At the end of this short series, I must mention a club where I experienced some of my most memorable concerts. The Wagenburg Tunnel connects two districts in the north of Stuttgart. In 1985, a club called “Die Röhre” (The Tube) opened in a side arm of the tunnel. It was a long tube with a large bar on the left-hand side. Initially, it was used almost exclusively for parties at the weekend and occasional concerts. It was not until the late 1980s that concerts began to be held there regularly.
A defining experience was a double concert in 1989, when Spacemen 3 and The Wedding Present performed. The latter impressed with their indie guitar sound, but were able to keep up with the psychedelic-tinged guitar feedback, as a bootleg shows.
This club has always been a good venue for indie bands and new independent bands, even if they haven't always been to my taste. I still remember many gigs by bands I had never heard of before and who later went on to have great careers. One example would be Rammstein, who were still unknown at the time but already used massive guitars and pyrotechnics back then. In a sentimental retrospective, I think back to concerts by Meat Puppets, fIREHOSE, The Mekons, Chumbawumba and Mark Lanegan. Unfortunately, the club had to close its doors 10 years ago as part of the massive renovation of Stuttgart Central Station.
A few days back I came back to an album that I didn't listen to without any reason for many years. The Lonesome Crowded West was the second album by Modest Mouse before they signed to a big company. Modest Mouse were at these days an typical American band somewhere between the Pixies, Meat Puppets and early Pavement. Their songs cannot be assigned to any particular style. Too many musical influences can be recognized without any particular one dominating. Trucker Atlas is one of them. A rolling bass and simple drums form the basis for guitar riffs and screamed vocals. The song progresses constantly and inexorably until a break occurs and the speed is suddenly reduced and the focus is on improvisation. Probably one of the songs I would play if I were driving through America's West in a convertible.
In the early eighties, Greg Ginn founded his label SST and signed the most influential bands of the post-punk and pre-Nirvana era. Alongside Minutemen, Hüsker Dü, his own band Black Flag, but also the Meat Puppets.
In the beginning, the Meat Puppets were still strongly oriented towards the hardcore punk of the 80's, but became more and more experimental and allowed other influences such as folk or blues rock. I became aware of them when they released their fourth album Huevos in 1987, which was a fast-paced country-influenced song with great hooks and harmonies.
That made me look into their beginnings and also buy their second album. On this record they got sick of the hardcore punk and they experimented with acid-rock and country and western sound. This record also featured their biggest hits, which made them unforgettable at the acoustic concert with Nirvana. Time to play this band again.
It was a big surprise when I heard that the Meat Puppets are going to release another album after almost 25 years and asked myself should I expect them making another great record after all these years or are they just another retired band trying to make some money at the last decades of their life. I got me the record and I have to admit that they still can write great songs and still having fun playing their music. It is a sturdy album filled with pastoral country-rock and Americana. Most of the songs sneak into your ears and determine in your mind sometimes for the whole day. It is an album that works best for me when I listen to it on my way to work because of it's positive tenor that makes the start into work much easier.
A few days ago I was out for a couple of beer with an old mate of mine and as usually we started talking about music. I can't explain why but suddenly we were talking about record labels and that a lot of them stand for a unique sound. We are not talking about classic labels like Sun Records, Motown or major companies. More about independent labels. The more time we talked the more we stuck in this theme. One named a label and the other had to add the artists the label signed or are formative to it. So I think it it will be now the start for a new series.
SST Records were formed by Greg Ginn in the late 70's in California to release material of his band Black Flag. SST's merit was to be a platform American underground music in the pre-Nirvana era. Originally featuring classic hardcore-punk they spread their spectrum during the years into alternative music.
Black Flag was the first band on the label and they sounded like The Ramones on speed with atonal guitar solos. They maintained their attitude as angry nonconformists and got their highest level when Henry Rollins joined the band.
The Meat Puppets started as another punk band from Arizona and changed their style from their second record on. Instead of noise there was suddenly alternative rock and country in their sound. Nirvana played years later three songs from their second album on their legendary MTV appearance.
Another band that made SST Records famous was Dinosaur Jr. The first three albums are all classics in alternative rock music. J. Masics's drawling vocals and distinct guitars sound with the extensive use of feedback were highly influential for many bands in the 90's.
Minutemen started as a punk band as well. But all members were so highly talented so that this post will not be complete if I won't name then. True pioneers of alternative music. Their first records are a legacy that I listened often during the last decades.
Sylvia Juncosa played guitar in SWA (the band of Chuck Dukowski after he left Black Flag) before she started a career with her own name. Her only record Nature from 1987 was one of the records I loved these days. Simply forward going aggressive hard rock.
Probably the best selling SST-artist was a trio from Minneapolis. Hüsker Dü started like many other artists as hard-core punks and developed their own unique sound album by album. Flip Your Wig was the completest record they made and it is still a timeless beauty.
Also Sonic Youth started their career on SST. Evol is probably the first record on that they created their very individual sound. Still a classic record from these days.
Probably the first cross-over record in this genre. Bad Brains made a great melange out of ingredients of hard-core punk, reggae, funk and soul. Massive basses and heavy guitars made this record a classic.
At the end a band that never got the credibility they should have. Firehose started as the following band after Minutemen was history. Instead of D. Boone Ed Crawford, a Minutemen fan played guitar.
Back in 1994 Nirvana released their MTV-unplugged session. In this session they played a lot of less known songs and also cover versions of songs by The Vaselines, Meat Puppets, David Bowie and Leadbelly in their very own and unique way. Shortly after this session Kurt Cobain commited suicide blowing his head away with a gun. I loved this record when it came out because it showed Nirvana in a totally different way. Playing songs with big emotions in a very relaxed way. Cobain probably played these song with depressions in the back and he picked the right songs for this event. Played by great musicians and sung by Cobain with his fragile but also enthusiasm voice. This was the record a lot of people could agree with 20 years ago.
In late 80s the American SST-Label was very hip. They released some very good stuff by Hüsker Dü, Meat Puppets, Firehose and Sonic Youth. This label have paved the way for guitar based alternative rock. Beside Soundgarden were Dinosaur Jr. the main successful label artist in this genre. At this time I liked the way J. Masics played his guitar and his sad voice. That he can use a guitar is shown on these few outtakes.
