photo & text by nacrowe
i first learned about long-time CHICAGO INDIE ROCK band THE SEA AND CAKE from a friend after i got into the ICONIC POST ROCK band TORTOISE. apparently a member (JOHN MCENTIRE) was also in this band, albeit playing a different INSTRUMENT. what was INTRIGUING was how dissimilar the two bands were. THE SEA AND CAKE is INSTRUMENTALLY CONTAINED and COMPOSITIONALLY CONCISE with DYNAMIC ELECTRONIC flourishes whereas TORTOISE is expectedly more of an AMORPHOUS force of nature floating on by irrespective of basic notions of STRUCTURE and FORM.
when i listen to THE SEA AND CAKE i cant help but cinematically conjure up HAZY MENTAL IMAGES of NEW ENGLAND boarding schools and WES ANDERSON films where SOPHISTICATED and overly INTRICATELY-DEVELOPED conversations about UNIMPORTANT matters are the norm. its all very ELEVATED and DISTANT from my lived experience and in a way i find this music more ESCAPIST than listening to OUTRAGEOUS GHOSTFACE KILLAH comic book-inspired diatribes or JELLO BIAFRA screeds about political wrongs and past corrupt acts long lost in the passage of time. THE SEA AND CAKE is definitely worth checking out if you are into that type of thing. very much similar to bands like THE MAGNETIC FIELDS or YO LA TENGO.
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photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
i can never get enough of these LIVE PERFORMANCE SERIES that have proliferated ONLINE for the past decade, and COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO's OPENAIR LIVE MUSIC SERIES on INDIE 102.3FM out in the DENVER metropolitan area is no exception. most of the STANDOUT PERFORMANCES i located were of the INDIE ROCK variety with past participants in THE BETHS, LA LUZ, SNAIL MAIL, SHAKEY GRAVES, BOYGENIUS, FRANKIE COSMOS and MURDER BY DEATH.
the locations are SPARSELY DECORATED studios, which visually reinforces the fact that the central focus for the STATION with this project is squarely on the SOUND. these PERFORMANCES on OPENAIR are definitely worth checking out for anyone interested in PUBLIC RADIO and UPCOMING MUSICIANS. photo & text by nacrowe
i came across an INTERESTING cassette while at REPO RECORDS in PHILADELPHIA recently. all i knew about it going into the purchase was that the SONGWRITER was from ALBANIA and, truth be told, as a former PEACE CORPS volunteer who lived and worked in that country for 2+ years, i was already INTRIGUED. it is just so RARE to come across anything from that OBSCURE BALKAN country in the UNITED STATES, such that even a LIMITED-RUN, LO-FI INDIE FOLK record on an OBSCURE stateside INDIE label was something i was absolutely game for.
from what i could gather, GEA is a MULTI-MEDIA ARTIST based in TIRANA and her sophomore effort EVERYONE IS WORRIED ABOUT ME (LONELY BIRD, 2023) is a welcome surprise because it is a SPARSE, EERY and lyrically DARK record with overt themes related to SELF-HARM and DEATH. reminded me immediately of the ELLIOTT SMITH and NICK DRAKE in that regard, just the way the bare instrumentation really puts the focus and EMOTIONAL weight on the vocals. it all just sounds so DEVASTATING, especially on SOMBER tracks such as "CAT/DOG," "AND THEN YOU WEREN'T" and especially "BIRTHDAY SONG." during my time in ALBANIA i was involved with conducting interviews in neighboring KOSOVO as part of my work with the university in VLORA. most of these were related to their TROUBLED history with SERBIA in the 1990s and their STRUGGLE to survive, mount a resistance effort and ultimately the UPHEAVAL and TRAUMATIC experience of seeking refuge with their ethnic kin in ALBANIA. this is all to say that my admittedly LIMITED understanding of what makes up the ALBANIAN sense of IDENTITY is COMPLICATED. there is a strong sense of cohesion and deep-seated COMMUNITY, but often such tight bonds degrade into UNBRIDLED CORRUPTION and lack of any semblance of POLITICAL TRANSPARENCY. i can see how navigating such SIDE-DEALING as a native would feel wholly ISOLATING and FRUSTRATING beyond comparison. not to mention the at-times DEGRADING and REGRESSIVE attitudes surrounding women. my experience through ALBANIAN television was one of everyone attempting to be the next VACUOUS POP icon a la BRITNEY SPEARS, CHRISTINA AGUILERA or DUA LIPA (who coincidently is ethnically ALBANIAN). that something as emotionally wrought and lyrically COMPLEX as EVERYONE IS WORRIED ABOUT ME is coming from such an ISOLATED CULTURE makes me feel counterintuitively better about the country's long-term prospects. perhaps it may be waking up from a long slumber and finally seeing itself accurately in relation to its CULTURAL, POLITICAL and ECONOMIC INTEGRATION into EUROPE and the wider COMMUNITY. or i could just be projecting. either way, check out this recent release from GEA. definitely a welcome surprise i did not see coming. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
i recently revisited this upstate NEW YORK duo PHANTOGRAM i hadn't thought about in a while. back in the early 2010s i came across a RANDOM CD sampler at VINTAGE VINYL, COMPACT DISC WORLD or PRINCETON RECORD EXCHANGE (cant remember which) that had this deeply AFFECTING and SUPER CATCHY song "MOUTH FULL OF DIAMONDS" that seemingly bridged the gap between INDIE ROCK and TRIP HOP. just a WELL-CRAFTED POP song with these HAUNTING, HARMONIZED vocals a la SARAH BARTHEL and JOSH CARTER. for some reason they seemed reminiscent of ELECTROCLASH acts like LADYTRON and THE KNIFE but less DANCE-Y and more INTROSPECTIVE and SOULFUL. more than a decade and three albums later and they are still very much going strong.
definitely worth checking out. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
i recently came across the HAZY, LO-FI FUNK MUSIC of ECLECTIC INDIE ROCK SINGER-SONGWRITER RAHILL JAMALIFARD of BROOKLYN GARAGE ROCK band HABIBI. originally from MICHIGAN, RAHILL is a MULTI-DISCIPLINARY artist of IRANIAN descent whose MUSIC has a UNIQUE APPEAL that seamlessly incorporates DIVERSE genres (FOLK, HIP HOP, SHOEGAZE, AMBIENT) in a COHESIVE PSYCHEDELIC POP AESTHETIC that recalls ARTISTS ranging from BECK, WAVVES and BEST COAST to NUJABES, FLYING LOTUS and even FEIST.
i appreciate the UNPREDICTABLE and decidedly IMPRESSIONISTIC QUALITY of her MUSIC that sounds completely MODERN while also maintaining a BITTERSWEET and NOSTALGIC EDGE. its completely INVIGORATING and REGRESHING, and i look forward to keeping tabs on her future releases. RAHILL is definitely worth checking out.
parodies by nacrowe
the term INDIE ROCK is a pretty AMORPHOUS marker that encompasses a STRIPPED-BACK strain of ROCK N ROLL from the 1980s and beyond that was (for the most part) released on INDEPENDENT labels with LIMITED distribution and supported with tours that (along with HARDCORE bands of the era) established an ALTERNATIVE circuit of makeshift VENUES across the UNITED STATES. to most acts like R.E.M., PAVEMENT, THE REPLACEMENTS, HUSKER DU, DINOSAUR JR, BUILT TO SPILL, SONIC YOUTH and PIXIES come to immediate mind for many when considering the term, but intriguingly it doesnt really denote a particular style per se and is an umbrella term encompassing other genres of the period like POST PUNK, GOTH ROCK, NOISE ROCK and SHOEGAZE. during the 80s many even referred to it as COLLEGE ROCK, given the propensity for only INDEPENDENT-MINDED DJs on local COLLEGE RADIO STATIONS supporting these ARTISTS, as opposed to MAINSTREAM ROCK N ROLL radio at the time which either had its collective head in the sand back in the 1960s and 70s or even worse, the concurrent wave of FECKLESS and UNORIGINAL HAIR METAL emanating from the SUNSET STRIP out in LOS ANGELES.
INDIE ROCK was essentially music for NERDS and its legacy is that of EXPERIMENTATION, focus on craft and (sadly) CULTURAL ELITISM. just by the BOUTIQUE nature of the INDEPENDENT RECORD LABEL business, these cultural artifacts were relatively unavailable at scale to the buying public, much less promoted through MAINSTREAM MUSIC PUBLICATIONS or supported by ESTABLISHED CLUBS and THEATERS. by the very nature of the business-side of things, INDIE ROCK was inherently UNDERGROUND. the story of the genre is much like the apocryphal narrative surrounding the fact that few PEOPLE witnessed THE VELVET UNDERGROUND play live during their brief existence, but those AUDIENCE MEMBERS went out and started bands and furthered their GOSPEL. with the rise of the more INDIE ROCK and HARDCORE-influenced ALTERNATIVE ROCK explosion from SEATTLE in the early 1990s, many of these bands rose to national visibility on the collective backs of NIRVANA, SOUNDGARDEN, PEARL JAM and ALICE IN CHAINS. the AESTHETIC has likewise continued onward for the last thirty years as the culture caught up to INDIE ROCK to the point that it is currently an almost MEANINGLESS term. what is left of it feels co-opted by MODERN online gatekeepers like PITCHFORK, STEREOGUM and BROOKLYNVEGAN who lionize CHEAP NOVELTY and EXPERIMENTATION as an unto themselves to the point that TUNEFULNESS and attention to ACTUAL CRAFT are DIMINISHED and perceived as a glowing indication of a lack of SOPHISTICATION. its a definite problem with BASELESS ELITISM and the false understanding of what makes something AUTHENTIC and unfortunately has INFILTRATED the mindset of the music-buying public in the last two decades plus. not sure whether to BLAME INDIE ROCK itself, but the COMMUNITY at large let it FESTER and reach a critical mass. its UNFORTUNATE because i grew up on many of these bands and truly enjoy their presence in my life, but shy away from the COMMUNITY itself due to the ARBITRARY PISSING CONTEST that it has all become. just my opinion. embedded below is a recent DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating the INDIE ROCK movement of the 1980s and early 1990s. enjoy! photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
after reading guitarist GRAHAM COXON's recent ENGROSSING VERSE, CHORUS, MONSTER! (linked HERE) memoir i sought out the relatively OBSCURE BLUR tour documentary STARSHAPED (PARLOPHONE, 1993) from the earlier 1990s. the band at the time were rather GREEN and touring in support of their early releases LEISURE (FOOD, 1993) and MODERN LIFE IS RUBBISH (FOOD, 1993) while participating in music festivals such as READING and GLASTONBURY for the first time. aside from the performances, most of the FLY-ON-THE-WALL road footage showcases the band in some stage of INEBRIATION. im sure when this film was haphazardly recorded by their friends there was some hope of this footage being ENTERTAINING, but what comes across most prominently is the inanity and BOREDOM of being a TOURING MUSICIAN. ALCOHOL seemingly dulled social and performance ANXIETY while also bringing out a more EXTREME (and frankly EMBARRASSING) version of each of the bandmates. such was being YOUNG.
interestingly, this early 1990s era also predates MODERN widespread internet-enabled TELECOMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY by at least a decade, so you get the PALPABLE feeling that these YOUNG MUSICIANS felt like they were out to sea on an adventure with nothing to document such but the film itself. my family moved to AFRICA in late 1995 and calling friends stateside was an EXPENSIVE and incredibly TRICKY thing. this was all well before EMAILING, TEXTING, FACETIMING, POSTING, DM-ING, SKYPING, ZOOMING and all that. it felt initially like i was deserted on an island. i can only imagine what being an INTERNATIONAL TOURING MUSICIAN for the first time must have felt like during that period. everything is NOVEL, EXHILARATING and UNKNOWN. touring now is different since SOCIAL MEDIA makes everyone OMNIPRESENT and APPROACHABLE everywhere, all the time. obviously, the ALCOHOL backfired further down the line as the COXON / DAMON ALBARN creative relationship was ultimately STRAINED for a number of years because of the dual accumulated toll of MISCOMMUNICATION and INSECURITY that was masked through DRINKING. COXON himself describes how the bottle was able to numb his DEEP ANXIETY and drowning sense of DEPRESSION, which gave excuse for the EVER-CURIOUS ALBARN to seek other artistic collaborations and projects (i.e. GORILLAZ, THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE QUEEN, ROCKET JUICE & THE MOON, etc). what is COMPELLING about STARSHAPED is the ability to watch those dynamics organically metastasize seemingly in REAL-TIME. STARSHAPED is not the most ENGROSSING or WELL-EDITED documentary, but that is also its charm. it was obviously a product meant to cash-in on the ascending popularity of both BLUR and the emerging BRITPOP movement writ large. you very much get to witness a band coming into their own and arguably project themselves for the last time with MINIMAL ARTIFICE. that would soon change as the band grew in popularity and the downside of FAME and its pressure caught up. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
LONG NECK were one of the STANDOUT INDIE ROCK bands we came across when we were filming our OFF THE M live performance series of videos at the TRANS-PECOS and MARKET HOTEL venues in NYC. it was instantly apparent that this JERSEY CITY-based POWER POP band had STAGE PRESENCE and that these were some SERIOUS songs. lyrically their songs, composed by TALENTED songwriter LILY MASTRODIMOS, had a CEREBRAL and deeply REFLECTIVE, almost CONFESSIONAL quality to them. the TONE of the lyrics led to an INTRIGUING LIVE DYNAMIC whereby the ODD SONIC TEXTURES and TIME SIGNATURES employed in the music both served as a stark contrast and a strangely supportive soundscape to the decidedly THOUGHTFUL vocal content. at first glance in a live setting, they appeared to be in absolute FULL COMMAND.
i should mention that back in AUGUST of 2020, MASTRODIMOS participated in a absolutely SICK version of THE REPLACEMENTS' "KIDS DON'T FOLLOW" with TED LEO and members of RISE AGAINST, GOUGE AWAY and CONVERGE for TWO MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT's BEDROOM COVER series of COLLABORATIVE performance videos. similarly, before that LONG NECK curated a livestream live music series called AROUND THE CAMPFIRE with like-minded INDIE bands throughout the pandemic. i have longstanding ties to NEW JERSEY, so i am completely biased in my support of local bands from the GARDEN STATE. i also unabashedly love their band name, since in my mind there is absolutely no such thing as a bad THE LAND BEFORE TIME (UNIVERSAL, 1988) reference. their past two recordings, SOFT ANIMAL (PLASTIC MIRACLES, 2022) and WORLD'S STRONGEST DOG (TINY ENGINES, 2020), are well worth checking out with CLEVER lyrics and MEMORABLE hooks. i am on the lookout for their next move. photo & text by nacrowe
when HARDCORE hit the AMERICAN musical UNDERGROUND in the 1980s, it effectively served as a CULTURAL YEAR ZERO for many musicians and listeners alike, arguably even more so than its NEW YORK CITY and LONDON-based PUNK ROCK predecessor. the first wave of PUNK provided the DIY template and showed the way for SELF-STARTING artists and songwriters in the UNITED STATES specifically, but HARDCORE actually walked through that door and made it happen on a large scale with the HARD-FOUGHT development of a nationwide NETWORK of enabling venues and community of audiences.
what is interesting about the bands that came after that wave of HARDCORE bands, in-artfully termed POST-HARDCORE, is that much like the previous NO WAVE and POST PUNK scenes they expanded on the sonic blueprint of HARDCORE beyond AGGRESSION and BREVITY into a myriad of directions. in essence the cultural legacy of HARDCORE was as a case study for the effectiveness of truly INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY-BUILDING and DIY ETHICS writ large. it EMPOWERED the next generation to just go out and do it, disregard the past and move forward and believe in yourself and your music. one of those directions is embodied by SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE, a relatively obscure mid-90s SEATTLE POST-HARDCORE outfit that took its sonic and lyrical cue from the likes of 1980s DC EMOTIONAL HARDCORE bands on the DISCHORD label like EMBRACE and RITES OF SPRING. SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE has long been tagged with being a major progenitor of the EMO label, but their sound is a HYBRID sound that includes both the sonic AGGRESSION of POST-HARDCORE (i.e. MINUTEMEN, NAKED RAYGUN, QUICKSAND, FUGAZI and HUSKER DU) with a more EMOTIVE and CONFESSIONAL vocal style and lyrical PERSPECTIVE arguably closely associated with POST PUNK acts (i.e. THE SMITHS or THE CURE). this MUCH-DERIDED EMO thread of POST-HARDCORE went on to influence various PROMINENT and commercially viable groups in the early 2000s, everyone from THURSDAY, THE GET UP KIDS, AFI and THE USED to TAKING BACK SUNDAY, JIMMY EAT WORLD and MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE. arguably the popular introduction to this second-wave EMO sub-genre is the aptly-titled debut SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE release DIARY (SUB POP, 1994). on STANDOUT tracks like "IN CIRCLES," "48," "GRENDEL" and "SEVEN" they provide ample evidence for the EMOTIVE and sonic power of what would become a highly INFLUENTIAL, HYBRID sound. the way i choose to look at EMO and POST-HARDCORE in general is that HARDCORE, albeit an INCREDIBLE vehicle for INDEPENDENCE and COMMUNITY-BUILDING, was a musical dead-end. HARDCORE just seemed like a REDUCTIVE circular descent towards NIHILISTIC AGGRESSION, whereas POST-HARDCORE and its EMO variant were taking real CREATIVE and ARTISTIC risks in expanding such EXPRESSION beyond ANTAGONISTIC CONFRONTATION and turn the focus inward toward real VULNERABILITY and EMOTIONAL SELF-EXPOSURE. being against an outside force (i.e. politically, economically or militarily) is all well and good, but it isnt really intellectually or psychologically HONEST. looking into your own PERSONAL SELF-DOUBT or INSECURITY is arguably a much more AUTHENTIC and RISK-TAKING endeavor and very much lays the RESPONSIBILITY for SELF-STARTING action on the individual, not some vague broader entity. POST-HARDCORE and EMO thus provided a way out from under the STIFLING sonic and lyrical expectations of HARDCORE as it calcified over the 1980s and spilled over into the 1990s. famously the rhythm section of the first incarnation of DAVE GROHL's longstanding post-NIRVANA ALTERNATIVE ROCK project, FOO FIGHTERS, was that of the recently disbanded SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE. in fact, bassist NATE MENDEL has long been in GROHL's stead for the past few decades and various lineup shifts. its not that hard to see those FAMOUS rolling bass lines in the FOO FIGHTERS as indicative of his earlier work in SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE. with all the bad will that EMO brought the world in the early 2000s, it is INTERESTING to look back at DIARY and see how that musical shift happened and the POTENTIAL it brought. also how little those later bands really have to do with SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE's POTENT push-pull blend of CATHARSIS and AGGRESSION. most definitely worth revisiting and checking out. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
recently came across the MADRID-based INDIE ROCK band CAROLINA DURANTE when i discovered the MEXICAN LIVE PERFORMANCE series LA BESTIA TV produced by the namesake radio station in MEXICO CITY. i was just immediately taken aback by the SNAPPY, STRAIGHT-AHEAD precision of their sound and the FORCEFUL, EARNEST and EMOTIVE delivery of singer DIEGO IBANEZ. to my ears they come across as a POTENT cross between decidedly more TRADITIONALIST ROCK N ROLL acts like THE STROKES, YEAH YEAH YEAHS and THE LIBERTINES.
CAROLINA DURANTE is definitely a band worth checking out and paying attention to moving forward. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
i was introduced to DINOSAUR JR through my dad who had their WITHOUT A SOUND (SIRE, 1994) album largely on the strength of the single "FEEL THE PAIN" that was on the local ALTERNATIVE ROCK radio station KROQ 106.7FM in LOS ANGELES. in fact, there are photos of me in elementary school wearing a DINOSAUR JR shirt from that period. much later on i attended a boarding school in WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS in a small town just north of AMHERST, where the band hailed from. i took comfort in that for some reason. that even though i was surrounded by STRANGE MASSHOLES all the time, at least i knew some of them in theory were on the level.
FREAKSCENE: THE STORY OF DINOSAUR JR (VIRUS FILMS, 2021) is a particularly INTIMATE portrayal of the INFLUENTIAL INDIE ROCK band and its DEFINITIVE lineup of guitarist J MASCIS, bassist LOU BARLOW and drummer MURPH. famously OBLIQUE and INDECIPHERABLE in interviews, i was stunned to learn recently that a film on the band even exists, but in fact the documentary is directed by MASCIS' brother-in-law. which makes sense, because FREAKSCENE very much attempts to understand the INTRIGUING and COMBUSTIBLE mix of CREATIVE ENERY, EGO and CONFLICTING PERSONALITIES that made the band so internally VOLATILE while maintaining such an ELEVATED ARTISTIC STREAK throughout the 1980s and early 90s. its just amazing that three even agreed to discuss such for public consumption, but such is the state of their career and INTERNAL RESPECT for one another that seemingly all of it is water under the bridge. basically DINOSAUR JR is MASCIS. he started the band with fellow DEEP WOUND bandmate BARLOW after transitioning away from HARDCORE and the drums to guitar. over several album cycles BARLOW grew into his own as a songwriter and felt confined by his role in DINOSAUR JR and started to allocate material for his SEBADOH side project (itself another SEMINAL and much BELOVED INDIE ROCK band). feeling he wasnt fully committed to the band, MASCIS fired him. MURPH lasted another album cycle. by the time i heard the band via WITHOUT A SOUND, MASCIS was the only remaining founding member. its and absolutely INTRIGUING dynamic that a band with such a DISTINCTIVE and UNSPOKEN, ON-STAGE CHEMISTRY had such a difficult time with INTER-BAND COMMUNICATION and basic HUMAN INTERACTION. MUSICAL RELATIONSHIPS can be WEIRD like that, but that IDIOSYNCRATIC core relationship is the crux of the film. how they lost such and regained it later as adults. and you can tell no one is more POSITIVE about the re-emergence of DINOSAUR JR as a VIABLE CULTURAL ENTITY as that of his IMMEDIATE peer group. the interview participants for this film is quite DEEP and INCREDIBLE with PUNK ROCK and INDIE ROCK luminaries such KIM GORDON (SONIC YOUTH, BODY/HEAD), BOB MOULD (HUSKER DU, SUGAR), KEVIN SHIELDS (MY BLOODY VALENTINE), HENRY ROLLINS (BLACK FLAG, ROLLINS BAND), THURSTON MOORE (SONIC YOUTH), FRANK BLACK (PIXIES), SONIC BOOM (SPACEMEN 3) and KURT VILE attesting to their continued GREATNESS. FREAKSCENE is ESSENTIAL viewing for anyone interested in the evolution of UNDERGROUND ROCK AND ROLL from the 1980s onward. most definitely worth checking out. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
this isnt the first time ive stated my love of LIVE PERFORMANCE series on YOUTUBE and the latest quality one i found is the HIGHWAY HOLIDAY TV series produced by the namesake EUROPEAN TOURING SUPPLY company out of BELGIUM of all places. the ongoing series features MODERN, EXPANSIVE and EXPERIMENTAL ROCK N ROLL bands of all walks and genres. the setting is SPARE and decidedly INDUSTRIAL but all that effectively does is put the focus on the featured artists, including NOTABLE acts like A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS, DAGGERS, KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD, SECOND STILL, EMMA RUTH RUNDLE, BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT and KIKAGAKU MOYO among others.
HIGHWAY HOLIDAY TV is definitely a LIVE PERFORMANCE series well worth checking out.
parody & text by nacrowe
there are certain bands i turn to when in moments of STRESS. it can go one of two ways: either i want something incredible AGGRESSIVE (i.e. PIG DESTROYER, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, NAILS and early SEPULTURA) or CHILL and MELLOW (CHET BAKER, ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER, BILL EVANS, BOARDS OF CANADA, GUSTAV MAHLER, STAN GETZ and early APHEX TWIN). the former BIRMINGHAM-based songwriting duo BROADCAST are UNIQUE in my estimation because they have this deeply emotionally RAW sound that is also seemingly and paradoxically quite TRANQUIL and SANGUINE. somehow they successfully meshed the two together.
calling a band's sound "CINEMATIC" is beyond a cliche, but is absolutely apt when describing that of BROADCAST. their HAZY and HAUNTING electronic soundscapes would not seem out of place as the sound-bed to a long-lost postwar black-and-white FRENCH film that followed two lovers doomed to be apart. their sounds exudes this sweet sense of MELANCHOLIA that both SOOTHES and GRATES simultaneously, like bearing witness to an exclusive event but not necessarily being a part of it. i cant help but find myself trailing off into a dreamlike NOSTALGIC state when taking in albums like WORK AND NONWORK (WARP, 1997) and THE NOISE MADE BY PEOPLE (WARP, 2000). its all encompassing. the fact that vocalist TRISH KEENAN is no longer with us, having tragically passed away on tour in AUSTRALIA from PNEUMONIA brought on by a short battle with SWINE FLU back in 2011 only makes that decidedly somber tone more PRONOUNCED and EVIDENT. its STIRRING and absolutely UNCANNY. its the type of sound that makes me feel REFLECTIVE and ANXIOUS at the same time, which counterintuitively calms me down during moments of STRESS and UNEASE. very similar in that regard to the music of JOY DIVISION, which likewise strikes a balance in presenting a SINGULAR bifurcated tone. i learned about BROADCAST through a former post-college work colleague who was an absolute music snob. through him i also learned about STEREOLAB, THE MAGNETIC FIELDS, NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL, early FLAMING LIPS, AUTECHRE and WILCO. dude was a complete dick, but i am grateful that i picked up BROADCAST from him, which is a band i have still not emotionally reconciled with to present day, two decades later. in you are unfamiliar, they are definitely worth checking out. embedded below is a recent DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating the MELODIC and ethereally MELANCHOLIC music of BROADCAST. enjoy! photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
it was a FORTUNATE accident when we came across the VIRGINIA INDUSTRIAL BLUES band BUCK GOOTER while filming on location at MARKET HOTEL in BROOKLYN a few years ago for our live performance video series ON THE M (linked HERE). the set consisted of these NASTY, BOTTOMLESS DIRGES played as if they were conducted by EVIL robots. frontman BILLY BRETT was swaying around and whipping chains while guitarist TERRY TURTLE was standing SENTINEL over the audience in MEDIEVAL CHAINMAIL. they just looked and sounded completely POSSESSED, like a SOUNDTRACK to the APOCALYPSE. i just remember thinking immediately that this band was COOL, like the first time i came across BIG BLACK. mind blown.
unfortunately we werent able to use the footage due to an issue with the audio we took from the soundboard that night, but we were all PSYCHED to see it utilized later in their "NAILED TO A CROSS" video. the band itself was beyond PROLIFIC with 19 records over their 15+ year career at the time. sadly TURTLE passed away from cancer in 2019 at age 67. BRETT has carried on and we wish BUCK GOOTER nothing but the best. their most recent release GHOST BRAIN (2023), produced by OLIVER ACKERMANN (A PLAE TO BURY STRANGERS), is absolutely DEMENTED and well worth checking out. RIP TERRY TURTLE
parodies by nacrowe
i was just at the BROOKLYN MUSEUM today to catch the INCREDIBLE SPIKE LEE: CREATIVE SOURCES exhibit (which i highly recommend and is open through february 4). after taking that WONDERFUL exhibit in, i had a happy accident in noticing from the guide that there was another INTRIGUING exhibit taking place a floor below called COPY MACHINE MANIFESTOS: ARTISTS WHO MAKE ZINES (open through march 31). honestly, in my mind i was just hoping that said exhibit would have examples of those RARE RAYMOND PETTIBON ZINES from the 1980s. oh did they. in fact there was a whole wall of them. beyond COOL. just as COMPELLING, there were also MULTIPLE BIKINI GIRL ZINES from the early 1990s which got me thinking about the MEDIUM in general.
with the ubiquity of EFFICIENT and COST-EFFECTIVE office copy machines in the 1980s (largely due to a lost anti-trust case that saw XEROX bequeath its intellectual property to rivals TOSHIBA, CANON, MINOLTA and SHARP), there was suddenly a mechanism for retail customers to SELF-PUBLISH at scale at a reduced cost. enter SELF-MADE ARTISTS, SOCIAL/POLITICAL ACTIVISTS and MUSIC ENTHUSIASTS who grabbed onto this platform to create MAKESHIFT, LOW-QUALITY publications that expressed a viewpoint by definition outside of the mainstream. the exhibit very dives into the diversity of output from the late 1970s onward and how the format really provided a voice for the voiceless and addressed the needs of COMMUNITY FORGOTTEN or UNRECOGNIZED by the publishing industry at the time. that melding of ART, POLITICS and MUSIC is such an INTERESTING topic and the exhibit showcases the extremities of taste and decency in those often aggressively TRANSGRESSIVE publications. i feel like i understand the niche pre-internet. what i had a harder time understanding was the need for ZINES from the 2000s onward when the internet had provided numerous avenues (FORUMS, SOCIAL MEDIA, BLOGS, WEBSITES, E-MAIL CHAINS, NEWSLETTERS, SUBSTACKS, etc.) for COMMUNITY generation on a MASSIVE global scale. but maybe that limitation is the point. ZINES are by design DISPOSABLE and severely limited in production, thus limiting the COMMUNITY involved and rendering such UNSEARCHABLE in the technological sense. it makes you consider if KATHLEEN HANNA was starting out today in 2023 what messaging vehicle she'd have initiated to get her thoughts transmitted to the PUBLIC. thats what ive been thinking about the rest of the day. embedded below is a recent DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating RIOT GRRRL bands from throughout 1990s, as well as later female artists that took up the mantle and ran with it thereafter. enjoy! photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
by the time the I'M NOW: THE STORY OF MUDHONEY (KING OF HEARTS, 2012) documentary came out more than a decade ago, the much REVERED SEATTLE ALTERNATIVE ROCK band MUDHONEY had become somewhat of an ongoing UNDERGROUND cultural institution similar to their likewise NOTEWORTHY local peers in the MELVINS. both bands predated and were early PROGENITORS of the ALTERNATIVE ROCK explosion and ultimately became SURVIVORS of it as well, with all that entailed including a dalliance with the major label system. what is apparent from the film is that MUDHONEY, like the MELVINS, did everything on their own artistic terms, damn the COMMERCIAL CONSEQUENES. which is why they are still much BELOVED and arguably more INFLUENTIAL in the long-run then their BETTER-KNOWN contemporaries in SOUNDGARDEN, ALICE IN CHAINS, PEARL JAM, SCREAMING TREES and NIRVANA.
their narrative is very much intertwined with the emergence of the INDEPENDENT local SUB POP label as a cultural force in the late 1980s and early 1990s. after releasing their first single on the CASH-STRAPPED LABEL, a GERMAN promoter flew them out to BERLIN for a showcase that effectively introduced both the EUROPEAN public and the foreign music press this AMORPHOUS fuzzed-out-beyond-oblivion sound termed "GRUNGE" by some critics back stateside. this initial foray into the EUROPEAN market setup not just MUDHONEY and SUB POP RECORDS, but the entire scene for future success. but in the short-term the LABEL was operating in the red due to a lack of funds and it wasn't until the UNEXPECTED ECONOMIC WINDFALL that was NIRVANA's NEVERMIND (DGC, 1991), that the LABEL was able to find its financial footing. by that point MUDHONEY had already left for REPRISE RECORDS a year earlier, fearing the very real POTENTIAL FINANCIAL INSOLVENCY of SUB POP. this MAJOR LABEL PERIOD for me is the crux of the film, as it showed a band that operated at arms length from their LABEL both financially and artistically, exploiting it for their own decidedly MODEST aims. afraid of having their sound polished in the process a la THE REPLACEMENTS and HUSKER DU before them, the band shrewdly did not change their recording process despite the new BLOATED BUDGETS. they consciously recorded on a shoestring and collectively pocketed the rest, which effectively led to DOWN PAYMENTS on houses and other invidually VALUABLE LONG-TERM ASSETS. for me it seems extraordinarily ASTUTE (and PUNK ROCK) to utilize the MAJOR LABEL SYSTEM to shore up their individual long-term financial interests instead of plunking it away on RECORDING and TOUR PRODUCTION BUDGETS. again, the only other examples of bands i've heard of doing something similar were the MELVINS and the likewise REVERED LOS ANGELES based MELODIC HARDCORE band BAD RELIGION. by the time MUDHONEY came back to earth and returned to SUB POP for the third phase of their career and they left the MAJOR LABEL SYSTEM for good, they were rendered effectively UNSCATHED. this is exceedingly RARE, as most bands caught up in the post-NEVERMIND major label feeding frenzy that didnt "make it" came out the other end dismantled, discarded or shells of their former selves. not MUDHONEY, and at this point SUB POP was for years on solid financial and cultural footing, making the reunion work to present day. much is made about the DIY ETHIC in PUNK ROCK and INDIE ROCK circles, but their is something to be said about going into the lion's den, especially during this period, and not getting torn to shreds. with MUDHONEY they had a strong vision of who they were as individuals and what they wanted to accomplish. in effect, they saw themselves decidedly NOT as an ARENA BAND or as ROCK GODS and basically wanted to be the next link in the chain of CELEBRATED bands like THE STOOGES, THE RAMONES, MOTORHEAD, BLACK FLAG, THE DAMNED and the MC5. and they accomplished such with their INTEGRITY intact which is quite the SINGULAR achievement given the body count that came out of that scene from drugs and the pressures of the RECORDING INDUSTRY. more than a decade since the release of this film, such is still very much the case. and they do such by remaining in the PRESENT MOMENT. for some they might be a nostalgia act from a bygone era, but they view themselves as a VITAL CREATIVE ENTITY entering a new phase and continuing to ENGAGE and influence the next generation of ROCK AND ROLL musicians, much like their heroes in IGGY POP and the late LEMMY KILMISTER. this documentary is ESSENTIAL viewing for fans of ALTERNATIVE ROCK, PUNK ROCK and INDIE ROCK, especially from the CRUCIAL late 1980s / early 1990s period in the PACIFIC NORTHWEST. NOTABLE interview participants in this documentary include KIM THAYIL (SOUNDGARDEN), KIM GORDON & THURSTON MOORE (SONIC YOUTH), STONE GOSSARD & JEFF AMENT (PEARL JAM), KEITH MORRIS (BLACK FLAG / CIRCLE JERKS), TAD DOYLE & KURT DANIELSON (TAD), BOB BERT (PUSSY GALORE), JOHN WAHL & CHRIS BAGAROZZI (CLAWHAMMER), WAYNE KRAMER (MC5), producer JACK ENDINO (SKIN YARD), photographer CHARLES PETERSON and RECORD LABEL founders BRUCE PAVITT & JONATHAN PONEMAN (SUB POP). photo & text by nacrowe
when thinking about the AT WAR WITH THE MYSTICS (WARNER BROS, 2006) era biography STARING AT SOUND: THE TRUE STORY OF OKLAHOMA'S FABULOUS FLAMING LIPS (CROWN, 2006) by CHICAGO SUN-TIMES music critic and CELEBRATED cohost of WCRX's SOUND OPINIONS radio program JIM DEROGATIS, i cant help coming away with the impression that despite its detail it is a rather PEDESTRIAN, STRAIGHTFORWARD narrative being presented. which is probably what i should have expected.
i dont know how else you could make a sense of a SEMINAL cult band that has managed to capture the attention of WIDESPREAD mainstream popular attention, if only for the short CULTURAL MOMENT preceding this book's publication, despite numerous lineup shifts, changing genres, the rise of sharing platforms, streaming and the fall of the RECORDING INDUSTRY and not to mention the serious handicap of being from the CONSERVATIVE, CULTURAL OBLIVION that is the state of OKLAHOMA. a TRADITIONAL episodic narrative makes sense from a writing standpoint by conceptually misses the opportunity to get WEIRD, as THE FLAMING LIPS are one of those few bands that gets more OBTUSE and ECCENTRIC with each release up to the present. its like writing an HONEST accounting of the DADAIST MOVEMENT without partaking in the FUN itself. that being said, there was much about THE FLAMING LIPS i was unaware of: for instance, the extent to which singer WAYNE COYNE was involved with the 1980s HARDCORE PUNK ROCK / INDIE ROCK scene in OKLAHOMA to the point he loaned out-of-town bands his PA SYSTEM and that his former girlfriend MICHELE VLASIMSKY was a concert promoter so revered that her BOUTIQUE firm BULGING EYE became the UNITED STATES booker agent of NIRVANA both pre and post-fame. i always wondered how they were able to gain an audience and network among other EXPERIMENTAL, LIKE-MINDED bands such as THE BUTTHOLE SURFERS in a pre-internet, entirely ANALOGUE environment. they were essentially a nexus point in a wider NETWORK of INDEPENDENT venues and college radio stations that made up the UNDERGROUND SYSTEM that supported everyone from R.E.M. to BLACK FLAG. i was likewise unaware of the internal dynamics behind their storied collaboration with REVERED producer DAVE FRIDMANN who worked with them on most of their more ACCLAIMED and IMAGINATIVE releases. what shouldnt not have been surprising is that such a choice in producer was due largely to budget and control. THE FLAMING LIPS were signed to WARNER BROS and they were unable on their first string of releases to gain the SOUND QUALITY and sense of EXPERIMENTALISM by rushing through HALF-BAKED ideas in an expensive studio with producers INEXPERIENCED and UNINTERESTED in their perspective. learning about FRIDMANN and his UPSTATE NEW YORK studio at a college through a roadie seemed the perfect setting to stretch their budget and also exercise some control over the proceedings, as previous producers just dictated major decisions in terms of RECORDING TECHNIQUES and various aspects of PRODUCTION. over time FRIDMANN became an extended member of the team and utilized THE FLAMING LIPS as a starting off point to beta test EXPLORATORY RECORDING and PRODUCTION IDEAS to the benefit of both. i wish i was able to learn more about former guitarist and all-around musical SAVANT RONALD JONES, but i guess he will just remain an MYSTERY wrapped up in an ENIGMA for the time being. i am assuming DEROGATIS with his long-term access to the band knows more than he lets on but is probably being circumspect of RESPECT and an unspoken DIGNITY for JONES' privacy. as a listener and fan, JONES is almost like SYD BARRETT in terms of his creative output, influence and stunning exit from the MUSIC INDUSTRY. the band was lucky to have him when they did, but even more FORTUNATE to have songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist STEVEN DROZD in their midst at same time. if you are a fan of THE FLAMING LIPS or interested in the unfolding and unraveling of all things 1980s INDIE ROCK and 1990s ALTERNATIVE ROCK then STARING AT SOUND is worth the effort. if not, the book is a bit dry and unassuming which is quite IRONIC given its subject matter. interesting nonetheless. photo & text by nacrowe
terms like ALTERNATIVE and EXPERIMENTAL get bandied about a bit, myself included, when describing UNFAMILIAR or EXOTIC recordings with UNIQUE production processes beyond the point of being cliche. but that late songwriter DANIEL JOHNSTON is that RARE, AUTHENTIC OUTSIDER ARTIST that is SINGULAR unto himself and yet absolutely INDELIBLE to the listening public. long suffering from SEVERE BIPOLAR DISORDER that found him in various psychiatric institutions throughout his life, JOHNSTON found SOLACE in his songwriting and the makeshift cassettes he made via a basic consumer boombox. these tapes he famously passed out at his AUSTIN fast food gig back in the 1980s.
famously KURT COBAIN at the peak of the ALTERNATIVE ROCK movement vocally promoted the work of JOHNSTON among other INDEPENDENT artists (KYUSS, THE BOREDOMS, HALF JAPANESE, THE RAINCOATS, FLIPPER and SHONEN KNIFE among others) that virtually removed him from CULTURAL OBSCURITY and even made him the center of a major label bidding war. there is a RIVETING documentary about his life called THE DEVIL AND DANIEL JOHNSTON (SONY PICTURES CLASSICS, 2005) that is well-worth checking out that goes into much more detail about his UNLIKELY CAREER, CULT STATUS and struggles with MENTAL ILLNESS. HI, HOW ARE YOU (SELF-RELEASED, 1983) is arguably his most famous cassette. STANDOUT tracks from this recording in the intervening years have been covered by everyone from EDDIE VEDDER (PEARL JAM), MIKE WATT (MINUTEMEN) and TV ON THE RADIO and songs from his EXTENSIVE catalogue have likewise been covered on record by the likes of THE FLAMING LIPS, TOM WAITS, M. WARD, BRIGHT EYES, MERCURY REV, GUSTER, EELS, NICK ZINNER (THE YEAH YEAH YEAHS), DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE, TEENAGE FANCLUB and BECK among others. CELEBRATED songs include "DESPERATE MAN BLUES," "WALKING THE COW," "BIG BUSINESS MONKEY," "POOR YOU," "DESPAIR CAME KNOCKING" and "GET YOURSELF TOGETHER." to my ears JOHNSTON is almost like the aural equivalent of HENRY DARGER in that his songs have a SELF-CONTAINED, INTERIOR LOGIC and WORLDVIEW that is constructed by a creator without a full-set of facts about how the world works. his characterizations about certain types of people may come across as NAIVE, but there is a PALPABLE sense that through much effort and INCREDIBLE CREATIVITY, he has made a substantial stab at CONTEXTUALIZING, UNDERSTANDING and ultimately ENGAGING with the outside world from a SKEWED PERSPECTIVE. to me that is ultimately the CHARM of his records, as well as the decidedly LO-FI AESTHETICS of his recordings. literally all you have are the songs and they stand on their own in this RUDIMENTARY state sans gimmickry or even BASIC production values as his voice trails and guitar/piano trail in and out due one would assume to his body movement from the boom box's INTERNAL microphone. undoubtedly JOHNSTON is a DIY CULT STATUS and a TRUE AMERICAN original. his is the embodiment of the AUTHENTIC alternative to what is often labeled ALTERNATIVE and his work is well worth checking out. RIP DANIEL JOHNSTON.
parody by nacrowe
check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the ECLECTIC and EXPERIMENTAL roster of the LOS ANGELES-based independent label SARGENT HOUSE RECORDS!
​ ​​past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives. and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! photo & text by nacrowe
arguably the most CELEBRATED release from the much-REVERED GEORGIA INDIE ROCK institution that is R.E.M., AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE (WARNER BROS, 1992) is very much the culmination of the ELEVATED SONGWRITING and LYRICISM explored throughout the entire previous decade. never did the band sound more COGENT and AUTHORITATIVE then on this record.
on the preceding album OUT OF TIME (WARNER BROS, 1991), guitarist PETER BUCK was largely disenchanted with the guitar as a viable means of EXPRESSION, which is not hard to understand given the EMPTY, MASTURBATORY EDDIE VAN HALEN-inspired WANKERY of the 1980s. BUCK was always more of a TEXTURAL player who philosophically employed his instrument not unlike that of JOHNNY MARR (THE SMITHS), DANIEL ASH (BAUHAUS, LOVE AND ROCKETS, TONES ON TAIL) or ROBERT SMITH (THE CURE) in that the emotional evocation of the part superseded the TECHNICAL PROWESS or DEXTERITY utilized to achieve such. in short, the part served the song and not the other way around. on OUT OF TIME BUCK famously put down his guitar and picked up a mandolin in its place, writing some of their most FAMOUS songs, especially "LOSING MY RELIGION." when i listen to AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE i am confronted with a guitarist that has fallen in love with his instrument again. the SOARING pre-chorus LEAD EMBELLISHMENTS on the aptly titled "DRIVE" or the more SUBTLE FOLK-inspired DELICATE PLUCKED LINES of "MONTY GOT A RAW DEAL" and the WISTFUL, SOFT-FOCUS STRUMMING of "MAN ON THE MOON." the album to my ears just sounds like a master class in the EMOTIVE potential of the guitar as a sonic vehicle. in terms of EARNEST POETIC LYRICISM, the always INTUITIVE and REFLECTIVE vocalist MICHAEL STIPE on previous releases always had an INVENTIVE and rather OPAQUE way with WORDS and TURNS-OF-PHRASE that emotively translated where his PSYCHIC and AFFECTIVE headspace was at during the point of creation. AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE in that sense is a slight bit of a departure in that the themes and subjects are bit more TRANSPARENT, but such are seemingly the vehicle for translating deeply-felt EMOTIONAL CONTENT. a track like "EVERYBODY HURTS" is so SOLEMN on the face of it that it could very easily fall prey to UNINTENTIONAL SELF-PARODY or MOCKERY. what sells that line is the SERIOUS-MINDED conviction of STIPE's voice as if he is still in the process of dealing with the consequences of said experience in real-time. it is quite the PERFORMANCE and quite the achievement. "NIGHTSWIMMING" is a NOSTALGIC, PIANO-DRIVEN RUMINATION on lake skinny-dipping at night as a youth and that PROFOUND sense of UNIMPEDED FREEDOM that is as EPHEMERAL and JOYFUL as it is BITTERSWEET. not unlike the FLEETING experience of youth itself and growing older. "MAN ON THE MOON" is an ODE to ANDY KAUFMAN as if the late comedian where still alive, ready to pounce and eviscerate our collective cultural expectations once again with one last gag to end all gags. although the track celebrates his COMEDIC AESTHETIC, there is a MELANCHOLIC vibe that seemingly counteracts the words and insinuates the DISCONNECTION and ISOLATION of a comedian from their audience. its as if KAUFMAN is lost at sea and this song is a siren call to lure him back to shore. my personal FAVORITE track is "DRIVE." it is a COMPELLING MEDITATION over the complexities of being LYRICAL and EMPATHETIC in such a PUBLIC MEDIUM. the video really relates this ODD DYNAMIC visually quite astutely and strikingly with band members individually crowd surfing, literally connecting physically with their audience while being above and separate from such. i continue to find both the song and accompanying promotional video quite POWERFUL. unfortunately it is assumed that KURT COBAIN (NIRVANA) tragically committed suicide to this song, which obviously only further fuses that song with its strong theme of ISOLATION in the public imagination one step further. not unlike U2 post-THE JOSHUA TREE (ISLAND, 1987), R.E.M. post-AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE finds the group more interested in VEILED EXPRESSIONS through ALTERNATE PERSONAS and EXPANDED PRODUCTION with SONIC JUXTAPOSITIONS that hitherto were not previously part of the band's LEXICON OF SOUNDS. i feel like such was an INEVITABLE step away from the EARNESTNESS that was this album in particular, as if STIPE and company did not wish to be so EXPOSED and TRANSPARENT for public consumption again. at least that is my interpretation. i can't say i blame them. AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE is ESSENTIAL and absolutely required listening. most definitely worth checking out to the uninitiated. |
NICHOLAS ARCHIVES
March 2024
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