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OK. This is perhaps better than a Mind Sirens FAQ - postings to Alt.Music.Chapel-Hill re: Mind Sirens. I like it 'cause it's "objective" in the sense that other folks wrote this stuff...and BIASED in that I'm not giving you everything that was written. Whatever. If you overlook the fact that the observations here are mostly positive, there's still some good reading here. The best stuff is yet to come though - a collection of the worst reviews we've ever gotten.
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From: gsherwin@nyx10.cs.du.edu (Swag Valance) Subject: Re: Duke Coffeehouse Date: Thu, 31 Mar 94 17:50:44 GMT
In article <2ndk8p$p3b@merlin.nando.net>, NandO BBS System <chadd@nando.net> wrote: >Anyone who likes the music discussed in this newsgroup >should take notice of the Duke Coffeehouse in Durham, NC >on the Duke U. campus. Someone mentioned the Beck >show here earlier and how it lacked publicity etc. If you live >anywhere near Durham, you should call them periodically to >see what shows are in the works (919 684 4069). >In the past year, the following bands have played there, with >some shows sparsely attended: >Yo La Tengo, Unrest, Superchunk, Jawbox, Picasso >Trigger, Archers of Loaf, Small 23, Portastatic, Madder >Rose, Tsunami, Royal Trux, Beck, Tiger Trap, Grifters, >Stereolab, Jawbreaker, Truman's Water, and some I can't >remember. >Don't let this little-known place pass you by. . .
Is Under The Street beneath the 7th Street Restaurant still in operation? Although probably the best show I've seen this decade was Superchunk (with a pretty amateur band called the Mind Sirens opening) at Under The Street in early '90, there's something about socializing with Duke students that kind of annoys me. Not all of them, per se, but after enough experiences just stepping on that campus made me feel like I was among the snobbish sons and daughters of the New York and New Jersey bourgeois (i.e., in Marxist theory) where it was trendy and expected that you hate your parents and several of your fellow high school classmates committed suicide. Under the Street wasn't bad, perhaps being far enough off campus, but having a university coffee house on campus for that purpose sounds like a terrible option for the fans. I hope it's not as bad as the visions I have. It's too bad when the club-goers often take away from the enjoyment of the bands. But at least the Cat's Cradle re-opened in Carboro. -- greg | Pro Child gsherwin@nyx.cs.du.edu | Pro Family | Pro Wrestling
Mon Jul 18 02:38:36 1994 Subject: Re: Eddie Huffman, where are you? ross wrote a bunch of shit: i am obsessed with the music director of the lemonheads. the point was , if a band is underappreciated, like the melonheads, someone should say so. obviously, mind sirens are the most underapeased band in the rectangle. b. gets drunk and takes us with him. "in a hard in, in cincinnati, laid in my heart in, at a ho-chon." that's what i get out of that pyloric planet song, i know i'm rong, but hey, so is ralls. (read: r. grady) sikadelic. dat is wut we kneed. m.s. gives us dat. Viper
From madnbut@vt.edu Mon Jul 18 11:10:35 1994: Mind Sirens Hell, I'd second a Speight on the Mind Sirens (I'm good at seconding, not so good at firsting). I've had a tape of their soon-to-be-released-in-the-next-millenium album "Decatur Cherry Smash" for something like a year now (since they opened for Shudder to Think up here) and it's bee-yoo-tee-full. Many of the same kind of elements as Dino Jr, just more heartfelt and, well, it brings a tear to my eye. More like Dino back in the old days before they found out what a tympani was. If Brian and Mike spent more time cultivating an image of burnt out cool rather than being so goddamn earnest, they'd be the biggest thing since, well, the last really big thing that everybody got all excited about. As it is, they are probably languishing in temp job and academic frustration, drinking their horrible pain away every night and hoping for a quick painless end to this sorry existence we call "life on earth" (oops, I got a little carried away there). Whatever, they rock. Ralph Wiley
From RISER.CHRISTOPHER@epamail.epa.gov Tue Aug 30 16:34:59 1994 Subject: RE: Hey ma, is it Bike Face tonight? So if Jettison is doing this Mind Sirens CD, this means that Jettison still exists? I haven't been too sure about it for a year or so - ever since Falling Off the Planet. Did that CD fuck them up financially or something?
Wed Aug 31 23:49:42 1994 Subject: Re: Hey ma, is it Bike Face tonight? Yes, Jettison is alive, though it is waking from a long slumber and still is bleary eyed. Todd Goss and other Jettison patrons are working on a new catalog (which I hope to make available via email) and a couple of new releases. The Mind Sirens CD is coming out sometime (I helped format the CD label). Jettison just released an excellent LP by Sockeye, an Ohio native band whose drummer lived in Raleigh for a year. This album "Retards Hiss Past My Window" is a stupid stupid record and that is why many of their songs continually echo through my head. Selected tracks include "Pave the Earth", "The Boy With Breast Implants", and "Steve Albini Fucked Pac Man". I recommend this album because it so stupid. skip
Thu Oct 27 15:03:15 1994 Subject: Re: DUBUTANTE'S BALLS Tom wrote: on a subject closer to our hearts.... i would like to take a moment to define the scene: Call me paranoid, but this sounds like an excuse to get me to say something I can be mocked for later. But hey, if you want to take my place as whipping boy for Carrie and Todd, I'm not gonna argue with you. lead on. (this is what i would consider to be the in-circle of bands in chapel hill, with some spill overr into raleigh durham, excluding bands that may bie big, but outside of the circle of "cool" that is mainly ex-hardback, long-time chapel hill locals....the obvious big exception is june, a great band that is making it without the due process of playing with pipe and zen frisbee) pipe No, I don't know this circle. I want either a definitive list or no list at all. Evil Wiener yes or no? what of soccer? what of tweaker? do they comprise some alternate "scene beyond the scene?" my point is that if you're going to make this list, you MUST make it closed and not open-ended, else it loses all its power. now, this is not meant to be a definative list of what is cool in chapel hill, what it is: a list of bands that define a certain segment of the scene. bands who really support each other. now, there are great bands in the triangle, that are cool, with lots of fans, that aren't in this circle. joby's opinion, june, resol, wanton loveboy, skip and his forty dicks, etc. Does this mean that they don't support each other? certainly Resol are enormously supportive of the other bands in their own Raleigh underground punkrock scene. And god knows Wifflefist is a united front. In fact, I would suggest that there are "circles" around here, if you're into defining, that are either bigger or more tightly-knit than the one you propose; alternately, I'd suggest that perhaps the one you list isn't quite so monolithic as all that. Now, here is where you say that that wasn't your point--your point was to lead up to all of this forthcoming rigamarole about them putting out CDs. that's all very well and good, but then later you want to begin to extrapolate back outward to the impact on the "scene"--and we run into problems again. read on. now, mind sirens has jsut released a disc. yes, on Jettison/Squealer. Not exactly the labels of the "scene" as you list it. Where does Todd Goss fit into this? used to write for Trash . . . plays in blue green gods .. . but he's an ornery loner-type fucker. pipe, tinsel, spatula are releasing discs on jesus christ which is kind of more-or-less, as I understand it, a CO-OP, which means they're self-releasing under a common catchy name, right? zen frisbee nad family dollar pharoahs are doing flavor contra discs squirrel nut zipperrs are doing the mammouth thing. which is a very different thing altogether, and one which I would not be surprised might alienate them from one or two of the hardcore tastemakers in town. Mammoth, after all, have thus far not done all that well by the local acts in their stable (or, you might argue, the local acts haven't done well by themselves--I dunno. Did Vanilla Trainwreck break up because they weren't progressing musically, or because their level of success wasn't progressing at the same rate? Did Mammoth's level of support progress with their musical advancement?) Did Blackgirls ever get famous? And despite all of the localized hype, just how big/good are Dillon Fence? My friend Brad in Houston couldn't even stand to listen all the way through Living Room Scene, and he's a normally pretty open-minded rockcrit. my point is this: a bunch of bands within that circle are finally putting out discs. it seems that this marks some sort of arrival of the scene, the fisrt wave of bands has hit it big, now the second wave are making, err, waves. An "arrival" where? Correct me, those of you who know, but I have always received it thus: First wave: Superchunk, Polvo, Erectus (speaking in terms of the current indie-pop/odd noise thing. I don't want to go into the various Mitch Easter waves etc. beforehand, or the 80s Raleigh scene,not right now at least) Second wave (more a half-wave): Bike Face and Metal Flake Mother's records on Moist--the first time we heard Viper's questions floating around, BTW. Third wave: the Pipe and Small EPs, which sort of appeared to grow out of Big Record Stardom (but didn't really, I don't think) Fourth Wave: the Alias records revolution. etc. etc. This thing deserves to be a bit more finely stratified than just those bands with CDs out before Charlie moved to town, and those coming out after. questions: do these bands "deserve" to be putting out full-length cds Anybody with $1000 or so deserves to be putting out a CD. I didn't like that argument before, and I don't like it now. If you read my Small review in the Indy, I argued that they were a better singles band than a CD band, but I would never begrudge them the chance to put out the CD--if nothing else, it means I can hear Mona Skips Breakfast in the car. what does it mean to "deserve" to put out a cd. Okay, I think the question is this: in many towns, bands have to slave away for years before they get the chance to put out CDs, and therefore have a huge stable of songs/fans/etc. Around here, especially lately, anybody seems willing to put out anything by anybody. This can, in theory, lead to Dilution. However, the paradigm doesn't really work so well. I mean, you never really know for sure until the discs come out. I mean, I'm not sure that the new Pipe is ready for a full-length, but I know that the old one was. I'm not sure that Mind Sirens were, but with them, they've not changed enormously in the past year or so, so they're as ready as they'll ever be. My point is that I've got closets full of bands who really really really didn't "deserve" to put out CDs--holy cow. Terrifying what people will press up these days. In that respect, I'd say that all the bands you list are "deserving." I will gladly be buying each of those (except Tinsel, which I will grudgingly buy). As far as I'm concerned, $13 to have a nice chunk of nostalgia for my youth is fine with me. Hell, did Black Flag deserve to put out their first three or four records? has the fact that these bands seem to be on the in-circle helped them get to the point where they could put out cds Yes and no. Their position in a town where there are lots of people who like their music, and lots of supportive friends, made the decision easier to make. But in terms of helping them write 14 good songs, or save up the $1500 or whatever they need, being in the "in-circle" didn't do squat. Being in the in-circle means you have to play parties for free. I'd rather not be in that circle if I'm looking to save money for a CD. are other deserving bands missing out because they are not in this crowd. No more so than in the rest of the world. putting out a CD isn't a right--isn't that what you seem inclined to argue? so are there bands who deserve to have a CD out more than Tinsel? Sure. the backsliders, Polycarp, a ton of others, I'm sure. I wanted to say something like "geezer lake" but of course they GOT OFF THEIR ASSES and did it themselves. so if they're missing out, it's because they're doing so voluntarily. There are no in-crowd subsidies being handed out. does this in-circle even exist, or is it jsut a figment of my imagination. there are a variety of social circles. Interestingly, the circle of bands is somewhat different, I think, than you indicate--each member of those bands has friends/people he/she admires who play in bands outside the "circle" as you define it. musicians are a bit more inclined to cross those lines than perhaps the supporting players might be, were such a circle to exist, but it doesn't, so nevermind. of course things like this exist--the fact that you can write it and we can even say "well, maybe he has a point" means that there is something there to see. But its sphere of influence is pretty low and petty. There aren't a whole lot of backroom deals being made, except about who's cool and who isn't, which doesn't bank for much, no more so that who *we* on this list declare as cool. Or didn't you know--this list is talked about in other circles in the same way you're talking about those bands. Are we a cabal? what defines that in-circle? uhh, Charlie speight. why arer so many raleigh bands striking up BIG contracts? (dag, cry of love, jennyanykind -are they chapel hill or raleigh - motocaster) because they take the offers that they get, when they're good, and because those bands would appear to be more marketable than, say, Pipe. Though I suspect that Pipe are pretty marketable for the next few weeks during the punkrock revival. Jennyanykind are Carrboro. how do you think these bnads (ch "in" bands) arer going to be received? by whom? by the locals? by the national press? Not gonna be received at all--the national press aint gonna notice a handful of CDs on the Jesus Christ label. AP might. Option might. The Zines might. And they'll all get the same noncommittal not-tell-you-anything zine reviews, and that will be that. is this the beginning of the end of our scene, the end of the beginning, a defining moment, or jsut a regularly scheduled interlude? It's just more crap for me to have to review. bands have been putting out CDs locally forever. Look in Poindexter at all the CDs in the local rack that you dn't recognize. regularly scheduled burp. They're just fucking idiots for putting 'em all out at once. Look at what happens when there's too much coming from here at once: things get ignored. silly rabbits. In closing, I'd like to apologize to everyone who read all of this, and I promise not to get sucked into speculation about the so-called scene ever again. after all, as Carrie and Todd keep telling me, if I just don't talk about it, it will cease to exist, right?
From: nflorin@med.unc.edu (Nathaniel Paul Florin) Date: 27 Oct 1994 19:16:58 GMT Subject: Re: DUBUTANTE'S BALLS questions: do these bands "deserve" to be putting out full-length cds what does it mean to "deserve" to put out a cd. The question is not being deserving but whether it's a good idea. It's not a good idea for Tinsel to put out a CD; it's a great idea for Mind Sirens. Will it be good? Will it sell? If the answer to both of these is "NO!" theno dn't do it. If the answer to 2 is "YES!" then do it. If the answer to 1 is "YES!" but 2 is "NO!" then decide how much money you can afford to lose. A new label doesn't need to start with a money-losing Tinsel disc, even if it is a co-op. The Mind Sirens have been around so long and done so little they need to put out an album to justify (or verify) their continued existence to some people. Same with Zen Frisbee, in different ways. has the fact that these bands seem to be on the in-circle helped them get to the point where they could put out cds Of course it has. Don't ask silly questions. are other deserving bands missing out because they are not in this crowd. Maybe. Probably. But I'll bet the best local talent is contained in the list above. A really good band around here, though, can "make it" just by being good and working hard and being patient. I'm convinced of that. does this in-circle even exist, or is it jsut a figment of my imagination. Yes on both counts. what defines that in-circle? It's self-defining and everybody else (read: us talking about it) buy into the myth and love it or hate it or just accept it. Same as every other social circle in the world. why arer so many raleigh bands striking up BIG contracts? (dag, cry of love, jennyanykind -are they chapel hill or raleigh - motocaster) Those aren't really true indie rock bands (that's not an insult or praise or anything, just a fact) and thus this is separate from the above stuff. how do you think these bnads (ch "in" bands) arer going to be received? By who? Outside of our little world most of them will be largely ignored and some will be loved and some will be hated. Same as everything else. is this the beginning of the end of our scene, the end of the beginning, a defining moment, or jsut a regularly scheduled interlude? To me this is just another "wave" of bands setting off at the same time to varying results. I think we will get used to this occuring from time to time. i jsut want to see peoples feelings about the STATE OF THE SCENE at this, what i would consider, pivital momnet in the growth of the music community. This isn't a pivotal moment, in my opinion, except for the bands you mentioned who are putting out albums. It's not like Superchunk getting their first album out and everything in 1990 and 1991, which (along with the creation of Jettison around the same time, and a little bit Moist) I think both began and consolidated the "modern" the local indie rock establishment. Since then the whole thing has gotten easier. If you sit down and count the 1994 releases from local bands on non-cassette formats and those from 1990 I'll bet you get a ratio of 5:1 or so. It's a different world now. The infrastructure exists. All that's left is to build the cars. Nate of the Long Wind
From speight@email.unc.edu Fri Oct 28 00:30:35 1994 Subject: Re: DUBUTANTE BALLS in response to richard: mind sirens haven't been playing out becuase they are working in a new drummer (matt murphy of zen frisbee fame -who isn't) and a violin player pat mackey. plus, brian butler jsut finished his degree, his phd, i think, and he was way too busy studying to play. mind sirens rule my world. Timber Wolf "Hell, if you guys are going to bust stuff up, speight@email.unc.edu take these old axe handles." - hardware store owner
From: Mad and Butch Subject: Mind Sirens Date: 1994-10-28 17:46:24 PST
They all said: >> Thanks to Charlie for his Mind Sirens background info. What do they sound like, though? > >umm--hyperactive guitars and overly emotive vocals. Janglier than most. I haven't listened enough to be able to peg it down more carefully. Sorry. I'll play you some sometime.
I kind of hear old Dino Jr. in the guitar sounds, but Brian has an expressive, high pitched voice closer to somebody like Shudder to Think (believe it or not). New South lyrically and structurally, the guitar solos are naked and distorted. Actually, I don't think the Shudder comparison is off the mark too much. They're certainly not that clean or odd. Maybe in song structure, somewhat.....It's really something that you would kind of kick back and listen to rather than dance around to. Thoughtful and contemplative, but with a pulse. Butch
From spooky@email.unc.edu Sat Oct 29 11:37:25 1994 Subject: Mind Sirens The Mind Sirens are, in my mind (siren), the band that least fits in with other bands on Timber Wolf's "scene" list. They should be there, but as a band they stick out. The band has been around forever (they had a great song called "Circle of Sleep" on WXYC's Demolisten Volume One which came out in 1989 or so, and they existed in some form or another as Other Bright Colors for a long while before that) and yet never plays and nobody has heard of them. To my mind they aren't much of a "band," but rather as a vehicle for the music of Brian whatshisface (the guitarist/singer/guy with all the songwriting credits on th CD) with two other people who will come and go. This is unlike most other local "scene" acts, in which there is usually a great pretense of bandness even if one person writes everything. They have never played out much, so I don't buy Timber Wolf's reaons why they don't now. Musically, an acquaintance of mine called them "psychedleic and arty," by which he meant "pretentious and bad," which goes to show that too much indie rock will rot your brain. They sound different from anyone else. They show a the remnants of a late 1980's post-REM pop sound, but muddy it up a lot. Eminently catchy, and Mr Whatshisname is a great vocalist. The album displays a guitar tone that is halfway between a pop-strum and a Resolian muddy sheet, to brilliant effect. No other Triangle band's name is so close to their sound and essence. I went to the release show at Under the Street for Seam's first album at which Mind Sirens opened (Fall 1991? Spring 1992? I have no idea...) and after MS played I bought a single and had a "Good show" type conversation with Mr Whatshisname and from this little chat (and a brief one with the person I'm comparing him to) his presence was distinctly Barlowian... Nate Florin
Sat Oct 29 13:12:15 1994 To: ch-scene@gibbs.oit.unc.edu Subject: Re: Mind Sirens nate spoke about my speaking about mind sirens never playing. i was talking to brian butler the other day. he said they had ben holed up in this whole grad school stuf and now he was finished, he was never going to set foot in a class as a student again. he is talking about playing lots...they are practicing a lot as a four peice...the violin being the new instrument. this is what he wants to do. i expect to see mind sirens becoming a more frequent addition to the local show rosters. Timber Wolf "Hell, if you guys are going to bust stuff up, speight@email.unc.edu take these old axe handles." - hardware store owner
From: ross@cs.unc.edu (Timothy Ross) Newsgroups: alt.music.chapel-hill Subject: Scene, etc. Date: 29 Oct 1994 18:02:49 -0000 Organization: Chapel Hill Music Lovers
Some contributions and thoughts to this long discussion, which like Charlie said, has been the best thing on the list in a good while. This is mostly dates/history, which may bore some. It's also sloppily organized and assembled but check the Time Life book in 20 years if you want better. Some times/dates: First Superchunk album --- late summer/early fall 1990 Polvo double seven-inch -- early '91 1st Erectus Monotone 7" -- fall '90 2nd " " " -- summer '91 2nd Superchunk album ----- fall '91
The next summer (1992), Merge released the Superchunk singles comp and the first Polvo full-length. Erectus Monotone put out a really swank CD ep on Rave. (For some perspective here, I think the Archers of Loaf had played their first show a mere month beforehand.) Moist/Baited Breath began putting out full-lengths and singles around this same time. The Sex Police CD (Don't snicker now) came out in spring '91, which was only a little while after the Metal Flake Mother and Bike Face 7 inches. Moist put out the MFM full-length in early '92, with the Bike Face and What Peggy Wants Cds coming out later that summer. Jettison has a similar story, putting out their first single (Blue Chair, which for those of you keeping score is Bicentennial Quarters minus Walker Martin Plus Trent Hill) sometime in early '91. I still remember Carrie panning it in her Chapel Hill Newspaper column with accompanying picture. Jettison had put out a good 6 local singles (Blue Chair, Blue Green Gods, Mind Sirens, Zen Frisbee, Scuppernong, and Picasso Trigger) by the end of summer '91. They had done another twelve releases by summer '92. (more from most of the above, also : Anubis Leisure Society (more Bicentennial 1/4ers math here), Minerva Strain, and Skeletal Remains leap to mind) The first Small single came out in April '92. Matt was politely hocking them after the Helmet/Jarvis show. So by mid-summer 1992, there were a lot of bands that had a lot of stuff out. Most of it was all locally-released. Ross is pretty much correct in dividing things into pre-Superchunk and post-Superchunk, 'cause it was Mac that started this local DIY record thing. If you really want a beginning point with which we can exclude the rest of the mid-eighties thing, it was the Evil I Do Not to Nod I Live 7" box set that had singles by Blackgirls, Angels of Epistemology, Egg, Slushpuppies, and Wwax, the last two being Mac bands. That was 1987 or 1988 ? A pre-Merge moment and an important one. So from the very start of this record-releasing blitz (1990 is a solid starting time, though stuff happened before then. But we're going for density here.) to summer '92, we have what you call "a wave". Due to Superchunk's national fame and attention (by the way, SChunk was packing clubs in Boston and NY while a handful of Chapel Hill people went to their shows) and Polvo's increasing attention, there was a lot of hype about Chapel Hill being the next Seattle (Nirvana had hit it big in fall '91, remember). This hype culminated at the Big Record Stardom Convention (aug 5 - 8, 1992) at which tons of local bands played, including the quick Archers, who were already the new talk of the town. So there's a wave, led by Merge, with important contributions by Moist, Jettison, and many others. Broad generalization, yes. Within the next year, more bands formed, put out singles, while several bands signed to Alias, jumped to CD, etc. Archers of Loaf, Small, Picasso Trigger, and Pipe come to mind. Spatula played their first show around 9/92, I think. Other bands started, broke up, etc. This fall's flurry of local releases is the closest thing to that initial wave that this town has seen in a long time. So I don't know if I'd call it a second wave, but Charlie is making an appropriate comparison. I'm not going to get into "the scene" or musical worthiness aspects here, but I just wanted to put in my take on local music history. Tim
Tue Nov 1 13:41:57 1994 Subject: Falling off the planet warren christopher once said... re: Falling off the planet. Graveyard, by mind sirens and Rakeisha, by zen frisbee are THE two greatest songs i have everr heard from any triangle bands (polvo excluded) and i would lead a small scale invasion into a defensless thrid world country just to be able to write such crafty songs. ps. therrre might be a surprise at the doo rag show. Timber Wolf "Hell, if you guys are going to bust stuff up, speight@email.unc.edu take these old axe handles." - hardware store owner
From: mucilage@unity.ncsu.edu Newsgroups: alt.music.chapel-hill Subject: Re: *******PEEL******** Date: 23 Nov 1994 18:12:33 -0000
> > Sorry to interrupt here, but as bassist for the band Goujroy >(pronounced Gouge-Roy.....don't ask :-) I feel I must >speak up. My band did not spend a few thousand dollars. >In fact we did it in our basements. Our guitarist, Rob, owns >and operates a studio here in Raleigh called Logic Studios. >We are fortunate to have a band skilled enough and a >guitarist with nice enough equipment to produce this tape.
I'm not going to go into the semantics of whether or not owning your own studio is equivalent to doing it in your basements, because that wasn't my main point. What I should have said (and I apologize here) is that you spent several hundred hours (by your own estimation, standing right in front of me at the radio station) to make that 4-song demo. Which ties in with what we were talking about pretty well, particularly as I will stand by my statement that it does sound very slick, very glossy
>In essence, what you perceived as somebody glossing over >our sound, was actually us presenting our sound very well. >Thanks for the misconception. so if that's what you really sound like, then it brings up another curiosity point of mine: bands who grow up listening solely to records rather than going out to shows, and who therefore unconsciously wind up trying to sound like a record that could never have been performed live. This is not at all a bad thing per se--as I mention (I think it's still in there . . .) in the paper this week, one of the interesting things about Mind Sirens on record is that it sounds like nobody ever told Brian that the Allman Brothers needed 3 guitarists to make all those sounds . . So it actually makes for some of my favorite po-mo musical moments. But in other cases, it's just surreal, and a little annoying.
> I'm not really sure why you brought us into this discussion as >an example when nobody can hear what you are forming >your opinions from. We'll be playing soon, and everyone >who wants to hear what Ross doesn't like is able to come an >form their own opinions. I'm not taking to issue Ross's >opinion, but rather the way in which it is presented. Off->handed comments do nothing for no one.
I'll do you one better. Since we don't have an objective evidence as to what you sound like in reality, and since I was talking about the tape, everyone's invited to come over any time you want and I'll play you the Goujroy tape, as much as you can stand. And if you want, I'll squeeze as many of you as I can onto the Snookers guest list for that night so we can all have a field trip. That would be kinda fun. I'm wholly uninterested in people taking my word for anything. But for god's sake, Oliver, invite the people to come out on your tab--don't make 'em pay until they know what they're getting.
> > I'm still waiting for the guy from Peel to respond. > > Thanks, > Oliver > olsam@nando.net By the way, despite the fact that I love the members of the Fishermen dearly, I have to say that that Dec. 3 gig at Players sounds like perhaps the biggest living hell I've ever seen. Riser will corroborate, based on his experience with Electric Mistress alone. In any case, I have no interest in continuing this strife. I used Goujroy for my example for very specific reasons, but Oliver's right--you won't understand what I'm talking about unless you hear it. I'm tempted to play the stuff on my show this saturday--in fact, what the hell, I'll even give a synopsis of this whole discussion, and then play some of it. so listen then, if you're really interested. as always, your devoted servant
ross
From: ross@cs.unc.edu (Timothy Ross) Newsgroups: alt.music.chapel-hill Subject: Re: A Mind Siren subway in Chapel Hill? Date: 26 Jan 1995 20:57:31 -0000
On Thu, 26 Jan 1995, Nate Florin! wrote: >On another note, I have heard rumors that some people >don't like Brian Mind Siren's voice. This is a stance that I >cannot approve of. I will admit to taking this stance. I like his voice even less when it's heavily effected. >Finally, are there any shows I shouldn't miss this Friday? Or >at least any good ones? I could get an Independent, but that >would take effort. But speaking of Mind Sirens, they're playing with HMS Cervix (whose Jettison 7" will be out in two or three weeks I was told) this Friday at Local 506. A show that would be worth catching. I haven't had time to reply to "math-rock: a discussion" but I have things to say and I like the discussion. Thanks Todd. For anyone who thinks that killing the political/lawyer arguing would ruin the discussion group, I submit that this thread and thousands of other potential musical topics (of any sort really - not just Archers trivia or CD online services) would and will prove you wrong. Tim
From: spooky@email.unc.edu (Nate Florin) Subject: Quick Things ..from the Mind Sirens/HMS Cervix/AfterTax show last Friday. 1) After HMS Cervix played their first tune the woman to my left turned to me and said, "Can you understand the words? I'm writing a paper on equal rights. I can't understand the words." 2) HMS Cervix, like the Blue-Green Gods were in the Anne (now I'm a Cervixen) Gomez era, is a band in which it is very obvious who wrote most of any specicifc song. Listen to tham and you'll see what I mean. 3) They didn't do as much for me as I'd hoped. Earlier they seemed like they were trying something new and not worrying about rock conventions. Friday they just seemed kind of sloppy. This is of course a ploy to get me to their next show. 4) After Tax did nothing much for me. Stick to Scoccer, boys. (AT is sort of a Soccer! side project) 5) The Mind Sirens should play proms. Their VERY LOOOOONNNNNG show and their downtempo slow-dance beats make this painfully obvious. I liked them, but I felt like I'd forgotten to rent a tuxedo. 6) Many of their songs start to sound similar live. As you were. Nate
From butma001@ddcd.mc.duke.edu Sat May 27 11:49:24 1995 Subject: Sp8fest Part Deux Date: Sat, 27 May 95 11:47:00 EST Yeah, I know it's Two Dollar Bill, but I like Sp8fest better. Humor me. It's Saturday morning & I'm at work & I've been up since 7. I deserve some humoring. But self-pity aside, I am having the best time this weekend! I can only speak to the activities at 506 last night, so I hope other folks will comment on the bands at the alternate venues. Missed Bevel. Arrived just in the nick of time to catch the Mind Sirens, and MY GOD they put on a fine show! May have been the best Mind Sirens show I've ever seen. Groves W. did an estimable job of substitute drumming. The whole band was amazingly tight, esp. considering the odd lineup. And thank the lord that 'boss man' Charlie showed up in time to order them to play 'Graveyard', which reminds me that it's one of the best pop songs ever written every time I hear it. May be the chapel hill scene's single finest moment to date. For me, for today, anyway. Small was a most excellent surprise. I got it, I got it! Also tres tight and I really wanted to pogo a little. OK, a lot. But Matt, if you're out there, you really need to show off your sweet smile more, if I didn't know you I'd think you were passing stones up there. :-) June. The least exciting of the bands for me, although I was seriously grooving to John H's Nick Cage action. Perhaps lack of sleep & an excess of Dead Guy Ale were catching up w. me. However.....there's this one song, see, I think it's the first 7" about going down slow, that's just a wicked burner. Martin H. & I seriously commiserated over our lack of SOs because if ever you needed/wanted a man or woman to be with during a song, that was the one. Oh well. Evening capped off by "Special Lady" and "Running Bear" courtesy of the Wafflehaus, a perfect finale. Out too late & up too early, this damn fest is going to kill me. However, I will die with a smile on my face. Holly
Sun May 28 03:13:33 1995 Subject: tru uuuh ucker See, charlie should record this trucker song thing. In fact, we should get a local supergroup to sit down and learn the canned music that Wesley uses for Every Single Song and do the damn thing live. Look I have nothing useful to say having shaken my life away tonight thru the four poles of the local music experience. Well, five, counting Rebar, who were the perfect appetizer for that giant 506 show. Sitting in the L&S the kooky kids there are playing the Dead Boys and I start hassling JOby's Opinion about the dearth of glam-punkers makin fine fine rawk in the local area, and then two hours later we're all standing there openmouthed as JereBear McIlwain and Trucker growl their way through song after song of just asswhupping fine rawk. I've got an 8track tape of Blue Green Gods covering Mind Sirens' "Breton," which *is* the finest moment in local rock, contrary to Holly's claims. Still, the Mind Sirens connection is there, which makes me think that there is something afoot with them. But I digress. Aw hell, it's all digression compared to the actual act of standing there watching these damn shows, so what difference does it make? Bill McCormick was darling, Joby's rocked bells in a way which they are always capable of but sometimes don't condescend to. Actually, tonight was just about the right balance of stretched-out spacy and in-yr-face rocky. Now if they'd only played for another hour. and Trucker for two more. And then the utter joy of watching Charlie Speight try to knock me off my stool because my voice is one of the dozens which Mr. Meridies has compiled in secret, talking about sp8 and his way about the world, and it's bobbing and weaving in and out of the mix of noises from the stage. We love you, Charlie. That much is clear. g'night ross
From July '96 (now-dead) Ranarium: Jettison Records: R.I.P Last Friday's Lizard and Snake show was supposed to be a celebration, but it felt like the end of an era. Spatula, Minerva Strain, and Special Agents of Her Majesty's Secret Cervix (aka "HMS Cervix") were scheduled to play a show in honor of the recent release of a Spatula CD/12-inch and a Minerva Strain/HMS Cervix split 10-inch on Blacksburg, VA's Squealer Records. The only problem was that HMS Cervix had imploded a few days beforehand, leaving HMS guitarist/singer Michelle Polzine to do a solo set of songs by herself. At the other extreme: the semi-active Minerva Strain, playing only their second show of 1996 and sporting a new bass player while their old one projected films from the rear of the club. Minerva Strain and HMS Cervix are/were the last remaining acts on the roster of Durham-based Jettison Records. Jettison was one of several area labels that sprouted up half a decade ago in conjunction with a huge explosion in the number of area bands. Superchunk-led Merge Records went on to gain the most national acclaim of all the new labels, but Jettison was much more all-encompassing in its scope and musical aims (or lack thereof?), and that allowed it to serve as an extremely valuable chronicler of NC's musical underbelly. Run by Todd Goss and future HMS bassist Anne Gomez (both of the Blue Green Gods), Jettison went a bit crazy from late 1990 through mid-1993, releasing numerous records from lesser-focused-on combos like Blue Chair, Mind Sirens, Blue Green Gods, Zen Frisbee, Picasso Trigger, Scuppernong, Finger, Minerva Strain, Skeletal Remains, Anubis Leisure Society Orchestra and more. It was all very inspiring. Even more than Merge/Superchunk, Jettison sort of implied to the local community, "Hey, you too can be in your own band." Hell, a Blue Green Gods/Mind Sirens split single with a state fetish ("Alaska"/"Iowa") did it for me. Jettison had taken Merge's DIY example and applied it to a whole different set of bands, few of which seemed destined to make any sort of explosion on the national scene. Jettison records didn't always make sense commercially or conceptually, and, sure, many of them were sort of hit and miss (with a lot of hits that were never really "hits"). But Jettison releases were usually interesting or valuable in some way. Picasso Trigger and Zen Frisbee were the only Jettison acts to really maintain any Chapel Hill popularity, but the label continued to chug along, no matter how many people ignored them. Jettison's finest moment came in early 1993 with the release of their first CD, the fine Falling Off The Planet compilation. After that release, Jettison continued to throw out triads of seven-inches every once in a while, but by fall 1994, things appeared to be slowing up and the label's future was questionable. I don't know the details, but I suspect that a lack of sales was crippling Jettison. Unloading tons of material by Charlotte metal giants Antiseen could only take you so far, and Jettison's sub-empire seemed to be in trouble as vinyl yielded to CD and many Jettison bands either moved on or broke up. Even the last three Jettison releases that I know of (Mind Sirens and Minerva Strain CDs, an HMS Cervix single) were partially funded by parties outside of the record label. So Friday felt like the end of an era. Maybe it was the fact that the promising HMS Cervix had just broken up. Maybe it was seeing Minerva Strain carry on in a mutated form and different spirit than that which had moved them three years prior. Maybe it was just the fact that an NC-inspired label from Virginia was releasing a record that Jettison would have been releasing just a few years ago. Whatever it was, it seemed like an end. Jettison Records, RIP. -- Tim Ross
From Winter/Spring '97 Spayed:
The first band shirt I ever bought after moving to Chapel Hill was a mauve Mind Sirens tee with a freaky person logo, like a Lewis Carroll or something. I mean, no little girls naked, well, I guess he wasn't a pervert so that's mean.... wait he was, too! What a freak, really. Anyway, I was in a store, Schoolkids,and met the first and only tall member of the band and he liked my shirt, as he was in the band and all. I later met Brain Butler, song crafter and poet man, and started doing bad things on random occaisions with him and one day I think I asked him about whether or not Mind Sirens was an allusion to Harrison Bergeron, theKurt Vonnegut story. I don't remember if I just wanted always to really ask him that story bad or if I really did ask him but I never got an answer or if I did I forgot it, no doubt because of the bad things we were doing at the time. Now, I wasn't doing really bad things, in fact they were good things, but I know I'm digressing - did I use that word right? - but I just don't want you to get the wrong idea about us seeing as how bad is very subjective. Anyway, I didn't remember, even now, and don't care anymore. Last night, I saw the 5 incarnation of the Mind Sirens that I can remember directly and it's naturally less without Ian Davis as I've had my own personal issues about Ian Davis, lately, where I have these dreams about him and the good music of which he was almost nearly always a part. Simeon [sp?] had a bunny on his shirt, and quite frankly that makes it hard to think to hard about someone in that it's easy to digress into fantasies about big soft bunnies with large breasts and that, all together, is another topic. So, I did read the"Kill Your Television" sticker on his guitar and found myself wondering when was the last time I saw a band better than the Simpsons gay dude episode or the major Tarheel ass whippins of late. One song was particularly the best, of the five they did from the frantically meticulously beautifully executed Decatur Cherry Smash on that pigboy's label and the Todd Goss man. The really good part was an impromptu He Stopped Loving Her Today which was not country at all and good for that.I have alot of other stuff written on my hand but I took a too quick shower before scanning my hand for the notes so all I have is a bunch of blue smudges and that patented PBR after tastein my mouth and, did you even have to ask, the rumblings of a formidable Beer Shitin my stomach which, more than anything else, reminds me of the greater days before everyone was a lamenting scene poet beginning every sentence with "I know everyone has been talking about it lately but, you know, I think the scene is really not what it used to be...."and bands weren't racing to shed the label of Indie Rock darling. You can run but you can't hide, I say, which was the whole reason I broke things in front of bright lights for so long. Let's just all be ourselves, those lights bouncing off Dave Dixon's drums said to me last night, and everyone but our livers will thank us. spayed
Oh, by the way, next week I'm gonna spread some NASTY gossip about Ross Grady, who eats that kinda stuff up, if you ask me.
Spring/Winter '97 Alt.Music.Chapel-Hill Post: so, is anybody reading this? Just checking..... Shows-yup, we got um. Or, that is, you got um. Where was everybody at the Shark Quest/Mind Sirens/Breast Dinner Show? I mean, there were a lot of people there, but not too many AMCH folks, or at least identifiable ones. I wasn't really that into All American Breast Dinner, but perhaps it was just me. Mind Sirens were especial good. I like with new guitarist and solid 81 Mulberry drummer Dave. They were pretty tight and in control and it sounded yummy. I may have to rephrase my pronouncement of a couple of years ago (has it been that long already?) that Chuck Garrison is the 'secret essence' of the 'Chapel Hill Sound (tm). I do believe that Chris Eubanks has now usurped his title (having already won the title of 'busiest man in Chapel Hill Rock' and entered the Hall of Fame). I mean, I know Chris is around here somewhere, but I just want to 'blow' the man's public horn. Spatula, Shark Quest, Bicentennial Quarters, Polycarp, Kismet...jezus. That is one hell of a resume. Three cheers! Having said all that, I did like Shark Quest though I found them to be a bit samey over the course of time (I was also a little tired and had a headache so whatever). It's pretty apparent that there's a tremendous amount of talent there, but I somehow kept hoping for something that didn't quite happen. It certain has a great deal of dynamic range, though I suppose I kept wanting Laird to just cut loose a couple of times rather than just finger-pick through some eastern stuff (by the way, "Crazy Steven" by Zen Frisbee is one of the ten greatest songs of all time this week). So, whatever. Came back to Blacksburg to catch the Bad Livers on Monday. Metallica on wednesday (best arena rock show of the year, by far). In fact, their show (especially the climax) may have topped the Kiss experience. Reba McEntire and Brooks and Dunn this sunday (don't ask, it's a long story...)
Kill 'em all, Butch -- Squealer: madnbut@swva.net http://www.mal.com/~squealer Spatula, Minerva Strain, H.M.S. Cervix, Stigma, Refrigerator, Geezer Lake, June, Rake, Yak!, the Ah Club...
Subject: (no subject) Date: 1998/09/16 Author: CTGoss <CTGoss@prodigy.net>
Hey Ross,
Subject: some shows you need to see Date: 1999/05/17 Author: grady <grady@metalab.unc.edu>
I'll tell you right now: mark your calendars for
May 31st, also known as Memorial Day. Shannon Morrow is picking up &
moving to Chicago the very next day, and as a going-away-present, she &
her friends have put together a huge-assed show at the Cat's Cradle. 9 bands,
some of whom I can actually remember: AnalogueII, Bicentennial Quarters,
Cantwell, The Biteys, the Mind Sirens, the Blue-Green Gods, Evil Wiener, and
a couple more whom I'm forgetting right now.
Subject: Re: if you had to pick only 4 Date: Wed, 26 May 1999 From: CTGoss <CTGoss@prodigy.net>
grady wrote:
i'd go for a combo of both. my picks would be:
1. Jennyanykind, since they put out the best album to come out of this area in the last 5 or 6 years and are perhaps the most underapreciated band in this area. 2. Mind Sirens because Brian Butler is such a brilliant guitarist and songwriter and even though they are grizzled veterans, the music still sounds as fresh and exciting as it did when he started in 1983. 3. Spatula since they cross pollinate so many genres and sound so good when you're stoned. 4th one is a tough choice i'd say a tie between Cantwell and Mayflies USA. Mayflies are the best pure pop band going today in the Chapel Hill area and Cantwell are the best band at deconstructing pop music in this area today. Honorable mentions would go to the Comas, Bicentennial Quarters (if they weren't breaking up next week), and Blue-Green Gods (since i'm such a shameless self-promoting bastard-couldn't put my band on my actual list but had to slip it in somewhere!) todd
Subject: Re: if you had to pick only 4 Date: Wed, 26 May 1999 From: grady <grady@metalab.unc.edu>
So I made up a "short list" of about
15 bands/records (I needed to pick bands with some semi-readily available
recorded product, and I *wanted* to try to restrict myself to stuff recorded
within the past couple of The rest of the stuff was harder. We basically
sat around & listened to our favorite songs by all the bands on the
longer list & tried to come up with songs which gave us the biggest
shivers and/or goofy grins. I figure if you're going to give people 20 or 30
seconds of music by each band, then it's better to pick the bands/songs which
really grab you,
Subject: Re: the weekend of the Virus/Bike Face, Blue-Green Gods. From: grady <grady@metalab.unc.edu>
A drunken debauched party thrown by a bunch of people who are in "funny" bands or in bands who are simply too slack and/or drunk to really get around to practicing & booking shows. Instead they throw a big outdoor party every year. This normally frightens the hell out of me, but this year they've managed to coax the best band ever to emerge from Greensboro, Bicycle Face, out of retirement. How to explain Bicycle Face? I honestly don't think I can. My friend Tim says this: "The first time I saw Bicycle Face was in 1984. For their encore they played [Spinal Tap's] Big Bottom--with two basses and a tuba." Take one astoundingly goofy bass player (Brian Huskey), one guitar genius/human jukebox (Mitchell McGirt) and one nuthead with a pair of sticks and a tin trashcan (Chris Longworth). Teach them a sick mixture of weirded-out joke rock and brilliant garage-rock covers. Make them the greatest band known to humankind. That's Bicycle Face. I wept openly at their farewell show.
From: CTGoss <CTGoss@prodigy.net> Subject: Re: the weekend of the Virus/Bike Face, Blue-Green Gods. Date: Tuesday, June 15, 1999 2:40 AM
DOLMUS wrote: > > grady wrote: > > > Make them the greatest band known to humankind. That's Bicycle > > Face. I wept openly at their farewell show. > > > > The worst band in the world. Ever. Worse than the Tubes. Worse than Styx. Or > even the Blue Green Gods. Alright...maybe not as bad as the Blue Green Gods.
Alright, now i'm worked up enough to give a suitable reply to this message. I usually just lurk on this group but i feel truly insulted by this post and feel the need to speak my mind. This post may be self centered and self serving but i just don't give a damn. I always enjoyed Bicycle Face. In fact one of my favorite records from the "prime time" of the Chapel Hill "scene" was Red Hat Man on Detox. I remember the first time i heard it when Caleb had just finished mixing and wishing i was putting it out on Jettison especially "Big Fat Kitty Cat". Some of the shows i remember best in that whole time period where my mind was clouded with booze and pot and whatever other substance I managed to ingest were Bike Face shows. The time they blew the God Bullies off the stage at the Cradle in front of about 4 people. The final show at the original Miracle House when patrons set all the furniture on fire in the wearhouse and Bike Face played for close to 2 hours until the cops shut the show down. The time they opened for Mojo Nixon and even Mr. Kirby McMillon (ie Mojo) was impressed and he generally prefers "rootsier" stuff. the time they played at Under the Street with us and Mecca Normal in a truly unusual bill. The time Blue-Green Gods played with them in a heavy metal bar in Charlotte and they managed to clear the club of the few patrons that were left after our set. classic lyrics like "I'm the Devil and You're Not, You're cold boogers and I'm Hot Snot". Mitch McGirt is one of the most versatile guitar players i've ever seen and i've seen a lot in my travels. Chris could play amazing stuff on a snare, a broken cymbal, a cheap ass tom and a bunch of assorted metal noisemakers and Brian also was a great bass player- very understated and solid with interesting parts to boot. I guess they were never trendy enough to be popular in these parts but put some great records out and great live performances as well. I would rank them pretty high in the scheme of things around here, certainly nowhere near the worst band ever. As for your remark about my band...... I don't have a clue who you are and don't really care, but i doubt that you have even seen the Blue-Green Gods in 5 or 6 years or have any idea what we sound like. Worst band ever? maybe to those idiots that used to pester Ross when he did the local music show on WKNC a while back. We have been together for 10 years. the only other groups in this area who have that much longevity are Superchunk, Mind Sirens, Zen Frisbee (or whatever they are called these days), Southern Culture on the Skids, and Scuppernong (which i also play in). i don't know where you get off saying we are the worst band ever. i personally don't give a shit whether you like what i do or not but i do take offense at the statement you made. The drummers we've had over the years include Christie Eames (who every band should be so lucky to play with as she is the BEST), Ian Davis, Jon McClain, John Howie, Shannon Morrow, and Paige and myself in recent years. No band could be the worst of all time with ANY of those drummers (myself excluded) holding the beat down. The bass players have been Anne Gomez (who may be the most innovative bassist around here or anywhere else ever), Chris Eubank, and Paige Ivey. Phil Irwin from Rancid Vat has played shows with us when he's in town. Brad Rice did some guitars on a couple of studio sessions. Trent Hill from Blue Chair was my understudy when i was touring with Antiseen and Flat Duo Jets. I think that the fact that any of those people thought it was worthwhile to play with me points out that my music is valid. Granted we were a mess when we started but i doubt anyone who ever saw us in those days doesn't remember us. the shows from 92 on have been solid and well received no matter which incarnation its been. We've gotten writeups in Spin, Alternative Press, Puncture, Interview, and New York Rock to name a few and have been asked to do a John Peel Session if we ever get over to the UK. We've played with Antiseen, Flaming Lips, Hole, the Grifters, Royal Trux, Mecca Normal, Silver Apples, and Dirt to name a few and you don't get offered those kind of shows if you are the worst band ever. Before the band was named i sent Curt Kirkwood a tape of the stuff and asked if we could name our band after one of his songs. He gave us his blessing. We even had a Geffen rep come to see us on the recommendation of Steve from Pavement. We never draw less than 300 people in west Florida and Alabama. I don't want to toot my own horn but beep beep beep down sesame street. There are plenty of folks in this area and even a few on this newsgroup who do not share your opinion. Dolmus, when you have played in a group that is not trendy, is not compromising in the music, and plays in anywhere you can get a gig from college towns to redneck bars in the deep south for 10 years, then maybe i'll respect your opinion. I've put a ton of work and sacrificed personal relationships, well paying jobs, and the bulk of my free time to devote to my music. I take your remark as a personal insult. I think you are entirely out of line and you are a very small person for making such a remark behind the anominity of a keyboard especially since its well known that i read this group regularly and post when i have something valid to say. I don't care if you like my songs or not but to say Blue-Green Gods is the worst band ever takes it a bit too far. I can think of tons of bands that are worse than us but i'm not going to mention names because i'm above that and if the musicians truly believe in what they're doing thats all the really counts. I'm not going to slam anyone in a public forum just because i don't care for the music they play. If i'm asked by someone what i thought of their group i always give an honest opinion to them personally in a non insulting manner but never slam a group to a magazine or internet newsgroup. I've done everything possible to help, give advice to, and encourage other musicians i've met, including going in the studio with them for FREE, and put out a ton of records on my label by bands i believed in that I didn't have a prayer of recooping my money on, so i feel i'm due at least a little bit of respect on those points. There are plenty of armchair quarterbacks watching monday night football but put them in the game and they couldn't do shit. I dare you to get on stage and play fucked up music to a bunch of bikers. You'd probably get killed. I did it and while they didn't care for the music i played, i had their respect for having the guts to get up and do it in the first place. I doubt you've ever driven 14 hours to play a show to a minimal crowd just so a few people you cared about would get a chance to hear your music. I doubt you've ever painted houses during the day, washed dishes in the evening, and done sound at night 6 days a week to get the money to put out your own records. When you've done any of those things get back to me. my apologies to the rest of the group for having to suffer through this rant. i feel better now. DOLMUS, whoever you are, you can kiss my ass. todd_
From: Mike Barker <mbarker@intrex.net> Subject: beep beep beep down sesame street Date: Tuesday, June 15, 1999 9:20 PM
Dolmus, I've had enough of your monkeyshines. Blue-Green Gods, in the view of many, are one of the best damn bands from around here. If you think BGG "suck" then ok - that's your right. Somehow, though I have the wierd feeling that you haven't seen them play since '91. So what are you, some "gulf war" era "indie" rocker bad-boy like me? Theonly difference between the two of us, I think, is that I've seen Blue Green Gods play in '91 (which was fucking great) and *also* lately. Golly whiz...you should have heard them on Ross's Radio show recently. They rock and they've got great songs. Paige and Todd both have incredible voices. I'm gonna post some Mp3 stuff (recorded on Smash Hits...I hope I can get permission) on a web site soon to prove it. Watch http://www.swepssax.com for that. - Mike Barker
Subject:Re: the weekend of the Virus/Bike Face, Blue-Green Gods. Date:1999/06/15 Author:DOLMUS <DOLMUS@prodigy.net>
CTGoss wrote:
The early-nineties around here brought an
explosion of great bands. Superchunk. Vanilla Trainwreck. Polvo. Archers.
Especially Archers. And plenty of others, too. Wonderful, beautiful noise.
Most of these bands are gone. A very few remain. But, so what? What's your
point? Longevity has nothing to do with quality, and maybe a little to do
with obliviousness to the lack thereof. Endurance means nothing if the
product sucks. I mean, jeez, Sha-Na-Na is still around.
Puh-leeez.
You need to abandon this line of reasoning. I
saw Lou Reed once. Martha and the Muffins opened. Jerry and the Pacemakers
shared bills with the Beatles. I could go on and on. Follow this sentence back a few hundred words,
and you might be astonished to find that the horn I've heard being tooted is
your own. Your point being.....? (By the way, once you get beyond your incestuous but wide circle of friends, there is very little interest in your music. Trust me on this point.) > Dolmus, when you have played in a group that is not trendy,
This is the only thing you've written so far
that actually makes me mad. In fact, your band is considered trendy by the
I'm-more-obscure-than-you'll-ever-be crowd. Why? Because the music you make
does not satisfy. It avoids -- not deliberately, but inadvertantly, due to
lack of talent -- all of those things which either individually, or taken
together, make music worthwhile: things like intensity, unpredictability,
melody, great beat, harmony, cleverness, originality, good or unique vocals,
and adept or inventive musicianship. Look, pal -- I didn't even know that such a
personage as CT Goss existed before I got your post. Get a grip, willya. You're a veritable cliche factory, aren't you? And mine. Seriously. >I doubt you've ever driven 14 hours to play
a show to a minimal crowd just so a few people you cared about would get a
chance to hear your music. I doubt you've ever painted houses during the day,
washed dishes in the evening, and done sound at night 6 days a week to get
the money to put out your own records. When you've done any of those things
get back to me. Done all of that, except for working sound. Did
it for years. I respect your dedication. I'm sure you won't mind if I don't.
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From: ski_nc@pipeline.com Subject: Re: Yesterday's Fete Date: Monday, June 21, 1999 10:03 PM
On Mon, 21 Jun 1999 16:49:13 -0400, Neal Otto Spaulding <nealos@ntrnet.net> wrote:
>I really enjoyed the Fete in general. I had the honor of >doing sound at the Weaver Street stage in the intermittant >light rain. Drank some bottled water that was refreshing. >Also had the honor of playing in two different bands at two >different venues. Had some good coffee at one point. Got >to hear and meet a bunch of great local musicians. Took a >little smoke later on. All in all a dreamy day for me only to >end with Jennyanykind followed by the infamous >Crowflies. >Space age rock at its best.> >Hats off to all the organizers, helpers, musicians and >volunteers who made this thing happen. Well done >indeed! Indeed! It was the most enjoyable day I've had in a while. We saw Mind Sirens (the folks who played before us at Go!) and Whirled Peas (our good friends who played following us at Go!). Then we moesyed on downtown and caught Kyle & His Colleagues at the Cradle. Fajitas at Armadillo Grill were our next order of business. Food, not a band called Fajitas. We got sidetracked there for about four beers worth of the clock and then saw Trophy Wife and Vibraspank at the fire station. Our evening ended with Four Jazz Plus, also at the firestation. I was pleasantly grooving to Mind Sirens. They reminded me of everything I liked about REM before I was able to understand what the hell Michael Stipe was saying. I really liked the dissonance of the guitar solo in their second to last tune. Very well done. The Peas were in fine form, too. Miner Gleason's electric violin solos make the whole show for me. I get entranced when the Peas launch into an extended jam with a rhythm section that sounds like Jefferson Airplane and then Miner comes in with some psychotic bluegrass lines on his fiddle. With all the bad press Kyle and His Colleagues received in our very forum, I had to check them out. We were talking with our friends in Runaway Cab outside the Cradle and I asked who was on. They answered K&HC. BTW, catch Runaway Cab every chance you get. We've played two shows with them and they impress me more every time. Six guys in the band. They make a very big lush pop sound. I've never seen another band maintain the energy level these guys pull through their whole show. Anyway, I had to see K&HC just to see what was what. I liked the ironing board that held up the keys. I discovered I don't like deconstructed country. So call me a Philistine. Several beers later we were enjoying Trophy Wife. Also a sustained level of intensity I find amazing. Forgive me for not knowing all their names, but Kevin and the other guitarist in the band have the best mix of Gibson and Fender sounds I've heard locally. Maybe anywhere. They also are excellent songwriters. Then Vibraspank came on. Groove-a-licious. Gil Neal sings just like Stevie Wonder at times and it's far beyond eerie. Kurt and Brant Schlatzer on percussion and drums, respectively, put together a Santana-like beat that powers Vibraspank's seventies sound that Lenny Kravitz would envy. For a big change, we caught Four Jazz Plus. Very perky Brazilian stuff. I like horns. I know nothing about brass and it intrigues me. There was a very wide range of ages among the musicians in this band and you could tell as they played that they really loved what they were doing. So to Jackie, Steve and all the other organizers of FdlM, thank you for a great time. I look forward to next year's show! -Ski http://www.pipeline.com/~ski_nc/leaningowen/
From: iandavis iandavis@mindspring.com Newsgroups: alt.music.chapel-hill Subject: Re: Worst 80's Bands Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1999 00:10:07 -0400
Tim Flaherty wrote: > Foreign Bodies, sorry Ian and Sonar, but not only was it not > enjoyable to listen to but the cover of the album with Ian's >head disappearing into the concrete column creeps me out >mostly because of Ian's bare chest. >The Woods, can't add anything here >The Three Hits, Micheal and Shelia tried hard, they really >did. >Treva Spontaine (and the Graphic), http://www.treva.com >says it all > The X-Teens, Venus, Venus, Venus. Very, very poppy >new wave, a bit too > syrupy for my tastes. >Just about every Raleigh Mid-80's metal band. There were >just way to many to name. >And of course, Billy Warden and the Floating Children, they >were bad and they knew it so that says something for them. > Tim > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ > Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
Tim, The comments about "Worst 80's Bands," let alone Foreign Bodies, begs several questions: We're talking the eighties here, folks. Let those days rest. Everything, even the best bands of the 80's, would be nineties bands today (see various comments regarding Blue Green Gods - they rocked then and rocked Sunday, but rocked as they must, having each been through many other gigs and much practice). Foreign Bodies grew out of The Pound Notes. I answered an ad and started playing Pete Stapleton's songs. Sonar sung 'em, I drummed, Zingo Munger played bass. They were what they were. If they didn't work for you or anybody else, why did we keep getting gigs for three years? Why did you, Tim, book us twice in the club you managed in Greenville? I guess, in part, because we had a full club the first time and people seemed to be buying lots of beer. Why did Andy Dunker (Rockpool) and Option and others like the record (whatever the cover). I think each of us wished that the band would become something slightly different (me, more improvisational, sonar, quieter, Dan, more like europop(maybe), Pete, ?), but we worked hard and if it didn't happen, so what? It was '84-'87 and then Good Neighbors (Randy Pelosi and Todd Barbee) happened to me 3-4 nights a week for three years. And then Blue Chair (Trent Hill and Chris Eubank). And then Eddie/Bicentennial Quarters (Chris Eubank and Walker Martin. And then Mind Sirens (Brian Butler and Mike Barker. And then Trailer Bride (Melissa and Robert). And also Chris Stamey/Kirk Ross (w/ Brent Lambert and Rick Brown and Stacey Guess and Ed Butler, among others). And also the North Carolina Jazz Ensemble. And also the ArtsCenter jazz jam. And also some Blue Green Gods gigs. And two Gomez gigs. Who the hell cares about Foreign Bodies anymore? Tim, you do, for some reason that I really don't care about at all. Tim, Pete Stapelton picked that cover photo out of a stack of about 50 photos of many things and people, all distorted by various photographers. I don't know why you think its me. I'm damned sure you've never seen my chest and you're not gonna, but who cares who's in the picture? It's a cover of a six song ep that has vanished into the past. And it doesn't produce any sound at all, so it's not an 80's band even (off topic, you see). BUT, if the cover still creeps you out because of a bare chest, FOURTEEN YEARS AFTER IT WAS RELEASED, and that strikes you as one of the low moments of the 80's, perhaps it was partly the picture doing something it was supposed to. It's sort of a special honor that I'm sure Pete, wherever he is, would appreciate in his raspy dark way. Perhaps that's what Pete wanted that cover photo - because he thought it would disturb pretend-happy people 14 years later for no freakin' apparent reason at all. I don't know, and I'm absolutely sure it wasn't discussed. And who the fuck cares whether it was "enjoyable to listen to." Do you think that's what songs about Velma Barfield are supposed to be? Did you want some music to pogo to at frat parties? Be something to enjoy? Yeah, guess that's what Velma had in mind too. Anyway, as I've said, who care? I tried not to write, but there has been an irritation factor building with this eighties thread, and now that we have a lurker that has chosen to disturb the peaceful dead, I think I know that, with our scene here in central NC, we should NOT be looking back, but wondering what's next. Perhaps in fourteen years Tim will be disturbed again by something some of us was involved in, and we can all be pleased that our memory disturbs and that it was a memory at all. Ian By the way, what did you contribute to the music of this region, Tim???
From: CTGoss <CTGoss@prodigy.net> Newsgroups: alt.music.chapel-hill Subject: Re: Worst 80's Bands Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1999 23:30:27 -0400
Tony Patterson wrote: > My additions (and no offense intended to the participants) >are Other Bright Colours and (sorry, Holden) 1+2. Maybe I >just never got it.
I don't remember too much about 1+2 except that i didn't enjoy them very much. however i must vehemently disagree with you on Other Bright Colors. I probably saw more Other Bright Colors shows than anyone else. In my opinion, they were simply the best pop band to ever come out of this area. Light years better than any of their contemporaries. Their drummer, Joe Jaworski is one of the best to ever come out of this region, period. Singer/Guitarist Brian Butler wrote tons of amazing songs, has one of the most stunning vocal ranges i've ever heard, and is probably the one of the best and most fluent guitarists around anywhere (and in doing sound for 10 years i heard tons of them and very few even in his league). i still listen to their 1984 "Circle Square"/"Stands To Reason" single frequently. Their album is good but flawed by the Don Dixon remix (hopefully someday it will be reissued with the original or a new mix) and the unreleased 2nd album is out of this world. I think their music stood the test of time better than most of what was documented back in the 80s. Circle Square still sounds as fresh and relevant today as it did 15 years ago. But thats all ancient history. Brian Butler now plays in one of the best bands around here today- the Mind Sirens. todd
From: DOLMUS <DOLMUS@prodigy.net> Newsgroups: alt.music.chapel-hill Subject: Re: Worst 80's Bands Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1999 01:46:00 -0400
CTGoss wrote: > however i must vehemently disagree with you on Other >Bright Colors. I probably saw more Other Bright Colors >shows than anyone else. In my opinion, they were simply the >best pop band to ever come out of this area. Light years >better than any of their contemporaries. Certainly a lot better than most of the other REM wanna-be bands around here in the mid-80s. > Their drummer, Joe Jaworski is one of the best to ever >come out of this region, period. I am in complete agreement on this. He was something to watch: a very graceful, subtle drummer. One of the very best. > Singer/Guitarist Brian Butler wrote tons of amazing songs, "NPR" comes to mind. > has one of the most stunning vocal ranges i've ever heard, Unfortunately, though, it goes from a medium annoying whine to a dangerous-to-dogs high whine. > and is probably the one of the best and most fluent guitarists >around anywhere (and in doing sound for 10 years i heard >tons of them and very few even in his league). And he's a heckuva nice guy. > i still listen to their 1984 "Circle Square"/"Stands To >Reason" single frequently. Their album is good but flawed by >the Don Dixon remix (hopefully someday it will be reissued >with the original or a new mix) Agreed. > and the unreleased 2nd album is out of this world. I heard a rough mix once (back in '87?). It was an improvement over the first album. Too bad it never saw the light of day. It was good to see someone mention OBC in this thread.
From: CTGoss <CTGoss@prodigy.net> grady wrote:
Date: 31 Jul 2002 10:27:29 -0700 Author: d0lmus@yahoo.com (Adrian Engele) Subject: Bang Bang Shoot Shoot
Body: gerald@beltonphoto.com (Gerald Belton) wrote in message news:<3d4541d3.339243336@127.0.0.1>... > So Saturday afternoon the wife drags me off to Wal-Mart to buy some bookshelves. As if going to Wal-Mart isn't bad enough in itself, I get home to find a bullet hole in my front window. > > When the police ask me if I can think of any reason anyone would want to shoot at my house, I briefly ponder how I stuck my foot in my mouth in the "great radio stations" thread before I say "no." > I mean, you guys hate me, but you don't have guns. Right? Sounds familiar. I once made the mistake 2 or 3 years ago of calling two local bands "among the worst of all time" (or something to that effect) on this news group, and the resulting uproar became so weird and intense (my posting started a near-week-long thread of more than a hundred postings) that I, too, became paranoid after one of the more vituperative of the posters found my phone number in an earlier posting and shared it with the ng -- which, predictably, caused a rash of phone hangups at my house. While all of this this was going on, a roofing contractor checking out the roof of my home found three bullet holes. For a few seconds, I wondered whether... Until I remembered that my east Duham neighborhood had been the scene of several extended gun battles (featuring automatic weaponry) the prior summer. After four years of following the discussions on the ng, I'm fairly certain that the only violence that would ever be committed by members of a.m-ch would be against common sense.
n
dOlmus
From: Glenn Boothe (gboothe2@earthlink.net) Subject: The Year in Local Music... Newsgroups: alt.music.chapel-hill Date: 2002-12-20 17:50:44 PST In preparing for my annual top ten poll (see
Post titled "rip off...",) I realized just how many good local
releases came out this year. So, I
thought this forum might provide an opportunity to inform/enlighten others to
the stuff we collectively thought was worthy of attention. Each person submits their own list comprised of
only local releases. Basically, use
the same format as my other top ten poll.
You have 100 points to assign to ten records. Unlike a Top 10 where you must decide a
specific order, here you can assign two (or more) records the same amount of
points indicating that you like them the same. The maximum number of points is 30 and the minimum is 5. However, outside of Ross, I realize that most of
us might not be able to come up with ten local releases - instead, I suggest
for those of you who can't come up with 10 records, please assign a point
total equal to an average of 10. For
example, if you only have 8 records, then you have 80 points (not 100 pts) to
work with. There is no minimum, so if
you only have one record, then you can submit it with 10 pts. Here's an example using six of my favorites
(thus 60 pts): 20 - Caitlin Cary 14 - The Sames 11 - Mind Sirens 5 -
Gerty 5 -
Japan Air 5 - Evil
Wiener Again, the idea of this poll is to draw
attention to our favorite local acts, not to unload any dirty laundry (ie: if
you disagree with my choices, the best response is to list your own choices,
not critique mine...) You can always post your list if you like, but
make sure to also send an email to me to insure inclusion in the final tally PLEASE RESPOND TO gboothe2@earthlink.net BY
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8TH. glenn boothe
From: grady (grady@ibiblio.org) Subject: 2002 local releases Newsgroups: alt.music.chapel-hill Date: 2002-12-26 13:36:02 PST Here's a semi-accurate accounting/countdown of
which local releases got the most play on WXDU (by all DJs, not just on the
local music show) during 2002. A few of these may be 2001 releases (in fact I
know at least a couple of them are) which didn't get to the station or make
it onto playlist until 2002. I've tried to label them as best I could. The
ones abeled "data incomplete" were on playlist during the
Thanksgiving &/or Christmas holidays & thus I don't have complete
stats for them, so they may have charted higher. I love a whole lot of these and I'd just as soon
not bother narrowing down my own list to 10 entries, so please accept this
list as a resource, in lieu of a formal entry in Glenn's poll: 1 ...... The Sames .... Sames EP 2 ...... $2 Pistols .... You Ruined Everything 3 ...... Razzle .... 7 song CD 4 ...... Pleasant .... EP 5 ...... Piedmont Charisma .... s/t 6 ...... Rodeo Boy .... The Pine & Promise 8-tie .. Gerty .... Sweets from the Minibar 8-tie .. Superchunk .... Art Class EP 9 ...... Caitlin Cary .... While You Weren't
Looking 10 ..... Cold Sides .... "2" ....
**data incomplete 11 ..... Tift Merritt .... Bramble Rose 12 ..... Regina Hexaphone .... 11 Songs 13 ..... Mayflies USA .... Walking in a Straight
Line 14 ..... Dom Casual .... This is the Sound of 15 ..... Rosebuds .... Make Out 16 ..... v/a .... Bomb Threat Comp 17 ..... Doleful Lions .... Out Like a Lamb 18 ..... Cherry Valence .... s/t .... **2001
release 19 ..... v/a .... NE vs NC comp 22-tie . Analogue II .... Oh Perfect Masters 22-tie . Ameliorate .... Is Staying Home 22-tie . Disband/Kudzu Wish .... At the Scene of
the Accident 23 ..... Goner .... Dollar Movie 24 ..... All Night .... s/t 25 ..... Evil Wiener .... Billy Sugarfix's Lost
Gumdrop Kingdom 26 ..... Pleasant .... s/t .... **2001 release 27 ..... Jackie O Pillbox .... Sing Along With 28 ..... Shallow Be Thy Name .... 2000-2001 30-tie . Scaries .... Souvenir 30-tie . Mind Sirens .... 1989-1993 32-tie . The Dirty Version .... The Dirty
Version 32-tie . L in Japanese .... Limitless Marathon 33 ..... 3 Torches .... Infernal Machine 34 ..... Prospekt .... s/t .... **2001 release 35 ..... Cold Sides .... s/t .... **2001 release 36 ..... The Shames .... Live (v) Along 37 ..... The Ghost of Rock .... 7-inch 38 ..... Pacer .... Big Buildings, Small Stars 39 ..... Roman Candle .... Says Pop 41-tie . Kenny Roby .... Rather Not Know 41-tie . Work Clothes .... 5+3 42 ..... Patty Hurst Shifter .... Beestinger
Lullabies 43 ..... Farblondjet .... Butt Vicinity ....
**data incomplete 44 ..... Countdown Quartet .... Sadlacks Stomp
.... **data incomplete 45 ..... v/a .... We Fest 2002 comp 46 ..... Kaia .... Oregon 47 ..... Fin Fang Foom .... Texture, Structure
& the Condition of Moods 48 ..... Laramie UK .... Mud Demoes .... **data
incomplete 49 ..... v/a .... Patchwork .... **data
incomplete 50 ..... 3.2.3 Contact .... Bendy EP 51 ..... Ladderback .... Trigger Themes 52 ..... nnenna freelon .... Tales of Wonder 53 ..... v/a .... All Work & No Play Make
Johnny Wanna Learn Guitar comp 54 ..... Port Huron Statement .... Tory 55 ..... Scrappy Hamilton .... Stay On Target 56 ..... Idyll Swords .... Purposeful Availment
series EP .... **data incomplete 57 ..... Cherry Valence .... Riffin' 58 ..... The Spinns .... 7-inch 59 ..... Lystra .... s/t 60 ..... Manish Kalvakota .... Outer Limits 61 ..... $2 Pistols .... Blistered 7-inch ....
**2001 release 62 ..... My Dear Ella/Sames/Rosebuds .... show
EP .... **data incomplete 63 ..... V. Sirin/Paden .... split CD 64 ..... Kerblocki .... s/t 65 ..... Portastatic .... Perfect Little Door
.... **2001 release 66 ..... Charles Douglas .... 31 Flavors 67 ..... 8 Eyes .... Dust .... **data incomplete 68 ..... Little Brother .... whatever you say
.... **data incomplete
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