Following the sudden demise of Rodan, guitarist Jeff Mueller kept Louisville's math rock flame burning with his new band, June of 44. Following in the footsteps of Mueller's earlier band, as well as scene progenitors Slint, June of 44 crafted loud, dissonant, complex guitar rock as intellectual as it was forceful. However, they weren't merely replicating what had come before them; June of 44's compositions usually followed more conventional structures, and their arrangements evolved into a more diverse proposition, augmenting the heavy guitars with electronics, sampled loops, and chamber jazz flourishes courtesy of strings, trumpet, and vibes. As such, their progression mirrored developments in some of the other branches of the post-rock movement. After several albums for Touch & Go affiliate Quarterstick during the latter half of the '90s, the band split up to concentrate on other projects.
June of 44 came together in late 1994, not long after the unexpected breakup of the seminal math rock outfit Rodan. Jeff Mueller, one half of Rodan's dual-guitar attack, teamed up with Lungfish's Sean Meadows (who switched from bass to guitar), bassist/trumpeter Fred Erskine (a veteran of Dischord bands Hoover and the Crownhate Ruin), and drummer Doug Scharin, who'd played in the groundbreaking slowcore bands Codeine and Rex. The band's name was inspired by a variety of factors, chiefly the date of correspondence between erotic fiction writers Henry Miller and Anais Nin; the month also coincided with the birth of Mueller's mother and the military service of Meadows' grandfather. With the members living in different cities, they first convened for a recording session in New York; the results were released in the summer of 1995 by Rodan's former label, Quarterstick, as the group's debut album, Engine Takes to the Water. Given the short gestation period, the music strongly recalled the angular riffs, extreme dynamic range, and shifting meters of Rodan.
With their second album, 1996's Tropics and Meridians, June of 44 established themselves as a top-notch experimental indie band, offering a more fully realized take on the sound of their debut. In the meantime, Scharin kicked off the solo side project HiM, pursuing dubby, experimental post-rock and recording at a prolific pace, often with assistance from Erskine. Meadows also started a side project called the Sonora Pine with Tara Jane O'Neil, one of Mueller's ex-bandmates in Rodan; they released two albums over 1996-1997. Erskine, meanwhile, moonlighted with the bluesy, D.C.-based the Boom. The members' outside exploits -- which were generally of a subtler nature -- soon began to make themselves felt in June of 44's music, starting with 1997's transitional Anatomy of Sharks EP.
1998's full-length Four Great Points signaled the band's even more experimental new direction, making greater use of Scharin's interest in electronic music and Erskine's trumpet-playing skills. That year, Scharin also debuted another avant-garde side project, the eclectic Out in Worship (aka Out of Worship). The fourth June of 44 album, 1999's Anahata, expanded on the model of its immediate predecessor, deepening the jazz influence and sampling techniques; there were also substantial contributions from violin/viola player Julie Liu. Anahata was followed later that year by an EP, In the Fishtank; it was part of a series from the Dutch label Konkurrent, which offered limited free studio time to intriguing bands on tour in Europe. It proved to be the final June of 44 release, as the band broke up in 2000. Meadows quickly embarked on two projects, the Letter E and the solo Everlasting the Way, while Erskine played trumpet in Abilene, in addition to several other sideman gigs. Scharin continued with HiM, also playing with Loftus and Mice Parade, among others. Mueller, for his part, subsequently reunited with Rodan guitar mate Jason Noble in the Shipping News.
Engine Takes to the Water (1994)
Tropics And Meridians (1996)
Four Great Points (1998)
In The Fishtank 6 (1999)
Anahata (1999)
The Lion (2000)
Ярлыки:
math rock,
post-hardcore,
post-rock
Reston, Virginia is one of the earliest planned communities in the United States. It's located about twenty miles south of Washington and the kids that lived there would regularly come into DC for gigs. However, the bands that formed out there did not get much notice in town, and this situation created a bit of a satellite scene. By the early 1990s Branch Manager had already made a name for themselves within this scene and were beginning to create an impact in DC as well. Those who saw them swore by them, and a cult-following developed. After releasing two singles on local labels (one on VHF Records, and the other on Level Records) Branch Manager eventually caught the attention of the folks at Dischord and released two albums on the label in 1995 and 1997. During these years Branch Manager toured extensively, including a number of dates with Fugazi, and it was after a particularly grueling trip in 1997 that the band cracked up and disappeared from sight.
Branch Manager (1995)
Anything Tribal (1997)
Ярлыки:
dischord,
post-hardcore
High school friends Geoff Sanoff and Nick Pellicciotto met Sohrab Habibion in the Hung Jury Pub during a Lemonheads and Government Issue show in the spring of 1987. In the parking lot of a high school talent show that fall, the three first came across Steve Ward, whose band performed a particularly impressive rendition of "White Rabbit." They all agreed that Happy Go Licky was the best band in Washington D.C., and thus their musical alliance was sealed. After helping Nick's hardcore band, At Wits End, play their final shows, Sohrab joined Nick in forming a new group. Having been inspired by the DC hardcore scene and the classic British post-punk of Wire and Gang of Four, they asked Steve Ward to play bass guitar with them.In 1989 Edsel started DeSoto Records to release their first 7" ("My Manacles"/"Wooden Floors"). The label was borrowed by their friends in Jawbox, whose members continue to run it quite successfully today. After a few more singles, including a contribution to the first Simple Machines release, Edsel went into the studio to work on their first album. The band recorded 10 songs during July 1990 at Inner Ear Studios and April 1991 at Oz Studios. This material would make up Strange Loop, released on Merkin Records in 1992. Over the course of the recording process Eli Janney (Girls Against Boys), who was engineering and mixing the sessions, joined the band to handle sampler duties. He subsequently left early in 1992 to pursue Girls Against Boys full-time.Steve Raskin, a high school friend of Eli's who had previously helped the band with artwork, was added to the band, giving Edsel a second guitar player and backing singer. Soon after that Steve Ward decided to leave, making room for bassist Geoff Sanoff, who had just graduated from college. In September of 1992 and throughout the spring and summer of 1993, the group recorded The Everlasting Belt Co. in Arlington, Virginia at Inner Ear with Don Zientara and WGNS Studios with Geoff Turner. This experimental and very ambitious project was their first of two albums for Grass Records, a subsidiary of Dutch East India and sister label to the highly-regarded Homestead Records. With several releases in their catalog, Edsel began touring regularly, sharing the stage with bands like Shudder To Think, Engine Kid, Scrawl and Eggs. They also released a split 7" with Jawbox the same year ("Savory"/"Penaluna").In 1994, the multitalented Nick Pellicciotto stepped out to pursue other creative projects. His spot was filled by their friend John Dugan, who was temporarily on leave from Chisel. This lineup traveled all over the country in 1994, playing with indie rock staples Velocity Girl, Pitchblende, Polvo, Rodan, and Brainiac. After extensive touring, Edsel returned to the studio in August -- this time at a cabin owned by Sohrab's parents in Shenandoah National Park. Dubbed "Humidity Lounge," the cabin was uncomfortably hot and muggy, but the week spent there with engineer Steve Palmieri proved to be intensely creative. They finished up their work at Steve's Baltimore studio, Oz, and the resulting album, Detroit Folly, was their last release for Grass.When John Dugan returned to his fulltime drumming duties for Chisel, he was replaced by Bostonian Steven Albert, who had briefly played drums with Steve Raskin's sisters' band, Scarce. After touring the US with their new drummer, the group returned to DC and spent April of 1995 feverishly writing new material. Full of excitement and curiosity, the band flew to England to work with producer Anjali Dutt (My Bloody Valentine, Oasis) and engineer Andy Wilkinson (Stereolab, Spiritualized) in Liverpool to begin the Techniques Of Speed Hypnosis sessions at Parr Street Studios. After finishing the record Edsel played their only European show at the Bull & Gate in London.In September of 1995, Relativity Records released the album to great success on college radio. Unfortunately, due to corporate reorganization, Relativity Records was dissolved on January 1st, 1996 and Sony, the company that owned and absorbed Relativity, chose to drop the band from their hip hop and commercial pop dominated roster. Edsel, like many other indie bands in the mid-90s who signed with major labels, suddenly found themselves without a home.Though disappointed and slightly fractured, the band decided to carry on, recording a pair of songs with the help of studio wizard Geoff Turner at his new WGNS Studios location. These tracks became the Perched Like A Parasite 7" picture disc for Chicago's Thick Records. Later that year Edsel took those tapes to the Place Studios in New York to continue working. With engineer/producer Andy Wilkinson and engineer Gary Maurer they remixed the 2 tracks from the single and added two others, including a multilingual atmospheric duet with Ivy's Dominique Durand. This became the Extended Play EP on Radiopaque/Dischord Records, released in 1997. As the band members' lives began to move in separate directions this would prove to be Edsel's last official release.Edsel played their final show for a friend's going away party at the famous New York City indie rock club Brownies on Valentine's Day in 2000. The following summer the band flirted with the idea of recording and releasing some new material, but it proved to be too difficult to get everyone together in the studio. And though the members of Edsel are all currently busy with their careers and various music projects, they still remain in contact with one another.Strange Loop (1991)Everlasting Belt Co.(1993)Split with Jawbox (1993)Detroit Folly (1994)Techniques Of Speed Hypnosis (1995)Extended Play (1997)
Ярлыки:
indie rock,
post-hardcore
Too early to be post-hardcore but too uncommon for any simple classification, this Southern California quartet doesn't try to create a blizzard of noise — they go at it more artfully, but with equally ear-wrenching results. On Paganicons, singer Joaquin Milhouse Brewer tunelessly barks lyrics (as in "We Don't Need Freedom" and "A Human Certainty") that aren't bad in a pretentious mock-intellectual vein; the music is loudly abrasive, but with spaces and dynamics largely uncommon to the genre.
From Brewer's back cover credit of "vocals and sermons" to his complex, provocative lyrics (despite numerous misspellings on the lyric sheet), Saccharine Trust — guitarist Joe Baiza plus a new rhythm section — takes an abrupt religious turn on Surviving You, Always. "Yhwh on Acid," "Lot's Seed," "Remnants" and "Our Discovery" all contain biblical imagery and religious references, but in a context that obscures and reorients the themes well beyond easy recognition and comprehension. Musically, Sac Trust uses the punk idiom like avant-jazz, liberating the vocals to function semi-independently as blurt poetry, while the band goes through tight formation riffs that are carefully structured but not really within traditional song form. Sophisticated, and engrossing once you get past the daunting attack. (The first two albums were later joined as The Sacramental Element cassette.)
Proceeding further into the experimental realms generally reserved for the "new music" folks, Saccharine Trust attempted something really unusual with Worldbroken. The LP was not only recorded live, it was improvised on the spot! Joined by ex-Minutemen bassist Mike Watt, Brewer and two surviving sidemen rise to the challenge, producing a loose but controlled-sounding jam record (no punks here) that reveals its total extemporaneousness only in the rambling narrative of Brewer's lyrics.
On the jazzy We Became Snakes, a five-piece lineup (with sax and a new bassist) returns to the old-fashioned way: write 'em, rehearse 'em and then record 'em. Watt produced the record, which again reflects Brewer's religious fixation. The sonic formula includes syncopated rhythm vamps, lots of riffy solos on sax and guitar and dramatic vocal recitations. Imaginative and far-reaching, if not exactly enjoyable or accessible.
Over the course of 75 gripping minutes (gleaned from a vault stocked with seven years' worth of live tapes made by machines of wildly differing audio quality), Past Lives paints a slightly more complete (if less stark) picture of Saccharine Trust's awesome live capabilities as both inward-looking improvisers and kick-out-the-jams shamen. Quick cuts between the two facets that also crisscross chronological "order" create some jarring juxtapositions, but that's probably the idea. Only one song is repeated from Worldbroken; the seven tracks that are otherwise unavailable include one rare glimpse of the band, (spiritual) lampshades on heads, ripping through Black Flag's "Six Pack."
Freed from freedom's shackles, Brewer created a brooding, cohesive solo album of surprisingly concise, typically dark guitar rock. Though he's still as obsessive/compulsive as anyone tilling rock-poetry's increasingly infertile soil, Brewer seems to have toned down his more hysterical Elmer Gantry approach — even when petitioning the Lord. You'll only wince once (upon hearing the cover of the Doors' "Peace Frog," a reprise from Past Lives) over the course of the many listens you'll need — and want —
to breathe in this essence rare. [Ira Robbins/David Sprague]
Ярлыки:
post-hardcore,
post-punk
Brainiac began in 1992 as the basement experiments of Dayton, OH natives Tim Taylor (vocals, synth), and Juan Monasterio (bass), who first met playing cello in fifth grade. Upon completing the lineup with Michelle Bodine (guitar) and Tyler Trent (drums), they released two full-lengths and toured vigorously, establishing themselves as the latest peg in Ohio’s diverse musical timeline. In 1994, Michelle left the band and was replaced by John Schmersal. After recording a 7” with Steve Albini for Sup Pop, the band recorded a handful of songs with Kim Deal (of The Pixies), which became their Touch and Go debut single Internationale.
1996 saw the release of their Touch and Go full-length debut, Hissing Prigs in Static Couture. Like their two previous full-lengths, this was also produced by Eli Janney, and saw the band use less Moog and more random electronic gadgets and noisemakers. Jim O’Rourke produced 1997’s Electroshock for President EP, in which Brainiac continued their transition into a more electronic rock band. They began to receive serious interest from major labels. On May 23 1997, however, only weeks after the EP’s release and the band’s return from a European tour supporting Beck, Tim lost his life in a car accident in his hometown of Dayton, Ohio. He was 28. Guitarist John Schmersal went on to form Enon.
Superduperseven 7 (1992)
Smack Bunny Baby (1993)
Bonsai Superstar (1994)
Internationale (1995)
Hissing Prigs in Static Couture (1996)
Electro Shock for President (1997)
Ярлыки:
noise rock,
post-hardcore,
synthpunk
Das Damen were one of the more metallic acts in the legendary SST stable, melding '60s psychedelia and heavy acid rock with the noisy, punk-derived alternative rock typical of the label. Instead of delving into screaming white noise, along the lines of labelmates Dinosaur Jr., Das Damen preferred warm, trippy, high-volume distortion. Their early material was given over to improvisational jamming, but as they developed their songwriting, they threw in more complex rhythms and time signature shifts. Taking their name from the German term for "ladies," Das Damen were formed in New York in 1984 by vocalist/guitarist Jim Walters, guitarist Alex Totino, bassist Phil Leopold Von Trapp, and drummer Lyle Hyser. The group released its six-song, self-titled debut EP in 1986 on Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace label; it was quickly picked up by SST, which was also Sonic Youth's label at the time.Das Damen's first full-length for SST was 1987's Jupiter Eye, a highly improvisational record that nodded to the spaced-out acid jams of the late '60s and early '70s. The follow-up, 1988's Triskaidekaphobe, was a more structured and melodic hard rock album, but its follow-up, the Marshmellow Conspiracy EP, achieved far more notoriety. One of the four tracks, "Song for Michael Jackson to $ell," was actually a straight-up cover of the Beatles' "Magical Mystery Tour," credited to the members of Das Damen to protest having to pay Jackson royalties (Jackson had just outbid Paul McCartney for the rights to the Beatles' entire catalog). Jackson's lawyers got wind of the stunt and ordered all copies of the EP (pressed on pink vinyl) removed from distributors' warehouses and destroyed. SST later reissued the EP in a three-song form, but the controversy helped spell the end of Das Damen's career with SST.The band moved on to the Minneapolis-based Twin/Tone label and released Mousetrap in 1989. Although it boasted more polished production, it failed to make any inroads at college radio. Das Damen recorded one further album, the 1990 live set Entertaining Friends, which was performed at CBGB's and released on the German label City Slang. In 1991, they moved to Sub Pop for a one-off single, "High Anxiety," but subsequently disbanded.
Jupiter Eye (1987)
Triskaidekaphobe (1988)
Marshmellow Conspiracy (1988)
Mousetrap (1989)
High Anxiety (1991)
Ярлыки:
post-hardcore,
psychedelic,
punk-rock
Arising from the Louisville math rock scene that also spawned Slint and Rodan, Crain's slow, post-hardcore grind bore some resemblance to the likes of Helmet and the Jesus Lizard. However, their intricate compositions and time signature shifts were firmly a product of the Louisville scene, and even influenced some of the local bands that eventually rose to greater prominence. Crain was formed in 1989 after the breakup of the local band Cerebellum, with an initial lineup that featured vocalist Drew Daniel, guitarist Tim Furnish, bassist Jon Cook, and drummer Will Chatham. After recording a song that wound up on a split 7" with Deathwatch, Daniel left for college, and would later go on to form one-half of the experimental techno outfit Matmos. Cook took over lead vocals for a short time, then Kristen Shelor passed through the ranks until guitarist/singer Joey Mudd -- another ex-Cerebellum member -- became the frontman in early 1990. Mudd sang on a second track on the Crain/Deathwatch split, which was released on Slamdek that year; he also performed on the four-song EP Rocket, issued on the band's own Automatic Wreckords label in 1991. This lineup recorded the first Crain LP, which was issued on Automatic Wreckords in 1992; titled Speed, it was produced by the legendary Steve Albini.
Mudd departed after its completion, and Cook took his spot on lead vocals; he also switched to guitar, and a new rhythm section of bassist Jason Hayden and drummer John Causey came on board. Causey stuck around long enough to contribute "Coalmine #666" to a Simple Machines collection called Working Holiday!, but soon departed. When Crain entered the studio with Albini to record its second album, Jon Cook doubled up on guitar and drums; he also moonlighted briefly as the initial drummer for renowned math rockers Rodan. Crain's sophomore album, Heater, was picked up by Restless Records for national release in 1994. Full-time drummer Tony Bailey joined soon after, and when bassist Hayden subsequently left, he was replaced by Todd Cook. In 1995, the group contributed the Heater track "Hey Cops!" to the soundtrack of the cult indie rock film Half Cocked. They also began work on a new album, but it was never completed; Crain disbanded at the end of 1996. Furnish formed Parlour with Bailey, while Todd Cook went on to play with prominent Louisville indie bands like the For Carnation, Retsin, Four Fifty Six, and the Shipping News. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi
Speed (1992)
Heater (1994)
Ярлыки:
math rock,
post-hardcore
Kepone sprang full grown from the Redneck underbelly of Richmond, Va., The sort of place that people make bad jokes about - “where shoes are a luxury and pregnancy a career option”. Richmond is deep in what the locals still see as “The South” and has been described as the Capital of Institutionalized Racism. Local banks still show their disregard of commonly accepted ideals by consolidating Martin Luther King Day with the memory of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson as the “Lee, Jackson, King Day”.
Kepone took their name from a pesticide that was manufactured by the Allied signal Corporation of Hopewell, Va. in the ‘70’s. The sad story goes that whilst Allied Signal were developing Kepone they discovered through testing that even trace amounts of the chemical could cause severe neurological damage if human beings came into contact with it. Despite this the now rejected pesticide was dumped into the local Appomattox River where it remains today covered by a layer of sediment preventing even the dredging of the river.
Kepone have been working out their frustrations on their instruments since late 1991. Tim Harriss (guitar/ vocals), Michael Bishop (Bass/ Vocals), and Seth Harris (drums) escaped the sickening Autumn heat to jam in a cool dark basement. At the time Michael’s main gig was as Beefcake The Mighty in GWAR. Tim was playing guitar for local Reggae outfit Burma Jam, he had also served time on the road as guitar player for Eek-A-Mouse. Seth was best known for his work in the seminal, and by then defunct Honor Role.
May of 1993 saw the band release their debut single (“Henry”) on the local Tenderizer label. Fortified with the good reviews and local air play the single was getting, the band headed for Baltimore in November of 1993 to record their debut album with Scott Wolfe at the wonderfully named Hound Sound Studios. To make this possible the band were finally forced to jack in their other concerns and day jobs, that apart from Michael’s, who had a job timing Burger King employees performing various burger-related tasks, were so tedious that they are not worth recounting.
Fresh out of the studio the band embarked on a US tour as support to new found fans, The Jesus Lizard. The kids went wild and the decision was unanimous - Kepone were fuckin’ stellar. While on the road the band were brought to the attention of Corey Rusk, the proprietor of Quarterstick/Touch and Go, by The Jesus Lizard and a home for their album was found. “Ugly Dance” was released in August of 1994. The album was well received in all quarters, be they metal or indie. The video for the title track was on the one hand banned by Canada’s Much Music channel for being “offensive to women, fat, and ugly people”, despite being directed by a woman and starring Michael the less than svelt like bass player. A panel of judges at the World Fest Houston, on the other hand, awarded it the Silver Medal for Best Rock Video.
Since the album’s release the band have spent most of their time on the road wowing crowds everywhere from the 40 Watt Club in Athens, Georgia to The Garage in Highbury and Islington, London. During this time Michael lost his wallet in Chicago, their van, known as “Quiet Dignity”, acquired a dent on it’s steering wheel which bears a striking resemblance to the shape of Tim’s head, out went Seth and in came Ed Trask ex-of Washington DC’s Holy Rollers, and the whole band faced the somewhat horrific prospect of sudden death as their van rolled off a snow covered road in Canada.
All this has been encapsulated amongst the experiences that make up “Skin”. Recorded in their native Richmond at Montana Studios and mixed at Oz Studios in Baltimore during April of ‘95 Scott Wolfe, was once again, featured at the controls. Joining the sounds of breaking malt liquor bottles and Michael getting dowsed in water while holding a microphone is the renowned Kepone three piece sync. The classic power line up, as always, steering the band clear of excess.
Ed supplies “the locked-down precision rhythms” that would make the Kodo drummers jealous. Michael lays down his bass lines with such feeling that we would describe it as “funk” if all of you didn’t immediately start thinking of dross like Primus. Meanwhile, Tim plays his guitar as if he was brought up on a diet of pure adrenaline tempered by repeated listenings to the works of Hendrix, the Minutemen and early Bad Brains. All of this topped off with the vibrant sweltering vocal harmony work outs of Tim and Michael. The finished product comes across, according to one observer, like “iron jazz meets screech rock.”
Ярлыки:
noise rock,
post-hardcore
David Grubbs, Jim O'Rourke's future Gastr del Sol partner, formed Bastro after the end of Squirrel Bait; the Kentucky-born guitarist/singer recorded the band's six-song debut with only a former bandmate, bassist Clark Johnson, and a rhythm machine. Bringing drummer John McEntire into the lineup, the trio made Bastro Diablo Guapo, an above-average LP that embraces — but isn't consumed by — Chicago-styled thrash noise. Rather than careen around like a rhinoceros plugged into an electric socket, Bastro stays tight, well-structured and musical, even when engaging in meltdown firepower.
Sing the Troubled Beast tempers Grubbs' extremist instincts to reveal a rough but stately melodic side, and an affecting poetic sensibility. The guitar has the rich textures of a Hammond organ (an instrument which, along with piano, makes an occasional appearance here); the rhythm section demonstrates the facility to dig trenches or drop back to small-scale time-keeping. While "The Sifter" is either a disastrous mastering mistake or just a pointless bit of transistorized foolishness, the haunting, somber "Tobacco in the Sink" crystallizes Bastro's achievements.
Rode Hard and Put Up Wet
Diablo Guapo
Sing the Troubled Beast
Split with My Dad is Dead
Split with Codeine
Ярлыки:
math rock,
noise rock,
post-hardcore
Naked Raygun was founded in Chicago in 1980, by Marco Pezzati, Jeff Pezzati and Santiago Durango. During their eleven-year career, they released six albums that would change the sound of punk rock indefinitely.
Shortly after their first release, Basement Screams Durango left to join Big Black permanetly, and was replaced by John Haggerty, whose unique style of buzzsaw guitar would define Raygun’s sound for their next four albums. Additionally, Pierre Kezdy replaced Camilo Gonzalez and Eric Spicer took over drums for Jim Colao. In 1990, Haggerty left the band to start Pegboy. Bill Stephens joined the band for their final studio release entitled, Raygun...Naked Raygun.Naked Raygun is widely recognized as being one of the most influential punk bands of the 80’s. Their anthemic style incorporated politics in a uniquely accessible way, melding pop and hardcore into one cohesive sound, that would later be dubbed, “The Chicago Sound”. In 1999, Quarterstick Records reissued the entire Naked Raygun catalog. Following a successful Chicago reunion show, Naked Raygun reunited in 2007.Basement ScreamsThrob ThrobAll RiseJettisonUnderstand?Raygun... Naked Raygun
Ярлыки:
hardcore,
post-hardcore,
punk-rock
Ink & Dagger was a Vampire-themed punk hardcore band from Philadelphia that formed in 1996. The band was started by the only two permanent members throughout the band's ever changing line up, guitarist Don Devore and vocalist Sean Patrick McCabe after the break ups of their former bands Frail & Mandela Strike Force. Ink & Dagger was very influenced by vampires & they frequently incorporated references to them in their music. During 1996 to 1997 (Love Is Dead EP, & Drive this Seven-inch stake era) they would often paint their faces, play with fake blood, throw up on Christmas trees & have strobe lights on stage. In 1998 when The fine Art of Original Sin came out they stopped wearing the face paint and the music started to lean away from the punk hardcore roots and more towards experimental music, but of course they were still as crazy as ever. In 1999 after extensive touring & recording what was to be the band's final album Ink & Dagger (self titled) , Ink & Dagger formally announced that they were disbanding. In 2000 singer Sean McCabe (at age 27) was found dead in a motel room in Indiana after he had ingested to much alcohol. he had passed out due to the drinking, and choked on his own vomit. In 2010 Ink & Dagger (with Geoff Rickly of Thursday) got back together for some reunion shows In Brooklyn, Philly & LA.
Some members were previously in or went on to be in Crud is a Cult, The Mandela Strike Force, Frail, Amazing Baby, Souls She Said, Lenola, Like A Fox, Elements of Need, Sola, The Icarus Line, Historics, Lilys, Mazarin, Ghost Note, Rain on The Parade, The Telephone Man, SnakeEater, Armbar, Guilt, Life Time, Kid Dynamite, I Am Heaven, 12 Tone System, ISO, The Series, The Interpreters, Soundtrak, The Midnight Sounds, & Some Others.
Ярлыки:
post-hardcore,
punk-rock
High Back Chairs formed in 1989 and are from the Washington D.C. area.Peter Hayes, who writes most of the songs, also sings and plays guitar, played in a band called the Mourning Glories. He also played in Wonderama with Jeff, Charles,and Geoff Turner (Gray Matter, Three,& Senator Flux). Charles Steck (bass) is a photographer who used to play in the Velvet Monkeys. Jim Spellman (guitar) now plays drums with Velocity Girl. Jeff Nelson (drums) is half partner in Dischord Records. He also played drums in Minor Threat, Three, Senator Flux, and a few others.
High Back Chairs are oriented towards melodic, "pop"-type songs. Pop is a word that applies to the band but nowadays means many things to many people and so it is meaningless. Someone (an unknown source) said that the band "skewers them pop hooks, twirls them over the grill, then slams the whole shebang in your ear and reaches in with tongs and pulls it out the other side. You are left cleansed and refreshed and oddly supercharged, ready to face your demons - inside and out - with Pete's words and melodies hanging in your head like some cool pal reminding you that life is pretty amazing."
High Back Chairs followed up their debut album 'Of Two Minds' with a seven-inch single titled 'Share'b/w'One Small Step'. These two songs formed part of a six-track EP entitled 'Curiosity and Relief', plus four other nuggets of tungsten pop. There's that word again.
Ярлыки:
dischord,
post-hardcore
Formed in 1983 by high school friends Joe Goldsborough and Daniel Lindenstruth, Reptile House became Baltimore's premiere hardcore punk band during the '80s hardcore punk scene. The group's unique sound mixed the energy and melodic sense of their D.C. punk neighbors and such California punk bands as TSOL and the Dead Kennedys with darker esoteric imagery and psychedelic guitar work. Reptile House opened for a who's who of American hardcore bands at local punk clubs such as the Marble Bar and Jules Club House, as well as headlining such clubs as the Washington D.C. punk Mecca the 9:30 Club.
The group's original lineup featured Goldsborough on guitar, Lindenstruth on vocals, David Rhodes on bass, and a pre-Samhain London May on drums. The group's first record was the four-song 7" EP I Stumble as the Crow Flies, which was released by the band's own Druid Hill label in conjunction with Washington D.C.'s Dischord Records. The group went on several tours of the United States turning people on to their sound as far off as Detroit and Texas. Reptile House then recorded the Listen to the Powersoul LP, which was released on Goldsborough's Merkin label in the fall of 1988. Shortly thereafter Lindenstruth made his departure from the group, changing his surname to Higgs and forming Lungfish with Reptile House guitarist Asa Osbourne. The group, now in need of a new frontman, recruited ex-Grey March keyboardist Ron Weldon for vocal duties, but shortly thereafter the group broke up. Goldsborough went on to form the psychedelic pop outfit the Ultra Violets with Reptile House bassist Joey Cirri and continued to document the Baltimore underground music scene through his label Merkin throughout the late '80s and into the '90s. ~ Rick Kutner, Rovi
Ярлыки:
post-hardcore,
post-punk
Washington, DC's Smart Went Crazy made records and played countless shows across the USA. Con Art, the band's last CD/vinyl release, is 73 minutes of eclectic rock stimuli guaranteed to keep you guessing.
Smart Went Crazy sprang out of a studio project begun by Chad, Abe, and Hilary. The trio added Tony Dennison on drums and the new foursome recorded the Cubbyhole EP, later released on their own label CozyDisc in 1994. Jeff joined the band around this time and the new quintet soon began playing live shows in the Washinton, DC area. Devin Ocampo replaced Tony on drums in the Winter of 1997.
SWC's first full length, Now We're Even, was recorded at Inner Ear and released in Feb. of 1996. It is considered the blackest humor Dischord has ever seen pressed into vinyl or lazed into plastic. The irony is clear, sharp and scathing through the lyrics. The well-orchestrated music acts as the lure, more beautiful where the words sting the most.
Con Art was recorded in the Spring of 1997, again at Inner Ear with Don Zientara engineering. While some sounds on Con Art can be traced to earlier releases, the elusive Con Art definitely possesses a different, edgier sound. Devin Ocampo adds a fresh rhythm energy while the guitars and electric cello have both stepped up in the mix. The lyrics on Con Art, while diverse in origin, often map the turmoil of relationship termination.
SMC disbanded at the end of their Spring of '98 tour.
Ярлыки:
dischord,
post-hardcore
Arcwelder was formed as Tiltawhirl in 1987. Our first single was issued in that year. It wasn't like we weren't trying to play shows, but we couldn't get booked for some time. As it is, the band was nebulous before that. Rob and I put out a cassette together in 1984 called Big Money Miracles. We individually recorded songs on four track, not as a band. Rob, Bill and I released a cassette called Paul Lynde to Block in 1985, again as individuals and not as a band. We toyed with a band in different configurations. We played as a three piece with a Drumulator and me playing bass and both Grabers playing guitars. We played as a four piece with Paul Dickenson on drums and Scott playing bass and both Grabers playing guitars. I think Scott might have been the main singer in these but everyone sang, including Paul.
Soon before the release of our first LP, the Selner Manufacturing Corporation, the makers of the Tilt-A-Whirl ride, slapped us with a cease and desist letter. Well, their lawyers did. We paniked, and changed the name to Arcwelder, after one of our song titles. We considered names such as Tilt,Tiilted World, Milt-a-Berle. But Chris Johnson, our record lable head at the time, had been talking with their lawyers. He was convinced that anything that sounded remotely like tiltawhirl wouldn't fly. "I don't think they'll let you change the name of your band to anythong that begins with 'T'," said Chris.
Since then, lots of other stuff has happened. We released a single on Stereolab's lable which made it into John Peel's Festive Fifty in 1992, signed with Touch And Go Records, played lots of great shows, toured the East Coast and South in the 90's with The Jesus Lizard, Jawbox, Flour, Tar, Kepone. Played shows with The Smashing Pumpkins, JSBX, The Dead Milkmen, Buffalo Tom. Our song Criminal was in the movie Normal Life in 1996. Played at All Tommorrow's Parties in England in 2002 and 2004, played the Sant Feliu Fest in Spain in 2008. Toured the west coast with Shellac in 2009. Blah Blah Blah.
Ярлыки:
indie rock,
post-hardcore
