The Wallmen, based in Syracuse (New York),
became an institution of alternative rock and they rank among the
most important disciples of Syd Barrett's lunatic pop.
Musically, their influences stretch from the Fugs to the
Mercury Rev (whose Dave Fridmann will become their
mentor, producer and fifth de-facto member),
from Zoogz Rift to the
Residents,
but their art is more than just schizoid psychedelic/garage rock.
In the solitude of their provincial town, the foursome concocted a music
inspired by Andy Warhol's random pop frescos, by Dada's irreverent nonsense,
and by Allen Ginsberg's beat poetry.
The band started in 1984 (singer Norm Wilson,
guitarist Sean Curley, bassist Scott "Jethro Deluxe" Wilson),
ranting against the evil tyranny of the Establishment and the idiosyncrasies of bourgeois life, eventually releasing eleven cassettes, recorded on a 4-track recorder in the basement of the Wilsons:
Slackadelics (Dead Judy Records, 1984),
Better Hair and Nails Through Hypnotism (Dead Judy Records, 1984),
Eel Vibes from the Voodoo Kitten (Dead Judy Records, 1985),
It Was Not a Good Day (Dead Judy Records, 1985),
Supersonic Witchcraft Cookies (Dead Judy Records, 1986),
$3.00 (Dead Judy Records, 1987),
Rock Show (Dead Judy Records, 1987),
Mr Happy Man (Dead Judy Records, 1988),
Fluffy Like You (Dead Judy Records, 1988),
Nemlaw: You Are the Wallmen Today (Dead Judy Records, 1990),
Last of the Broken Mexicans (Dead Judy Records, 1991).
The singles Earthwoman/The News/Milo 9 (1988),
International House of JuJu/Tochax (1991) and
Preservative Children/Rubber Monkey (1992)
announced the major phase, that bloomed with the addition
of drummer Andy Walton and producer Dave Fridmann.
Their official debut,
Not Too Long Time Sound (Bar None, 1994), is more chaotic than
eclectic. Two songs stand out as prime Syd Barrett:
Kevin's New Trip and Magic Rugburn.
The rest of the album is as wild as unpredictable,
roaming and desecrating country music, glam-rock, heavy metal,
punk-rock, grunge, surf music.
The six-song EP Variety Showcase (Bar None, 1995) includes the party
singalong Rubber Monkey,
the alien surf music of Xanthoma Morning,
the punk-rock tremens of World Famous,
and the 37-minute noise collage Optional.
The vastly more rational
Electronic Home Entertainment (Wild Pitch, 1997) delivers
catchy and relatively regular songs like
The Gauge, Rock 101, Medium Girl,
You'll Never Learn
(that would shine on a Flaming Lips album), but the
winners are the usual bacchanals
(Evil Jim, Todd Is Still the Scene, Mrs Polateen) and
brief demented sonic experiments like
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Memorial Shopping Plaza.
Best of all is perhaps Foam Hippie Cereal, that almost sounds like
a Velvet Underground leftover.
After this album, the Wallmen broke up:
Jethro Deluxe opened a motorcycle shop, while singer and guitarist
started two new bands: the Druggies and the Space Peanut.
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(Translation by/ Tradotto da Paolo Latini)
I Wallmen, da Syracuse (New York), sono divantati una istituzione del rock alternativo e sono annoverati tra i piu' importanti discepoli del pop lunatico di Syd Barrett. Musicalmente, le loro influenze vanno dai Fugs ai Mercury Rev
(dei quali Dave Fridmann diventera' il loro mentore, produttore e quinto "de-facto" elemento), dagli Zoogz Rift ai Residents, ma la loro arte va ben oltre lo schizzoide garage/rock psochedelico. Nella solitudine della loro provincia, i quattro concepiscono una musica ispirata dai casuali affreschi pop di Andy Warhol, dal nonsense irriverente del dadaismo Dada, e dalla poesia beat di Allen Ginsberg.
La band comincio' nel 1984 (Norm Wilson, voce; Sean
Curley, chitarra; Scott "Jethro Deluxe" Wilson, basso), predicando contro la tirannia dell'Establishment e le idiosincrasie della vita borghese, riuscendo a realizzare undici cassette, registrate su un 4-Tracce dei fratelli Wilsons: Slackadelics
(Dead Judy Records, 1984), Better Hair and Nails Through
Hypnotism (Dead Judy Records, 1984), Eel Vibes from the
Voodoo Kitten (Dead Judy Records, 1985), It Was Not a Good
Day (Dead Judy Records, 1985), Supersonic Witchcraft
Cookies (Dead Judy Records, 1986), $3.00 (Dead Judy
Records, 1987), Rock Show (Dead Judy Records, 1987), Mr
Happy Man (Dead Judy Records, 1988), Fluffy Like You
(Dead Judy Records, 1988), Nemlaw: You Are the Wallmen Today
(Dead Judy Records, 1990), Last of the Broken Mexicans (Dead
Judy Records, 1991).
I singoli Earthwoman/The News/Milo 9 (1988),
International House of JuJu/Tochax (1991) e Preservative
Children/Rubber Monkey (1992) announciano la maturita', che e' sbocciata con l'aggiunta nella line-up del batterista Andy Walton e della produzione di Dave
Fridmann.
Il loro debutto ufficiale, Not Too Long Time Sound (Bar None,
1994), e' piu' caotico che elettrico. I brani richiamano il primo Syd Barrett: Kevin's New Trip e Magic Rugburn. Il resto dell'album e' tanto selvaggio quanto indicibile, roboante e dissacrante musica country, glam-rock, heavy metal, punk-rock,
grunge, surf music.
L'EP Variety Showcase (Bar None, 1995) include
il festaiolo ritornello Rubber Monkey, la surf music aliena di Xanthoma Morning, il tremens punk-rock di World
Famous, e il collage noise di 37 minuti Optional.
Assai piu' razionale e'Electronic Home Entertainment
(Wild Pitch, 1997), che contiene pezzi piu' orecchiabili e relativamente piu' regolari come
The Gauge, Rock 101, Medium Girl, You'll
Never Learn (che brillera' su un disco dei Flaming Lips), ma a vincere sono sempre i soliti baccanali(Evil Jim,
Todd Is Still the Scene, Mrs Polateen) e i brevi esperimenti sonori come Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Memorial
Shopping Plaza. A svettare su tutte e' forse Foam Hippie Cereal, che distilla echi Velvet Underground.
Dopo quest'album, i Wallmen si sciolgono: Jethro Deluxe apre un negozio di motociclette, il cantante ed il chitarrista fondano due nuove bands:
i Druggies e i Space Peanut.
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