Date: Wed, 18 Jan 1995 14:13:12 EST CHOKE, INC. NEWSLETTER VOL. 2 #2 CHOKE, INC. 1376 W. GRAND AVE. CHICAGO, IL. 60622 choke@spagmumps.com I'm gonna shift focus of this here zine from primarily a choke, inc. newsletter to a semi-full fledged zine about everyone and everybody. I would love to see all who get this contribute something if they could - anything from reviews, stories, scene reports, new bands, interviews etc., etc. reason being is that the boys up in chicago at Choke, Inc. have finally figured out how to use a modem and are happily on the net (which is gonna save me about $20 a month in phone calls). They are gonna be putting out a little newsletter of their own specifically about the label. send them mail at choke@spagmumps.com to get that. BAFFLER number 5 has a great article by Stephen Duncombe entitled 'We're Marketed, Therefore we are?' which touches on the topic of this generation's so called alternative culture and how it has been marketed, exploited and all that crap. How many of the more prominent figures of the once alternative culture have helped the market produce a sellable image of our generation through what was once an authentic stab at positive rebellion. Duncombe states that 'We need to take the underground above-ground but, ... we must keep the sense of "alternative" intact.' One of the ways he cites as helping to achieve this goal are zines. 'Thousands of zines and other publications offer recess from the constant drivel of pundits pontificating on our generation. And tens of thousands of unknown bands demonstrate that there is life outside of MTV. And so on, with alternative art spaces, computer BBSs, underground and college radio, mail art, street posters, cassette exchanges, and the like. But these things have to break out of the groovy ghettos of sub-culture in which they exist now.' He goes on to say something which I truly believe in, that our underground as a whole needs to band together and 'carve out a large social, organizational and political space outside the mainstream for ourselves' so we don't have to worry about what market researchers are thinking about or about selling our writings to Details, or signing to a major label or anything else which would allow our work as a whole to reach a greater audience of more than a couple of hundred, yet give in to the corporate evils at the same time. We need to create our own unified underground - 'a new world within the shell of the old one.' The reason for all of this is that I am trying to do my share of what I believe in. I would appreciate as many contributions as possible from everyone, about whatever they like ... especially opinions and social critcisms on the state of underground culture and what could be done to improve information distribution, etc., as well as just what bugs the fuck out of you about it all. As well as the necessary reviews and what not of ANY kind of music. Also, since this will no longer be a choke, inc. specific zine, i'm open to names for this. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Derek Hess's and Karen Novak's opening was fantastic. 'nuff said. The after opening rok show featuring tar and craw was also excellent. 'nuff said. Original Unsane member and bass player pete has left the band because of technical difficulties with girl friend. Also, our host Wariat was down for a day around the 15th/16th of jan., so if you sent me mail then and just figured I was being a dick by not returning it, I didn't get it. And what the hell is going on in the X-men? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CORRECTION Last issue I mentioned that the next Choke, Inc. release is a split single by Trumans Water/Azailia Snail. I was completely wrong. The next slab of wax from choke will be from Volume. Volume is Trumans Water, Azalia Snail, and Daniel from Supreme Dicks. It's called Stampone. look for Volume, Stampone this march. Sorry 'bout that. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CHAMPAIGN, IL. UPDATE Steakdaddy Six's next release is slotted for April 1st if all goes well. They are mixing it right now. Gordon from the steakdaddys sent me this ---> Everyone is brimming with excitement in Champaign. The new Honcho (Overload) record is out, and soon to follow is the major label debut from HUM, spatially recorded with Keith Cleversley in Chicago (the record is phenomenal). Mother's major debut is also on the way. They recorded with Brad Wood in Atlanta. Then we sneak in with our puny debut, oh yeah it's not a debut, just another puny. Ha, we'll give 'em puny! We have Rick Valentin of Poster Children fame twiddling our knobs in the studio, and he's doing quite a spectacular job. And speaking of which, be on the lookout for the new PC record. It comes out in February, and they think that Warner is going to give them a big push when it does. I think it's about the best thing they`ve ever done, although I do have quite a passion for their old records, too. That's it. Little Champaign update. See ya. gordon ---------------------------------------------------------------------- REVIEWS AND LIFE IN COLUMBUS I met Mike after sending him a newsletter and then he came to see us I believe in cleveland first and then when we played in columbus ---> greetings, happy holidays and all that tired old merry shit. i was initially put off by your surly manner of telling off all the slackers that failed to provide you with material for this pub (you know that old bullshit about flies and honey and vinegar), but then it occoured to me that i'd never promised you any material. thus your rant didn't apply to me. i am, as you may or may not know, quite sensitive for a straight guy. so anyway, here goes with my lists and stuff. i've tried to structure this similarly to your newsletter to make it easier for me. advice on dealing with the law: fuck them. in a situation such as yours one should keep showing up for continuences until the fat asses cop shows up, then cop for the mistomeaner (sp?). that is, assuming that you don't mind a few disorderlies on you record. personally i wear mine like a red badge of courage, but they were all gotten a KKK rallies (as a protester, easy now) HIGHLIGHTS OF 1994 musically i was really impressed by the following releases this year. BTW, just because i was turned on to them this year, doesn't necessarily mean they were released in '94 -jesus lizard, head/pure (where was i in 1989, oh yes, memphis) -craw, craw (a new experience for me, music as complex as my own confused little mind) -crust, crusty love (see a full reveiw later) -shellac, action park (of course) -murder inc., (martin atkins and chris connelly with steve albini at the helm, run i say don't walk out for this one) -dazzling killmen, face of collapse (this took alot of listens but now i'm a true believer) -today is the day, silver tongue? (are these guys fascists?? i know they rock and can use a sample without sounding stupid) that's enough of that shit. and for the record i liked lost nation alot, but i haven't been taken by it yet. should happen soon though GOOD SHOWS I SAW -craw/jesus lizard at peabody's in cleveland, sometime in august. what can i say? i love both these bands, well worth the drive to hear practically all of craw's new album prior to release, along with the mighty lizard (who i can assure you sound nothing like craw). rockie looked like some kind of maniac that probably beats women, or fem boys. >EDITOR'S NOTE : Come on, only major label scouts can say that:) david yow was a maniac. he bounced around like some kind of psychotic punk rock uncle from hell. he spent the majority of the evening on my head screaming like a wounded banshee (what the fuck is a banshee anyway?). what a night, the lizard played a plethora of their old songs, basically the entire works of show, and contrary to the opinion previously expressed in this forum, on that night they had lost nothing. -the toadies/big chief/goats at staches in columbus, mid november let me preface this by stating that i ate about 5, yes that's correct 5, square centimeters of very good paper before leaving my house that night. the toadies opened. they're from texas but sound nothing like the buttholes. their sound could be summed up in one word, TOOL. as soon as they started playing i looked over at my pal jaboli (who wasn't dosed), he looked at me and we both said, "TOOL." but we said it in a homer simpson "dool" kinda way. regardless they sound just like tool. the bassist was a huge hermaphrodytic female with a rickenbacker bass that was at least 12 feet long. the only really nice thing i can say about the toadies is that they meant that shit. they played their fucking hearts out for about an hour and left it all out there on stage. if only they had been a bit more original. after a lull that lasted forever big chief took the stage. did i mention that i hate big chief. to me they're tired, fat and completely bland. i stood against the wall on at the very back of the room and tried to talk a drunken hair chick into blowing me. i don't think she ever did. big chief played the same song over and over (or so it seemed) and the vocalist (fat jesus?) said the same things between songs and the visuals started in full force. i was ready for the goats did i mention that the goats are perhaps my favorite band (yes they're a band) on earth. i'm a real junky for radical politics and and any band that cites noam chomsky as an important infuence has my vote. great cover art too, check out the albums. i also have something of a long distance relationship with the two rappers (not like that silly), as i've traveled near and far to see them play and we always end up hanging out etc. all that said how was the show? well the goats (members of the dreaded ruffhouse/columbia stable) had their own sound man which was a shame as the girl that usually does sound at staches is ver good. well obviously the guy working the board that night had no clue as the sound sucked throughout. but the band was jamming. i started the set on top of a chair near the front, but i soon danced my big ass right off there and into the front. the goats were the goats, jamming that funky classic rock with deranged rapped vocals about dope and social inequity. i was so dosed that i forgot to take off my jacket and ended up collapsing from the heat. undetered i ate some ice (tina the waitress always looks out for me) and got back up to do some guest vocals on "burn the flag." afterwards we (jaboli, swayzak (goats vocalist) and my friend amanda) ended up at amanda's house. they smoked pot from the bong as i read aloud my favorite passages from william burrough's "naked lunch." to say it was a full evening would be a mild understatement. i'm tired of writing now. i'll go do some work and send the album reveiws after lunch. sorry for copping out but you will get the rest today. promise. mike >THE REST let's see, when last i wrote i ended with some interresting shows i saw and promised some brief album reveiws. here goes on the albums: crust, crusty love: i was very reluctant to buy this album at first. i saw it at used kids and noticed it was on trance, but it looked like some kind of novelty album. after many days of passing it over i finally picked it up when it went down to $5. allah be praised, this was a good decision. the band is on trance syndicate which is out of austin, tx. (correct?), but the liner notes give no indication as to where they come from. but the sound like the most bizarre old butthole surfers with scratch acid era david yow vocalizing. most of the songs are about some wierd excess, for example; song #2 is called "clymidia is not a flower", and boasts an extremely catchy chorus of those exact words. but it jams. really hard, very austin. song #3 is called "sammy" and contains about 5 answering machine samples, all in a redneck voice. the first is full of love and longing, by the third it goes something like, "alright bitch, i'm sorry you're mad, forgive me for carin' so gawddamm much..." etc. the music kinda blows for this one though. song #4 is called "bumblebee" and it just jams. very big black, but again the lyrics stand out. the chorus of "i got your name, on my dick...(repeat)... right there, under the head, that's the one that bled and bled and bled..." good wacky stuff. i could go on but i won't. if this sounds interresting, order it trance is distributed by touch and go. again i would have been very dissapointed if this were only a novelty album, but it's not. these guys know how to play their instruments, and creatively rip off just about everybody i like. mike ---------------------------------------------------------------------- REVIEWS Got to see JAKS and the Hairy Patt Band live this past month. Got to hand it to Choke that they're mixing things up alot with the bands that they have signed. JAKS are the coolest young band I have seen in a long time. To me they kind of represent where punk should have gone (and i guess might with these guys and gals) Blistering sonic attacks, some frayed time signatures here and there, a front person who will surpass the limits of your eardrums and general all around interesting rhythms. And on top of all that are probably the cutest band around right now. I picture the four of them (2 guys, 2 ladies) living in the same house all cuddled up next to each other watching t.v. or something. but maybe thats just me. craw will be playing with JAKS in columbus on jan. 28. Hairy Patt Band was way cool in completely different ways. the 2 piece (drums, guitar) stomped their way into the grog shop here in cleveland and totally kicked some ass in their own sort of way. hillbillyish songs with lyrics about fish lips and chicks with dicks and john cougar covers - everyone was getting down at this shindig. we have a fucking cool label. TAR - Jan. 6 Euclid Tavern Cleveo This was the post derek hess/karen novak art opening show. the other band was us, but we'll ignore that. The guys in tar are beginning to look like hippies - their hair must be at least two inches long. vagrants! aside from that, they played an extremely excellent set with 3 encores. lets just say they are quite loved here on the north coast. they played quite a bit of new material that will be recorded soon and released on Touch&Go, and personally i thought its some of their best yet, which is pretty damn good considering i love all of their recordings (don't mean to choke you with compliments, john ... how about this - get a fucking haircut:) SCRAWL, DITCH and DRILL KITTY Jan. 14 Euclid Tavern, Cleveo Drill Kitty is local cleveland that falls somewhere in the cracks of punk and slop/alternative. they did like 4 covers of early 80's hits they totally rocked. one 7-inch is out and maybe more in the near future. Ditch, also local cleveo, were next and are really beginning to improve with their young age. reminiscent of husker du at times, they have written songs that, although very straight forward, are more than interesting enough to keep me into it and excited to want to hear more. Scrawl bored em to tears. sorry. They used to be pretty energetic and semi-hard, but are not anymore. Not that that makes a good band, by any means, but they simply did not do anything or me. MADBALL, DOWNSET, DOG EAT DOG Jan. 15 Grog Shop, Cleveo Missed Dog Eat Dog. Came in about halfway thru Downset's set. Kinda typical hardcore-ish straight riffs in that helmet bred style that gets real old real quick. Madball had a member of Agnostic Front. Now I, in my childish music snob way, didn't even acknowledge that this kind of music even existed anymore. I just haven't paid any attention to real hardcore in so long. I remember seeing Agnositc Front, COC, the FUs, SNFU and Verbal Assault all when I was 16. This Madball stuff made me feel OLD. But at the same time it brought back so much shit that I really got into some of it. They even played a couple of Agnostic Front songs. Lots of skinheads doing dumb things, though. I think thats why I stopped going to hardcore shows. But a good time was had anyway. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TOURING CRAW january 28 columbus - 1473 neil ave. 29 work on van day in PA. 30 Asbury Park, NJ - The saint 31 off feb 1 NYC - brownies (we're on first so show up way early) 2 philly - Kyber pass 3 New Brunswick, NJ - (?) 4 Baltimore - club midnight 5 Norfolk (?) 7 Richmond - citizen gallery 8 Greensboro, NC - turtle 9 Cincinatti - sudsies 10 Lexington - wrockledge 11 Nashville - lucy's HAIRY PATT BAND january 18 lafayette/metropolis 19 houston/urban art bar 20 austin/emo's 21 dallas/orbit room 22 san antonio/ 26 little rock/vino's 27 atlanta/midtown music hall ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm gonna end this on a sad note. the 7th of January a friend of ours died. Sean McDonnell, singer/guitar player from Surgery died that night from complications of an athsma condition while hanging out with some friends. He apparently was kept on life support til the 12th. One big generalisation about the guys in Surgery was that they were all big assholes and rock stars ... Sean was not like this at all. the cat had a pretty solid head on his shoulders, even after signing with atlantic. he and his music will be missed. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- thanks to everyone who sent me stuff. i think its alot more interesting with stuff other than my own rantings. keep it coming. Again, feel free to send the choke inc guys demo tapes, etc. and keep sending me stuff to include. Booking info for craw mail me or call 2162296848 ask for chris anderson or call 2169321968 and ask for dave. booking info for morsel and hairy patt band call 5139610357 ask for lucia. booking info on JAKS call 3132131457 or 3132131280 --- rockie@neurosis.wariat.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Back Issues at FTP 141.214.4.135 under the directory /docs/choke. WWW stuff located at "http://kzsu.stanford.edu/uwi.html" ... Thanks Jon. -- the truth is out there