Discogs
Dub Narcotic Sound System Biography
by Jason Ankeny
The
oddball indie-funk collective Dub Narcotic Sound System was spearheaded
by vocalist Calvin Johnson, the former frontman of the legendary Beat Happening as well as the founder of the famed K Records label. Named in honor of Johnson's
own Olympia, WA-based basement studio Dub Narcotic, the project was
begun in 1994 with a rapid-fire series of funk-, rap-, and
reggae-influenced singles including "Bite," "Fuck Shit Up," "Booty Run,"
and "Shake-a-Puddin'"; from the outset Johnson was the group's sole constant member, although over the course of subsequent releases, including the EPs Industrial Breakdown, Ridin' Shotgun, and Ship to Shore, the revolving lineup grew to include Olympia scenesters like Lois Maffeo as well as Larry Butler, Todd Ranslow, and Brian Weber, all three members of the hip-hop unit Dead Presidents. The first Dub Narcotic Sound System full-length, Rhythm Record, Vol. One: Echoes From the Scene Control Room, appeared in 1995; later efforts included 1996's Boot Party and 1998's Out of Your Mind. Sideways Soul, a collaboration with Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, followed in 1999.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion Biography
by John Dougan
After a long and semi-successful tenure as leader of scuzz-rock heroes Pussy Galore, Jon Spencer shook up his anti-rock vision and hooked up with guitarist Judah Bauer and drummer Russell Simins
to create the scuzz-blues trio the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.
Postmodern to the core, there was a genuine irony in the band's name;
little of what they play resembles standard blues. There is, however, a
blues feel to their sound, meaning that in many instances they
appropriate aspects of the blues and incorporate them into their
anarchic, noisy sound. Spencer clearly wasn't playing the blues, but a
real if fractured appreciation of blues and R&B was audible in the
band's music amid the chaotic wail of guitars and drums. Not part of
alt-rock's commercial establishment (at least not at the start), Spencer
also managed to sharply divide critics who tended to see him as either
an inspired showman or a mendacious con man. He did, however, gain
popularity and critical respect during the '90s, largely on the strength
of the Blues Explosion's ferocious live show.
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Tracklist
| 1 |
| Banana Version | 6:00 |
| 2 |
| Love Ain't On The Run | 2:40 |
| 3 |
| Fudgy The Whale | 9:50 |
| 4 |
| Banana Meltdown | 2:55 |
| 5 |
| Frosty Junction | 4:11 |
| 6 |
| Diamonds | 4:00 |
| 7 |
| Sideways Soul | 3:22 |
| 8 |
| Chicken Legs | 3:28 |
| 9 |
| Calvin's On A Bummer | 3:25 |
