musings on
their parents. You can get WUIB from Liz for a mere $3, but it's
worth more... (Liz Clayton, 5201 S Cornell #27c, Chicago IL
60615-4202).
The above two zines should also be available from Ajax Mailorder, PO
Box 805293, Chicago IL 60680-4114 (or drop em an electronic line at
ajax@ripco.com)
Belatedly, I'd like to advocate the (apparently now defunct)
Peek-A-Boo, from Austin Texas. Mixed in with a fascination for
drinking and punk are some excellent reviews and interviews (with the
Inhalants, Cryin; Out Louds, Blast Off Country Style, and "Vanilla
Ice", and some wonderful manga-style comics art that - as the issue's
wind toward the end in #12, disrupts itself nicely. I don't know if
they're really still available, but drop a line to their last address,
305 W. 39th, #107, Austin TX 78751. Or try the email at boo-key,
travesty or willal (all @mail.utexas.edu). You won't regret it.
In other IL notes, Geoff Robins <geoffr@icebox.iceonline.com>
was kind enough to send along a URL for the Music West Web Site,
which is http://www.musicwest.com/. Music West is a Canadian
conference of sorts, and while it may be too late for many people
here to contemplate attending, the site is interesting, if for no
other reason than they're esploiting some elements of Netscape 1.1
nicely. (Purist Note: the conference is sponsored by BASF...)
-es
<---------------------------->
From: Sean Murphy <grumpy@access.digex.net>
[insert name of band you want to read about here]
3 part post: Administrivia, Live Show, Recorded Material. Yeah.
"Fuck Ken DeFayes."
ADMINISTRIVIA:
For those of you who will soon be losing net access for the summer
(due to graduation, heading home from school, job changes, etc.),
please take a moment to send me a note indicating that you would like
to be removed from the Indie-List for the summer. Please send that
note to:
grumpy@access.digex.net
with the subject "Unsubscribe" and a brief note indicating your e-mail
address (or your old one(s) - a lot of you veterans have switched
sites and forwarded mail, and we can't track the bounces).
You will have to re-subscribe in the fall - I'm no mastermind of
remembering who's coming and going. Same address for new
subscriptions. (I might be moving physically, but net-wise I'm not
moving for a while.)
LIVE SHOW:
Small Factory and Chisel, 9:30 Club, Washington DC 5/4/95
(See Saw, a newish band associated with Simple Machines, opened, but I
missed them because the 9:30 decided to make this an early show - I
actually was able to catch the last subway of the night and miss only
the encore of "What To Want.")
Arrived during Chisel's set - energetic, poppy, hard-edged, enjoyable.
Chris (the bass player) has all the rock god moves down - the Pogo,
the split-leg jump-kick, the Townshend jump-kick - and was styling in
his early '80s skinny black tie, with bangs falling down in his face...
His attire matched the bass playing - it was in the vein of the late
'70s-early '80s British sound (Peter Hook, Buzzcocks, et al.) while the
guitar and drums were moving in different directions. If some A&R
scout/professional "manager" got his hands on this band, they could
become bigger than Green Day (as hinted at in today's City Paper).
But instead we get to see them doing what they enjoy, not a job or
chore, not spokesmen for a non-existent scene/generation. And that
makes all the difference.
This was my first experience with the all-electric Small Factory.
First impression - I miss the energy of the acoustic bass strum. Set
was a little uneven - they broke out some real old school stuff
(Suggestions, Giant Merry Go Round, Friends), some stuff from the
first LP (Valentine, Junkie), some others that were great to hear for
the first time in a while (If You Break My Heart), and some material I
didn't really know from the most recent LP. "Junkie" was the
predictable set-closer, along with accompaniment from a member of the
crowd (not as in-key as Lara Cohen had been singing the same parts,
but entertaining nonetheless).
I probably can't review a Small Factory show objectively - each show
gets compared to the last time I saw them, and the time before that,
and the first time, and the 10 or so in between. This one was an
upper-middle performance on my completely subjective scale - I still
was forced to pogo on Merry-go-Round (even if Phoebe still hasn't
learned the right drumbeats to that song after 3+ years...) but I
wasn't excited to hear "Suggestions" and they didn't play "that sad
bitter angel song" ("What Angels Say").
This show made me feel very strange inside, but that was for strictly
personal reasons that had very little to do with the music. Overall,
just go see them - even for the 20th time or whatever - they're still
a ton of fun. (Random cool moment of the night - Alex breaking into
"Live Forever" by Oasis while Dave changed guitars... and
intentionally fucking with the lyrics.)
RECORDED MATERIAL PURCHASED:
The Flaming Lips, _Hear It Is_ (Restless, 1986)
Debut LP from the Lips, something I thought I'd never run across
(especially not on CD, and very especially not in monster DC music
chain store Kemp Mill...). I've always wanted a copy of this record
simply for the song "Jesus Shootin' Heroin" - the title alone is worth
it, before you enter the psychedelic swirl and crash of the song,
along with suitably cryptic lyrics. The remainder of the LP was a
little more straightforward than I anticipated - more chugging-garage
than psych. Still wonderful, just not the full-on psych experience I
expected from hearing my friends make tapes with "One
Million-Billionth..." and the "Unconsciously Screamin'" EP and "Jesus
Shootin' Heroin." *1/2
CONSPIRACY THEORY NOTE: In perusing a few stores last thursday, I came
across almost all of the Lips' back catalog - has Restless re-pressed
it, or finally moved it from a warehouse due to the fabulous media
coverage? "I'm not usually into alternative stuff, but these guys
ROCK!" - S. Sanders
Silkworm, _In The West_ (C/Z, 1993)
I'm not gonna say much here, because other mailing lists have done the
job of spreading the Silkworm gospel. This LP still has elements of
what has become the Pavement sound ("Into The Woods" makes me jump
around like a very silly boy), but is heading into the structured
musical experiences of Libertine. When I expected to be blown away
by it last year, I was left flat. Going back now and not knowing what
to expect, I was impressed (and pissed that I was forced to leave
their show last year due to a friend's medical emergency).
Intelligent, well-crafted rock music. That probably sounds like a
slag - it's not, because such records are far too rare. Repeated
listens only deepen my appreciation of this record. *3/4
Thelonious Monk, _Monk's Dream_ (Columbia, 1963)
I never know the song titles when I hear this record, but I recognize
all of it, some from radio promos and commercials which didn't deserve
such wonderful music, some from just hearing it frequently. Monk's
first LP for Columbia, with his classic quartet of Charlie Rouse on
tenor sax, John Ore on bass, and Frankie Dunlop on drums. Another
piece of the jazz puzzle that everyone should have in his or her music
collection - Monk's piano style and ear have forced the hand of many
who followed, but none have figured out how to reach the master's
level. ***
Hawkwind, _Doremi Fasol Latido_ (One Way reissue, orig. United
Artists, 1971)
First time I pulled out this record was in the middle of a 3-hour
sonic experiment live on the radio (there were 3 of us alternating in
the studio, with both the turntables and both the cd players going the
whole time). I wasn't sure about the band, but I'd heard of them, and
just dropped the needle in, and almost forgot to continue the aural
mayhem because I got too wrapped up in the music.
SHORT ANALYSIS: Trippy biker rock. "What Lemmy was doing before he
started Motorhead." You probably already know if you're gonna like it
or not.
Rambling version: There wouldn't be a Monster Magnet without Hawkwind
- while listening to the first 5 Sabbath LPs will get you to MM
eventually, Hawkwind is the shortcut. I miss the liner notes, which
tell the story of a planet being invaded, and how the glorious members
of Hawkwind would save the day... I think this was the studio LP
which spawned the "Space Ritual" tour (captured on a brilliant double
LP/CD), but I'm not positive. Analog synths burble, spaced-out
mock-anthemic lyrics are usually forgettable, but it's the insistence
of the bass and guitars that bring listeners to the promised land.
I'd love to say that there are lots of current bands who have picked
up little influences, but those bands are few and far between, and
often cover their interest in Hawkwind with other things (Monster
Magnet and the Vocokesh-F/i axis excepted). *3/4
Side note - I remember word of a Hawkwind tribute LP in the works from
some time ago, a number of central Jersey/eastern PA folks were
involved... but now I have no idea if it ever happened (or is still
happening). Although I'm not a big fan of tribute projects, this one
had some very good/appropriate bands involved.
OK. Enough mumble. Finley Breeze #4 finished by the time you read
this. If you haven't received a copy before, and you'd like to see
the Indie-List's electronic evil twin (theory! philosophy! related to
music! this time focusing on "soul!"), drop me a line. Thanks.
Grumpy Sean
grumpy@access.digex.net
<---------------------------->
From: Aaron Walker <abwalker@complit.umass.edu>
Loud Music Fest '95
Hey, all, brief live reviews to follow; advance deletions recommended
(though i promise to try to be more pithy than glib).
Nite 1: Blonde Redhead, Helium, Madder Rose, Green Magnet School
Blonde Redhead's take on '70s stoner rock is just as dopey as Smashing
Pumpkins', if slightly less irritating. Helium are one of the best
bands on the planet right now (my roommate said she thought the lyrics
on _Dirt of Luck_ were even hokier than Sebadoh's, which I take to
mean she missed the point) and they're getting better live (though
it's hard to watch them w/o thinking of Beavis & Butthead's comments
about taking a nap and rocking out later). Why Madder Rose aren't
huge pop stars yet i don't know (I've spent enough cash on them to say
I've done my part). They don't act much like pop stars on stage, more
like a cute bar band. Green Magnet School are down to one guitarist
and up to two drummers and (so I was told) two bassists, though only
one of the latter showed up. They're still the best band out of
Framingham. Influences have passed from Gary Numan & Devo to Adam Ant
and Gary Glitter - I can't decide if that's progress. Bands I missed:
Everclear (who's home at 7pm, much less checking out the rock
action?); Polara (feat. Ed Ackerson of 27 Various); New Radiant Storm
King; Flying Nuns; Papas Fritas; Shams; Suddenly, Tammy!; Dirty Three.
Nite 2: Sugar Plant, Wolverton Brothers, Scarce, Tackle Box, Scrawl,
Edsel.
Sugar Plant are supposed to sound like Galaxie 500 on record; the few
live minutes I heard were much more ragged. Sounded good. Wolverton
Bros. were far and away the best band I saw all weekend: mostly
instrumental country feedback melodies w/generous guitar interplay and
an excellent lefty drummer. Don't remember their albums being that
interesting, but perhaps I wasn't listening too closely. Scarce are a
power pop trio from Providence (whose bassist is the sister of one of
the boys in Edsel). Energetic, and nice boy/girl vocals, but I'm not
sure I'd concur with Marcy Mays in calling them the "future of rock."
Tackle Box have a couple former Dumptruckers and produce a serviceable
guitar rock. Scrawl didn't play "Slut" (I suppose it is getting old)
but other than that put on their usual perfect show. Sue's microphone
wasn't nearly loud enough. Edsel had about 20 minutes of charm for me
("interesting" pop, but too bouncy and too many vocals). Bands
missed: Zeke Fiddler; Fuzzy; Dambuilders; Veronica Cartwrights; Slot
(damn! I coulda gone, too); Sons of the Corporate Dog (feat. Charlie
Nakajima of Gobblehoof).
Nite (and afternoon) 3: Small 23, Ruby Falls, Saturnine 60, The Brood,
Chrome Cranks, (James Chance and the) Contortions, Roger Miller,
Versus, Small Factory.
Apparently Superchunk, Archers of Loaf, et al., were unavailable, so
they sent Small 23 in their stead. The kids dug it. Unfortunately
watching them meant missing Ruby Falls, so I stayed too long. Ruby
Falls put on a great show (and had a decent selection of records and
fanzines done by women). Like the Wolverton Bros., only w/o the
country/midwestern sensibility. Saturnine 60 sound more like Galaxie
500 than G500 themselves, except the singer has a tendency to resemble
Mark Edwards. I swear they played "Almost Impossible" for 12 minutes,
and maybe four other songs in the additional 20 minutes I was there.
I didn't get bored, though I must admit to sneaking peeks at the
UCLA-Ok. State game. The Brood aren't nearly as tough in real life,
but they certainly know what they're doing (don't see that the
audience for garage rock's getting any larger these days, though). My
roommate said she thought Chrome Cranks were trying to be Jon Spencer,
to which I replied that he'd never wear pants that tight.
Post-Heartbreakers boozin' music, prolly plays better in New York.
James Chance looks pretty well preserved (though the double-breasted
sportcoat and the ascot didn't make him look any thinner) and he took
the band through a straightforward r & b set...still vastly cooler than
the Beastie Boys, a distinction lost on their sartorially challenged
fans. Roger Miller's playing solo these days, though his set-up looks
similar to the one Helios Creed used to tote around. He keeps doing
something different, and every time it's pretty good. (Plus, aren't
Noise Gates the coolest?) Versus sucked (just checking to see if
anybody's still readin'). No, of course they were fantastic, and they
played "River" (my greed knows no bounds, of course, and I was still
hoping for "Astronaut"). Small Factory are real friendly folks, on
stage too, but aside from their ability to cover Storm King
unrecognizably I don't know why anyone's too excited about them. A
couple songs on the car tape ought to suffice for yr needs. Bands
missed: Faeriekin (feat. Seana Carmody); Tizzy; Shiva Speedway
(sorry, Pam, but the band looked good); Cheater Slicks; Come; Scud
Mountain Boys; Spent (bought a 7", though, and liked it); Hardvark;
Syrup (feat. Seana Carmody).
Not bad, if a little expensive: $37 if you bought tix at the door; $30
if you bought a 3 day pass in advance ($12 plus drinking money if you
managed to scam yr way in two nights). Sugar Plant are on tour in the
Northeast this week; Scrawl and the Wolvertons are together on tour, I
think; catch the Contortions (and not just 'cause they're legends) if
they come yr way.
Aaron "If you want to get a reputation as a swinger,
[abwalker@complit.umass.edu] you hire five sexy chicks and let them fight
over you on stage and for the cameras.
That's publicity, man. But you don't swing
where you sleep." - Sammy Davis, Jr.
<---------------------------->
From: Michael Ligon <ai227@freenet.toronto.on.ca>
Venus Cures All, Aminiature, Versus, Seam live in concert
This was an eagerly anticipated show for me being my first indie
concert and for the most part it did not disappoint except for the
vocals which were virtually drowned out with every band. (If I wanted
to go hear an instrumental band, I'd have waited for Shadowy Men On a
Shadowy Planet to come to town.) BTW, this concert is part of a tour
called Ear of the Dragon which is showcasing American and Canadian
indie bands which feature Asian persons.
First up, Venus Cures All. Hometown heroes, well at least to the
indie community. I just came from work and so I just caught them at
the end of their set. They reminded me of a riot grrl band (with a
male drummer, however) because their guitars were just so loud and the
vocals were just drowned out and incomprehensible. They may have been
better had they turned down their amps just a notch. I did however
get their new double 7-inch at the club (BTW which was the El Mocambo)
which displays their melodic base.
The next band to take the stage was Aminiature. They looked like they
were still in high school(are they?). Their music seemed like a blend
of the Pixies with a touch of rockabilly thrown in. They played fast
and ferocious and at times they almost reminded me of Helmet (hey, I'm
not kidding). I enjoyed them but the vocals were just not audible.
And they made no real attempt for between-song chat (did they even
mention who they were?) Next.
Versus came on next. I know they are suppose to be indie rock heroes
but honestly I had never heard them until then, and to be honest they
lived up to the hype. They were the first band of the night whose
vocals were at least partially audible. The vocals were pretty and
there was some true emotion in the music, especially during that one
slow number they did whose title escapes me. I'll definitely try to
catch them next time they swing through town. The best band of the
night in my opinion.
And around 12:30 the headliners Seam took the stage. They were the
most conventional rock band of the evening, not that that took
anything away from the emotion of the music. During one song they
sounded like U2, but later songs showed their melodic variety. They
put on an enjoyable performance and with just 3 hours of sleep
according to Sooyoung the lead singer! Amazing!
All in all, it was an amazing show and at the very least it proved
that Asians (me being Filipino) can rock with the best of them.
<---------------------------->
From: "Robert M. Poss" <rmposs@pipeline.com>
ANNOUNCE: Band Of Susans dates
BAND OF SUSANS - 1995 European Tiny-Tour
Wednesday May 10 Dresden, Germany @ Starclub
Thursday May 11 Prague, Czech Republic @ Bunkr
Saturday May 13 Potsdam, Germany @ Waschhaus
Sunday May 14 Madgeburg, Germany @ Fabrik
Tuesday May 16 Berlin, Germany @ Huxleys
Wednesday May 17 Stockholm, Sweden @ Studio
Thursday May 18 Malmo, Sweden @ KB
Friday May 19 Copenhagen, Denmark @ Loppen
Sunday May 21 Hamburg, Germany @ Markthalle
<---------------------------->
From: Kathleen Billus <kathleeb@aw.com>
ANNOUNCE: TOUR DATES for Sebadoh
Sebadoh's tentative UK and Europe dates:
5/16 Nijmegen, Netherlands (Doornroosje)
5/17 Amsterdam, Netherlands (Paradiso: w/ Fugazi)
5/18 Bielefeld, Germany (Kamp)
5/19 Berlin, Germany (SO36)
5/20 Hamburg, Germany (Logo)
5/21 off
5/22 Koln, Germany (Luxor)
5/23 Munich, Germany (Strom)
5/24 Vienna, Austria (Arena)
5/25 off
5/26 Milan, Italy (TBC)
5/27 Fribourg, Switzerland (Frison)
5/28 Montpellier, France (Rockstore)
5/29 off
5/30 Madrid, Spain (Revolver)
5/31 Barcelona, Spain (Zeleste 11)
6/1 Toulouse, France (Bikini)
6/2 Bordeaux, France (Theatre Barbey)
6/3 Nantes, France
6/4 off
6/5 Paris, France (Arapaho)
6/6 Bristol, England (Fleece and Pirkin)
6/7 Brigton, England (TBC)
6/8 London, England (Empire: w/ Stereolab & Flying Saucer Attack)
6/9 Nottingham, England (Clinton Rooms)
6/10 Sheffield, England (Leadmill)
6/11 off
6/12 Glasgow, Scotland (Garage)
Smog will be supporting most dates in Europe.
Kathleen Billus
kathleeb@aw.com
<---------------------------->
From: Diane_Bolton@brown.edu (Diane Bolton)
AD:Quick Brown Fox
FUN! FUN! FUN! "The Quick Brown Fox..." compilation cassette, featuring:
* The Delta '72 (7" out soon on Dischord/Kill Rock Stars) *
Caterpillar * Stokastikats (ex-bastro, now tortoise/sea and cake) *
Katherine Pugwash (member of stereolab) * Las Mordidas * Diskothi-Q *
Simon Joyner * Twerdocleb (members of superconductor)* Baby Tooth *
AND MORE!
15 BANDS on a 43 min. High Quality Chrome Cassete. This tape is $5 post
paid (if outside the US please add $2). Send cash, check, money order to:
Ian Youngstrom
170 Hillside Ave
Metuchen, NJ 08840
-When ordering, please tell me where you heard about the tape.-
<---------------------------->
From: otrmail@aol.com
AD: Indie Record Store By Mail
Hello we are an independent store who specializes in independent
releases. if anyone would like our catalog you can e-mail us at
OTRMAIL@aol.com. One of they guys here has a small label (Third Gear
Records) and has just put out a pavement single which is not on the
new album.. Any way please write or e-mail with any indie wants. Off
The Record 322 S. Main Royal Oak Mi 48067.
<---------------------------->
From: Rick Sanford <dental!rsanford@nobugs.bmt.gun.com>
AD: Releases from Dental Records
Dental Records (tm), located in NYC, announces 2 new releases.
THE MOST SORDID PIES. A 7" 45, the record features two songs, FLOTSAM
ON THE WATER and WEDDING DAY. Recently named the best unsigned band
in NYC by POP SMEAR magazine, THE MOST SORDID PIES are even better now
that they're on Dental Records. Better because now you can hear them
without coming to NYC! The single is $3.00 + $1.00 S/H. The two songs
on the single were produced by Kramer along with a third song, GET OUT
OF HERE, which will be available as a video.
KEVIN HAYES. Four songs plus a "bonus", this represents Kevin's first
ever CD of his pop songs, ARROWS THRU THE HEART. These songs carry on
in the tradition of fighting the good fight for mankind and promise to
furnish your din with a glorious noise. ARROWS THRU THE HEART is
$8.00 + $1.50 S/H.
Dental Records is a NYC based indie label. Our records are available
by mail order:
Dental Records
PO Box 20058 DHCC
NEW YORK NY 10017
dental@eWorld.com
<------------------------------------------------------------>
Mext Issue Deadline: 13 May 95
Next Issue will include:
Thrush Hermit
another view of the Asian-American Indie-Rock tour
your scene?
<------------------------------------------------------------>
The Indie-List Digest is published weekly (Mondays) or more often by
the Indie-List Infotainment Junta, Unltd.
What Who Where
Editors Eric Sinclair esinclai@indiana.edu
Anne Zender azender@indiana.edu
Mailings Sean Murphy grumpy@access.digex.net
Archives Chris Karlof karlofc@seq.cms.uncwil.edu
FTP ftp://ftp.uwp.edu/pub/music/lists/indie
FAQ http://www-sc.ucssc.indiana.edu/~esinclai/indie-list-faq.html
Consultants: Mark Cornick, Joshua Houk, Sean Murphy, Liz Clayton and
K. Lena Bennett.
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 <indie_submit@indiana.edu>.
<-------------------------------------->