Know Yer Artist: Willie Phoenix

Artist: Willie Phoenix

Bands
Eric
Magical Soul
The Boppers
The Buttons
Romantic Noise
Willie Phoenix And The Shadowlords
Willie Phoenix And The True Soul Rockers
Willie Phoenix And The Voodooz
Willie Phoenix And The Soul Underground

Solo Releases
1982 - Self Titled album (A&M Records)
1988 - Flower Machine album (Not On Label)
1999 - Have You Seen My Tambourine? album (Not On Label)
2000 - Eight Track Spider album (Not On Label)
2000 - A Zillion Miles Gone album (Not On Label)
2004 - Blues Reaction album (Junkyard Cat Recordings)
2005 - Quick N' Dirty album (Not On Label)
2007 - Plastic Blues And Grooves album (Junkyard Cat Recordings)
2009 - Revolution In The Basement album (Junkyard Cat Recordings)
2011 - Blues Hippy album (Orange Mono Music)
2011 - Magic Black Umbrella album (Junkyard Cat Recordings)

Facebook Group: Columbus Music Scene 1975 to 85

If you are interested in learning more about the Columbus music scene, a really interesting Facebook group to check out is the "Columbus Music Scene 1975 to 85" moderated by Mike "Rep" Hummell, Paul Nini and Renee Velkoff. Lots of pictures, flyers, and stories shared from this era.

Monster Zero at Cringe.com

Normally Thursday would be a video day, but unfortunately, no video songs seem to have made to the web for Monster Zero. Instead, here's a press release from Lizard Family Music posted at Cringe.com in 1996. Enjoy!

Monster Zero
This Columbus, Ohio buzz quartet was born out of Middle America Suburban ® frustration! Fed by the driving guitar chants and introverted vocals of Brad Caulkins and John Jones, while Em Allen's hypnotic bass lines and Derek Bell's power punch drumming churn the heart providing the pulsing circulation that keeps this Monster on its toes! 

Thrown together over a year ago, the band evolved from the seed of previous musical experiments. These members exist in a highly tremultuous relationship who's eruptions fuel the fire behind their brand of noisy guitar basement rock. 

It was their first show at Columbus' all-ages hangout Luna that they were first seen by Lizard and Rich of L.F.M. Their songwriting ability and sonic prowess was so obvious that they were quickly slated to record with L.F.M. 

Since the release of the Unkindest Cuts of All  7-inch they have hit the Top 10 radio play on many college stations and have yet to play a live show to less than 100 convulsing teens! A religious experience indeed. 

What next? Monster Zero has two tracks on the ... L.F.M. compilation CD, The Beautiful People, a split 7" with Preston Furman and a 10" EP due out this fall??? !

Vinyl45LP.com: Monster Zero Spy vs. Spy 7" Review

Not a whole lot out there about Monster Zero, but I did find this write-up at Vinyl45LP.com regarding their 1995 single Spy vs. Spy:

Monster Zero was an indie band from Columbus, Ohio active in the mid 1990s. This release is arguably the best record the band recorded. The tracks remind one of Versus or good era Sonic Youth, as these youngsters dig for sounds most Columbus bands can't seem to muster up. The tracks are all properly documented by the band's drummer Derek Bell.

New Additions: The Unkindest Cut Of All seven inch single by Monster Zero

One of the fun parts of this project is finding the connections between various bands of the 2000s that are linked in the 1990s. For example, Monster Zero features Brad Caulkins, who would go on to play in The Jive Turkeys and The Sun, and Emily Allen, who would go on to play in Templeton, Estee Louder and The Means, which included her brother David Wayne Allen that played on third Monster Zero single. All that said, Monster Zero has grungy indie rock sound perfectly at home for the mid-90s, and it makes sense where this family tree extends off to in the various directions.

Know Yer Band: Monster Zero

Band: Monster Zero

Members
Bass – Emily Ann Allen
Drums – Derek Bell
Guitar, Vocals – Brad Caulkins, John Jones
Guitar - David Wayne Allen

Releases
1994 - The Unkindest Cut Of All 7" single (Lizard Family Music)
1995 - Split w/Preston Furman 7" single (Lizard Family Music)
1995 - The Beautiful People - An LFM Family Gathering compilation album (Lizard Family Music)
1995 - Spy v. Spy 7" single (Seldom Scene Records)

Nowhere 2020 Is Happening

Mark your calendars, Nowhere 2020 is happening March 19th (Dirty Dungarees) and March 20th (Bobo/Summit). Bands yet to be announced, more details as they are released.

Video: Great Plains - Letter To A Fanzine (1987)

Robert Christgau on Great Plains

In case you were wondering what the dean of American rock criticism thought of Great Plains, here is your answer. All of Robert Christgau's blurbs are captures in one place, here's an example:

Great Plains Naked at the Buy, Sell and Trade [Homestead, 1986]
If they don't quite live up to titles like "Chuck Berry's Orphan," "Dick Clark," and "Fertile Crescent," who could? If their organ-drenched four-four jams are objectively boring, they'll make you hum and pat anyway. If the organ-hooked "Letter to a Fanzine" is the sole masterstroke, hard-to-resists are almost legion. And if "Why do punk rock guys go out with new wave girls" is part of the parody, I bet these punk-wavers know the answer from experience. B+

New Additions: Length Of Growth 1981-1989 compilation album by Great Plains

It's rare that a Columbus band has a compilation album, let alone more than one, but that's how important Great Plains are to the scene. For a long time, I had only known them as "Ron House's band before Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments." It took until this project to actually dig into the catalog, and while many of their records are worth checking out, the 2000 compilation Length Of Growth 1981-1989 released by Old3C Records is a great primer, capturing nearly every studio track the band recorded.

Know Yer Band: Great Plains

Band: Great Plains

Members:
Vocals/Guitar - Ron House
Guitars/Vocals - Matt Wyatt
Keyboards/Vocals - Mark Wyatt
Bass - Hank O'Hare (Don Howland), Mike Hummel, Paul Nini, Bill Bruner
Drums - Robert David Green, James Castoe

Releases:
1983 - The Mark, Don & Mel E.P. 12" (New Age)
1984 - Born In A Barn album (Homestead Records)
1985 - Naked At The Buy, Sell, And Trade album (Homestead Records)
1985 - Slaves To Rock 'N' Roll Live! album (Not On Label)
1987 - Sum Things Up album (Homestead Records)
1987 - Dick Clark 7" single (Shadowline Records)
1987 - Before We Stop To Think 12" single (Shadowline Records)
1989 - Exercise 7" single (Homestead Records)
1989 - Colorized! compilation album (Diabolo Records)
2000 - Length Of Growth 1981-1989 double compilation album (Old 3C Records)
2008 - Live At WFMU album (Old 3C Records)
2012 - Directions To The Party DVD (Old 3C Records)

New Music From Treysuno

Back before I was a guy writing a book and a blog, I was a guy in a band. One of my favorite bands we used to play with back in the day is back together as Treysuno release a new five-song EP "...everything is fine" on 10/1/2019. You'll be able to get it at all the usual places, including Soundcloud where there will be a limited run of CDs (physical media!). The album was recorded by guitarist Preston Wagner and mastered by Jon Chinn (Pretty Mighty Mighty, Manager).

Also, the band is playing shows!

Friday, November 1 – Columbus, Ohio at The Oracle (1159 Oak St.) with The Kyle Sowashes and Billy Peake

Saturday, November 23 – Toledo, Ohio at The Ottawa Tavern (1817 Adams St.) with Violent Bloom and goLab

Video: Gut Piston - Mo'Money

Video: Gut Piston - No Way Out

New Additions: Gut Piston Puts The Flavor Back Into Smoking! seven inch single

Via one of my many mass purchases over at Discogs in the last year I picked up the Gut Piston seven inch single "Gut Piston Puts The Flavor Back Into Smoking!" from 1995. It's the sort of high-energy/low b.s. sound that Columbus was producing in a variety of styles in the 90s, and slots nicely both into the punk and rockabilly sounds that could be found up and down High St. at that time.