RAPEMAN – Demo

Ten years ago now there were folders kicking around of RAPEMAN rarities + a bunch of dubious quality European live recordings but I had no idea that there was a demo until recently. I’d been considering lately how much of an important band in ‘rock history’ they actually are. Not to be over dramatic but this is a band that we won’t see the likes of again. The combined creativity and power of Steve Albini, David Wm Sims & Rey Washam playing together is quite phenomenal to hear. Rapeman has a rhythm section that rivals any classic 70’s hard rock band. Although by the late 80’s filtered via post punk it is tighter, leaner & more violent… even through the tinny quality the force of sound is undeniable. I’m guessing these demo tracks were recorded in early 88? there is still a bit of a BIG BLACK hangover but the ‘power trio’ concept is nearly fully formed even in infancy. This is a great artifact of indie rock history and testament to what is capable within the limitations of guitar/drums/bass. Outstanding.

Click picture for DL

SHELLAC – Demo

The plan was to post this maybe a year ago now but that never came to pass. I couldn’t be bothered dealing with using Mediafire anymore for one thing. I still can’t so all folders here are directly downloadable from now on and will be available on an indefinite basis. I have long, distant memories of buying ‘Uranus’ on release and for whichever perverse reason vivid recollections of buying each record over the years. I can’t think of any other band I’ve given that much attention to… or as to when/where I was each time a new SHELLAC record was on the horizon. If ever there was a band I could ‘plot my life to’ it would be them, and it still remains many years later.

Thinking about this Shellac post I’d recently come across a clipping made from the Melody Maker newspaper in 1993 (below) which was the first UK press concerning ‘Steve Albini’s new band’. The music papers here were good information sources for the pre internet world until they took a dive with the advent of Britpop. 91-94 was a good period for independent guitar music, a time I can look at with some fondness… the nostalgia occasionally creeps in but I’m not one for sentimentality.

The demos are all instrumental versions of tracks that would shortly appear on ‘At Action Park’. I’d hazard a guess that these recordings were made in late 1993? also included is a demo version of ‘The Futurist’ which would’ve been made over a year later. The recording is very live and you can very much hear the ‘room sound’. I imagine they were made at Todd Trainer’s apartment, of which you will click for the DL:

CRAW – Map, Monitor, Surge

 Massively overlooked band that grew through the same period of 90’s ‘noise rock’ that was popularised by Helmet, Jesus Lizard, Shellac et al. In fact Craw share few similarities beyond the surface references, the nearest band I can think to categorise them alongside would be Season To Risk. Both bands favour strange time signatures, odd spoken/sung vocals & dissonant guitar lines.

 ‘Map, Monitor, Surge’ is their third album recorded by Steve Albini and Bill Korecky at Mars studio (Integrity/Ringworm) in 1996. This is the first appearance of Will Scharf (Keelhaul) on drums and he maybe accentuates their abuse of meter change and twisting song patterns. It is rare that any song part is repeated twice and any verse/chorus format is abandonned. It can be a disconcerting and difficult listen which is why they didn’t get much noteriety, their last album however was released by Hydra head in 2002 which was a profile boost. I detect some definite later Black Flag influence in the guitar lines on ‘Killer microbes devour Cleveland’ and the general ‘avant garde’ vibe. The Craw website had basically everything they ever recorded on it available for free download, unfortunately it seems to have gone kaput… so seek out their albums instead!

 

RYE COALITION – Jersey Girls EP

 

I recall being less than pleased with the ‘Lipstick Game’ album when it came out, from then until now I have neglected Rye Coalition. Sometimes I really can’t understand my choices, I guess I thought they were selling out because it didn’t sound like ‘Great Communicator’ or some stupid reason. My loss because I’ve recently picked up ‘On Top’ and ‘Curses’ and reacquainted myself… maybe I’ll also rebuy ‘Lipstick Game’. I’m saying all this because maybe you have passed up on Rye Coalition as well. If that’s the case then I am posting this EP by way of convincing you to revisit. ‘Jersey Girls’ was recorded during the same sessions as ‘On Top’ with Steve Albini in Chicago, an ideal matching for the band. Two tracks here ‘ZZ Topless’ & ‘Snow Job’ were released as a 7″ and ‘Stop Eating while I’m Smoking’ appears on the full length, the rest are exclusive to the release. If hard rockin’ bluesy punk is your thing  then check this out, Rye Coalition plain smokes! 

STEVE ALBINI Guitarist Magazine 1994

steve-albini-guitarist-magazine-may-1994

 Whilst rooting around the archive vaults (read: dusty boxes of old magazines) I found a cutting I’d made from Guitarist magazine featuring an excellent Steve Albini interview. The article dates from May 1994 and is great for anyone interested in reading about his guitar sound & the harmonic percolator pedals which seem to be the only kind of distortion he uses. If you’re not so bothered about that stuff there are some nice pictures, it’s a big file so Save target as…  I have some other Albini related pieces I’m gonna scan but I figured I’d wait and make a full SHELLAC post soon. I’m making headway with my next posting (it’s gonna be a good one!) but it’s not ready just yet so this should tide you over for now.

 I just found another two Albini clippings, one is an article he wrote about Billiards taken from Thrasher magazine circa 96. And also ‘The World According to…’ which featured in The Guardian newspaper Guide circa 2000. Check them here: