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photo & text by nacrowe
the INDIE ELECTRONIC duo THE POSTAL SERVICE, made up of BEN GIBBARD (DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE) and JIMMY TAMBORELLO (DNTEL), created only one record in GIVE UP (SUB POP, 2003), but its influence very much reverberates to the present day. its creation was famously done remotely via sending CD-Rs back and forth to each other through the mail (thus the band moniker) in a manner that predates stems sent over e-mail today, which has only further grown to become a staple of the recording experience during the pandemic.
i am probably naive, but this process seemed pretty NOVEL at the time and the results were surprisingly COHESIVE and sonically spectacular. this record really did split the middle between SYNTH POP and INDIE ROCK and was a massive crossover success at the time with MEMORABLE tracks like "CLARK GABLE," "THE DISTRICT SLEEPS ALONE TONE," "WE WIL BECOME SILHOUETTES" and "SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS." it was at once retro in its aural palette of synths and drum machines, but fervently of-the-moment in its memorable melodies courtesy of GIBBARD who was very much of the zeitgeist at that moment in the early 2000s. this record was indelible to me since i knew about its themes of DISTANCE and LONGING that were part of its creation. at the time of its release i was in my second year of college and two years removed from having to leave someone i cared about abruptly back during my senior year of high school in the wake of 9/11. i hated living in KUWAIT until i met someone. then all the political, social and cultural bullshit just kind became muted and got dislodged somewhere unnoticed in the background. meeting this person felt transformative. 9/11 happened two weeks later and i was subsequently shipped off to live with a relative in CALIFORNIA. physically i was in SACRAMENTO but mentally i was still in some science class sitting next to a cute junior. it sucked. we spoke twice a month for two years but it was hard not being there. havent had that experience since and i hope i never do. it was beyond excruciating letting go. as a young person that process of moving on was a brutal learning experience, especially since it all felt beyond my control. when GIVE UP came out i immediately understood that disabling sense of confused emotions that comes with distance immediately and inherently. i still find this record hard to listen to for that reason, which is funny because it is quite the compelling upbeat pop record and is widely celebrated for such. but as someone who lived abroad for many years at a time the record is a reminder of what it is like to be away from those that you care for and that need to just let go. in some fashion my whole life feels like a series of goodbyes at this point. im certain thats universal. great record. highly recommended. 
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parodies by nacrowe
its funny, the DEER GOD RADIO episode i did on the fabulous modern DARKWAVE band DRAB MAJESTY was only a few months ago, but the idea about a doing a show on their small output of releases was at least two years coming. and it represents a dilemma i have when constructing a playlist based on a promising new band: its quite possible their best is yet to come. i have playlists (and artwork parodies) currently waiting for bands like CHILDISH GAMBINO, LA LUZ, THE COATHANGERS, KENDRICK LAMAR, PANDA BEAR and NEW FOUND GLORY among others that im not quite sure whether or not to pull the trigger since its possible their next is the culmination of all their past efforts, like say the previous A DAY TO REMEMBER album (which was released well over a year after the EPISODE 75 show dedicated to them). its a small, insignificant quibble of mine, but its probably the reason i dont do many shows on upcoming bands.
im always rethinking such. i learned about the band via my brother's ex-girlfriend a few years back. thanks LOURDES! what i love about DRAB MAJESTY is that their music is beyond sonically intoxicating and conjures up all the seductive textural guitar elements i adore from guitarists like JOHNNY MARR (THE SMITHS), DANIEL ASH (BAUHAUS, LOVE AND ROCKETS, TONES ON TAIL), BERNARD SUMNER (JOY DIVISION, NEW ORDER), MARTIN GORE (DEPECHE MODE) and especially ROBERT SMITH (THE CURE). in my mind DRAB MAJESTY is a part of that legacy of 80s INDIE and POST PUNK bands who put a premium on songwriting and emotional weight through blending idiosyncratic sound textures. their power is in their ability to evoke a sound without sounding contrived or derivative, which is my personal gripe with DARKWAVE in general. those ringing, ambient guitar lines that wash over one another and culminate brilliantly in a sonic climax also find common bedfellows with the likes of SHOEGAZE icons KEVIN SHIELDS (MY BLOODY VALENTINE) and NEIL HALSTEAD (SLOWDIVE). so basically i was absolutely destined to love DRAB MAJESTY since they remind me of the contagiously melodic, experimental end of all my favorite bands! my hope is that their next record blows all the others apart. maybe ill just have to do a follow-up or part two. why not? i cannot encourage you enough to check out their music. DRAB MAJESTY is easily my favorite band of the last 10 years. the recent DEER GOD RADIO dedicated to them is embedded below. 
photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
i recently came across the INFECTIOUS INDIE POP sounds of MINI MANSIONS, which to my ears splits the difference somewhere between the likes of AUTOLUX, THE DANDY WARHOLS, NEON NEON and THE BEATLES. by that i mean their songs are impeccably constructed with MEMORABLE melodies built around LUSH and experimentally PLAYFUL soundscapes.
its like fun pop music for smart people. not that im saying that includes me. MINI MANSIONS is definitely worth checking out. 
photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
formerly a member of the now defunct SEATTLE INDIE ROCK outfit CARISSA'S WIERD, JENN CHAMPION (who also records under the S moniker) is a talented songwriter who is not afraid of having fun. i love independent music but oftentimes the rock world can be a tad bit insular and joyless. what strikes me as interesting with her dual CHAMPION/S output is how she jumps head first into SYNTH-laden pop music (and seems to be have fun doing it) without losing her identity in the process. S is more of a traditionally intimate LO-FI bedroom recording type project. both seemingly allow her to pursue both ends of her musical identity.
to me JENN CHAMPION just comes off as a fearless musician and i definitely think her catalogue is worth checking out. 
photo & text by nacrowe
as a music fan i find it compelling to consider the extent to which i project my emotions and psychic energy into the art created by total strangers. maybe that is just the reciprocal nation of art in general. in my experience there is an inherent expectation or sense of trust in the artist to not let the listener down by being inauthentic or explicitly market driven. it is my opinion that WEEZER's second album PINKERTON (DGC, 1996) is one of those select few recordings which collapses that notion in on itself, since many ALTERNATIVE ROCK fans probably wish songwriter RIVERS CUOMO would have been a little more guarded with his lyrics at the time. listening to it today still feels a bit cringe-y and most definitely TMI.
considered by many to be a landmark album that was an inspiration for the EMO movement a decade later, PINKERTON is renowned for CUOMO's diatribes about his DISSATISFACTION with life, specifically the SEXUAL ISOLATION of being frontman for a successful band. himself an object of desire, in a strange inversion he projects his own obsessed sexual ideations on young letter-writing female fans in JAPAN in his lyrics. that interpersonal DISCONNECT and overall DISSATISFACTION with the ALIENATING NATURE OF FAME, in which one becomes a caricature of themselves and lose their IDENTITY to a PUBLIC PERSONA, is all over this record and at times CUOMO seems to be losing that battle for control. his honesty regarding his SEXUAL PREDILECTIONS is maybe a vehicle for reestablishing such IDENTITY from a rabid fanbase that feels they know him, but obviously dont. its a very interesting dynamic and a subject that comes up from time to time, mostly in concept records by the likes of prog-rockers like PINK FLOYD or GENESIS. but not INDIE ROCK bands with no artifice or concept shielding them from criticism. PINKERTON is bare and brutally honest in its execution, especially in songs like "ACROSS THE SEA," "PINK TRIANGLE," "TIRED OF SEX," "THE GOOD LIFE" and "EL SCORCHO." the fact that these songs are ultra-catchy (thanks in no small part to the back-up vocals of bassist MATT SHARP - his last with the group), only makes the vinegar with the sugar that much more potent. i should mention that the title is a reference to the AMERICAN naval officer in the opera MADAME BUTTERFLY. the character of PINKERTON has a JAPANESE wife while stationed on the island and then promptly abandons her when recalled back home. the opera is about her extreme torment and ritual suicide after being shamed by the relationship and her pregnancy. its a very curious allusion for an album dealing with obsession, mainly because the plot of said opera is rather racist and anti-female. is CUOMO idealizing that level of loyalty from his fans or objects of affection? who is PINKERTON and who is MADAME BUTTERFLY in this scenario? having lived in JAPAN, i will say that CUOMO was correct in his observation about half-JAPANESE girls being gorgeous. i only bring that up since there is a major cultural taboo about NATIONAL IDENTITY only being recognized in those who parents are both JAPANESE. those that are half something else are often culturally looked down upon and even harassed. its one aspect of their CULTURE i never understood since objectively women that were half JAPANESE and half KENYAN or TURKISH or FRENCH or CHILEAN where absolutely stunning. but such is their CULTURE that anything deviating from the norm is discarded and effectively shunned. case in point was a MISS JAPAN a few years back that was half BLACK, who was brutally harassed online. i dont know if id recommend PINKERTON to the uninitiated. its a very idiosyncratic record that followed-up a universally praised modern ALTERNATIVE ROCK classic. it makes perfect sense that this record marked an end to his oversharing on record and marked the end of the beginning of their career that brought on a years-long sabbatical in which he re-enrolled in college and rediscovered himself. i support the dude and his efforts, but this record marks the end of WEEZER's time as a cutting-edge band. subsequent efforts seemed to be highly derivative of the sonic template of the first two records. 
photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
first off, the ENGLISH INDIE ROCK band WET LEG is one of the best band names ever. right there with CAPTAIN BEEFHEART, PIG DESTROYER, THE THE and PORNO FOR PYROS.
that out of the way, the band's debut that came out this spring is one of the most enjoyable INDIE ROCK records i have heard in quite some time. reminiscent of the best moments of everyone from INDIE ROCK forbearers like THE BREEDERS and SONIC YOUTH to SHOEGAZE pioneers like SLOWDIVE and MY BLOODY VALENTINE. angular quirky songs with sardonic and intelligent lyrics make WET LEG a band i am looking forward to following for years to come. they are definitely worth checking out. 
photo & text by nacrowe
being introduced to BROOKLYN INDIE ROCK group ACID DAD was one the great pleasures of filming at MARKET HOTEL a few years back. i remember being immediately hooked on their melodically sophisticated psychedelic sound. i sought out their self-titled debut ACID DAD (GREENWAY, 2018) record not long after and was relieved to discover that such matched the power and intensity of the live performance we had just filmed and recorded.
they have a sound that is at once clean and precise yet lush and distinctly PSYCHEDELIC with a healthy dose of reverb on the guitars and vocals. its a very unique sound that is very much about the layered guitar and vocal interplay between co-frontmen VAUGHN HUNT and SEAN FAHEY. standout tracks include "MR. MAJOR," "2Ci," "DIE HARD," "COME OUTSIDE" and "MARINE," but my personal favorite has long been the PRODDING and BROODING "CHILD," which sounds like it belongs in a modern western. sonically it is quite an understated yet impactful achievement and was an intense EMOTIONAL and PSYCHIC experience the first time i heard it. almost has a "BEETLEBUM"-esque (the epic BLUR track) quality to it in that regard. if you are into thoughtfully constructed INDIE ROCK with a distinct flair for expansive psychedelia (think THE STROKES meets UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA), then definitely check out ACID DAD's debut. most definitely worth the effort. 
parodies by nacrowe
join us TONIGHT at 8PM EST for an all new episode of DEER GOD RADIO on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC with a playlist celebrating INDIE ROCK icons R.E.M.!
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, make sure and download the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! 
photo & text by nacrowe
much like their contemporaries DINOSAUR JR, PIXIES, THE REPLACEMENTS, R.E.M. and THE SMITHS in the 1980s INDIE ROCK scene, SONIC YOUTH is a seminal band whose expansive sound essentially exploded the sonic palette and listener expectations of what was acceptable and possible within a band context. arguably DAYDREAM NATION (ENIGMA, 1988) is their finest achievement and a proof of concept for their tunefully crafted WHITE NOISE.
to understand their musical point of view, you have to look back at the NO WAVE scene that happened just after the peak of the downtown NYC PUNK ROCK scene that birthed the likes of THE RAMONES, PATTI SMITH, TELEVISION, BLONDIE, DEAD BOYS and TALKING HEADS among many others. the NO WAVE consisted of experimental musicians who took the cue from the PUNK scene and took the sonic avant-garde tendencies much much further (incorporated EXTREME DISSONANCE and angular, jagged sonic JUXTAPOSITIONS with nontraditional song structures) and in many ways pointed the way towards modern-day EXPERIMENTAL music (POST ROCK, AMBIENT, etc). bands from the brief NO WAVE scene include the likes of SUICIDE, TEENAGE JESUS & THE JERKS, DNA, SWANS, THEORETICAL GIRLS, DINOSAUR L and MARS among others. essentially SONIC YOUTH took that sonic EXPERIMENTALISM and love of unyielding DISSONANT TEXTURES and placed them almost oxymoronically within a traditional pop context with recognizable song structures. it is a formula that initiates the listener into accepting a new SONIC VOCABULARY while contextualizing such within a framework they can recognize. arguably the best examples of such on DAYDREAM NATION include the two singles "TEENAGE RIOT" and "SILVER ROCKET," both displaying a hazy, YOUTHFUL ENERGY amidst a fog of dueling distorted guitars courtesy of THURSTON MOORE and LEE RANALDO. vocally bassist KIM GORDON and MOORE present an odd coupling, but it absolutely works. MOORE has a juvenile delivery that sounds both NAIVE and forward-looking as he bellows over an uneasy bed of undulating and interweaving guitar textures whereas GORDON comes off as the epitome of COOL DISAFFECTION. she never sounds as if she is anything but in total control. its an interesting role reversal of cultural constructed NORMATIVE VALUES associated with gender, especially within a rock setting. i am convinced that GORDON is the reason SONIC YOUTH became so influential, because as off-the-rails the sonic experimentation got (especially on earlier records), her voice and AUTHORITATIVE PRESENCE grounded the experience. its a real statement when you consider the blatant CHAUVINISM of the cultural scene during this period (including INDIE ROCK) and it makes it all the more crushing that MOORE outed himself years later as just another selfish creep. DAYDREAM NATION is required listening. definitely worth checking out especially if you have any interest in INDIE ROCK and ALTERNATIVE ROCK or the preceding PUNK ROCK, POST PUNK and NO WAVE scenes that helped spawn it. 
parodies by nacrowe
check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the INDIE ROCK duo BEST COAST!
​ ​​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 manipulation & text by nacrowe
bands are weird.
its interesting that a band renowned for creating such INTIMATE and VITAL music with seemingly unbounded emotional resonance themselves are so DYSFUNCTIONAL and UNCOMMUNICATIVE with each other. the "loud, quite, loud" within the tile LOUDQUIETLOUD: A FILM ABOUT THE PIXIES (STICK FIGURE, 2006) is a reference to the songwriting formula seminal BOSTON INDIE ROCK band the PIXIES are celebrated and credited with popularizing (quiet verses and loud choruses), but it may also be an apt description of the inter-relational dynamism of the band as a touring unit (quiet off-stage, loud onstage). the film itself documents their 2004 reunion tour. much had happened since their 1993 split, chief among them the rise and fall of the ALTERNATIVE ROCK movement which included numerous acolytes, most famously NIRVANA. PIXIES bassist KIM DEAL was able to find critical and commercial success with THE BREEDERS, a project she co-wrote with her twin sister KELLEY, but for the most part all of the other members lived and worked in the shadow of their former group. this includes frontman and main songwriter CHARLES THOMPSON IV (a.k.a BLACK FRANCIS, FRANK BLACK). so the reason for the reunion was pretty much all about money. guitarist JOEY SANTIAGO had a young family at the time and drummer DAVID LOVERING was doing magic tricks (seriously!) to get by for years prior as the royalty and publishing checks dwindled with the rise in online piracy and the collapse of the recording industry. its not surprising and its not disappointing, but it is undoubtedly beyond CLICHE that the PIXIES got back together for financial reasons. i guess i just held their art so much higher than that but these are actual people with real bills to pay. i imagine such is also the motivation and reason for this documentary itself. a film about a band that is OBLIQUE and MYSTERIOUS, even amongst themselves. but it worked. they charged through births, deaths and even a relapse during their touring cycle. and it lasted nearly another 10 years until KIM DEAL quit before their next release INDIE CINDY (PIAS, 2014). it seems telling that while on tour, three of the four members were working on outside projects. just an interesting visual juxtaposition of sold-out shows enthusiastic crowds with solitary writing sessions alone in hotel rooms and tour buses. my reaction to this film is just confusion about how a band with such obvious preternatural connection onstage is so casually DISCONNECTED offstage. i dont know why that is difficult to comprehend but it is. its too bad the effort wasnt met with an album that included DEAL's haunted vocals which to me are a key ingredient of their sound, period. interesting film worth checking out if you are a fan of the PIXIES or INDIE and ALTERNATIVE ROCK in general. 
parodies by nacrowe
join us TONIGHT at 6PM EST for an all new episode of DEER GOD RADIO on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC with a playlist celebrating the notoriously perfectionist ENGLISH record producer GIL NORTON!
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, make sure and download the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! 
photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
with LOS ANGELES INDIE POP band BEAUTY QUEEN the unquestionable star attraction is the HAWAII-born singer KATIE IANNITELLO's lilting voice. the fact that such is undergirded by faint andfragile reverb-drenched guitar melodies make her songs come across as KODACHROME-tinged reflections on youth and the bittersweet melancholy of nostalgia.
i feel INDIE POP artists work best when there is a touch of vinegar to all the aural sugar and BEAUTY QUEEN definitely have that dynamic. essentialy the sonic equivalent of watching THE VIRGIN SUICIDES (PARAMOUNT, 1993). definitely worth checking out. 
photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
in this digital age where gaining exposure is the often the deliberate result of some pre-manufactured sonic or visual gimmick and marketing strategy, it feels almost REVOLUTIONARY that longstanding AUSTIN-based INDIE ROCK power trio UME are renowned for writing and performing great songs. end stop.
UME is led by guitarist LAUREN LARSON and her songwriting feels very much in keeping with great ROCK N ROLL and FOLK-based songwriters before her like LIZ PHAIR, BILLY BRAGG, CHRISSIE HYNDE, ELVIS COSTELLO or even the recent AUSSIE upstart COURTNEY BARNETT. her songs are filled with PERSONAL lyrics and indelibly MEMORABLE choruses, which is all i can ask for as a listener. definitely worth checking out. 
photo & text by nacrowe
SURFER ROSA (4AD, 1988) by PIXIES is one of those landmark albums that is almost MYTHICAL in how seemingly foundational and elemental it remains to this day in the sound and appearance of modern-day INDIE ROCK writ large. it should also be pointed out that its allure is wholly separate from the force-multiplier that the later NIRVANA-led 1990s ALTERNATIVE ROCK revolution and global youth culture phenomenon that subsequently grafted itself onto its legacy.
whats always been compelling about SURFER ROSA sonically is its ingenious and subtle use of DYNAMICS. in the years since its release the received formula has been dumbed-down to a mantra of "soft verse, loud chorus" but such a rote description doesnt really do justice to the sense of EMOTIONAL CATHARTHIS that comes across in HAUNTED classics like "GIGANTIC," "BREAK MY BODY," "RIVER EUPHRATES," "BONE MACHINE," "CACTUS" and especially "WHERE IS MY MIND?" it could be said that the sound of the band is as much about the LAYERED vocal interplay between BLACK FRANCIS and bassist KIM DEAL as it is the weaving, ANGULAR guitar work of FRANCIS and JOEY SANTIAGO. in my mind those two dynamics are constantly orbiting around each other like two pulsating neutron stars. a shift in the dynamic of one pair affects the other. on a purely aural level, experiencing those two dynamics is UNIQUE and consistently surprising. it should also be stated that the IMPRESSIONISTIC and DADA-esque OPAQUENESS of the PIXIES' lyrical content is the other highlight of this record as well as their catalogue in general. i couldnt tell you what SURFER ROSA is about or what the explicit intentions were of BLACK FRANCIS when he wrote lyrics to "BONE MACHINE," "WHERE IS MY MIND?" or "BREAK MY BODY," but on a VISCERAL and purely EMOTIONAL level i understand these songs. for me their emotional resonance is not sullied by their direct meaning and instead act as markers to guide us through the EXTREME DYNAMICS of the music itself. i think this is important because when i likewise listen to lyrical bent of other bands like RADIOHEAD, TOOL, MODEST MOUSE, NIRVANA or even OASIS there is a sense that the lead singer is functioning as another instrument rather than the conveyor of words and meaning. i dont believe that the PIXIES invented such but to my ears SURFER ROSA is undoubtedly a high watermark of said approach. SURFER ROSA is required listening in my opinion. it is definitely worthy of further investigation and should be a compelling listen to anyone familiar with 1990s ALTERNATIVE ROCK and 2000s INDIE ROCK from which this record in particular has had definite lasting impact. enjoy. 
photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
ive come around recently to the AUCKLAND DJ and former long-time BBC RADIO 1 RADIO PERSONALITY ZANE LOWE, especially with regards to his current THE ZANE LOWE INTERVIEW SERIES on APPLE MUSIC. ive watched and listened to his interviews for years and while he always came across as INFORMED and an ardent fan of his subject, there were times his PASSION seemed to stray into straight-up adulation. or so i thought. i believe the dude is fully aware of his role in the wider ecosystem of modern culture as a bridge of sorts for the global public to access emerging and established musicians, and i feel his ENTHUSIASM is a reflection of such. his queries are often the types a hardcore fan would want answered by a favored artist if given the opportunity and the nerve.
and that perspective of LOWE from that as a stand-in for the public was how i judged him until recently. i began to realize that, like HOWARD STERN, he is a great listener. and i think such may be an outgrowth of the long-form format of THE ZANE LOWE INTERVIEW SERIES of podcasts as it gives him time to weave and contextualize competing narratives and informed takes on his subject's career. in essence he isn't necessarily flattering his guests, instead he's creating a SAFE ENVIRONMENT for them to open up. and post-pandemic he is doing such physically as well, often meeting his subjects on their home-court. at their favorite spots. in their cities. sometimes even at their home or recording studio. i've also noticed that he is shrewd in his interviewing style as he allows his subject to TAKE THE LEAD, with him interjecting only to clarify or contextualize a point he found interesting or needing of clarification for the average viewer. LOWE is the type of interlocutor that is comfortable not being "in the know" at all times and lets it known when he finds something genuinely UNEXPECTED or COMPELLING. i've also noticed he is not afraid of silence. it reminds me of my teaching days where there were sometimes pregnant silences were students or myself were conjuring a response to a BOLD question hanging in the air. the silences in his interviews are ones where people are fully contemplating and thus fully ENGAGED. it took me a while to come around to the fact that the guy is just a fan of music and art and the processes/ALCHEMY from which such rise from the ether. in that sense it is almost inconsequential who the subject is, from DAVID BYRNE to MILEY CYRUS. i look forward to seeing where his long-form interview series leads him. hopefully he can interview some of my heroes like Q-TIP, JOHNNY MARR, SHANE MCGOWAN, JUSTINE FRISCHMANN, HUGH CORNWELL, MARK MOTHERSBAUGH, MIKE PATTON or even transcendent emerging artists like DRAB MAJESTY and CHELSEA WOLFE. one can dream. 
photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
previously we highlighted her work with her former band MARRIAGES (linked HERE), but the solo work of EMMA RUTH RUNDLE should by no means be overlooked. there is a definite FOLK/GOTH ROCK/POST ROCK vibe with her songs, which almost feel ELEMENTAL as if they rose up reverberating from the ground unscathed or from deep within an ancient forest.
her solo work is definitely more sparse than her work in MARRIAGES or RED SPAROWES, but it has a delicate intimacy that is invigorating and haunting all the same. definitely worth checking out. 
photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
their catalogue speaks for itself.
the BRITISH indie label CREATION RECORDS during its run had some massively seminal and influential bands, everyone from PRIMAL SCREAM, MY BLOODY VALENTINE, TEENAGE FANCLUB, RIDE, SLOWDIVE and THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN to SUPER FURRY ANIMALS, THE HOUSE OF LOVE, SWERVEDRIVER, SUGAR, SAINT ETIENNE and, of course, OASIS. culturally the label is very much synonymous with the two BRITISH INDIE ROCK exports of the period, SHOEGAZE and BRITPOP. and while all of those bands get their spot in the documentary UPSIDE DOWN: THE CREATION RECORDS STORY (DOCUMENT FILMS, 2010), the focus is on its founder all around INDIE ROCK pied piper, ALAN MCGEE. the label is very much created in the image of MCGEE, who was a SCOTTISH punk who made his way down to LONDON with his band subsequently decided to put out music by his friends. and that tribal bond was basically the defining ethos of CREATION RECORDS throughout its run. in the film MCGEE even attests to the fact that he signed interesting, creative people and not bands. needless to say, thats an odd tactic but definitely describes the innovative people he brought into the fold including KEVIN SHIELDS, BOBBY GILLESPIE, GRUFF RHYS and NOEL GALLAGHER. what i found interesting is how the story of CREATION RECORDS mirrors that of other artistic-minded labels in their peer group, many that came out of the existing POST PUNK scene of the previous generation like FACTORY RECORDS. these INDIE ROCK labels were seemingly fronts for producing great art rather than being a functioning business with longterm economic targets and vertically integrated efficiencies. CREATION RECORDS pre-OASIS was in a constant state of owing money to recording studios, printing presses and the like and was under constant threat of being eaten up by a major. its ironic that the period that saw the label at its mid-1990s cultural zenith, the period around OASIS' second record WHAT'S THE STORY (MORNING GLORY)?, also marked their fall into eventually being consolidated and sold to SONY. MCGEE during the entire OASIS period had hit a wall with his drug use and saw him through a long recovery which meant his non-presence at the label allowed for the implementation of structural changes which in turn weakened his hand. this led to the label being swallowed up by a major, who of course had no idea what to do with its idiosyncratic and eccentric catalogue. but the fact that the label ended in 1999 doesnt reduce its impact. its arguable that the label nurtured the BRITISH INDIE ROCK scene post-SMITHS throughout the late 80s and 90s and laid the groundwork for what would be the last great global rock phenomenon in OASIS. once that genie is out of the bottle its arguable that their legacy was cemented and where do you go from there? i dont know. but growing up overseas this label's catalogue was essentially synonymous with my young adulthood, especially MY BLOODY VALENTINE and SLOWDIVE. i love the guy just for giving world those two bands. definitely check out this documentary if you have any interest in music history or ALTERNATIVE ROCK and INDIE ROCK bands from the 1980s and 1990s including SHOEGAZE and BRITPOP. thoroughly enjoyable and required viewing. 
photo & text by nacrowe
created as a stopgap between NEVERMIND (DGC, 1991) and IN UTERO (DGC, 1993), NIRVANA's release of the INCESTICIDE (DGC, 1992) compilation included COVERS, B-SIDES, DEMOS, OUTTAKES and BROADCAST RECORDINGS for radio stations. there are some real gems on this record including originals like "ANEURYSM," "SLIVER," "DIVE," "BEEN A SON" and "STAIN." in particular the track "ANEURYSM" became a concert staple and crowd favorite after this release.
one of the cool things about all the members of NIRVANA was their capacity to utilize their immense platform to promote bands they liked in television interviews and in the press. beneficiaries of such praise included seminal INDIE ROCK veterans like THE RAINCOATS, DINOSAUR JR, THE VASELINES, SONIC YOUTH and DANIEL JOHNSTON as well as peer acts like KYUSS, BIKINI KILL, SOUNDGARDEN, THE MEAT PUPPETS, HOLE, THE BOREDOMS, THE MELVINS and THE BEAT HAPPENING. there are three covers on INCESTICIDE that include "TURNAROUND" (DEVO), "MOLLY'S LIPS" and "SON OF A GUN" (THE VASELINES). when considered alongside the eclectic covers from MTV UNPLUGGED IN NEW YORK (DGC, 1994), including that of DAVID BOWIE, LEADBELLY and THE MEAT PUPPETS, it just showcases a depth and range of appreciation for music that spans several genres including INDIE ROCK, GLAM ROCK, DELTA BLUES, COUNTRY and NEW WAVE among others. but i think the biggest takeaway from INCESTICIDE is not the music per se. in the liner notes KURT COBAIN made it explicit where he stood with his emerging fanbase, a portion of whom he felt didnt share his values of gender, sexual and racial inclusivity. famously he concluded the liner notes with "if any of you in any way hate homosexuals, people of different color, or women, please do this one favor for us — leave us the fuck alone! Don’t come to our shows and don’t buy our records.” when you consider that this record came directly after the generational cultural phenomenon that was NEVERMIND, it is pretty PUNK ROCK that COBAIN took such a stand to challenge his audience at what was his commercial peak. in the liner notes of IN UTERO he went even further to forewarn that "If you’re a sexist, racist, homophobe or basically an asshole, don’t buy this CD. I don’t care if you like me, I hate you.” in the years since i've met many people globally who were influenced and appreciated the music of NIRVANA. they were a global phenomenon. but it is this social aspect of their band that gets lost in translation quite a bit. and ive had a hard time swallowing the fact that we've worked with some artists that adore (and copy) COBAIN yet are raging homophobes and misogynists themselves. there is a bigger debate out there of whether or not you can separate an artist's music from their individual actions. i have a hard time with that one, in fact a very early DEER GOD RADIO show (EPISODE #2) is about that very topic: its entitled GOOD MUSIC BY BAD PEOPLE. i just feel that for my interpretive conception of COBAIN and his career, INCESTICIDE marks that turning point where he was aware of his cultural sway and started utilizing it to promote causes he believed in and celebrate communities that were marginalized during his era. and he should be remembered and commended for such efforts. such are part of his true cultural legacy. 
photo & text by nacrowe
i want to start by stating emphatically that the BIZARRE statements and actions of MORRISSEY over the past few years has been completely DISORIENTATING and beyond DISAPPOINTING. the idea that he is sympathetic to the XENOPHOBIC and REGRESSIVE objectives of far right RACIST groups like UKIP is a DISGRACE and his legacy will be affected because of such associations.
and he will deserve such. which is a real pity, because growing up i was in essence raised on THE SMITHS and the early cycle of MORRISSEY records, especially the BONA DRAG (HMV, 1990) compilation. a vintage poster of this album cover was adorned proudly in my childhood bedroom and i still have a copy of the corresponding HULMERIST (EMI, 1990) videocassette that included various music videos from this record. so that is my basic bias when it comes to me and the BONA DRAG record: i did not like this record growing up, i absolutely LOVED it. as with THE SMITHS' catalogue, the lyrics of MORRISSEY are a world unto themselves, with oblique references BRITISH KITCHEN SINK dramas and independent cinema history, as well as writers, poets and actors, all of whom seemingly convey an alternate vision of MASCULINITY. lyrically and visually there is an ascetic at play against the tropes of 1970s ROCK N ROLL that sought to wipe away the sorry old vestiges of CHAUVENISM, pompous complexity and stale FANTASY elements that came from that period and matriculated out into the 1980s INDIE ROCK scene. the MASCULINITY presented through MORRISSEY was one of a more empathetic, coy, bookish and inherently vulnerable model that effectively spoke to a new generation of music fans and alienated minorities, especially the gay community. the fact that MORRISSEY has betrayed this image in later life and revealed himself to be strident anti-immigration conservative with a quixotically revanchist view of ENGLAND is made so much more galling and ultimately hurtful due to its incongruity with his previous image. again, its beyond DISORIENTATING and DISAPPOINTING. concerning the track list, honestly, everything on here is stellar. as i've written before, my brother and i were basically raised (and most likely indoctrinated) on THE SMITHS/MORRISSEY, THE STRANGLERS, THE KINKS and THE BEATLES, especially in our early years growing up in SOUTHER CALIFORNIA before we moved to NIGERIA in 1996. i can still remember watching the "INTERESTING DRUG," "THE LAST OF THE INTERNATIONAL PLAYBOYS," "NOVEMBER SPAWNED A MONSTER" and "OUIJA BOARD, OUIJA BOARD" music videos on VHS (we didn't have MTV) back when it came out during first grade. other notable tracks include "HAIRDRESSER ON FIRE," "PICCADILLY PALARE," "SUCH A LITTLE THING MAKES SUCH A BIG DIFFERENCE" and "LUCKY LISP." of course i had no idea about the playful coded language behind "PICCADILLY PALARE" (or the title BONA DRAG itself) for the majority of my years listening to it going into my late 20s. for me the draw of MORRISSEY is as much about his crooning singing style and conviction to the material as the words themselves. even if i wasnt privy to the actual meaning of his words, they seemed to be executed with intense sense of intention. i believe that it is that INTENTION and AUTHENTICITY that made him such a compelling figure with a certain purity that seemingly allied him with the concurrent stateside HARDCORE movement, which ironically promoted similar ideals regarding VEGANISM, NONVIOLENCE and COMPASSION. again, it is this authenticity and intention from which he created his art that made his fall that much harder to stomach for diehard fans like myself. i should also mention the two transcendent tracks on BONA DRAG, which at the very least maintained the quality of his SMITHS catalogue and are among his most celebrated compositions, i.e. "SUEDEHEAD" and "EVERYDAY IS LIKE SUNDAY." taken together those two tracks are the anthems of my youth and the soundtrack to countless drives with my father as a young child. through the music video for "SUEDEHEAD" i was introduced early to JAMES DEAN, which further led me to MARLON BRANDO, MONTGOMERY CLIFT and the golden era of AMERICAN cinema. i dont know whether my cinephilia is rooted in this song, but it definitely got me on that path. in my household "EVERYDAY IS LIKE SUNDAY" was essentially our collective "STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN," that interior sense of bliss that comes with blocking out the whole world and sticking to your guns. it is probably the best composition MORRISSEY ever wrote, solo artist or frontman of THE SMITHS. it is such a great song that it hasnt been ruined by overzealous MORRISSEY fans flailing pathetically about at live shows. if anything, i feel a sense of transcendence every time i hear it. it is very much a temporary reprieve from my corporeal existence, even if it is depicting the need for personal catharsis that would come with nuclear apocalypse of a lonely, seaside beach town that is past its prime. it should be noted that producer STEPHEN STREET and guitarist VINI REILLY (THE DURUTTI COLUMN) are the key collaborators on the stateside BONA DRAG compilation, which included key tracks from MORRISSEY's debut VIVA HATE (SIRE, 1988) album as well as various non-album singles. STREET would famously discard his longstanding working relationship with MORRISSEY after a dispute over the royalties and writing credits surrounding VIVA HATE. it is hard to blame him. if you are going to listen to one MORRISSEY album, BONA DRAG is it. i believe it is required listening for anyone interested in POST PUNK, NEW WAVE, INDIE ROCK or ALTERNATIVE ROCK, even in spite of the fact that MORRISSEY is a complete asshole. 
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July 2022
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