FRICTION NYC

Whoa - it’s been a little while since I wrote one of these things. Any regular readers have probably already noticed that these posts typically focus on bands from the early 90’s and this one is no different. Blonder Tongue Audio Baton is one of those albums that gives me the chills everytime I hear it. The album, named after a vintage tube equalizer (thanks All Music), has more of a kick to it than any of my other shoegaze faves sounding like something that Polvo, Sonic Youth, and Slowdive would come up with if they collaborated on an album together.

Swirlies originally formed as a Go-Go’s cover band called Raspberry Bang in Boston in 1990 consisting of Damon Tutunjian and Seana Carmody on guitars and vocals, bassist Andy Bernick, and drummer Ben Drucker. The band signed to Boston-based label Taang! and released the mini-album What To Do About Them in 1992 which documented the band’s growth from My Bloody Valentine idolizers into their own unique style. The band’s first full-length and most celebrated work, Blonder Tongue Audio Baton, followed in 1993. The album retainined elements of their earlier work, but was a much more noisy and complex take on shoegaze and dream pop and included the addition of found sounds, tape loops, mellotrons, and white noise. “Park The Car By The Side Of The Road” is one of my favorite tracks on the album as Seana Carmony’s Bilinda Butcher-ish vocals swoon over the distorted noise only to be followed by furious guitar explosions that sound like My Bloody Valentine on steroids.

Swirlies experienced a slew of lineup changes following the release of 1994’s Brokedick Car EP, but are still alive and kicking today thanks to Damon Tutunjian and Andy Bernick who have been involved with the band from the beginning. Tutunjian and Bernick created a Swirlies offshoot called The Yes Girls with Rob Laasko and Ron Rege Jr. (drummer for Lavender Diamond) as well as a label/collective called Sneaky Flute Empire, a medium for their recordings. The lastest Swirlies release (and first in 7 years) was 2003’s Cats of the Wild, Volume II EP.

Check out some mp3’s and a video for “Bell” below.

Swirlies  ”Park The Car By The Side Of The Road”
Swirlies  ”House Of Pancake” (reworked version of “Pancake” that appeared the Brokedick Car EP)