Datapanik Records Compilations

Datapanik Records was primarily active in the 1990s, although they've had a few releases out in the 2010s, and their roster of bands and artists on compilations reflect their prime years.

Girly Machine, New Bomb Turks, Pica Huss, Greenhorn, Gaunt, Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments are just a few that appear on the 1992 compilation Bumped By Karaoke.

1997's Ubu Dance Party features bands from all over the state, including Columbus bands like Skullbank, RC Mob, Haynes Boys, Scrawl, Pet UFO and others.

New Additions: Hank McCoy & The Dead Ringers self-titled album (1992)

Stumbling upon Hank McCoy & The Dead Ringers during my research for the book gave me pause. Was this really alternative country, in the way that the Haynes Boys or Burn Barrel were alternative country? To my ears, though it might be interpreted slightly differently, there appeared to be nothing "alternative" about it. But then how does that factor into a book primarily about rock music and its various sub-genres? I'm not quite sure yet, I do know that members of a variety of bands, including Greenhorn, Great Plains, Ronald Koal And The Trillionaires, and more.

New Additions: Big Back Forty album Bested

Knowing that Big Back Forty had drawn comparisons to another Columbus band from around this time (Haynes Boys), I had a rough idea what to expect when I grabbed this off Discogs. The first noticeable difference is Sean Beal's voice, which carries a nice amount of weight in its depth. With the McGann brothers from Greenhorn onboard as the rhythm section, it's expectedly tight, but it's Barry Hensley that operates as the secret weapon, playing half a dozen credited instruments that help shape the edges of the songs.

New Additions: Old Numbers by Bush League All-Stars

Before I started this project, I had no idea who the Bush League All-Stars were other than they contributed a track to a Cringe.com compilation in the early 2000s. All the research and listening I've been doing has finally allowed me to fully dive into the BLAS catalog, both physical and digital, and I'm happy I did. I was already of fan of Dan Spurgeon's work with his brother in Greenhorn, so I was happy to discover even more fun country-ish rockin' from the BLAS albums and other releases. I was able to track down a copy of Old Numbers and it's been in rotation frequently over the months since being added to my Columbus collection.

Video: Greenhorn at The Treehouse in 2008

Columbus Alive 2016: Greenhorn revisits past in rare reunion show

Back in 2016, brothers McGann and Spurgeon kicked the tires on Greenhorn for a rare reunion show and spoke to the Columbus Alive regarding their show at Ace Of Cups:

More than two decades after Greenhorn’s initial break-up, the rare reunion show remains a cause for celebration - a trend the band members attribute, in part, to the youthful confidence with which they forged the music. 

“I remember the days when Greenhorn first started playing and we had this sort of us against the world mentality,” said guitarist Mark Spurgeon, who joined his brother, singer/guitarist Dan Spurgeon, for an early January interview at a Clintonville coffee shop. “We really believed in what we were doing ... and when I remember the young man in me, I’m not surprised when people say, ‘That song is so meaningful to me,’ or, ‘That song defines my experience at [now-defunct rock venue] Stache’s.’

New Additions: Through The Thick Of It 7" single by Greenhorn

At some point in the heyday of Donewaiting.com, someone was putting together compilations of 80s and 90s Columbus bands and distributing them via CD-R, and one of those volumes was Greenhorn. I was a fan instantly, as the sludgy, thick guitars and plaintive vocals reminded me of early Dinosaur Jr. It was until recently for this project I actually started pickup on Greenhorn releases because, not shockingly, most of their music isn't available to stream online anywhere, like this seven inch single released on Anyway Records in 1994.

Know Yer Band: Greenhorn

Band: Greenhorn

Members
Vocals/Guitar/Keys - Dan Spurgeon
Guitar - Mark Spurgeon
Bass - Steve McGann
Drums - Pat McGann

Releases
1992 - 7" single Conversations With Myself (Anyway Records)
1992 - 7" single The Progress (Datapanik Records)
1992 - 7" split single w/V-3, Belreve and Gaunt (Anyway Records)
1994 - 7" single Through The Thick Of It (Anyway Records)
1994 - 7" Liars' Song (3 Beads Of Sweat)
2005 - Self-Titled album (Lord Baltimore)