Thalia Zedek (and her various bands): C/D?

but would anyone want to live like that? hell no!

With Come (whom I saw several times), add swaying and rocking during instrumental stretches, multiply smoke by two (Brokaw) and the guitar ecstacy by, oh, eleven or so.

I have Come's *Don't Ask, Don't Tell* and TZ's *Been Here and Gone*. They're both unbelievably beautiful albums.

There was a thread on Come (and Fuck) not too long ago, by the way.

REVIVE THREAD

Come and Fuck

THE MOST UNDERRATED RECORD OF THE 90s…..Would have to be the masterful 1992 LP/CD Eleven: Eleven from Boston’s COME. I had sung the praises of this one, their debut, in my own 90s publication Superdope from the time it came out, but I’m beginning to think maybe it’s just one of those a-little-too-indie records that’s not ever going to grab a lot of future play in the hipster cognoscenti. Fair enough. It’s not “punk”, it’s not D.I.Y., it’s definitely not “obscure” (it came out in wide release on Matador), and wow, it’s even got a girl on lead vocals and guitar. What’s so special about it? Well, along with its companion 45 “Fast Piss Blues / I Got The Blues”, Eleven: Eleven has got just about everything you’d ever ask for in a dark, dynamic, aurally gripping twin-guitar record, and then some. Thalia Zedek and Chris Brokaw, I believe I said in an earlier piece I’d written on this record, play like “fraternal twins of different mothers” – their ability to interlock and hone in together on a bleak, spiraling, whammy-bar dominated “solo” is just unreal. No, it’s not the blues, hype to the contrary – it’s rock and roll, baby, among the best of the past two decades. They claimed in an interview to take their influences from "…the Rolling Stones, Gun Club, early British bands like the Only Ones, the Go Betweens, the Bad Seeds, These Immortal Souls." And it’s telling just how far Come fell from grace after their rhythm section of Arthur Johnson and Sean O’Brien left the band, following this record’s (great) follow-up Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. The subsequent Near Life Experience was like a collection of weak demos and b-sides compared to the previous two records, lacking all the hard-hitting, tight propulsion of its predecessors.

Eleven: Eleven even feels like a concept record (though I doubt this was their intent), as it is sequenced perfectly, from the scraping, burrowing-out first track “Submerged” to the careening, out-of-control finish “Orbit”. (the CD tacks on the aforementioned 45). Zedek’s raspy vocals are angrier and her lyrics just as “poetic” as Marianne Faithfull’s justly heralded Broken English, and her band’s twenty times more energetic and aggressive. I’m not sure what production techniques were used to get that thumping drum & shimmering guitar sound, but it helps keep some kind of order in what is constantly threatening to descend into madness. When I see Eleven: Eleven sitting forlornly in the priced-to-move bins at the used CD stores, I drop a small tear for Thalia, Chris, Arthur and Sean. They deserve far better, as they created a stone cold masterpiece in 1992 that I hope will be recognized as such by more folks in due time.

sorry, i just wanted to isolate this bit.

no, i'm sorry, this too:

stone cold masterpiece

dude you are too funny.

um, 11:11 vs. the royal trux singles set, that'd be a good matchup.

hype to the contrary.

I am not crazy about Zedek's solo stuff, but it is better than average.

I have never had any use for any of the rest, and never will.

May your genitals wither and die upon your loins,

This person from way upthread OTFM! Miccio listen to Positraction RIGHT NOW!

I dunno if she's doing more shows in Australia but GO. SEE. HER. NOW>>> or as soon as you can.

scott, yeah, the new record is magic innit? there's an australian tour cd which i couldn't pick up (i spent my last $30 for the week on the gig.) could be worth hunting down.

that was their show on the vineyard, right? that was kevin's first gig playing drums in years, so rad. saw him the next night in nyc, it was good. looking forward to chris's lp (both jeff and kevin play on it) coming out in october.

New album streaming at popmatters! One tune in, sounds promising.

http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/169116-now-hear-this-thalia-zedek-band-via-album-premiere/

new album is almost indistinguishable from peak patti smith. "by the hand" is fantastic

I finally replaced my copy of Uzi Sleep Asylum earlier this year fro like 99p plus p+p.
Hadn't realised it was that easily come by. Had it after finding it in Dublin when I first moved there and then I think it got lost in a box of cds taht disappeared in moving.

But do enjoy it.

Also love Positraction by Live Skull. Have a poster for it somewhere but not enough clear wall space.

She's doing some touring (mostly with a band but some solo gigs) for the Eve album I see.

I liked her group Dangerous Birds way back when

Alive Again is favorite Live Skull song. Positrction is favorite album. I love the Come sound, but I guess I love the scary of Live Skull more. Got to hang out with her after a show, and she was relaxed and engaged. I know she did drugs, but she seemed like an old soul as well.

new project called e, album on thrill jockey soon, this rules

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGuIw-Xe_Qw

I still need to hear recent Eve album.

second E album incoming:

https://abandcallede.bandcamp.com/album/negative-work

i never did hear that first album of theirs - how was it?

underrated thalia from way back in 1986, have been loving this song since forever:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyHFkLqdMVY

“Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” was just reissued as a two CD set.

https://come.bandcamp.com/album/dont-ask-dont-tell-expanded-edition

Re this entire thread -

It’s always been about Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell for me. None of the other Come stuff or what I’ve heard of other Zedek or Brokaw projects or releases has quite compared.

Always preferred the debut but DADT is right up there, Mercury Falls and German Song are two of the best things they ever did. Have heard some of the bonus stuff - love their version of the Swell Maps' Loin of the Surf.

As for other Thalia stuff, I will rep for the Live Skull records she's on until the day I die.

New Chris/Thalia interview!

https://concreteislands.com/full-life-experience-thalia-zedek-and-chris-brokaw-interview/?fbclid=IwAR3415mK4uhnmo8kr0wWNq55uRuKUV8E4bXvCofaQURNzDZ2WYGSRNosVUA