Skip to main contentIn the early '90s, most of the music world was swooning over the sounds of Nirvana and Pearl Jam. But Trevor Solomon was interested in more risky pursuits--namely riding around downtown Atlanta listening to Rapeman and watching his friends shoot guns into the air.
At least that's the story Solomon tells when talking about his Jesus Lizard tribute band Monkey Trick. And while the truth of that story is definitely questionable, the spirit of it is spot-on for Rapeman, Jesus Lizard and a handful of other aggressively noisy post-hardcore bands that briefly scorched the underground rock scene in the late '80s and early '90s. Solomon, who works for Thrasher Presents when he's not imitating Jesus Lizard frontman David Yow, explained all of this while sharing his top four albums from that scene. (Mark Baumgarten)
The Cherubs, Heroin Man (Trans Syndicate)
This record pretty much sums up what a lot of the bands in Austin were doing around this time by having a lo-fi sound but still landing it in an extremely heavy way. The first song, "Stag Party," starts off with a phone-off-the-hook loop and just kicks in with a brutal force. Another great song is "Dave of the Moon," which sounds like a pop hit with a sonic force very similar to what Nirvana was doing.
Rapeman, Two Nuns and a Pack Mule (Touch & Go)
My friends used to drive around downtown Atlanta shooting guns while listening to this record. The band consisted of Steve Albini, David Sims (Scratch Acid, Jesus Lizard) and Rey Washam (Scratch Acid, Ministry), and the three of them just laid down a killer sound that Albini was not able to capture in Big Black but would take with him to Shellac years later.
Mule, self-titled (Quartersick)
This is the debut album from the Detroit trio, with P.W. Long's deep, low voice and Jim Kimball's huge drum sound. The most interesting and odd part is a cover that P.W. does by himself called "Now I Truly Understand," which is an old folk song that he sings in the true style of the original. This song, along with others on the album, points to the great solo albums that P.W. Long would put out years later.
The Jesus Lizard, Goat (Touch & Go)
This is the classic record of a scene that is sorely missed in my opinion and will not be forgotten. The first five songs just kick, and the transitions go so smoothly that you'll forget you just listened to five songs. The entire purpose of the Jesus Lizard, though, seemed to be the journey a listener could take through the mind of a semi-lunatic named David Yow.
Monkey Trick plays with the Punk Group, Heartless and Slowhawks Saturday, Jan. 8, at Dante's, 1 SW 3rd Ave., 226-6630. 10 pm. $5. 21+.
WWeek 2015