Newspaper Page Text
\
04 Nash out or OH 10
H A a band, we don't really have any
Au musical boundaries," exclaims
young songwriter Kevin Elliot, lead vocalist
for Ohio's action-pop superheroes 84 Nash.
"Well play something, and itll sound like
The Who one minute and Television or Olivia
Tremor Control the next."
84 Nash hails from Columbus, Ohio, but
the quintet really got its start a few years
earlier in nearby Dayton, where a bustle of
underground pop and rock and roll activity
was abuzz with a post-punk, melody-driven,
lo-fi sound inspired by psychedelic rock from
f he '60s, power pop from the 70s and punk
rock from the '80s.
Elliot and bassist J.P. Herrmann first
started playing together in 1994 at a high
school north of Dayton. By '95, the two had
formed a trio with guitarist Andy Hampel,
bought a four-track machine and started
playing live and recording dozens of songs.
"We had no idea what we were doing, but
we put together a 28-song album and
shopped it around anyway," remembers Elliot.
"It was pretty funny. Since then, we've
played with different lineups around the
state, but mostly we've been recording and
recording; that's what we do best."
The 84 Nash story sounds very much like
the Guided By Voices story; young kids unfet
tered by industry rules and standards deter
mined to write a thousand pop gems and rock
out on-stage in front of whomever, whenever.
"We grew up being around Bob Pollard
[the Guided By Voices frontman]; we really
loved and envied him and his band," remem
bers Eliot. "Early on, we wanted to make a
record that sounded like GBV*s Bee Thousand
or like Wire's Pink Flag. We were heavily
influenced I think by a lot of those Ohio
bands: Gaunt, The Breeders, The Mice, Devo...
all of that."
Certainly, many elements of "Ohio rock"
make their way onto 84 Nash's recordings.
The latest disc, Band For Hire (Rockathon) is
a loose, focused and fluid, 18-song nugget of
rock and roll charm, sly melodies and simpli
fied pop songcraft. It sounds very much like
Guided By Voices in that it's devoid of pre
tense and cliche while simultaneously filled
with drama, poetic imagery and youthfully
romantic urgency. And it sounds like it was
recorded on borrowed gear from the Bee
Thousand sessions.
"We've always kept things simple and
experimented with little things—both with
the songs and the recording technique,"
explains Elliot. 'The reason we had no solos
and all that early on was because we couldn't
play them! We're learning how to craft songs
better now with bridges and breaks. If it
sounds good and catchy, well keep it."
After the release of Band For Hire last
summer, drummer Dan Bandman exited 84
Nash, and the band spent several months
regrouping with new drummer James Brent
and additional guitarist Ben Schetek. Eliot
believes the band's chiming, guitar-driven
sound has never been stronger.
"We definitely put on a full rock show on
stage, but there's a lot of melody and ? lot of
catchy hooks happening, too," he boasts.
"There always a lot of energy on stage, and
we always try to play each show like it's our
last—no matter the size of the club or the
crowd... although we're all for the arena
rock, too!"
Ballard Lesemann
WHO: 84 Nash, FableFactory
WHERE: Caledonia Lounge
WHEN: Saturday, July 8
HOW MUCH: $5
THE CAUSEY WAY OR NOT AT ALL
N otoriously mysterious Causey Way
frontman "Causey" leads whoever is still
left in his new-new-wave band's lineup
to Athens this week for a charged show in a
warm, enclosed space. The last time this theo
logically-miffed, Florida-based rock group came
through the Classic City, the guitar-wielding
Mr. Causey was in excellent form; busily "cam
paigning" for president, spouting off about
political power, biology, romance and hygiene.
The band, propelled by a fresh new drummer
and keyboardist, was on full-power and thrilled
the audience with tunes off its recent slew of
albums, WWCD (Put It On A Cracker), With
Loving And Open Arms (Alternative Tentacles),
and Testimony (Fueled By Ramen).
One visibly stimulated observer noted that
"the sound was
knocking the walls
down." Another, less
initiated, sour-faced
watcher simply dis
missed the band as
"a pack of robotic
curmudgeons in uni
forms acting up."
Are the members
of The Causey Way a
group of prol-art
threat geniuses or are
they simply a pack of
paranoid and grouchy
impostors obsessed
with ratings, maga
zine articles and
hilarity?
Yeah, that what
Flagpole can't figure
out. To get to the
bottom of it all,
Flagpole contacted The
Causey Way's studio engineer and full-time
cheerleader, known simply as "Red Causey."
Unfortunately, he was in a dreadful mood:
Flagpole: You've said you find musicians
unfathomable. What's the mystery?
Red Causey: Where did you read that? On
the Internet? Unfathomable? So are you on the
Internet e lot? ’^o you get excited about it?
FP: Not really. Do you?
RC: Mind your own business. Hold on. [in
the background: Caroline, get me a beer. I've
gotta deal with this jerk asking me silly ques
tions... get it outta the fridge, I don't want a
hot one... ]
FP: Exactly who is "The Button"—the guy in
eyeglasses who stands at attention next to the
cheep synthesizer?
RC: You're so damn clever, get on the
Internet and find out. Ahahah!
FP: Is it true The Causey Way once nearly
signed to Kindercore?
RC: You're just talking about gossip.
FP: People are interested in gossip.
RC: it doesn't interest me. Ask me a fucking
question or piss off! Are all vour questions just
what you've read on the Internet? They're not
going anywhere.
FP: What do you want me to ask you about?
RC: You're just pissed off because you i : ve
in Athens. You're a sad sack aren't you? Ask me
more questions, you lazy bastard! Hurry up!
FP: How is the Causey Way in the studio?
RC: They may be the most professional
band I've ever recorded. There's never a second
take of anything; it's always on one take.
FP: Describe a typical Causey Way recording
session.
RC: Well record an entire bleeding session
in four hours start to finish. All the albums are
recorded live. The
leader is extremely
overbearing in the
studio. I was once
trying to get this kick
drum sound he was
looking for—he
described it as "pud
ding"—and he actu
ally pulled a gun on
me after a few min
utes. It was a toy
gun, but I don't think
he knew the gun
wasn't real. Anyway,
within a few minutes,
he was giving out
hugs and all that. His
moods swing really
heavily.
FP: What is the
band's best album?
RC: They're all the
best. They're all better.
FP: You've described the band as a
"deranged Percy Sledge-meets-Dead Kennedys."
Explain.
RC: Where did you read that?
FP: On the Internet.
RC: Can't you think anything cut of your
own mind?
TL: If you want to say anything about the
band members, how dbout the gig? I’m lis
tening.
RC: All right. So they'll be smashing. That's
all I've got to say really.
Ballard Lese.nann
WHO: The Causey Way,
Moonie Suzuki
WHERE: Caledonia Lounge
WHEN: Tuesday, July 11
HOW MUCH: $5
— SUMMER SPECIAL -
Buy One Basic Burrito
Get One FREE
(yvj'fk'N >1. 2000)
XiO IVixfc-i yfuvf ' (.,!! Ill OvJcijnj; IV
c1
MUSIC for Less
-4 .Mrwirsrrgg: ar..yjte~r isxrcst n mzi -'
A FULL SERVICE USED INSTRUMENT SHOP
nSjESMSSSEEn
IVlUSICfAIViS!
We Pay Top Dollar for Used Gear
ATHENS' LARGEST & BEST SELECTION OF USED EQUIPMENT
613-6656
136 E. Clayton St.
Next to DT's & Roly Poly
AUTHORIZED K DEALER
Fender • Epiphone • Gibson • Peavey • Olympian • Tacomaij
5, 2000