Tag: 80s

Volcano Suns – The Bright Orange Years

By request from jeffholland and others will enjoy it too. Post Mission of Burma band with similar sound. They fall right between post-punk and grunge, in that mid to late 1980s group that included Hüsker Dü, Soul Asylum before they went pop, Otto’s Chemical Lounge, etc.

The Bright Orange Years (dir of MP3s).

You know, I just realized why I fucking hate emo music so much. It’s this stuff, ruined. Emo is what happens when you try to do Zen Arcade or Made to be Broken and you’re a mallpunk with no soul.

A day to remember a lost friend: D Boon

d.boon

Dennes Dale Boon died on this day in 1985. Some people like to remember John Lennon on his death day, for me it’s D. Boon and the end of the Minutemen.

D. Boon was a fat guy in a uniquely weird punk band. He was a working class guy with a great mind and a huge heart. I went to countless Minutemen shows for the two years I had the privilege of being his fan. To me he meant a whole world view: resistance to Reaganism, the DIY ethic, punk rock that was passionate for change, and just plain old big sweaty fun.

I saw the Minutemen at colleges, in bars, on big stages, in record stores, on the street, in the middle of nowhere, anywhere they played. I jumped up and down and shouted and sang the lyrics with them, dived for the set list after shows, yelled out requests and got them played. Double Nickels on the Dime was a life-changing record for me.

I want to thank D. Boon for teaching me that resistance is possible, that art is for everyone to make, and that you can dance your ass off and make your point at the same time. I’ve missed him for 20 years now, but he gave me that.

Here’s the first of their songs I ever heard, in 1983 on KPFK:

Little Man with a Gun in his Hand (MP3, 4.5M)

From Spy Magazine, 1992

I grabbed this from an online archive of the magazine. Spy was the Onion and the Daily Show of the 1980s and early 1990s. This was one of my favorite bits and I’m glad to see it again.

Women in Love: Spy’s Pocket Guide to the Best-sellers

Ivana Trump, Woman of Letters – In her novel, For Love Alone, Ivana Trump tells the story of Katrinka Graham, a plucky Czech skiert who emigrates to America and marries the rich and powerful Adam Graham. A roman à clef? No way – Katrinka is beautiful without benefit of plastic surgery, and Adam is not a bullying blowhard. Here’s how Ivana captures Katrinka’s thoughts at certain dramatic moments:

  • On skiing over the Czech border to freedom: “Ayiiiiii!”
  • When consoling a friend on her troublesome love life: “Ay yi yi.”
  • On meeting the long-lost son she gave up at birth: “Ay yi yi yi.”
  • When finally divorced from Adam: “Ay yi yi yi.”
  • On hearing her friend is deserting her husband: “Ay yi yi yi.”
  • When she is offered a rich chocolate dessert: “Ay yi yi yi.”

ahh SHIT, i liked this guy

Karl Mueller died.

Met him on their first tour in 1985. I’d really loved Say What You Will, Clarence: Karl Sold the Truck, especially “Religiavision”, and then they put out Made to be Broken and wow, had to go see them. They played the Anti-Club and maybe 10 people showed up. Oddly I kept meeting people years later who’d been at that show. Soul Asylum was a really amazing band around that time; loud and passionate. They did great mashups, too. I particularly remember them doing a mash of Gang of Four’s “Damaged Goods” with Prince’s “The Cross”.

Unfortunately by the time they started to do really well they’d changed their musical style almost completely and I didn’t enjoy it. I liked everything up to Hang Time, but when they got into that “Runaway Train” phase they totally lost me.

Weird irony that Karl got throat cancer. I’d expected Dave to croak (literally) from that, the way he destroyed his voice.

Sorry, Karl.