I cam across Revenge of the Nerds while surfing the TV channels tonight. I am a child of the 80s and I loved this movie while going through high school, both as a cult movie and as an ultimate nerd revenge fantasy. Having endured my share of bullying and humiliation from the more popular kids in high school, the idea of getting revenge on those people resonated with me, as did the ending speech of the movie, about how there are more of us being put down than those on top putting us down.
There's also a nice group of 80s tunes running through the movie. Outside of the overt Devo references in the movie, most seen in the Lambda's musical number, with Lewis and Gilbert dressed up in yellow Tyvek radiation suits like the early incarnations of Devo, there's lots of great 80s tunes in the soundtrack. If you look closely too, Lewis and Gilbert have a Devo poster up in their first room at college. Then there's one that comes with a bit of a delay to it, The Gleaming Spires.
The Gleaming Spires were formed as a side project of the great new wave band Sparks. Formed first as a duo of Leslie Bohem and David Kendrick, they performed as Bates Motel, before recruiting two other members of Sparks, Jim Goodwin and Bob Haag. The Spires were short lived, only putting out three albums over their 5 year existence. Their best known song "Are You Ready for the Sex Girls?" appeared on their debut album, Songs of the Spires, in 1981. It's also featured in the Lambda/Mu party scenes in Revenge of the Nerds.
So, where's the Devo connection. Well, after Alan Myers left Devo, the band recruited Spires member David Kendrick in the late 80s to replace him. Kendrick spent three albums with the band, ending in 1991's Smooth Noodle Maps, after which Devo broke up for 20 years. Kendrick was replaced with Josh Freese for Devo's comeback, Something for Everybody.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Covers Courageous #6: 1000 Homo DJs - Supernaut
In the most popular era of industrial music, the late 80s, it was the style to form side projects and super groups. All too often, collaborators would come together and form other groups for one off projects, or outlets for what they couldn't do with their main groups, due to pressure from record labels or the dynamics within their own groups. cEvin Key of Skinny Puppy was famous for this forming groups like Hilt, Download, Doubting Thomas and the Tear Garden. Bill Leeb had Intermix, Conjure One and Delerium. And Al Jorgenson of Ministry had 1000 Homo DJs, along with PTP, Pailhead, Acid Horse and Lard.
1000 Homo DJs just put out one EP, Supernaut, in 1990 on the powerhouse Wax Trax Records. The band was Jorgenson along with other Ministry cohorts like Bill Reiflin and Paul Barker. The album was recorded under pseudonyms, so it's difficult to tell who was playing on the album. The album had four songs and the best on the album was their cover of Black Sabbath's "Supernaut"
The original version appeared on Black Sabbath's 1972 album Vol. 4. The song was typical of Sabbath's style of metal at the time: loud, sludgy, drugged out psychedelic metal:
Jorgenson's version was much more bombastic and aggressive. Using samples to introduce the song turned it into a potent statement on counter culture. Jorgenson's own daliances with drugs only enhanced the other-worldly feel of the song. The 1000 Homo DJs version is industrial metal swagger, brutal, rhythmic and confrontrational.
The song got a lot of attention after appearing on the 1994 Nativity in Black compilation, featuring covers of Black Sabbath songs, featuring a nice selection of the days alt-metal bands paying tribute to Black Sabbath. Since then, the song has often been credited to Ministry themselves, adding some confusion to the mix.
One of industrial's enduring mysteries was a rumoured version of the song featuring Trent Reznor on vocals instead of Jorgenson. The rumour was that Reznor's label, TVT, had heard about the collaboration and refused to let Reznor's version be released, forcing a re-recording of the song. This was one of the many reasons Reznor broke his contract with TVT Records and went on to form Nothing Records, in order to have more creative control over his musical career. The Reznor version languished for years, only heard on obscure bootlegs, before being formally released in the massive Black Box box set put out by Wax Trax in 1994.
PS if any enterprising fan of this blog would like to get me a copy of Black Box as a gift, I would appreciate much! It's a highly sought after collector's item now!
1000 Homo DJs just put out one EP, Supernaut, in 1990 on the powerhouse Wax Trax Records. The band was Jorgenson along with other Ministry cohorts like Bill Reiflin and Paul Barker. The album was recorded under pseudonyms, so it's difficult to tell who was playing on the album. The album had four songs and the best on the album was their cover of Black Sabbath's "Supernaut"
The original version appeared on Black Sabbath's 1972 album Vol. 4. The song was typical of Sabbath's style of metal at the time: loud, sludgy, drugged out psychedelic metal:
Jorgenson's version was much more bombastic and aggressive. Using samples to introduce the song turned it into a potent statement on counter culture. Jorgenson's own daliances with drugs only enhanced the other-worldly feel of the song. The 1000 Homo DJs version is industrial metal swagger, brutal, rhythmic and confrontrational.
The song got a lot of attention after appearing on the 1994 Nativity in Black compilation, featuring covers of Black Sabbath songs, featuring a nice selection of the days alt-metal bands paying tribute to Black Sabbath. Since then, the song has often been credited to Ministry themselves, adding some confusion to the mix.
One of industrial's enduring mysteries was a rumoured version of the song featuring Trent Reznor on vocals instead of Jorgenson. The rumour was that Reznor's label, TVT, had heard about the collaboration and refused to let Reznor's version be released, forcing a re-recording of the song. This was one of the many reasons Reznor broke his contract with TVT Records and went on to form Nothing Records, in order to have more creative control over his musical career. The Reznor version languished for years, only heard on obscure bootlegs, before being formally released in the massive Black Box box set put out by Wax Trax in 1994.
PS if any enterprising fan of this blog would like to get me a copy of Black Box as a gift, I would appreciate much! It's a highly sought after collector's item now!
Sunday, June 30, 2013
RIP Alan Myers
Alan Myers wasn't the first drummer that DEVO had, but he's the one most associated with the band. Myers joined the band in 1976 as the third drummer for the band, and went on to record and served with them for five albums, from 1978's Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are DEVO! to 1984's Shout. He left the band after Shout, citing that he felt creatively uninspired. He continued to created music, with Babooska, a band founded by his girlfriend, then later with his own band Skyline Electric. He worked full time as an electrician in Los Angeles since leaving DEVO. He passed away on June 24 at the age of 58 from complications from brain cancer.
Myers was called "The Human Metronome" due to his precision at drumming. His drumming always struck me as pitch perfect. Some songs he did almost sounds like a drum machine, not a human being. He was a drumming robot. Check out the perfect timing on his early recording of The Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction":
Later in DEVO's career, the band went more electronic and they began experimenting with electronic percussion. Myers' work on "That's Good" was especially inspired during this time.
One of my favourite bits from Alan Myers was from the disastrous 3DEVO tour, in which a backstage tech messed up the click track the band was using, thinking it was out of sync. This messed up the bands performance so much they had to stop, but Alan kept right on drumming like the pro he was.
In my opinion, DEVO wouldn't have been as successful as they were without Alan behind the drum kit. RIP Alan Myers.
Myers was called "The Human Metronome" due to his precision at drumming. His drumming always struck me as pitch perfect. Some songs he did almost sounds like a drum machine, not a human being. He was a drumming robot. Check out the perfect timing on his early recording of The Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction":
Later in DEVO's career, the band went more electronic and they began experimenting with electronic percussion. Myers' work on "That's Good" was especially inspired during this time.
One of my favourite bits from Alan Myers was from the disastrous 3DEVO tour, in which a backstage tech messed up the click track the band was using, thinking it was out of sync. This messed up the bands performance so much they had to stop, but Alan kept right on drumming like the pro he was.
In my opinion, DEVO wouldn't have been as successful as they were without Alan behind the drum kit. RIP Alan Myers.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Quick Top 40 Charts Update
I used to recap the Top 40 Charts here every week or so, then dropped out of the habit, mostly due to lack of material. Today, I feel the urge to comment on a few things...
- The Twitter revolution is on it's last legs, I feel. There are two songs in the American Top 40 with a hashtag in them (Mariah Carey's "#Beautiful" and will.i.am's "#thatPOWER"). Once the mainstream gets a hold something, it stops being cool.
- Robin Thicke looks like the mutant pompadoured offspring of Alan Thicke and Kirk Cameron. Creepy...
- Avril Lavigne's latest single is called "Here's to Never Growing Up". This sung by a pushing 30 faux-punker who is engaged to Chad Kroeger, favourite rock growler of balding 50s year old truck drivin' rockers everywhere!
- I'm quite surprised at Darius Rucker's reinvention as a country singer. He's miles away from his days in Hootie and the Blowfish and sounding great!
- Fall Out Boy are easily the most obnoxious band in existence right now. The only other band that is in contention is fun. and they're a very, very distant second.
- The Twitter revolution is on it's last legs, I feel. There are two songs in the American Top 40 with a hashtag in them (Mariah Carey's "#Beautiful" and will.i.am's "#thatPOWER"). Once the mainstream gets a hold something, it stops being cool.
- Robin Thicke looks like the mutant pompadoured offspring of Alan Thicke and Kirk Cameron. Creepy...
- Avril Lavigne's latest single is called "Here's to Never Growing Up". This sung by a pushing 30 faux-punker who is engaged to Chad Kroeger, favourite rock growler of balding 50s year old truck drivin' rockers everywhere!
- I'm quite surprised at Darius Rucker's reinvention as a country singer. He's miles away from his days in Hootie and the Blowfish and sounding great!
- Fall Out Boy are easily the most obnoxious band in existence right now. The only other band that is in contention is fun. and they're a very, very distant second.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Forgotten Music #16: The Wedding Present - Brassneck (1989)
Another trip down my memory lane of my first days in campus radio. The Wedding Present deeply resonated with my early days in radio. From England, The Wedding Present had an urgency and power to their music I hadn't ever heard before. At the time, when I thought about powerful guitar, I thought about heavy metal. The Wedding Present had a different kind of power: a jittery, manic wall of guitar noise.
From Leeds, The Wedding Present broke through into the UK scene in 1987 with their first major label album George Best. The album was full short, driving Britrock songs with a distinct and sneering sarcasm and paranoia behind them. David Gedge, the one constant in the band over the years, provided the vocals that signified the bands sound, along with the spastic guitar. Gedge's vocals were a lot like Mark E. Smith of The Fall, insistent, sneering and decidedly weird. His lyrics reminded me of an punk version of Morrissey.
By 1989, their second album, Bizarro, launched them into the US market with aplomb. College radio latched onto them. With bands like Jesus and Mary Chain already establishing the loud guitar noise-wall that the UK became known for at the time, The Wedding Present fit right in. The two singles from this album were the excellent "Kennedy" and "Brassneck". Both were driving Britrock tunes with a jittery, paranoid edge. "Brassneck" was my favourite of the two
Their next album, Seamonsters, continued the trend. The band allied themselves with noted noisemonger Steve Albini at the time. The band still continues to release music, with Gedge the only surviving original member. They released Valentina in 2012 and are touring this year around the world.
From Leeds, The Wedding Present broke through into the UK scene in 1987 with their first major label album George Best. The album was full short, driving Britrock songs with a distinct and sneering sarcasm and paranoia behind them. David Gedge, the one constant in the band over the years, provided the vocals that signified the bands sound, along with the spastic guitar. Gedge's vocals were a lot like Mark E. Smith of The Fall, insistent, sneering and decidedly weird. His lyrics reminded me of an punk version of Morrissey.
By 1989, their second album, Bizarro, launched them into the US market with aplomb. College radio latched onto them. With bands like Jesus and Mary Chain already establishing the loud guitar noise-wall that the UK became known for at the time, The Wedding Present fit right in. The two singles from this album were the excellent "Kennedy" and "Brassneck". Both were driving Britrock tunes with a jittery, paranoid edge. "Brassneck" was my favourite of the two
Their next album, Seamonsters, continued the trend. The band allied themselves with noted noisemonger Steve Albini at the time. The band still continues to release music, with Gedge the only surviving original member. They released Valentina in 2012 and are touring this year around the world.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
RIP George Jones
Lately, we've been losing a lot of fantastic musical talent. Stompin' Tom Connors, Magic Slim, Richie Havens, Christina Amphlette, Rita MacNeil. And on Friday, George Jones.
Simply put, George Jones was one of the finest singers ever to record music, in whatever genre. His ability to convey emotion in a very simple way was his hallmark, and lead to some devastatingly sad country songs. His accomplishments in music were huge. Over 150 hit songs, 14 of them #1s. He's in the Country Music Hall of Fame and in the Grammy Hall of Fame. He's the recipient of the US National Medal of Arts. Many, many awards for vocalist of the year, both for the CMA and Billboard. He's one of the best selling country artists of all time.
Jones' work has always been with me. My mother was a huge fan of classic country and George Jones seemed to always been on the turntable. Mind you, when I was growing up, I really disliked classic country, but, as it wont to happen, one's sensibilities change and mature as one ages. I grew to appreciate and even love some of George Jones' songs. His songs “He Stopped Loving Her Today” and “She Thinks I Still Care” can reduce me to a sobbing, blubbery mess on a good day.
After I discovered Elvis Costello, I found out about his affection for George Jones and my respect for his work grew even larger. Costello recorded an album called Almost Blue in 1981, a straight up country album which his label, Columbia, called “career suicide” and initally refused to release it. It was released anyway, and it didn't sell well. It's still a striking example of Costello's range as a performer, going from the “angry young man”, swaggering roots-punk of his first three albums to Almost Blue's tender and steel-guitar drenched country covers. Costello recorded Jones' “Good Year for the Roses” for this album, then wrote “Stranger in the House” for Jones.
One of my favourite stories was from the liner notes of one of Costello's Ryko re-releases. Back when Jones was young, he was famous for his drunken binges and missing concerts, so much that he was known as “No Show Jones” at one point. He's also famous for his ride into town on a riding lawn mower to buy more booze, since his wife had taken away his truck keys. Costello said he was playing a concert in Nashville, and Jones, a long time friend, couldn't make it, so Jones sent a basket with sparkling apple juice in it. A far cry from the boozing of his early years.
Another one of my favourite George Jones' tunes is “White Lightning”, an upbeat track about moonshining. One of my favourite strange cover is of The Fall doing this song:
George Jones was 81 years old at his time of passing. We won't soon see another singer of his calibre. RIP George Jones.
Simply put, George Jones was one of the finest singers ever to record music, in whatever genre. His ability to convey emotion in a very simple way was his hallmark, and lead to some devastatingly sad country songs. His accomplishments in music were huge. Over 150 hit songs, 14 of them #1s. He's in the Country Music Hall of Fame and in the Grammy Hall of Fame. He's the recipient of the US National Medal of Arts. Many, many awards for vocalist of the year, both for the CMA and Billboard. He's one of the best selling country artists of all time.
Jones' work has always been with me. My mother was a huge fan of classic country and George Jones seemed to always been on the turntable. Mind you, when I was growing up, I really disliked classic country, but, as it wont to happen, one's sensibilities change and mature as one ages. I grew to appreciate and even love some of George Jones' songs. His songs “He Stopped Loving Her Today” and “She Thinks I Still Care” can reduce me to a sobbing, blubbery mess on a good day.
After I discovered Elvis Costello, I found out about his affection for George Jones and my respect for his work grew even larger. Costello recorded an album called Almost Blue in 1981, a straight up country album which his label, Columbia, called “career suicide” and initally refused to release it. It was released anyway, and it didn't sell well. It's still a striking example of Costello's range as a performer, going from the “angry young man”, swaggering roots-punk of his first three albums to Almost Blue's tender and steel-guitar drenched country covers. Costello recorded Jones' “Good Year for the Roses” for this album, then wrote “Stranger in the House” for Jones.
One of my favourite stories was from the liner notes of one of Costello's Ryko re-releases. Back when Jones was young, he was famous for his drunken binges and missing concerts, so much that he was known as “No Show Jones” at one point. He's also famous for his ride into town on a riding lawn mower to buy more booze, since his wife had taken away his truck keys. Costello said he was playing a concert in Nashville, and Jones, a long time friend, couldn't make it, so Jones sent a basket with sparkling apple juice in it. A far cry from the boozing of his early years.
Another one of my favourite George Jones' tunes is “White Lightning”, an upbeat track about moonshining. One of my favourite strange cover is of The Fall doing this song:
George Jones was 81 years old at his time of passing. We won't soon see another singer of his calibre. RIP George Jones.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
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