New Additions: Limited Edition EP by The Press

For someone who enjoys research and crate digging for records, a band like The Press is right up my alley. Here's how I came across their 1987 release Limited Edition EP. I was at Spoonful Records flipping through the local section, and stopped at a sealed copy of The Press 12". The band name didn't look familiar, so I flipped it over wondering what it was, and the name "Jeff Gastineau" caught my eye. How did I know that name? Why was it familiar? I pulled out my phone and searched the Discogs app for the name, which came up with Engineer credits on Razor Penguins and Eurogression, as well as contributing a track to one of the Q-FM 96 compilations. At that point, it didn't matter what The Press sounded like, I was buying the record based on the connections alone. Turns out it's pretty solid 80s pop/AOR, but more importantly I was able to locate Jeff and not long we had an interview via Skype for the book.

The Big Takeover (via Allmusic.com) - The Rock Garden by Eurogression review

What's interesting (?), fun (?) and fascinating about this project is realizing how much information is lost from before the world wide web became all encompassing. Take for instance Eurogression, who I was sure only released one album, but in researching and Googling for info. Turns out they did release at least one more album, The Rock Garden on Street Records in 1997. Could it be there was another band called Eurogression? Sure, but then I found this review by Jack Rabid of The Big Takeover, preserved over at Allmusic.com, that confirms it's the same Eurogression:

You may be surprised enough to discover this L.A.-by-way-of-Columbus, OH trio was still going -- you might remember their college radio hit "Danger in Those Eyes" from a decade prior, the golden age of that medium -- let alone that, as the liner notes claim, they've recorded over 21 records since 1983. Holy cannoli. However, if you've not heard of them, it's not your fault. For various reasons, only nine of those 21 have ever been released by their own label, Bravo. But The Rock Garden, once again recorded by Steve Albini in his busy Chicago basement, is easily available. This is just the sort of loud, raw, thick, spontaneous sound that's Albini's gift to indie music, from the most fledgling, broke band to Nirvana's wild In Utero. More importantly, as befits their experience, Eurogression is one of the tightest and most exciting bands to survive his "record everything live in as few takes as possible" policy. Guitarist/writer/singer Tasos has one of those urgent qualities in his full-throated voice that marks the best of this style, from Squirrel Bait to Moving Targets to dozens of Dischord bands, and the group burns with conviction to match the fire in their playing.

Even after reading, I still wasn't convinced that it was the same Eurogression considering the description, but I've got nothing else to go on.

Columbus Alive: Interview with Flogging Molly drummer George Schwindt

Finding info on Eurogression is damn near impossible, but I did manage to track down this interview with former drummer George Schwindt with the Columbus Alive back in 2012 when he was touring with Flogging Molly. Here's a the Eurogression bit:

Alive: Tell me about the band you were playing with when you first moved to L.A. That band was originally based in Columbus? 

Schwindt: The band was called Eurogression. Yeah, we were based in Columbus. We had played around a bit in Columbus, and we’d gone to New York and played CBGB’s when that was still there, and that was great. It was different then because in order to get to where people could help with your career, you had to go to one of the music markets. That was before Seattle. And then when all that stuff started happening in Seattle, I mean, you couldn’t be in Seattle and not run into a label guy from somewhere. Whether it was L.A. or New York or London - everybody. I mean, they were all there. It was just saturated. That kind of changed, along with technology, I think changed the way the labels look at the world and who’s doing what. But back then, you said, “OK, well, we’re going to have to go to New York or L.A.” And I voted for New York, and everybody else voted for L.A. (laughs) So in that band democracy, we got in the moving van and went west. We played in L.A. for about a year, and then the band broke up, and I stayed out. I kept working with people, auditioning for different things.

New Additions: Euogression self-titled 1987 album

There are a few bands whose names danced around the periphery of conversations I've had with people in researching this book, and Eurogression is one one of them. From "yeah, I sorta remember" them to "that name sounds familiar," the band was only around a few years but managed a seven inch single and album, the latter of which was recorded at 3001 Studios by Jeff Gastineau, who I interviewed in 2018 for the book. He gave me some interesting insights, but what I was not expecting was the wildly fluctuating market for the Eurogression album. I scored it via Discogs for a few bucks, albeit in slightly worn shape, while I have seen other copies going for upwards of fifty bucks. In reality, at five songs it is more of an EP than an album, but you get the vibe immediately, and I'm not shocked that some people didn't connect, or maybe lost it down the memory whole. It's competent goth synth stuff with occasionally interesting ideas that maybe needed a little more time to gestate into something truly special.

Know Yer Band: Eurogression

Band: Eurogression

Members
Bass - Chris Woltman
Guitar, Keyboards - Erwin "Ko Chan" Tan
Percussion, Vocals - Carlton Wilder
Vocals, Acoustic Guitar - Tasos Elescos Taigamides
Vocals, Keyboards - Katerina Sophia Taigamides
Drums - George Schwindt

Releases
1987 - Eurogression album (Bravo Records)
1988 - Lady Of The Night 7" single (Bravo Records)
1997 - The Rock Garden (Street Records)
1997 - Split w/Winter Death Club 7" single (Street Records)