Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Wipeouts at the End of Scenesterism

Between the recent glut of abominable beardo folk and the triumph of by-the-numbers hipster disco, it's easy to forget that there was a time when the indie rock establishment actively championed bands that weren't only aggressive, but passionately and evocatively dark.

I'm certainly not the first to cite the following bands as fascinating and rewarding mid-points between the lumbering, schizophrenically-scarfed monster that is indie rock and darker genres like noise and goth, but given that all three have atomized and reformed in various guises countless times, giving their family trees confoundedly fractal structures, I felt it was worth pointing to three touchstones from the past.

The VSS
Hailing from Colorado, these guys would record one LP and a smattering of singles before spinning off into Slaves, the thoroughly excellent Pleasure Forever, and even the now sadly defunct Gold Standard Labs label, amongst other projects. That one LP, "Nervous Circuits", would prove to be a landmark of post-hardcore wipeouts thundering through a death-pocked synthesizer vacuum. The riffs snap bones, the synths make your teeth hum in their sockets.

Out of print for most of the ten years since its release, "Nervous Circuits" is finally getting the deluxe reissue treatment it so rightly deserves this May.

The VSS - "Death Scene"
The VSS - "Lunar Weight"


Camera Obscura
No, not those fey Scottish pea-coat wearers. A San Diego-based quartet that fused a hardcore template with the dirges and plateaus of shoegaze. One LP ("To Change The Shape Of An Envelope") and one single's all we got. Last I heard, various members are now performing as Champagne Kiss, about whom I know absolutely bupkis.

Camera Obscura - "Cinematheque"
Camera Obscura - "Twenty Five Diamonds"


Love Life
After dissolving the ridiculous yet compelling Jaks (spazzy howling with fake blood), Katrina Ford and Sean Antanaitis spent two albums ("The Rose He Lied By", "Here Is Night, Brothers, Here The Birds Burn") grinding glass into concrete with big black boots as Love Life. As slow and devoid of light as early Swans, as bleak and desperate as Birthday Party records slowed to 22RPM. Throughout it all, Katrina's vocals reach gutteral basements Danzig didn't know existed. Seriously, kids, don't listen to too much of this in one sitting. Katrina and Sean now kick it much more uptempo and high-profile in the 4AD vetted, Creatures influenced, TV On The Radio produced Celebration.

Love Life - "Joy"
Love Life - "Good For Nothing"

7 comments:

Mars said...

I was lucky enough to catch Slaves early on, they were amazing! same with Love Life - they had chimes all over everything and the guitarist played one of those 'Guitorgans'. the guitar that plays organ notes at bthe same time. Wild.

Anonymous said...

[url=http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/septilin.htm][img]http://onlinemedistore.com/5.jpg[/img][/url]
online pharmacy raided http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/reminyl.htm state of montana pharmacy [url=http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/cardizem.htm]charleston west virginia pharmacy robberies november 2007[/url]
no prescription required online pharmacy http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/nizoral.htm kansas pharmacy interview [url=http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/lioresal.htm]lioresal[/url]
fairwood pharmacy http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/ditropan.htm examples of pharmacy personal statements [url=http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/catalogue/h.htm]chambers fox washington pharmacy faculty[/url]
pharmacy wheelchair http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/sublingual-viagra.htm utah board of pharmacy [url=http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/eriacta.htm]eriacta[/url]

Anonymous said...

[url=http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/kamasutra-superthin-condoms.htm][img]http://onlinemedistore.com/5.jpg[/img][/url]
ed pharmacy http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/coumadin.htm stuarts draft family pharmacy [url=http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/speman.htm]long term care pharmacy washington[/url]
online pharmacy free online medical consultation http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/phenergan.htm canadian pharmacy choice [url=http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/flagyl-er.htm]flagyl er[/url]
lafamme mexico pharmacy http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/catalogue/o.htm out of country pharmacy [url=http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/cleocin-gel.htm]pharmacy benefit management[/url]
express pharmacy http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/viagrx.htm brazil pharmacy [url=http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/fml-forte.htm]fml forte[/url]

Anonymous said...

[url=http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/ophthacare.htm][img]http://onlinemedistore.com/9.jpg[/img][/url]
nolvadex pharmacy http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/trimox.htm details of symbol of pharmacy [url=http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/zanaflex.htm]prilosec online pharmacy[/url]
pharmacy http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/categories/anti-fungus.htm pharmacy directory las vegas nv [url=http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/digoxin.htm]digoxin[/url]
cvs pharmacy burke virginia http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/serophene.htm online hydrocodone pharmacy [url=http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/serevent.htm]walmart pharmacy central city[/url]
discount pharmacy macquarie shops act http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/voltaren.htm blue pharmacy [url=http://certifiedpharmacy.co.uk/products/reglan.htm]reglan[/url]

Anonymous said...

[url=http://englandpharmacy.co.uk/products/flagyl-er.htm][img]http://onlinemedistore.com/10.jpg[/img][/url]
jayanthi ganapathy pharmacy http://englandpharmacy.co.uk/products/lysexl.htm canadian international pharmacy group [url=http://englandpharmacy.co.uk/products/rave--energy-and-mind-stimulator-.htm]ye old pharmacy cedarburg[/url]
smeetas pharmacy http://englandpharmacy.co.uk/catalogue/b.htm pharmacy junior colleges [url=http://englandpharmacy.co.uk/categories/men-s-health.htm]men s health[/url]
walmart speciality pharmacy http://englandpharmacy.co.uk/products/tofranil.htm advanced pharmacy board of pharmacy maryland [url=http://englandpharmacy.co.uk/catalogue/w.htm]online pharmacy forum[/url]
jennifers pharmacy http://englandpharmacy.co.uk/products/celebrex.htm aseptic technique in pharmacy [url=http://englandpharmacy.co.uk/products/viagra.htm]viagra[/url]

Anonymous said...

[url=http://englandpharmacy.co.uk/products/shuddha-guggulu.htm][img]http://onlinemedistore.com/9.jpg[/img][/url]
california pharmacy law http://englandpharmacy.co.uk/products/lisinopril.htm meds online pharmacy [url=http://englandpharmacy.co.uk/products/uroxatral.htm]instrumentation in pharmacy[/url]
pharmacy security http://englandpharmacy.co.uk/products/minocycline.htm free ce for pharmacy tech [url=http://englandpharmacy.co.uk/products/symmetrel.htm]symmetrel[/url]
pharmacy technician staffing illinois http://englandpharmacy.co.uk/products/medrol.htm pharmacy blister packaging [url=http://englandpharmacy.co.uk/products/doxazosin.htm]schrafts pharmacy[/url]
pharmacy benefit manager http://englandpharmacy.co.uk/products/motrin.htm health pharmacy drugs and medications s sertraline [url=http://englandpharmacy.co.uk/products/aleve.htm]aleve[/url]

Anonymous said...

new chat dating links [url=http://freeinternetdating.info/marriage/poems-about-marriage-problems]poems about marriage problems[/url] who is leeann rimes dating
oasis dating site http://freeinternetdating.info/brides/plus-size-brides-blogs margaret burkwit dating
www free dating [url=http://freeinternetdating.info/bride/runaway-bride-jennifer]100 free dating uk[/url] totally married dating