Peter Holsapple + The dB’s
So I’m gearing up for this next tour and was sifting through a slew of old tapes to post on the site and came across this lovely live recording of Peter Holsapple from the dB’s performing in Australia in 1989 on the radio. I’m 99% sure this is a bootleg, but I purchased this at Ides Records in Pittsburgh with my student loan money and I remember it was more expensive than a dinky little cassette should’ve been. However, I became so immediately enchanted with the tape that I almost completely forgot.
Mr. Holsapple, as many of you will undoubtedly know, was in R.E.M. at the time of this recording and was filling in on guitar and keyboard duties quite handily. However, his own songwriting chops were at least as good, if not better, than his employers. He didn’t stay in the band but for another couple of years before arguments regarding credits and royalties dissolved their relationship. It’s a pity. They really could’ve used him through the 90’s.
I became quite a dB’s obsessive at the time I was in Pittsburgh studying for my master’s degree. I got to see the Holsapple/Stamey "Mavericks" tour in Baltimore, Philly and da Burgh and Peter was even kind enough to give me a tour shirt which some odd girlfriend undoubtedly stole a few years later.
In addition, my roommate during this time was a fellow ex-college radio DJ and had tastes that either mimicked or inspired my own. He was a few years older than me and had great (if not legendary) stories of shows at CMJ in the mid-80’s and shows that he saw at the Iron Horse in Western Massachusetts. In 1987, The dB’s were one of them. And earlier that night, he conducted an interview with Peter that he kept and I copied before we became ex-roommates.
When I worked at the Flagpole, in 1994, I did an interview with him when he was in the Continental Drifters. The thing ended with me saying I had to split to go see Sonic Youth, Harry Pussy and The Make*Up at Legion Field on the UGA campus. I distinctly remember him urging me to hang up and go because Legion Field shows were "magical". The show he did a week or so later at the 40 Watt was incredible. Mike Mills even came up to help some 4 part harmonies on a Mamas and the Papas cover. Ah, I guess Athens can be magical.
Anyway, even 20 years later, I still absolutely adore Peter’s songwriting. His involvement with Hootie and the Blowfish notwithstanding, his pedigree is impeccable. And judging from his myspace blog, he’s shaved his head, has a daughter, got his notary license and has now relocated back in North Carolina after Katrina. And would you believe that he loves Dark Meat? The old guy’s still got it.
If you’re wondering where to start with his body of work "Stands for Decibels" has just been reissued with the second album "Repercussion" on the Collector’s Choice Series. "Black and White" is as close to perfection that three minutes can be. And yes, there was a dB’s reunion last year and no, I couldn’t go. And oh! Here’s a link to some live dB’s shows lurking out there on the interweb.
Peter Holsapple – Today Could Be The Day
Peter Holsapple – Why Did You Sleep With My Girlfriend?
Peter Holsapple – The Child In You
Peter Holsapple – Lonely Is As Lonely Does
Peter Holsapple – All Your LIfe
Peter Holsapple – Soul Kiss
Holsapple Radio Interview (rough) 10/87
Brian Walsby + Melvins = Manchild 3
Ah yes, our good buddy (and Chunklet contributor/illustrator) Brian Walsby has his third book coming out at the end of this month! And in honor of this, chunklet.com is selling a box or so of them before they’re sure to sell out.
Buy it here.
Along with Manchild 3, Brian also has the good fortune to be able to release a CD collection of previously unreleased Melvins recordings entitled the "Makin’ Love" demos from 1987. I’ve not heard them yet, but Brian’s taste in jams runs pretty similar to mine, so I’m sure they’re fantastic.
And for a guy that’s drummed with Ryan Adams and Polvo (not to mention the shockingly awesome hardcore act Double Negative), his illustrations offer a more nerdy/awkward glimpse to music and life that is rarely seen by these eyes. However, I should also add that I don’t read many comics…..I leave that to my wife. And Patton. And Brian. That’s how I roll.
Like It’s ’82 All Over Again… (Sex Vid: The Band)
(At the request of the label and band, I removed the studio Sex Vid track. When I did this, the entire post was deleted. All comments were deleted too. Sorry to take away from the discussion.)
To quote the estimable Terre T: "I didn’t fight in the punk rock trenches to let crap like Joanna Newsome become famous." I might be fudging the actual quote, but the sentiment is accurate.
There’s a lot of great things about current music, but one of the problems now is that music (popular underground music, that is) is being dictated by kids that don’t want to get their hands dirty. Everything is safe, sanitary and, worst of all, predictable.
Now, Sex Vid might not be the remedy to this problem, but it’s certainly part of the solution. In an age where "hardcore" can mean the band is covered in sleeves of bad tattoos, dressed in all black with mascara and piercings all over the face, Sex Vid show what hardcore meant up until the point where suburbia misappropriated it.
Low rent? Sure. Lo fi? Definitely. But what’s the point of having it all be so polished?
After quickly snatching their first two singles, I started email correspondence with RJ from Sex Vid shortly thereafter and received a tape of their upcoming single in the mail.
Although I wouldn’t be one to discourage record sales in this day and age, I’m posting their "live" cassette with the band’s complete permission. And yes, they do a Dead C cover from the "Making Losers Happy" compilation from the early ’90s. I’ve also included the Dead C original along with one of the three SMOKIN’ (higher fidelity) tracks from Sex Vid’s soon-to-be released single on DOM.
Sex Vid – Under The Rug
Sex Vid – Misprint
Sex Vid – Suspended Daylight
Sex Vid – Tapped Out
Sex Vid – Bad Politics (Dead C cover)
Dead C – Bad Politics
The Rip Offs Reunite!
I’m old enough to say that I’ve lived through more than a few garage revivals. But you know what? I’m lucky enough to say that I lived through the era of The Rip Offs. When all you’d hear about the Bay Area scene was through Maximum RockNRoll and Gearhead, I can’t imagine seeing them at Bimbo’s or the Purple Onion before San Francisco was changed into a yuppie den of yawns.
Anyway, The Rip Offs disbanded in a whirlwind of attitude and semi-acrimony. I’d prefer you read all about it here straight from the band. However, before they broke up, they cranked out four perfect singles, a few live tracks here and there and their masterpiece "Got A Record" on their own Rip Off Records which has gone on to be a garage rock pedigree label alongside Crypt, In The Red, Goner and Bomp!. What’s great now (10+ years later) is to see modern labels like Cass, Die Slaughterhaus, Shit Sandwich and countless other garage labels take inspiration from these guys.
And last night I get a call from my long time buddy Pete in England saying that the Rip Offs are starting a European tour at the legendary Dirty Water Club in Tufnell Park, London next month. Can you say "holy ba-jeezus"?! The band will continue on with dates in many of their old haunts from the early 90’s but sadly, I can’t even conceive of making one date thanks to my insane October schedule. However, anybody that feels like being a pal, send tapes, videos or anything else and I’ll compensate you handsomely!
Download the mp3s, turn it up and then go buy any and all of their records.
The Rip Offs – Fan Club EP
The Rip Offs – Dolemite
The Rip Offs – Zodiac
The Rip Offs – Hooked on Phonics
The Rip Offs – Do The Uganda
The Rip Offs – Make Up Your Mind
The Rip Offs – Sleeparound
THE STAINS (L.A.) another one & out.
The Stains didn’t mess around. Being often tagged as the "Latino Black Flag" the group put out this one and only album back in 1983 (SST #010) and then grounded itself into oblivion. A couple of songs would find their way onto comps just prior to this el’ pee’ but for all intents and purposes this was the band’s only slot in the 1980’s hardcore jukebox.
The fellas, led by Jesus Fixx, (aka Robert Becerra) had an even more nihilistic approach than label heads and center of the west coast punk universe Black Flag. Things were much more thrash, much more, dare I say, metal, than a lot of the then current crop of punk bands that dotted the map back in the day (as the old men say). Even the mighty Flag would head down this path in years to come (some say to their great decline – I don’t agree). Not to over-shoot it, but The Stains might have thrown the first punch in the melee that led to great outfits like D.R.I. , the Accused, et al. Yeah, it was a close race but L.A.’s STAINS jumped out of the circle pit and into the mosh realm a wee bit earlier than most.
What makes a good Chunklet post ( for me anyway)? A. You made one record. B. That record was pretty damn good. C. Said record has never, ever, been re-released in any fashion for reasons unknown. With that in mind here’s a nice chunk of L.A.’s the STAINS – you may now commence with your slam-dancing.
THE STAINS – quit the human race
THE STAINS – sick & crazy
THE STAINS – violent children / gang related death
THE STAINS – pretty girls
Happy 20th Birthday, Fugazi!
For somebody that grew up before the internet, I consider myself a pretty lucky guy. In 1987, I lived close to DC and was probably one of the first thousand or so people to actuallly hear about Fugazi. Being a huge Dischord fan, finding out what was the new band on the label was always a mission of mine.
One Saturday in September ’87, I drove from York, PA to DC to go record shopping and play my luck at possibly seeing a show. I was at Yesterday and Today Records and purchased a few things with my thirty or so bucks I brought with me and heard of a show going on at the Wilson Center later that night. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Fugazi playing that night (it was Soulside instead though) but I met a couple of fellow college students at the show that told me about the new band with guys from Rites of Spring and Minor Threat.
It was crazy, but within a couple weeks, I made another road trip to DC and I got to see Fugazi in DC at Wilson Center for the first time. Good times, good times. All I really remember is how absolutely swelteriing it was for the Fall in that room and how everybody (and I mean everybody) in that small space were chanting along and dancing with every song they played. I kept wondering if they had an album out that I didn’t know about yet. No, but later that night in the parking lot, I met a kid who said he was willing to make me a copy of this tape that was circulating through town of a Fugazi demo. I remember getting that tape the next week (with the One Last Wish album on the flip) and just playing it non-stop.
Thanks to school, my first girlfriend and a part-time job that financed my budding record buying hobby, the next few years were a total blur. I spent all of my money to drive to Philly, DC, Baltimore, Trenton and an occasional jaunt to Hoboken or New York to see music. And of course, Fugazi was "my band". I know it’d sound like an exaggeration, but until I moved to Georgia, I think I saw Fugazi around 40 times. DC, Baltimore, Newark, Trenton, Philly, Hagerstown (!?), College Park, Pittsburgh, Alexandria, Lancaster, the list just kinda rolls off my noggin like it was yesterday. And I’m not trying to brag that I saw Fugazi this much, but for a 19 year-old, I was in uber-nerd heaven.
In the early 90’s I finally finished my graduate work in Pittsburgh, pulled up my stakes and moved to Athens, Georgia. The first time I saw Fugazi in Athens was surreal. It was my first time connecting the dots that this band that I adored had "famous" friends. I remember seeing Guy cutting off a conversation with somebody back stage at the 40 Watt so he could go and bear hug Michael Stipe. For my stupid punk/indie leanings then, I just found this absolutely bizarre. And for the record, the double header they did at the 40 Watt had Shudder To Think, Superchunk and Unrest open for them. Ah, the good ‘ol days.
To this day, I’m still of the firm belief that from 1989 to 1994, there were no better live bands on the planet than The Jesus Lizard and Fugazi and I’ll gladly argue with anybody about this.
The 90’s blew by. I saw Fugazi probably 15 times in the South, a couple times in Chicago, and saw them a few times up north over the holidays. Not once did they suck. Not once.
In 2002, my buddy Garth and I decided to go over to Birmingham to see Fugazi at the marvelous Sloss Furnaces. Little did I know that it’d be the final time I’d ever see them, and they only had a handful of shows left afterwards. A bit sad, but it’s like when a loved relative dies, all you can do is focus on the good times and not dwell on the fact that they’re not around any more.
Without a doubt, Fugazi remain one of my favorite bands and one of the guiding lights of how I’ve operated in the 20 years I first encountered them. However, I know I’m not alone in saying that. They were such a profound, yet personable, band.
Sadly, Fugazi’s kind of done. No shows are planned. Brendan’s living on the other side of the country with three kids, for Pete’s sake. However, we always have the records.
In addition, Joe Lally has spearheaded the Live Fugazi Series which is sort of out of print right now, but are pretty easily found on-line. Without exception, every CD-R in the series is worth getting.
And, in honor of the 20th anniversary, Glen Friedman has collected his photos of the band in a new book titled "Keep Your Eyes Open". If you strain closely, you can see my noggin in a couple of the crowd shots. See? I have proof I was there! Kidding, kidding…..
Finally, I’m including a few Fugazi tracks that I never ever see on-line. The first four are from Fugazi’s only Peel session from ’88, a handful of tracks from their "demo" tape that I got back in ’87 and a live track from their first show ("Turn Off Your Guns") that has never made its way to a record.
Happy 20th, Fugazi.
NOTE: The video attached has Ian actually commenting on the "demo" tape that was rapidly circulating thru the scene back then prior to their first album.
Fugazi – Waiting Room (Peel Session ’88)
Fugazi – Break In (Peel Session ’88)
Fugazi – Merchandise (Peel Session ’88)
Fugazi – Glueman (Peel Session ’88)
Fugazi – In Defense of Humans (demo ’88)
Fugazi – The Word (demo ’88)
Fugazi – Turn Off Your Guns (DC ’87)
Record Store Name Contest!
So my dear buddy Eric owns a record store and he thought it wise to ask what I’d call his soon-to-be-opened used vinyl emporium. Once "Used Vinyl Annex" was shot down, the floodgates opened.
The best one that we came up with over an insanely good Italian dinner (with Peter Bagge, no less) was:
Ye Olde Abortion Clinique and Angry Holocaust Vinyl Challenge
I’m opening the floor to suggestions (both joking and serious).
Post in comments. Duh.