From: dbidwa@sei.cmu.edu (Daniel Bidwa)
Subject: Re: John Zorn/Naked City
Organization: The Software Engineering Institute
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 16:26:24 EST


wildman@athena.mit.edu (Timothy Worsley) writes:
|> teh@latcs1.lat.oz.au (Richie L C TEH) writes:
|> >What other bands can [Naked City] be compared to? (Tribal Tech?).
|> Perhaps something of an answer to this question can be found by looking at
|> who gets thanked in the liner notes of "Naked City" and "Torture Garden".
|> 
|> BOREDOMS -- I only have "Soul Discharge" (ShimmyDisc).  Yamatsuka Eye is in
|> the band.  Very bizarre stuff, and could be compared to Naked City (or vice
|> versa perhaps -- who was first??).

Boredoms were first. They've got more than "Soul Discharge" out, but not in
the US. (Factoid: They're signed to Sony in Japan.) 

|> LIP CREAM -- ?

A Japanese thrash band. They're on the "Thrash Til Death" comp (along with
Outo, Gauze, and one other bands), which is the only material from
them that I've seen released in the US. Lots of stuff floating around, though.
They're definitely one of the precursors to modern death metal -- incredibly
fast abrasive guitars turning into one giant blur. Wonderful.

|> RUINS -- "Stonehenge" (ShimmyDisc) is somewhat Naked City-esque.  Zorn is
|> supposedly on a CD of theirs called "Early Works".

There's another Ruins lp out on ShimmyDisc called "Burning Stone", with a
different bassist than "Stonehenge". (Ruins is a drummer and a bassist; the
drummer also sings.) Both records are very good; the cd of "Stonehenge" has a
lot more material than the LP. (This is also the case for ShimmyDisc's cd of
the Boredoms' "Soul Discharge", which has nearly double the amount of material
as the lp. Don't think the cd for "Burning Stone" is out yet.)

|> NAPALM DEATH -- Mick Harris (of Pain Killer) is the drummer for this band.
|> I've only heard "Harmony Corruption" (trivia: Mick Harris thanks Zorn in
|> the liner notes of this album).

Another precursor to modern death metal (although they're hardly out of the
picture), and one of the first "grindcore" bands (meaning, basically, hardcore
bands who play as absolutely fast as possible -- Lip Creme falls into this
category, as well as bands like Electro-Hippies and Sore Throat). Many albums
out; the older ones are easily spotted by the huge number of songs on the
record. 

|> CARCASS -- ?

As said elsewhere, one of the better modern death metal bands. (I've heard
that the four(?) members of this band are med students, which gives them lots
of grisly stuff for their lyrics; dunno if this is true, or if I've got the
rumor connected with the right band.) 

|> EXTREME NOISE TERROR -- ?  (I like the name though...)

More grindcore; definitely comparable to early Napalm Death, and just as good.
Not sure if they still exist as a band.

|> LIVE SKULL -- ?

A NYC "art" band that kept being compared to Sonic Youth (somewhat
justifiably, although their two guitarists worked together much differently,
IMO). Very good; went through one stylistic change when David Lo (their
drummer) quit the band; went through another when they swapped bassists; broke
up in the late Eighties. Lots of records out; "Dusted" is definitely a good
place to start. 

|> GOD IS MY CO-PILOT -- ?

Wonderful NYC band that does short squawky tunes that remind me of a pomo
X-Ray Spex. Can't remember who's in the band; they've got two 7"s out and one
full cd ("I Am Not Of This Body"), all highly recommended.

|> UFO OR DIE -- ?

An Eye side project (his "rock" band, as opposed to Boredoms, which is his
"art" band, or Audio Sports, his "hip-hop" band) that includes other members
of the Japanoise axis whose names I can't remember. One 7" released in the US
by Public Bath; they also appear on the first volume of Public Bath's "Japan
Bashing" compilations (along with Boredoms).

|> DIE KREUZEN -- ?

As noted elsewhere, they're presently a boring metal band, but they used to be
very good noisemakers. Their bassist is/was (I think he might have quit) in
Boy Dirt Car. They've a number of albums on Touch and Go; "October Faction" is
decent.

|> THE ACCUSED -- ?

Seattle (or maybe Portland) hardcore band that has pretty much crossed over
into thrash metal territory. I can't stand the shrieky vocals. They've got
records on a few different US labels.

|> HUSKER DU -- Um, well, sure I've heard of them, but I've never actually
|> heard their music (pathetic, I know, sorry -- I'm from a strictly
|> jazz-oriented background, give me a break!).

Went from loud fast rules punk rock to melodic punk rock to pop punk and then
thankfully broke up before they started to suck (too badly). Bob Mould's
chainsaw guitar work is a constant thing of beauty, especially on their cover
of "Eight Miles High". (The Tellus "All Guitars" cassette includes a
soundcheck from Mould that's one of the best feedback-powered spazz guitar
blowouts I've ever heard.) Albums on SST and Warner, with the lower octane
records coming out on Warner; don't waste your money on the cd of "Metal
Circus" because it's only about 20 minutes long, if that (although it's a fine
record in all other aspects). "Zen Arcade" is a good starting point, and if
anyone finds a copy of "Everything Falls Apart", they should send it to me
right away.

|> DRI -- ?

As noted elsewhere, a hardcore band that crossed over to thrash (indeed, they
were one of the first to do so). Never really piqued my interest, but they
have a number of records available in the US (or maybe not -- I think they
were signed to Enigma for some period of time, which means that those records
may be unavailable in this post-Enigma-collapse time), including a new one.

|> Someone told me that Doctor Nerve is a band that is sort of like Naked
|> City, maybe even inspired by them, or imitating them, or something.  But
|> I've never heard them (I know they have at least one album out, available
|> on CD, I saw it at the Downtown Music Gallery in NYC).

Doctor Nerve reminds me more of a higher-thwack version of Curlew than of
Naked City. Anyway, they predate Naked City by a number of years, and have (at
least) three records out, although I think "Out To Bomb Fresh Kings", their
first, is long out of print. (The folks at Wayside/Cuneiform would certainly
know, since they're big Doctor Nerve fans and have put out their last two
records.) 

The only Naked City inspired band I know of is Telecorps.


Dan
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