Poster Children - Classic or Dud?

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All right, let's get the fans of the nineties' most underrated American rock band together here -- aren't these people geniuses or what? Just been relistening to their albums for some AMG review updates and goddamn, shame on me for forgetting just how great they are. Favorites, anyone? Junior Citizen in particular is still my drug of choice -- variety, brilliant songs and an ode to David Hasselhoff on top of everything else that doesn't feel at all like snarky irony. Get thee to the home page as well.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 25 August 2002 15:47 (twenty-one years ago) link

they were the ones that did I, and Dangerous Life right? those 2 songs were pretty good, i never heard them since though

gareth (gareth), Sunday, 25 August 2002 15:50 (twenty-one years ago) link

The very same, but that's some of their earliest stuff -- do check out the page and get an overview of everything they'd done since, some really wonderful songs since: "If You See Kay," "Space Gun," "Blatant Dis," "Outside In," "He's My Star," "Junior Citizen," "Drug I Need," etc. etc. They're also hella friendly people, which isn't required but is always nice.

I should also note that in their instrumental semi postrock guise they're known as Salaryman and are quite good. And then there's the fact that John McEntire used to play drums for them so many moons ago before concentrating on you-know-what...

Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 25 August 2002 15:56 (twenty-one years ago) link

"Dynamite Chair" - fucking amazing.

Jay Macke (Jay), Sunday, 25 August 2002 17:08 (twenty-one years ago) link

if you see kay appears to be the only gimmick they managed to get on alternateen radio, they need newer jokes because i haven't heard them since. being associated with john mcentire is definitely a negative. i assume they are bearded then?

keith, Sunday, 25 August 2002 17:45 (twenty-one years ago) link

Sadly their albums dont seem to be distributed in the UK anymore.

I adore them so I do, only seen them once, in Amsterdam of all places supporting Steel Pole Bathtub and they were really special and engaging and lovely. I think I like 'Where we Live' the best, but really I can listen to any one of their tunes and it reminds my why I love music so.

Salaryman are ace too. Both albums. At the Salaryman / Long Fin Killie / Mouse on Mars / Tortoise gig in Camden they were the best band.

Sandy Blair, Sunday, 25 August 2002 17:56 (twenty-one years ago) link

i assume they are bearded then?

I agree about the negative association, but no, no beards and no Tortoise sounds. *coughthereisthatlinkIputupyoucanclickonforinfohack*

Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 25 August 2002 18:06 (twenty-one years ago) link

I don't know about any John McIntyre connection, unless he produced their later records.

Johnny "machine" Hearndon was always a fill in whenever their current drummer quit, which seemed to be every other time they came around.

I haven't heard any of their records since "Tool of the Man", but they were alot of fun to see live back in the early 90s.

They used to play where I went to school once or twice a year back in those days, so I saw them live four or five times.

earlnash, Sunday, 25 August 2002 19:27 (twenty-one years ago) link

He was a drummer for the band back very early on -- not for a long period, I think, but he was very much part of the whole Champaign circle with them.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 25 August 2002 19:33 (twenty-one years ago) link

I really like their Sub Pop 7" but I was rather put off them by "If you see kay" which I heard when I was heavily not into screamy music.

electric sound of jim (electricsound), Sunday, 25 August 2002 20:57 (twenty-one years ago) link

He's My Star is classic.

Underclocked, Monday, 26 August 2002 02:07 (twenty-one years ago) link

McEntire was not in Poster Children. Herndon was. You're confusing the two.

[UNRELATED] And for god's sake, will people stop listing Tortoise as a band Jim O'Rourke's produced? All he ever did was two remixes.

hstencil, Monday, 26 August 2002 17:05 (twenty-one years ago) link

Their live show is definitely Classic, but their albums have always seemed a little slight to me. Case in point, their two most recent albums, New World Record and DDD, both started out really strong ("Accident Waiting To Happen" and "6x6" for NWR, "This Town Needs A Fire" and "Strange Attractors" for DDD) but couldn't maintain the momentum through the entire running time. Daisy Chain Reaction is still their finest hour IMO, thanks to Albini's keep-it-simple production.

Nick Mirov, Monday, 26 August 2002 17:36 (twenty-one years ago) link

McEntire was not in Poster Children. Herndon was. You're confusing the two.

Hm! How unusual, I'd always heard otherwise -- oh well! Them incestuous scenes, lemme tell ya. ;-)

Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 26 August 2002 17:39 (twenty-one years ago) link

If you haven't seen their DVD, Zero Stars, try to. It's by far the best "indie" DVD ever made -- the musical segments are suitably energetic (and hyperactively edited), and the "Tour Diary" bits are priceless.

George, Monday, 26 August 2002 21:40 (twenty-one years ago) link

I love the tour diary/photos CD-extras on the RTFM disk. There's also a tour of their studio. I liked them enough to buy a few of their disks (always used, though), I guess, but they were never in my front line of artists.

nickn, Monday, 26 August 2002 22:14 (twenty-one years ago) link

one year passes...
Ooh, ooh, me like! It's been a bitch trying to find Poster Children albums here in Portugal, now that their Warner back-catalogue is out of print, but I've been finding them on used stores and cd fairs, from €2,50 to €7. And today... I received at home the "Just Like You" EP, the last out-of-print item that was lacking in my collection, and it had to be ordered from the states... Oh I'm a happy prick!

Favourites: Junior Citizen, RTFM, Salaryman s/t

JP Almeida (JP Almeida), Monday, 27 October 2003 20:00 (twenty years ago) link

Yes. Daisychain Reaction for me. Bob Rising on the skins. Word.

Johnny Badlees (crispssssss), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 01:03 (twenty years ago) link

I have Junior Citizen. This thread made me go look for it, thinking perhaps I had sold it. I was relieved that I had it, but not excited enough to put it on right now.

This capsulizes my feelings for the Poster Children. I wanted to see them with Fugazi last year, but I went to see Arab on Radar, Biz Markie, The Rapture and Kid Koala instead.

Ian Johnson (orion), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 01:04 (twenty years ago) link

OMG does this thread's existence make me feel old.
Hm. I sort of like feeling old today.

Ann Sterzinger (Ann Sterzinger), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 01:26 (twenty years ago) link

Well, they're releasing a new album next year, so I guess we'll have the chance to see if they're feeling old as well...

JP Almeida (JP Almeida), Tuesday, 28 October 2003 13:06 (twenty years ago) link

two months pass...
Finally heard the new album, No More Songs About Sleep and Fire, and it may well be the best one yet. Of course, they've been on something of a hot streak since New World Record IMO (I see Nick Mirov would disagree).

"Western Springs" should be 2004's sleeper indie single, much like the NPs with "The Laws Have Changed" in 2003...but, alas, no one pays attention to the Poster Children anymore.

The video is here. Reminds me a little bit of several Talking Heads videos mashed together.

Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Sunday, 28 December 2003 01:53 (twenty years ago) link

four weeks pass...
Revive: I am listening to their new album right now. Very good and spazzy.

christhamrin (christhamrin), Monday, 26 January 2004 11:59 (twenty years ago) link

Hurrah, I was just thinking about them the other day! A new album, great, I shall order it soon. :-)

Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 26 January 2004 16:27 (twenty years ago) link

a friend of mine just got it and said it was their best for a long time (not that they've had a bad one).....One of the few Fugazi openers I've seen that didn't seem weak in comparison to the headliners (although once I saw The Ex steal the show)

M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 26 January 2004 20:29 (twenty years ago) link

three years pass...

this was the first band i remember that talked a lot about their website.

M@tt He1ges0n, Friday, 5 October 2007 15:22 (sixteen years ago) link

I had never heard that If You See Kay pun until I heard that song, and still it had to be pointed out to me...I also owned their CD for many months before realizing it was actually called "Flower Plower"...

I used to love their female bassist...she would play that thing like she was wrestling with an anaconda...

henry s, Friday, 5 October 2007 15:39 (sixteen years ago) link

four years pass...

I've been listening to "He's My Star" on repeat for several weeks now... what a fantastic song.

Poliopolice, Thursday, 30 August 2012 20:08 (eleven years ago) link

great band

Jandek at the Disco (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 30 August 2012 20:13 (eleven years ago) link

Great band, one of the best live bands I've ever seen

chr1sb3singer, Thursday, 30 August 2012 20:22 (eleven years ago) link

it's been a really long time since they released an album, hasn't it?

Poliopolice, Thursday, 30 August 2012 20:24 (eleven years ago) link

I also owned their CD for many months before realizing it was actually called "Flower Plower"...

looool I don't think I ever realized that until .... just now

dmr, Thursday, 30 August 2012 20:27 (eleven years ago) link

Yes and they would play the odd show every so often in the greater IL area, but I haven't heard of one for a long while, I haven't kept up with them, but I still love the records and saw them a zillion times in Mpls over the yrs

chr1sb3singer, Thursday, 30 August 2012 20:28 (eleven years ago) link

I don't have that record though. but my roommate did. (xp to myself)

dmr, Thursday, 30 August 2012 20:29 (eleven years ago) link

it sucks that all these top 40 fuckers stole their "If You See Kay" gag

Poliopolice, Thursday, 30 August 2012 20:31 (eleven years ago) link

one year passes...

Black Dog and 21st Century off of RTFM are fucking classic. Black Dog actually causes me to get shivers down my spine for the first minute. Not many songs do that!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU-FAS3iZXk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JtkUf0sbe8

Poliopolice, Thursday, 30 January 2014 23:03 (ten years ago) link

eight months pass...

Ok so we've been moving the house around.
I've managed to negotiate my own private corner, surrounded by my music, my instruments, porn mags and so on
It's given me the opportunity to rediscover my old music

I pulled out Daisy Chain Reaction expecting to be underwhelmed. I can honestly say , I must've played this hurriedly once and cast it aside in '91 (nineteen ninety fucking one!) cos it wasn't fast/ angry enough or something. It's been languishing in my collection, annoying me ever since; surviving my moving house and lugging vinyl curses.

So, I placed it on my lo fi ion turntable (that I've used to convert not one album since I bought it at the turn of the century).

What a pleasant , almighty surprsie! How come I passed this over? Ahead of its time? Sonically huge (Albini?)

And I saw Steel Pole Bathtub ^ but never these!

Now, to get a better turntable ,eh? Anything else worth seeking by Poster Children? Ok, this does not exactly blow me away, but it's fucking good stuff. It did start lagging a touch towards the end of side 2. But, then I discovered that my 49p Ion stylus had collected a sackful of 1991 dust ...

Jessie Fer Ark (Mobbed Up Ping Pong Psychos), Friday, 17 October 2014 11:28 (nine years ago) link

They were real consistent actually. RTFM is my favorite.

u2 removal machine (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 17 October 2014 12:08 (nine years ago) link

four months pass...

So! New solo project from Rick Valentin.

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2015/02/poster_children.html

Ned Raggett, Friday, 20 February 2015 21:11 (nine years ago) link

one year passes...

Annnnd they're fully back with a Daisychain Reaction tour this fall

https://twitter.com/Poster_Children/status/740937882899222529

Ned Raggett, Thursday, 9 June 2016 17:29 (seven years ago) link

Fucking right on. Man, I just checked their shows list, I can't believe it's been 17 yrs since I've seen them.

chr1sb3singer, Thursday, 9 June 2016 18:10 (seven years ago) link

1997.05.07 Seventh Street Entry Minneapolis, MN Failure, Summercamp

RFTM had just come out, I had Junior Citizen but I don't think I saw them around that record. Anyway, it felt like years & years since I had seen them (probably like 2). I drove straight from my second shift job and walked into the Entry just as they were about to start and they just absolutely fucking slayed. I don't remember anything about Failure, I actually night have left becuz PC had torched the room so badly.

chr1sb3singer, Thursday, 9 June 2016 18:17 (seven years ago) link

i recently added 'tool of the man', and 'junior citizen' to my digital archive.
this nudge could make me actually listen to them for the first time in a very very long time
cd edition : 'tool of the man' cover had one of those of magic eye images on the back.
for a few weeks i almost cracked that visual trick, but i very much doubt i could do it now.
actually, i have a couple of albums with magic eye styled artwork actually .. did this become a thing ?

mark e, Thursday, 9 June 2016 18:19 (seven years ago) link

junior citizen is currently sounding absolutely fantastic.

(i seem to recall finding 'tool .. ' somewhat annoying at the time, but i will find out later on .. )

mark e, Thursday, 9 June 2016 18:32 (seven years ago) link

great band one of the most underrated of the 90s

rockpalast '82 (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 9 June 2016 19:01 (seven years ago) link

well, that was brilliant.
really enjoyed listening to 'junior citizen' again.
it must be over 15 years since i heard that.
the guitars are fantastic.
and despite the fact it was released a long time ago, (over 20 years !!! f*cking hell .. )
the cd sounds amazing.

mark e, Thursday, 9 June 2016 19:04 (seven years ago) link

first band on the internet!!!

rockpalast '82 (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 9 June 2016 19:13 (seven years ago) link

(i don't know if that's true but felt like the first band to make a big deal about being on the web)

rockpalast '82 (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 9 June 2016 19:13 (seven years ago) link

i think they might have had the first ever podcast.

Poliopolice, Thursday, 9 June 2016 19:15 (seven years ago) link

one year passes...
ten months pass...

And new album!

http://store.posterchildren.com/album/grand-bargain

Ned Raggett, Friday, 18 May 2018 13:25 (five years ago) link

four years pass...

Aw yeah Flower Plower remaster with bonus tracks:

https://store.posterchildren.com/album/flower-plower-2023-remaster

But even more aw yeah -- a Rose Marshack autobiography! This'll be great for sure.

https://store.posterchildren.com/merch/play-like-a-man

Ned Raggett, Friday, 2 December 2022 19:40 (one year ago) link


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