Man, RIP. I only ever finally heard Gyrate in full quite recently and was astounded at just how fantastic it was. A damn shame.
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 25 February 2009 23:28 (fifteen years ago) link
My God! What?! Way, way too young. One of my favorite guitar players EVER. I always feel ineffectual posting "RIP" on a message board, but...
Rest in peace Randy.
― Dan Peterson, Wednesday, 25 February 2009 23:29 (fifteen years ago) link
So sad. A nonpareil guitarist. RIP.
― Kevin John Bozelka, Thursday, 26 February 2009 02:32 (fifteen years ago) link
Fuck. Such a great guitar player, in such a great band. RIP.
― verhexen, Thursday, 26 February 2009 15:13 (fifteen years ago) link
So sad. He had such a great sound. I will treasure my memories of seeing them live back in the early '80s and dig out my vinyl.
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 26 February 2009 19:24 (fifteen years ago) link
:-( RIP
― abominable spirit (latebloomer), Thursday, 26 February 2009 20:25 (fifteen years ago) link
God, this is terrible. I only got a chance to hear Pylon after the DFA reissue, so I can't claim any deep connection with them, but it sounds like Bewley was a great guy. Nobody deserves to go that young.
― Telephone thing, Thursday, 26 February 2009 20:50 (fifteen years ago) link
It's hard to overstate how well loved this band is in Athens. RIP and condolences to his friends and family.
― Brad C., Thursday, 26 February 2009 22:33 (fifteen years ago) link
Amazon listing confirms DFA are reissuing Chomp (as Chomp More) on October 20.
― More Butty In Your Pants (Telephone thing), Tuesday, 29 September 2009 02:01 (fifteen years ago) link
awesome
gyrate plus is one of my favourite reissues of the last few years
― electric sound of jim (original version) (electricsound), Tuesday, 29 September 2009 02:07 (fifteen years ago) link
Recently found Gyrate in the stacks at the community radio station. Fantastic!
― Trip Maker, Tuesday, 29 September 2009 02:38 (fifteen years ago) link
And on eMusic today. Pylon's Crazy is a force of nature.
― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 21 October 2009 02:05 (fifteen years ago) link
Well, upon listening to Chomp today for the first time in many years, all I can say is . . . "eh." It's clear they couldn't write songs. I'm crazy about "Crazy," but it's more an accident the way it (sort of) hangs together than anything else. There are a few interesting little nuggets on Chomp, but it's clearly a weaker record than the debut album, which in itself was pretty limited. They had a cool sound, but they didn't know what to do with it after a while, they didn't evolve much, and Vanessa's vocals start to grate, as she can't really sing and the yelping / barking / grwoling / Lene Lovichist stuff wears thin. All of this would have been more forgiveable if they band actually had something to *say* - but the lyrics aren't much and don't convey any point of view beyond, "it's new wave! time for spastic dancing!" This is the band that jocks were grasping for when they saw you in your punky clothes and badges and, for lack of anything more accurate, yelled "Devo sucks!"
― deedeedeextrovert, Wednesday, 21 October 2009 03:28 (fifteen years ago) link
It's clear they couldn't write songs
Maybe not in a Brill Building or Gershwin sense, but "Cool" and numerous others all sound uniquely penned to me.
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 21 October 2009 04:11 (fifteen years ago) link
but the lyrics aren't much and don't convey any point of view beyond, "it's new wave! time for spastic dancing!"
That's fine with me. Not every group should sing about politics or life in Compton or Athens or whatever you are defining as "something to say".
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 21 October 2009 04:15 (fifteen years ago) link
Yeah really, they have some great lyrics! This is one of those bands where it's all about delivery, if you're not into her vocal style I understand that it all leaves you cold but, I mean, "Iyyeat DUB FOR breakfUUUUST!", so great.
― Doctor Casino, Wednesday, 21 October 2009 12:30 (fifteen years ago) link
My favorite is "Stop It." Coincidentally, there's a scene in Motherhood where Uma Thurman as dowdy housewife rocks out and jumps around to this song.
― Fastnbulbous, Thursday, 4 March 2010 16:08 (fourteen years ago) link
No no rock and roll, no no no no no!
HEY.... KIDS!!!!!
― Pierced nose! Performs improv! (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 4 March 2010 17:23 (fourteen years ago) link
Just hearing them for the first time. How come noone recommended them to me before!? They are amazing. Singer Vanessa Briscoe reminds me of Debbie Harris and Patti Smith and seems to have been a heavy influence on Karen O.
― Moka, Thursday, 30 September 2010 06:53 (fourteen years ago) link
better late than never though hey!
― hypnopriapism (electricsound), Thursday, 30 September 2010 06:56 (fourteen years ago) link
Not sure I hear Deborah Harry in her voice, but yes they are/were amazing.
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 30 September 2010 14:03 (fourteen years ago) link
Oops, you said Debbie Harris (whom I do not know).
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 30 September 2010 14:05 (fourteen years ago) link
I played The Human Body on the radio last night. Sounded very good.
― Trip Maker, Thursday, 30 September 2010 14:07 (fourteen years ago) link
Debbie Harris, lead singer of tribute band Bootleg Blondie?
http://www.bootlegblondie.com/PROMO/promo.html
― Taller than the president (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 30 September 2010 17:28 (fourteen years ago) link
lol no, sorry I actually meant Deborah Harry
― Moka, Thursday, 30 September 2010 17:39 (fourteen years ago) link
i've been listening to pylon over and over and over and over again the last week or so. esp. "Working is No Problem" i'm dying for good footage of them back in the day. is there anything besides the stuff in athens inside/out?
― your pain is probably equal (Z S), Wednesday, 11 January 2012 01:23 (twelve years ago) link
the part where she goes "just as long, as i keep my miiIIInnd!" is like Mick Jagger but so much better.
― your pain is probably equal (Z S), Wednesday, 11 January 2012 01:26 (twelve years ago) link
You've probably seen this, from 1981:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyCWgGhG00o
― Brad C., Wednesday, 11 January 2012 15:00 (twelve years ago) link
Saw them live back then 2 or 3 times and they were all great gigs
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 11 January 2012 15:08 (twelve years ago) link
Been really getting back into these guys lately, Gyrate is just so so so so great.
AlexinNYC has had a lot of questionable opinions in the service of his posting persona, but man, those upthread take the cake
Saw them open for the Wonder Stuff once. And they played a whole set. Much to the chagrin of both the `Stuff and the crowd. There was almost a riot as a result. Fuck Pylon.― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, January 18, 2004 8:39 PM (8 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Imagine a testicularly-challenged Gang of Four with Flo from "Alice" on vocals.― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, January 18, 2004 8:45 PM (8 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Gonjasufjanstephen O'Malley (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Friday, 24 February 2012 22:15 (twelve years ago) link
Ha
― curmudgeon, Friday, 24 February 2012 22:37 (twelve years ago) link
he really wanted to see the 'Stuff
― tylerw, Friday, 24 February 2012 22:38 (twelve years ago) link
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e5/Stuffffffffff.jpg
― Doctor Casino, Friday, 24 February 2012 23:47 (twelve years ago) link
Danny Aiello!!! Garrett Morris!!! I need to see that.
― Gonjasufjanstephen O'Malley (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Sunday, 26 February 2012 22:14 (twelve years ago) link
I actually like the odd Pylon tune (notably "Crazy"), but having them open for the Wonder Stuff was a bad idea.
― Alex in NYC, Tuesday, 28 February 2012 18:38 (twelve years ago) link
Not sure where to put this, but my friend just completed her MA Thesis in Southern Studies. It's this documentary about Southern Underground Music from 1978-1990.
http://vimeo.com/40600465
Featuring interviews with people from Pylon, Let's Active, The Judy's, The dBs, Carnival Season, Windbreakers, The Squalls, and the Germans.
― Fas Ro Duh (Gukbe), Friday, 25 May 2012 02:59 (twelve years ago) link
Thanks for the link, that's a great documentary. I really like the way it puts the B-52s, R.E.M., and Athens into the context of other Southern DIY scenes. It's good to see some of that history acknowledged and recorded.
― Brad C., Saturday, 26 May 2012 15:20 (twelve years ago) link
sweet, that looks great! will watch soon.
― tylerw, Saturday, 26 May 2012 20:34 (twelve years ago) link
Me too. Thanks!
― Ian Hunter Is Learning the Game (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 26 May 2012 23:05 (twelve years ago) link
Enjoyed it but she doesn't ask Vanessa about their go4 postpunk guitar style, while several others talk about their love of Big Star
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 27 May 2012 06:18 (twelve years ago) link
Nice! As if to back up the title's accuracy, neither Shazam or Soundhoud could identify the first song played. What is it?And what is all that stuff floating around Mitch Easter?
― Jazzbo, Sunday, 27 May 2012 12:31 (twelve years ago) link
Here is an article about the Jackson scene as discussed in the film http://www.oxfordamerican.org/articles/2011/nov/21/noise-our-own/and here is one side of the single by one of the bandshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXYpnxmRXtcKinda wish I liked it more
― Ian Hunter Is Learning the Game (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 27 May 2012 14:09 (twelve years ago) link
Jazzbo: Friend said the first track is "You Gotta Go Away" by the Windbreakers.
― Fas Ro Duh (Gukbe), Sunday, 27 May 2012 18:29 (twelve years ago) link
Thanks much!
― Jazzbo, Sunday, 27 May 2012 20:42 (twelve years ago) link
yeah, the xpost Vimeo thesis sure packs a lot of clarity into 35 minutes. And so many non-academic music docs have just as much talk over music, without a grade's requirements to justify the ratio. The participants aren't kidding about the indie DIY conditions: back in the 80s, I rode past Mitch Easter's parents' already-consecrated home, where Murmur was recorded in the garage ("next to the Purina bags," I was assured). Let's Active's Sara is still drumming with her brother Dex, ex-Flat Duo Jets ( FDJ's in that rustic doc, Athens Ga Inside Out). They're biilled as the Dex Romweber Duo, she should have her name in there too. His songwriting has its slumps, but they delivered a fairly good mini-set on WXPN's broadcast/Webcast Non-Comm series last week (might be archived). She's always crip, he's the one with the moody atmospheric ups and downs. I really enjoyed the pre-DB's/Let's Active Sneakers' energetic '06 collection, Nonsequitur of Silence, and lots of unissued sets from the dB'sverse, some of them involving Chilton, have been posted here http://dbs-repercussion.blogspot.com/, to whet our chops for the new dB's album, out in a couple weeks.
― dow, Sunday, 27 May 2012 23:47 (twelve years ago) link
She's always "crisp," Ah meant to say!
― dow, Sunday, 27 May 2012 23:48 (twelve years ago) link
Oh, and Nonsequitur of Silence is not a boot, it is or was out on Collector's Choice, "curated by Chris Stamey," sez here.
― dow, Sunday, 27 May 2012 23:50 (twelve years ago) link
Murmur wasn't recorded there (they used a bigger studio in Charlotte), but Chronic Town was.
― timellison, Sunday, 27 May 2012 23:53 (twelve years ago) link
O that funky tourguide! I wuz robbed!
― dow, Monday, 28 May 2012 00:02 (twelve years ago) link
Still wanna get the Method Actors reissue on Acute--how is it?
http://www.mbvmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/the-method-actors-cover-art.jpg
― dow, Monday, 28 May 2012 00:11 (twelve years ago) link