RFI: Savage Republic

"trudge" is a pretty solid EP moves away from the shit-slinging lyrics of the first LP and towards the sound they would pursue for a while: desert soundscapes created with gritty, almost surf-like guitars, eastern scales, and a morricone western soundtrack quality. the reissue also contains the instrumental version of "ceremonial," which has kind of a 4AD vibe at times and is a little dull considering it was recorded with male and female vocals (mobilization is selling CDRs of the vocal version).

"jamahiriya" is a little more aggressive and the songwriting is stronger, though the weird (male?) somewhat high-pitched vocals might get on some people's nerves. it's also back to verging on pretense a la the 1st album, and includes a cover of alternative TV's "viva la rock and roll."

there are also plenty of related projects (nisi period, 17 pygmies, autumnfair, scenic, brad laner's stuff) that i know next to nothing about.

helpful:
http://allmusic.com/ has some useful info
http://trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=savage_republic
http://www.mobilization.com/ has some sound clips

Your Null Fame sums up the basics, but doesn't mention the last studio release, Customs, which was done with traditional Greek instruments in that country when all their equipment was impounded while trying to tour -- there's a box set through Mobilization that has pretty much everything they did in studio, while there are also a couple of live discs plus some random live tape and vinyl as well. Scenic is Bruce Licher's band and after some okay releases they've suddenly turned fantastic with The Acid Gospel Experience, it just came out. Autumnfair's stuff has been rereleased on disc via Mobilization -- dank 4AD postpunk, like early Cocteaus or early Xymox, say, with some great guitar. Brad Laner in Medicine = lord save us. Brad Laner with Electric Company and Amnesia = pretty damn godlike. BL with Fourwaycross = don't know.

Anyway, Chris Barrus to thread!

I second Ned's rave of The Acid Gospel Experience, which came free in the mail from the Emigre font house. Scenic's Acquatica was also superb.

I still haven't seen the Savage Republic box.

Friend Chelsea, I believe, was the one who came up with the description of them as "Joy Division grown up in the LA desert" -- I think that works! There's definitely metal bashing, though, yus.

SR gets thrown into the industrial category because they bashed around on flaming oil drums and played a desert generator show with Neubaten back in the day, but I've always found more of a Joy Division sound to them. As if instead of Manchester and Iggy Pop, JD were from L.A. and listened to the Ventures.

I never got to see SR back in the day, but the reunion shows this month were head and shoulders above the live recordings I've heard. Er, wow!

And yeah, that new Scenic album is up on my top 5 of the year.

Savage Republic was a unique band and I am going ahead to search out another record in the future.

Just remembered a White Glove Test record I had. Now THAT was atrocious.

Compliment or not? ;-) I like the one album I have.

* Thur Nov. 10 - Portland, Oregon
2Gyrlz Presents: at
Tonic Lounge 3100 NE Sandy Blvd
NEARLY SOLD OUT!
$7 adv / $10 door
21+ Tix in stores now!
o Green NoiseRrecords at 2615 SE Clinton St
o Scary Monster music at 2407 NE Alberta St
Tickets: email: 2gyrlz 'at' 2gyrlz.org
* Fri Nov. 11 - (TBA) ALL AGES
* Sat Nov. 12 - Davis, California at the
DAM House $5 donation - ALL AGES
503 E. St, Davis, CA
with GANG WIZARD (L.A.),
the PLANET THE (Portland),
and the KING COBRA (Oly)
* Sun Nov. 13 - Oakland, CA
at the Golden Bull
with BLACK ICE and BOYSKOUT

New CD EP 2006 release

You didn't get the memo? ;-)

Savage Republic will play my living room!

Saturday, November 12
@ DAM House, 503 E Street in Davis, CA
w/Gang Wizard & Anni Rossi (LA) (& me), The Planet The (PDX), & The King Cobra (Oly)
plus followed by PIZZA PANEL DISCUSSION

feat. pies shipped in dry ice from Chicago & NYC
& brought from Bay Area, Davis, and Sacto
6:30 doors/7:00 music (SHARP!)/10:30 pizza & discussion

The most outspoken pizza critics here are invited to bring their favorite pizza and be on the panel. You need to tell me...

(a) I'm coming
(b) I'm bringing a pizza from ______.

I will be supplying these Davis pizzas:
* Symposium's Greek pizza
* Village Bakery kiln-baked fancy veggie pie
Plus, Sacto pizzas...
* Zelda's deepdish
* Luigi's
* Giovanni's
* El Primo Taqueria y Pizzeria 30-inch Mexican pizza

I'm so stoked that Savage Republic would agree to play in my house. It's just crazy to even think about it. They were my very first live show back in 1987. They were the first record I bought at Amoeba. I've been a fan of this band since I was about 12. These guys are pretty legendary, having provided one of the West Coast's best answers to "No New York" with their "Tragic Figures" LP, and having been around the world a couple times and packing a soccer stadium in Greece on the strength of Greek fanfare over their "O, Adonis" single.

I never expected them to agree to add to this show, but then it happened. They played three Davis house-shows between 1984-1989, and they said they remember them as some of their best and favorite live shows.

We can't do DAM House shows very frequently, so we try to make every one of them special. But this one will be made extra special, and that's why the unnecessary ridiculousness of the lavish pizza party must be included.

We strongly suggest a $5 donation.

Beer to mild buzz will be provided, but you should bring your own if you wanna get crocked or make others so crocked. Please stop shy of puking at my house!

History of DAM House...
http://www.daviswiki.org/Dam_Haus

New Savage Republic album coming in November on Neurot.

new tracks on myspace:

listening to the music reference points: Pil, Mogwai, Wire, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Dif Juz, Television

Savage Republic
http://www.myspace.com/savagerepublic

http://tinyurl.com/2yhmwx

New SR press release for "1938"

Los Angeles art-punk pioneers Savage Republic have come roaring out of osbcurity with "1938", their first full-length album of new material in 18 years, hot on the heels of this spring's powerful "Siam" EP, both on Neurot Records. The new album will be available in November, 2007.......................

Goddamnit why I can't I see these shows:

---

LANTERNA
with special guest:
SCENIC guitarist BRUCE LICHER, formerly of SAVAGE REPUBLIC

Friday, 10th August 2007
Cowboy Monkey
6 Taylor Street - Champaign IL
10pm 5 $5.00

Sunday, 12th August 2007
Millenium Park - South Promenade Stage
Chicago IL
1pm 5 FREE

Henry Frayne guitar, backing trcks
Nick Macri bass
Eric Gebow drums
Bruce Licher unison-tuned guitar

Scenic (and former Savage Republic) guitarist Bruce Licher will be joining Illinois-based instrumental group Lanterna for two live performances on August 10th and 12th, 2007. Licher and Lanterna guitarist & songwriter Henry Frayne have collaborated previously, with Licher adding fresh melodies to accompany Frayne's music at several performances in Arizona during 2003 and 2004. These 2007 performances will feature a full-band version of Lanterna with Henry Frayne on guitar, Nick Macri on bass (from the Chicago-based group The Zincs), longtime Lanterna collaborator Eric Gebow on drums, and Bruce Licher on unison-tuned guitar and effects. This will be a rare opportunity for fans of evocative instrumental music to see these musicians create their unique sounds in a live setting.

I've never heard these guys before but this new album is pretty great. It's like 70 minutes long and there are shit tons of dub bits and big rolling martial drums and desert rock guitars and and and. There's a quote on a sticker on the front from "Scott Kelly (Neurosis)" (if you have to put what he does in brackets maybe he isn't famous enough to have a quote on a sticker) which is sorta funny (quite possibly actually commissioned by him?) but this does not detract from the overall Thing.

Have to hear this. 'Tragic Figures' predates early Sonic Youth and sounds quite a bit like them to my ears.

Saw them in Glasgow way back. Great show, seemed like great guys.

What I love about Tragic Figures is how it's this tribal american version of Joy Division.

just bumping to say I've been playing "The Birds of Pork" a lot off of "Customs" because it is GREAT. Also it kinda sounds a lot like "Robot Factory" by Swell Maps but with amazing harmonies. Good good good music.

Savage Republic are playing this Saturday at the Hemlock in SF, and I am opening. Come if you're in town.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs660.snc4/60071_429978435442_22348705442_5598410_2008920_n.jpg

We are going to try and make this.

don't forget the lavish LTM retrospective

http://home.planet.nl/~frankbri/ltm2557.html

Would b there if I could!

The new Savage Republic record (Varvakios) is up on Spotify and sounds very good. Think there's a ltd vinyl version too.

http://open.spotify.com/album/4fB7WB6N1GPJSX78HgV3SM

Is Bruce Licher on this?

^ a good question

Wonder when Brad Laner last posted here?

I think Bruce separated from the rest of SR quite a while back & now lives in Arizona. Not heard anything new on the Scenic front since the Acid Gospel Experience but am hoping he's still making music.

I wrote this 10 years ago with a lot of band input through the Procession yahoo group
http://www.mobilization.com/artists/savagerepublic/press/press_clips/perfect%20sounds%20Savage%20Republic%20oct%2030%202002.htm

& several SR live sets have turned up on Dime since then, doubt if any of them are still up, but might be worth a look.

Bruce Licher did artwork for SR as recently as Siam (2007), but as far as I'm aware worked musically in Scenic (1993-2003, Incident at Cima (1995) especially recommended for fans of Western desert instrumental rock) and solo (there's a 2006 CDr Exploratorium I haven't heard).

Scenic are great but I prefer Acquatica to Incident at Cima.

no bruce isn't on this. he did do the artwork for the vinyl though. this album was recorded in greece as an experiment; SR are still working on a longer, full in-the-studio album.

Sad news that Jackson del Rey has passed

eeply saddened to learn of the passing of Philip Drucker aka Jackson Del Rey. As the only international signing to his label Trakwerx, he funded and released our first 5 albums, not to mention our first US tour. Without him, we simply would not still exist. Forever in your debt. pic.twitter.com/SiChylMPLe

— Cult With No Name (@cultwithnoname) July 17, 2022

And in other news, they are doing a few West Coast shows in September

Was surprised to find he'd become a Professor of Constitutional Law!

https://vimbuzz.com/who-was-philip-drucker-and-how-did-he-die/

sad to hear. i have always wanted to see SR live but they have never come anywhere near here.

Only 63. Damn colon cancer

https://www.brooklynvegan.com/savage-republic-cofounder-philip-drucker-has-died-at-63/

https://www.desertsun.com/obituaries/pds030104

https://www.druckerreport.com/

apparently he was self-conscious about being the "short guy" in the band

C86 podcast has an episode with him concurrent with him dying. I didn't see or hear a tie in so not sure if it was coincidence. Or one that was recorded that could be upped when his death was announced.
Good history anyway. That podcast tends to be pretty good.
I think the show came about because the presenter was looking into one of Drucker's non SR/17 Pygmies bands that tied in more with C86. Good to hear anyway.

URL for that podcast is here
https://www.c86show.org/e/philip-drucker-17-pygmies-savage-republic-them-rhythm-ants/
I'm not seeing a comment there either. Didn't see one on Spotify either.

Jedda by the Sea and Captured In Ice are so awesome.

You practically had to break your neck to get this stuff back then, now you can stream it so easily.

The Fundamental releases are not streamable here.

Yeah but you can stream them via YouTube, unless your own country has restrctions.

Jedda by the Sea and Captured In Ice are so awesome.

seconding this, and the 3rd album "Welcome" has a lot of good moments as well

x-post--40th anniversary version of Tragic Figures is streamable in US; 1985 Ceremonial is too