Adam Schmitt Redux---Post Update--Why his music Kills

Very early on, I lauded the relatively unnoticed records of Champaign stalwart Adam Schmitt, his major label albums Illiterature and World So Bright, and his collection of unreleased work on Parasol, Demolition. I don't really feel like going back and adding to the original post, so I quickly am giving a few quick examples of why his music is so important.

From the Yellow Pills Refill comp on the Numero label: Speed Kills Here's a little number from World So Bright: My Killer From Illiterature: Me and You And this is from You are What you Shoot--I song I've never heard until two minute ago. Forgetting....Wow!

A truly unappreciated talent. Illiterature and World So Bright can be found for pennies used! I suggest you dive in and enjoy some great music today.

Turning Curious--80's Champaign Band

Here's a quickie post, just a tune from an 80's band from Champaign-Urbana, Turning Curious fronted by Nick Rudd, who later was in Blown and Weird Summer. It was a band I had heard of before I was in Illinois, but by the time I went out there, they were no more. This is a bit of jangly pop in the vein of REM. The 1983 album Soul Light Season--actually EP-- was produced by jangle guru Mitch Easter, no less. Never made it onto compact disc, but it's still out there on vinyl for those interested. I thought it was a pretty great effort and I was disappointed that I never got to hear them play live. I can't remember precisely but I may have seen the Big Maybe, a band with Rudd, and Paul Chastain and Ric Menck of  Velvet Crush. Anyhow, I think any fan of a good pop song would approve of Soul Light Season.





Rudd also has a collection of solo work on Parasol records, One Track Mind, if this song appeals to you.

Get Off that Fence! Poster Children: No More Songs About Sleep and Fire!!!

Did you ever notice how right wing always seem to be cynically appropriating seemingly anthemic tunes written by musicians of a liberal bent? Songs go out on the campaign trail and they get used often in a dumbed-down irony-removed manner. Often the artists like Bruce Springsteen ask the pol to cease and desist, as use of the song is a quasi-half-assed endorsement. Though as most musicians probably lean somewhat left of the dial, the pickings may be a bit slim. After all, we are talking about the Devil's music here, aren't we? But why can't this trend tilt in the other direction for a change?

I think it would be great if President Obama went out on the campaign trail with a healthy supply of Ted Nugent blaring from the Tour bus. Turn the tables for once--Democrat Scratch Fever--Wang Dang Sweet Four More Years--Yes We Can-Go Tango. If nothing else, it would make a decent skit on SNL.

Well anyway, let's get back to what I thought I was doing. Fade out to Mid-America.......

So at least for the time being, No More Songs about Sleep and Fire appears to be the last full length record for the Poster Children, a great funky punk pop group from the Champaign-Urbana zone of the world. Although this is not considered to be their desert island, I like it just fine. (They put out a politically motivated ep collection of covers shortly afterward). Just another criminally underrated band from Middle America. Anybody with a taste for Pixies, Talking Heads, or Gang of Four will not be disappointed here. This particular little number was released on the Parasol subsidiary in 2004, Hidden Agenda Records, though at an earlier time they put some music out on Warners.

I saw them at least ten years ago in NYC, but for the life of me I can't remember where. They may have actually been on a bill with noise pimps Bailter Space at CBGB's. Even though I wasn't too familiar with them, I recall it was a great energetic set. Sometimes you see a band put on a nice show but it can leave you a bit cold. These guys put it out there, forcefully, with heart. I know people like bands like The White Stripes and the Strokes, but I could give a shit about them. Give me the Poster Children performing The Bottle over that stuff any day. Rose Marschack is the not-so-secret weapon on weapon; even though they are all quite talented, she definitely brings the funk. Rick Valentin is on guitar and vocals. Jim Valentin is also on guitar, and Matt Friscia plays drums here.

The album starts out with a bang with the hard rocking Jane. Song two is the funky Western Springs, which the band made a video for. Check it out.




There's a lot to like on this album. Flag is another super grooving tune, where the energy just erupts from the speakers. The Leader is one of the hugest tunes, and probably not one that will be used on the campaign trail anytime soon. One of my favorites is the riff heavy Sugarfriend and the excellent Shy. All in all, a very solid album by a band on top of its game. I even have somewhere the DVD they made, sort of a tour diary/spoof/low budget scripted reality movie called No Stars that I picked up. I can't say its quite the same as The Last Waltz, but I enjoyed the cheapo charm of the movie, and the band is likeable and smart.





So if like what you hear, check out this interesting band--they put out 8 albums in their day, and a lot of them are pretty damned great, including this one. They have a web-site which brings you up to date with what the band members are up to, and they have a fairly comprehensive history of the band for those interested. Their covers ep On The Offensive is a lot of fun, and it shows that their hearts appear to be in the right place. It includes songs like the Clash's Clampdown, X's The New World, Divide and Conquer by Husker Du, and Let's Have a War by hardcore belligeristas Fear. Who knows? Maybe I've just introduced you to your new next favorite band!

Champaign Kisses and Urbana Dreams! The Outnumbered-Surveying The Damage

Young Fresh Fellows

When I first got out of the habit of listening to mainstream music, I quickly found that I could not easily get the music I wanted. It was not in any record stores near my home. So I would take the train or drive into New York, and get records at Midnight Records over on 23rd. They had a lot of interesting records, and I was into garage/psychedelic stuff a lot at the time. I recall buying a compilation album Battle of the Garages Volume II, that I really liked which may have been put out by Bomp! records. One of the tracks that stood out for me was a track by some band called The Outnumbered. Contrary to many of the other bands represented on the comp, the song actually sounded like it could have been recorded back in 1966. The song had a brooding intensity to it, an accurate distillation of teenage angst, anxiety, and boredom.

Boy on a Roof
Hot Summer night
Thinks of jumping off
Confused about his life
The future ahead he can't see
For that moment, he's unhappy....


Skip ahead a few years, and I find myself going to school in Champaign-Urbana, in the heart of corn country. When I was out there, the first Farm Aid was put on by Willie Nelson and John Melloncamp. I was a big fan of music then as now, and having the Record Stop within walking distance was a real luxury. Great music store. Well, in any event, I was interested in finding out about the local scene. There was a bit of a reputation. But when I was out there, the Elvis Brothers had disbanded as had the band Turning Curious (their album was never released on Cd). But new bands replace old bands, the circle of life....There were bands like The Arms of Someone New, The Farmboys (Adam Schmitt),Secret Goldfish, and variations on what was to eventually become Velvet Crush.



And of course The Outnumbered. They were a band that I already knew about, so when I heard they were performing I made sure I was there. I was surprised that there was not a great turnout that night. When I heard them play I was even more surprised as they were a terrific live band. I went to another of their shows at Mabel's later on and there was a much better turnout. Very entertaining. It seemed that the band was calling it quits though, either right then or in the very near future. I remember them winding the show down with a kick ass cover of Scott McKenzie's Going to San Francisco! It was so good that I wondered whether they ever recorded it. My impression at the time was that the singer, Jon Ginoli had decided to move out West.

After all this The Outnumbered to a degree dropped off my radar. I didn't realize till years later that when Ginoli went out West, he founded Pansy Division, the trailblazing overtly gay band that started the whole Queercore movement. I found out when I bought the great Rhino Cd, Punk Rock XMAS, where I noticed Ginoli's name under the hilarious Pansy Division tune, Homo Christmas. Caught me a little by surprise, but mainly because its not something I waste my time thinking about. My criteria for music is about the quality, not about somebody's orientation, or appearance, or how they vote. Have to admire his bravery--people are more tolerant overall now then they were back then.



According to the liner notes The Outnumbered were an attempt to blend the Ramones with The Byrds.
Punk rock aggressivenes with pop smarts. They were also a band with a high degree of social consciousness.
Their stance was anti-war, anti-misogyny, pro-tolerance. Thought the other issues are a stock part of the rock and roll canon from hippie/folk days, the anti-misogyny issue was a pretty unique take at the time. Unfortunately in rock iconography their is a tradition of women as a form of accessorising. And while they dealt with these topics in all seriousness, they still managed to maintain a sense of humor. Hell, in their own liner notes they make fun of their haircuts! But they were basically a voice of sanity a cornfield of mass stupidity, something needed as much today as back then. They also managed to address these issues wrapped up in a neat hook-filled package, which other similar idealistically minded bands might have ignored in their zeal. In addition to Ginoli, Paul Budin played Bass and sang, Tim McKeague was on lead guitar, and had Ken Golub on drums at first, and then Jonno Peltz, who was probably their drummer when I saw them live.

Heartland Jangle-Punk. That's what I hear on this album. I was surprised by Ginoli's comments in the liner notes about how disappointed he was when he heard Husker Du's New Day Rising album and felt a sense of failure. They were doing what he wanted to do, only better. It was a comparison that I had never really seen until then, but it makes perfect sense, only Husker Du came out of a hardcore background originally. But they also melded the sensibilities of 60's pop with punk rock, starting with Zen Arcade. The obvious example is their magnificent cover of 8 Miles High, my favorite cover song ever. A kick-ass version of a Byrds tune that also seems to be filled with subtextual meaning, a manifesto in a way. This was a beginning that was perfected on New Day Rising and Flip Your Lid. But until now I didn't see the obvious connection.

The Outnumbered released three albums in their career, Why Are All The Good People Going Crazy, Holding the Grenade for Too Long, and the posthumous Work...Buy...Die, all out of print. But good folks at Parasol records have compiled highlights of these records on Surveying the Damage, available at a very affordable price. In addition to Boy on A Roof, which is a garage rock classic, you have raveups like Why Are All the Good People Going Crazy?, and the opening track I Feel So Sorry Now. Paul Budin takes the mike on several songs here and comports himself quite well on the fiery Away From Here, and most notably on his profound take on the unequal role of women in society Passive Voice. Ginoli also contributes to the discussion with The Other Way Around and Sit With Me In The Dark. Also included here is Ginoli's anti-war tune Cover Me With Flowers, replete with Beatley "Tomorrow Never Knows" guitar.



One of my favorite songs in addition to the aforementioned is the love song Inspiration, another Budin tune.
It's definitely on the warm and fuzzy side, and a very satisfying pop confection.
After the Outnumbered, Budin and McKeague formed Last Straw, what today would be called an Alt-Country Band, but back then such a thing did not exist. They recently did a reunion show in Champaign-Urbana, where they were selling a 2 CD collection of their old cassette and unreleased songs. I thought that maybe Parasol might be hawking this, but apparently not at present. The Outnumbered held a reunion show back in 2009, some of which can be seen here, still sounding great after all these years.

We're On a Mission from Sweet Sweet Satan--Didjits--Hornet Pinata!!!

If the Blue Brothers were on a mission from God, I think the Didjits received their instructions from somewhere in the Deepest South. Where all great rock originates from, as we hapless connoisseurs of musical obscurity know so well. But then again, maybe only evolution could explain how farmboys from Champaign-Urbana could mutate into this over the top, world class, annihilating monster truck of a band.

Champaign Wishes, Caviar Dreams

It might be because Champaign might be the flattest place in the world--I don't really have the answer. I hadn't listened to one in a while, and I forgot what a great rock n roll album these guys made. Coming out you at the Crossroads between Big Black and Husker Du off their meds (or funny Nirvana), this is a classic rock and roll album that spans the continuum between Little Richard, The Stooges, up to the aforementioned band. They even end the album with a bottom heavy cover of  Hendrix's Foxy Lady and MC5's Call Me Animal. An album so aggressive it could tear your head off, tightly performed, irrerverant, appalling, hedonistically hilarious. One of 1990's best. This album definitely is in the rock n roll Hall of Fame of my delusions. 13 songs in 28 minutes. They were the real deal.

The Didjits were a three piece juggernaut from Champaign-Urbana, the home of the University of Illinois. Rick Sims sang and played guitar. Doug Evans was on bass, and Rick's brother Brad was on the drums. Hornet Pinata was their second full length album, released on Touch and Go records. Sims is a pretty amazing, charismatic frontman who somehow manages to tower above the musical maelstrom. Despite the velocity and ferocity, there is a surprising amount of melodicism to the music. And makes me want to drive my car fast. Take one look at the album art and you know where they're at. I remember downtown on the weekends and how all the local kids would just drive around and around that downtown area in their cars all night like some sort of a teenage parade. Maybe that whole car/speed thing is something that comes through in this music. Or more than likely not. But they put out their first records shortly after I came back East. I never got to see them. Damn.

Hornet Pinata starts out with Killboy Powerhead, which actually got some critical attention in its day. And deservedly so. Probably the Offspring cover is better known. But just the start of many special moments on the record. I especially like the riff pummel of Gold Eldorado.




Of course, their hallucinatory Evel Knievel tribute is a beautiful thing--a lot of bands sing about the American Daredevil and Hero but so few deliver the real goods. These guys are the exception to the rule.



Sweet Sweet Satan is one of those songs that draws a line in the sand--I don't think they were thinking about topping the College charts. Overall this disc is quite solid, no disappointing songs here, in my opinion. Other nice tracks are Cutting Carol, Goodbye Mr Policeman, and Joker Express. There are those who would pan the lyrical content of the record, but I find it hard to believe people would take these songs so seriously. This is goofy, gross out humor, and it should be taken in that spirit.



So if you want to listen to some loud over the top hard rocking alternative tunes with a lot of humor and chops, I think you will really appreciate this band if you give them a chance.

Everything Turned Blue--Adam Schmitt--World So Bright--

American Idol in A Better World

Listen to this album and contemplate how this music could not have succeeded. When I was in Champaign, I remember seeing this guy around town performing, but I couldn't remember where. I was pretty sure I saw him when he was in the Farm Boys, and then in Pop The Balloon. I thought that maybe I saw him doing a cover of  "color me impressed" somewhere. But I could be wrong. I thought that he was somebody who had a lot of talent though. Later on he landed a major label deal and put out a two albums and he put out a third album on Parasol, Demolition, more recently. World So Bright was his first, and in the rock tradition of McCartney and Emmit Rhodes, most of the music was performed himself, save the drumming. This is a terrific album that somehow fell through the cracks. People who are familiar with it know what I mean--in the power pop guide by John Borack, Shake Some Action this was ranked #9 of all time. And he even looks like a rock star.

Power pop is an odd sort of genre, in that a lot of ways it is not a genre at all, and can encompass a lot of different bands, though most would agree The Butthole Surfers are not power pop. It is like yuppie, a pejorative term that somehow gained positive traction by some. Originally I think it referred to bands that sounded like the Beatles, but lacked the substance and songwriting chops, imitators. Later on people picked up on the term, saying "what's wrong with well-executed songs with big hooks and beautiful harmonies"? Cheap Trick, Big Star, The Posies, The Knack are all considered to fall under this aegis, but their styles are not all that similar. And as far as I can see, this World So Bright is more accurately a classic 80's rock album, in the vein of The Replacements/Paul Westerberg, or Tommy Keene. And as much I like the Knack, there is nothing on here like My Sharona. The songs have great chops and depth--I don't know why I didn't see him on MTV or hear him any hits on the radio.

World So Bright starts out with a should-have-been hit Dead End, a tough melodic (ultimately ironic) song.
The title track follows with its expressively orchestrated balladry--really nice. Can't get you on my mind is another nice tune, featuring guest guitar work from the late Jay Bennett of Wilco. River Black is a driving dramatic rock tune--the sort of song that Jon BonGiovi still uses to fill stadiums with. The more I listen to this, the more of a head scratcher this is. Every song on this album is very good to great--not one duff track, and this is definitely an album of its era, not decades ahead of its time.

Garden of Love, My Killer, Everything Turned Blue, all great tracks. My favorite song by a hair is Elizabeth Einstein, a nice Beatley ballad a perfect song for a movie soundtrack. Scarlet Street is another melodic album highlight. The album satisfyingly ends on a reflective At Season's End. In the final analysis, one of the best unknown albums of the 80's, and you can purchase it for pennies. They must have pressed a million of them and then changed their mind. After the his second album,  the much louder but still good Illiterature, he was dropped by his label, and is still involved in the music business but more in the area of recording bands/producing albums. Sometime in the near future a long overdue album is forthcoming, hopefully. But check this record out and see what you have been missing out on!!!