LOOKING FORWARD, LOOKING BACK PT. 2 - TIGER! TIGER!

"Tiger, tiger burning bright, in the forests of the night .... " Hmmm .. did good old William Blake catch Buffi Aguero and Tiger! Tiger! at The Earl in Atlanta? Or somewhere on their Spanish tour? SXSW? Well he must have. This band does burn bright, and just like the tiger old Bill describes in that famous poem, there's a beauty and a darkness here. To describe them as a "garage band" or as "indie - pop" (not my term, trust me!) would be flippant. The band itself is full of folks who, well, know their shit. Talented artists as well as talented musicians, they serve as a wellspring of imagination. Their inspirations become ours, and that can only be a good thing, right? Right! I could point out how vapid and narcissistic society has become, and downright lazy and sophomoric. And that would be stating the obvious too, right? Right! So we need bands like Tiger! Tiger! all the more. RIGHT!

The old saying goes; "You can't keep a good woman down", and the Subsonics Buffi Aguero (drums, vocals) confirmed that fact (again) when she decided to front her own band. Fueled by good and twisted art and music, the band was called The White Lights. After a handful of great CD's and singles it kinda became Tiger! Tiger! somehow ... Up front is Buffi Aguero, and former White Light-er Sam Leja tickles the porta - organ ala Augie Meyers. Susanne Gibbony (Catfight,Lust) is on bass and backing vocals. Getting Susanne was a coup since she is such a well known Atlanta punk rocker. Shane Pringle (Pineal Ventana) and Mario Coangelo are the new (sorta new) guys. Shanes punchy guitar and sax work give Tiger! Tiger! another extra twist that has become a trademark of all of Ms. Aguero's bands (White Lights utilized vibes and baritone guitar for its unique sound). And Mario knows where the tom toms are, and leaves the cymbals alone for the most part. So what you say? So this is part of what gives Tiger! Tiger! such a beautiful, yet dark sound. It doesn't matter if it's a speedy song or a moody, off kilter waltz, The wall of sound Tiger! Tiger! builds is all their own.

The snake oil bottle of medicine on the cover of "The Kind Of Goodnight", the Tiger! Tiger! album (Chicken Ranch Records), is fitting for this quintet. Like the elixir inside, the songs are all dark and sweet, and layered with intoxicating sounds. The lyrics have depth and what someone once described as having a "restless ennui of freshly killed romance". HUH!?!?! No way, if anything the songs are about most peoples blindness to real life. Tiger! Tiger! seems to me more that it suffers no fools. And the beauty of it all is in it's economy. No stupid solos, no stomp boxes, and no "cuteness". Just real life, and wicked as that hiding tiger in those bushes over yonder ...

Their videos are really a great way to see what they're all about. On top of that, they are inspired pieces of art. Go to http://www.chickenranchrecords.com/media.cfm to see "So You Won't Deceive Me". It's an amazing animated look at the song, and I'm not going to spoil it - just go and see it! While you're there, check out Chicken Ranch Records Tiger! Tiger! releases. You can get their goods in vinyl, cd, or itunes. Another good place to see these Atlanta heroes of hip is to go to http://www.myspace.com/tigertigerband. There you'll see the "Black Daggers" video, and it's another creative visual trip. It's a damn great song to boot! Of course, if you can see them live we highly recommend it. The sound will wash over you and each song will have you not only shakin' your hips, you'll shake your head wondering why you've never heard of Tiger! Tiger!before. If you've been lucky (or smart) enough to see or hear them, you know how good they really are. The scary part is, they're just getting warmed up.

Next Installment - "Looking Forward, Looking Back" Pt. 3 - The Woggles

LOOKING FORWARD, LOOKING BACK PT.1 - SUBSONICS

Atlanta, Georgia 1992 - A lot was happening in the new capitol of the Southeast at the start of the last decade. Some big things were right on the surface. Ted Turner was taking his empire international with CNN. The Atlanta Braves went from worst to first, giving the once-burnt-to-the -ground city it's first "real" winner (take that Sherman!). Down the road a piece, Athens, Georgia was (still) giving the world The B52's and R.E.M.. Elton John moved to town (no doubt looking for tips from the infinitely cooler Ru Paul). The summer Olympics, and all the craziness that was to come with it, was four years away. The new capitol of the Southeast was about to become an International City. Like I said, things were clear right on the surface. But this is the land of red dirt roads and the waters are muddy, son! And sometimes the most peculiar and amazing things can be found on the murky bottom.

Into the Punk and Hardcore void of the 70's and 80's came a Southern version of what had already been happening around the country for 5 or 6 years. The 80's Garage Rock Revival hit town via The Fleshtones, spawning a whole new generation of like - minded bands. The mighty Woggles took the mantle for the home team and have held it ever since (more on our rock and soul geniuses in a future chapter). As Atlanta was becoming the South's new promise land, the city also became a cool music mecca. Out of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, came the sci-fi sounds of Man Or Astroman?. Chapel Hill, North Carolina gave us Southern Culture On The Skids and The Flat Duo Jets. Florida's contribution was The Hate Bombs. Atlanta itself had a strong Rockabilly subculture, containing rocking bands and rabid fans. Many other groups in this loose knit scene came and went, burning out bright and fast. Few have had the longevity of our aforementioned heroes. But something is missing you say? Who are we leaving out? Probably the best "bridge" between the punk, rockabilly and garage camps, ladies and gentleman, I give you The Subsonics!

How The Subsonics met is a bit fuzzy, but one thing is loud and clear. They are a captivating live band and their many releases over the years are chock full of gutter - y story/songs. The Subsonics are a strange mix - First, you take equal parts Buddy Holly, Lou Reed, and Johnny Thunders. Blend as fast as all hell breaking loose and garnish with knives, chains, J.D. novels, and lotsa black leather. Do not dilute with Jonathan Richman or rough it up too much with stomp boxes. The dish you'll be serving to your guests will be a look at life on the wrong end of town. And usually a look at it long after midnight.

Their sound centers around Rockin' Clay Reeds' buzzsaw guitar rhythms. The chords fly at you fast, and the "solos" have evolved into a squawking barrage of non-notes. Don't think for a minute that what Mr. Reed plays is because of a lack of know how. Ya gotta know the rules to break 'em sonny, and break 'em he does. But it all fits. And when he wants to be melodic, he can do that too, albeit with a bit of twisted - ness. Just listen to "Red Roses" from their 1992 self - titled release. This instrumental is the best non - surf surf song that you're ever likely to hear! And it sounds like soundtrack music for some deserted beach scene , deep down into Mexico, so far down that nothing matters ... It's dusty, windy, and 99 degrees in the shade .... but the waves are breaking, and breaking beautifully ..... Fast forward to 2006 - "Parasites" is the other side of the Subsonics sound, I call it Buddy Holly or Bobby Fuller on speed. It's all warbling, spittin' vocals over a classic 3 chords / 3 minute punk template. It's no wonder that their world wide fan base is made up of fans of Rockabilly, Punk, Garage, and Surf musics. Their songs cover the style spectrum, and it's never forced or a parody. It's just ... real ...

Standing up behind the sparse drum set, chewing gum and ducking cat calls, is Buffi Aguero. The minimalist thumping is the heartbeat of the Subsonics monster, always driving the song on, as if to escape the angry villagers. When Clay and Buffi started the Subsonics the sound came together and projected the unique and cutting edge tastes of both. They just know all the right stuff, and incorporate that into the songs - whether it be B movies, pulp fiction paperbacks, or outsider art. They cite everyone from The Velvet Underground to The Voidoids as musical influences. Ike Turner and Phil Spector too. Does it get any better than that? Don't think so! Ms. Aguero also fronts her own band, Tiger! Tiger!, but more on them later ....

The left side of the stage has seen a few different bass players for our tremulous three piece. First came troublemaker Scott Weatherwax. Then the multi-talented Ron Skutt. Third in line was crowd (and Bad Trip) favorite, Christy Montero. This classic Subsonics line - up was like a twisted Tony Orlando and Dawn, except "Dawn" was hot-under-the-collar sexy and Tony looked like some androgynous hooker that hadn't eaten in a month! European tours followed , but sadly the Revlon endorsement never saw the light of day .... After a brief , but brillinat, fill - in by bassist Buzz Hagstrom (Woggles, Graham Day), The Subsonics lured Rob Delbueno (Man or Astroman?) into the fold. Rob brings a steady and wide array of talent, and thumps out the 4 string glue that holds the whole shebang together.

So after many singles, e.p.'s and albums (see links below), the Subsonics chug on, steamrolling everything in their path, and getting stronger with each new lightning bolt they get hit by. They criss cross the U.S. all the time, and Europe is an annual event. Can Japan be far behind? You owe it to yourself to catch this crazy trio when they Godzilla your town, or buy some of their music from one of the links below. Better yet, do both. Tell 'em we said "hey". bruce bad trip
Next installment: Part 2 - "Tiger! Tiger!"

www.slovenly.com/subsonics.shtml

www.myspace.com/subsonicsatlanta

www.subsonics.net/

Looking Back, Looking Forward

I love almost everything about the 60's. The first time that I heard the fuzz drenched notes introducing the Rolling Stones "Satisfaction", I was hooked, lined, and sinker-ed. The opening "Da da dadada ..." sounded like a call to arms for some whacked out army of spastic soldiers. Even an eleven year old kid like me got it. I didn't know what I was getting, but, I got it! So I've always been a fan of the slightly off - kilter. And the 60's was rife with off - kilter. Other eras had it too, but this was when I found it and I've been chasing that sound ever since.

By the winter of 1992 I had had enough of mainstream media ignoring the REAL guitar armies of the past, and their modern counterparts. After another half-assed and failed attempt at starting an army of my own, I decided to do a fanzine. The message had to get out. And Atlanta, Georgia was the perfect launch pad. By providence or fate, depending on who you ask, we met Buffi Aguerro through the local free paper. Enter The Subsonics, The Woggles, Man Or Astroman?, Worrybird Records, Estrus, Bomp, The Cynics, Norton Records, and all things Nuggets, Pebbles, and Back From the Grave. Bad Trip fanzine was the name, and anything BUT the Greatful Dead was our game! We tried, and hopefully managed, to keep our tongues in cheeks throughout all 13 issues. Why are we kick starting the old rag? Because it's time to pass the word again .... Dang, someone has to do it ......

Next Installment: Where Are They Now? You won't believe your ears ....

The one(s) that got away ... really, they were real ...

OK - here's the first little bit of posting on this here thang. remember the "one(s) that got away"? No, not yer girl or boyfriend, but your first really unforgettable item, your favorite surfboard! I have a few that I'm kicking myself over and you can see the examples below. One was a David Nuuihwa Lightweight that I found in a skate shop in Atlanta (sometime in the 80's)?!?!? Rode it in Florida and it ripped!!!!! To this day, that was the BEST longboard that I've ever owned. I sold it dirt cheap to a woman who was buying it for her husband as a gift. Yeah, right. I think the guy sent her over to my house to bat her eyelashes and practically steal this gem from me. It worked, she drove off with it and I went in and had a beer. What a knucklehead. The second example is a Harbour Cheater. I bought this out of a marina in Ft. Pierce, Florida in the 70's. It had been sitting there forever and I got a DEAL on it. Rode it and LOVED it, but I only rode longboards in the summer back then. A friend of mine fell in love with it and would bug practically every day to sell it, trade it, whatever, he just wanted it! He finally got me half drunk and/or stoned one day and I traded it to him for a '66 Rambler. Great car, but the board is worth a shitload more these days. Knucklehead ...Here's a few more that I cringe over. I bought an old Rick U.F.O. off a fellow worker at a construction yard in '73. He sold it to me on the condition that I ride it and cherish it forever. It even had black Slipcheck on it. Of course I promised that i would love it until Hell froze over. The thing was a boat, you could ride a ripple for a gajillion miles on this beaut. It had a few dings and was a bit water logged. Being the budding young shaper that I was, I .. you guessed it - stripped the glass and resahaped it into a short single fin. But, seeing as it had taken on a bit of water, just as I was finishing up, it split down the stringer (center)!!! No, I didn't glass it (another mistake). That reminds me. Back in '69 I bought an old Harbour Cheater from the local surf shop for a song - you couldn't even give them away back then. Did I buy it to ride it? Well, kinda. The thing for amateur shapers back then was to buy old longboards and cut them down. I took it to the hotshot kid in our neighborhood to shape it. What a buncha idiots. The board didn't even ride worth a damn. And this was the SECOND board that I got from him (that one was crappy too). I know, I know, we were really stupid. I also had an Olympic that I got at a yardsale. That one was really old, but in great shape. It had a big old "D" fin and it was a heavy tanker. Rode it once and sold it. So there's the ones that got away on me. I wish I had photos of them all, but that might make me really cry like a baby. These couple of examples are bad enough. Let me know about the ones that got away on you. Photos welcome but not required .....