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| Mission of Burma |
When my band
Loose Ties moved to Boston in 1981, we found a stunning array of local music
waiting for us. Here's a list of some of the bands I think had a significant
impact on the '80s Boston scene. For the purpose of this list, I'm leaving off
the acts who were already nationally known (i.e., the Cars, Aerosmith, Geils,
Jonathan Richman, Robin Lane & the Chartbusters). I'm also leaving off some
faves who never made it big despite making some great music (The Wages, Sensible
Shoes, Half a Care, Ata-tat, Class Action, The Rafters, Relentless Cookout and,
um, Loose Ties…). Here we go:
Human
Sexual Response Who doesn't want to be Jackie Onassis? HSR featured a solid punkish
rhythm section and four singer/interpretive actors, including lead voice Larry
Bangor. Their gigs were a riot, and often unique (witness the Halloween
glow-in-the-dark skeleton outfits), but their antics didn't always translate to
record, and their more serious art-rock side confused the folks who thought
they were getting the next B52s. Bangor and the rhythm section went on to form the
Zulus (who had to change names - twice - for legal reasons).
Mission
of Burma Boston's pioneers of loud,
assaultive, raw nerve-jangling sound. Live, they were like a freight train
going by, but their records had layers of complex interplay. Roger Miller went
on to form Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, just as sonically inventive but with a
lighter touch, and drummer Peter Prescott went on to form Volcano Suns.
Til
Tuesday Aimee Mann's follow-up
band to the punkier Young Snakes, Til Tuesday was a disciplined synth pop/rock
ensemble, no extended guitar solos, just song after song of Nu Wave hooks and
unsmiling attitude. After winning the '83 Rumble, they were signed to Epic and
released a great single and video ("Voices Carry") and a fine
sophomore album (Welcome Home). Loose
Ties opened for them a number of times, so we can attest that at least guitarist
Robert Holmes occasionally smiled offstage.
Berlin
Airlift / Rick Berlin the Movie
Berlin was already a scene veteran when he founded the Airlift, having
fronted the art-rock Orchestra Luna in the '70s. Berlin Airlift had a heavy,
dense sound (think Bowie's Berlin period) that underscored Berlin's dramatic
(but natural) presentation. Their best songs were like archetypes (quick, think
of a better title for a punk love song than "I Hate Everything But You")
but their androgyny might have kept record companies away in the age of Reagan.
The mid-80s Rick Berlin The Movie was funkier, with singer Julie Wood adding
fire, and late great guitarist Steven Paul Perry stepping out front for a song or
two each set. Berlin is still going strong with the Nickel and Dime Band, and
new songs that are just as anthemic ("We're not getting off the stage!"
he sang at the recent Let's Go to the Rat
film benefit).
Push Push Dennis Brennan was also a scene vet by the
time he founded Push Push in the early '80s, after being frontman for the soul-influenced
Martells. Push Push was more of an edgy power pop machine, with great players
(Adam Steinberg on lead, Jay Feinstein on bass, and also a great songwriter,
David Birmingham on drums) and songs that were both melodic and punchy. They
rounded out their sets with cool covers ("Making Plans for Nigel,"
the Box Tops' "Cry Like a Baby") and the only downside to seeing them
live was that your date always ended up wanting Dennis more than you. Push Push
came close - a development deal with Capitol - but never quite landed a record contract
- so they released two albums locally, both called Can't Wait (which I'm still waiting for on CD). Dennis is still singing,
very well, every Wednesday at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge.
Throwing
Muses I saw Throwing Muses at
one of their first gigs, at Chet's Last Call, a hockey bar overlooking the
Boston Garden. Kristin Hersh's singing was unlike anything I've heard before or
since, compellingly sincere but with weird melodic leaps at unexpected places.
I bought their cassette, which included a country song written by their dad.
The Muses released a number of albums on 4 AD before Tanya Donelly left to form
Belly.
The
Schemers Formed in Rhode Island,
The Schemers became known for such guitar-driven radio-friendly hits as "I
Want Some Fun" and "Nothin's Shakin' in the Valley of Love," combining
Beatles-y riffs with 'we're not gonna take it' vocals. They won the Rumble in
1984, and played throughout New England until their break-up in 1987. Guitarists
Mark Cutler and Emerson Torrey went on to the more sonically adventurous Raindogs,
who released two albums on Atco/Atlantic in the late 1980s. Cutler performs
today both solo and with a band, and The Schemers reunite for special occasions,
like the recent Let's Go to the Rat movie
benefit.
The
I-Tones How did Boston end up with
a bona fide reggae band? Credit Jamaican-born guitarist Chris Wilson, who went
on to run reggae label Heartbeat Records. Their reggae cover of "Walk On
By" was a staple on V66, Boston's short-lived music video channel, and
they kept the Western Front in Cambridgeport in business for years.
The
Atlantics The Atlantics had already
released a major label LP by 1980, but had their greatest success independently
releasing a string of catchy singles in the early '80s including "Lonelyhearts"
and "Pop Shivers." By this time they were a polished Nu Wave outfit
(albeit one driven by Fred Pineau's crunching guitar) and they often headlined
the Channel, Boston's largest club, tossing in treats like Gary Glitter's "Rock'n'Roll"
to the faithful before splitting up in 1983. Guitarist/songwriter Tom Hauck,
singer B. Wilkinson and drummer Paul Caruso also went on to form Ball & Pivot.
Knots and
Crosses Late in the '80s I
happened to catch this band at Club III in Somerville. After a decade of more
or less covering my ears at shows, I was pleasantly amazed to hear a band based
around an acoustic guitar. With a rich sound and a phenomenal singer (Carol
Noonan, as close to Sandy Denny as you can get on this side of the Atlantic),
Knots and Crosses both revived the folk rock of the '60s and hinted at all the "unplugged"
music about to come. Carol went on to release 3 albums on Rounder, and now runs
the Stone Mountain Arts Center in Maine.
Honorable mentions:
The Neats
The Lyres
The Neighborhoods
November Group
November Group
Face to Face
Salem 66
Planet Street
Del Fuegos
Bim Skala Bim / Mighty Mighty Bosstones
John Lincoln Wright
Girls Night Out
xoxo,
Terry K
www.terrykitchen.com/nextbigthing
