The Croiners: Generator Live! 2/24/90

This is a cassette, from 1990, dug out of a bin in my house over the past weekend. In 1989, about the same time my record store (Auricular Records - then Kaleidoscope) opened, Ken Montgomery opened Generator in NYC. Generator was a personal/public experiment that began on June 1, 1989. Having been involved in sound art music culture and the international mail art and cassette networking scene for 10 years while being based in New York's Lower East Side Ken wanted to find out how much of an interest there was in the same scene locally. Generator quickly became a meeting place for those already attracted to this international network who might have otherwise only known each other by post. It also provided an opportunity to expose this culture to a new audience of people who stumbled upon it, read about it or heard about it who wouldn't otherwise have known about this music and culture. This release basically comes from a place that could be considered another coast' s sister experiment to Auricular Records.

From the sleeve notes by Gen Ken Montgomery:

Generator was proud to host a rare appearance by the Croiners. There was an elaborate set of midi samplers and controllers which were used in an invigorating performance of the kind of off the wall spoken word and and repetitive juxtapositions the Croiners are infamous for. You'll hear plenty of laughter in the audience as the wit of teh Croiners makes it hard to resist. On the wall at Generator hung a myriad of promotional prints from Jim Tapes depicting The Croiners over three years with allof their wacky slogans - G.K.M.

From the Generator website:

Generator is a resource for sound artists and sound art related projects.

GENERATOR SOUND ART, INC. was created to produce and disseminate original recordings by dedicated sound artists, presenting releases of Electronic, Electro-Acoustic, Noise, and Experimental Music. Uncompromising, non-commercial, and definitely not for everyone. These projects are geared towards the discerning and adventurous listener.

Generator Sound Art, Inc. is Gen Ken Montgomery, founder of the GENERATOR SOUND ART GALLERY, NYC, (1989-1992) and Scott Konzelmann a.k.a. CHOP SHOP.

Download The Croiners: Generator Live! 2.24.90

Reverb Mother Fuckers: Route 666

1988 Race Age Records
Limited Edition 666 copies

80's NY Scum Rock....so much better than Tears for Fears. While we may remember greats forging their way out of the NY scum rock scene as well as their bongs, such as the Butthole Surfers and the dressed for success White Zombie, many of the forerunners of this lovely tickle of rock and roll remain unheralded for their pain and suffering as they shed years off their life making dirty rotten rock available for us all to consume whilst paving the way for the watered down, I just bought my torn jeans at Macy's, Im so sad because I have to eek out a living on heroine and a major label contract, homogenized corporate grunge to follow.

Still, to this day, the best named, dirtiest, scummiest, most confusing mass of wtf and where did it come from, inventors of NY scum rock was and always will be the Reverb Motherfuckers. How can you not win with a name like that? How did the Butthole Surfers come out on top?

The Reverb Motherfuckers release Route 666 is a limited edition of 666 copies, day glo silkscreen covered, tribute to everything you should be afraid of if you take, or are planning to take LSD. You get so much more than scum rock. Tracks on this album go from heavy post punk NY tasiness, to sample driven swirling tape loopy craziness. I think this album is trying to tell me somethign, Im not sure what it is, and im not sure I really want to know. Don't you love getting that feeling from your music collection.

This is the original s*#t featuring Wild Man, 4Skins, and Bubble -- the nicknames listed on the cover for Roy Edroso, Ray Sage, and John Terhorst. You may recognize the name John Terhorst as he went on to form other amazing bands like Shaved Pigs - no, you still don't remember him? - anyways the Shaved Pigs are awesome as well and maybe, just maybe, that is a post for another day.

Sit back, relax and enjoy the soothing sounds of the Reverb Motherfuckers Route 666.

Ear|Trumpet - Bring on the Dirt

Data Terminal Systems Records - DTS|001
London, England

Stephen S.: organ piano, synth
Neil M.: vocals, drums, organ, tapes
Tony B.: bass, organ
Geoff V.: bass
BC Gilbert: guitar
Gary G.: dolak

This album has been a long time resident of my record collection, having braved great tortures since the late 80's when it was acquired and ignored for almost 15 years until recently.

What do you get when you take a Tony Barber of the Buzzcocks, BC Gilbert of Wire/Dome/Wir etc etc, and Steve Severin of Siouxsie and the Banshees/The Glove and mix them together with a few other sordid chaps. Well...you actually get an album that serves as a reference point for what a lot of others would do and as a historical document of what many had done already. Suprisingly, it isnt a fearful pseudo-goth celebration of drab masturbatory illness.

This album sits in a dark stew of possibilities and presents itself as some bizarre missing link of alternative art rock. One part Wire, one part Fall, a dash of PIL, a tip of the hat to Bauhaus...there are so many bits and pieces of the easily recognized sounds of this time period but it plays as original. I really didn't think this album would stand the test of time but when I placed it on the turntable I was more than pleasantly surprised. I have always been surprised that I do not see Ear|Trumpet in more record collections and, cited more as an influence or recognized for it's "supergroup(?)" qualities.

Well then - have a taste of Ear|Trumpet