Special guest post!: Throck on VARSITY DRAG
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Today marks the first time ever I hand over the reigns to someone else for a little rockwrite. It's our friend, Throck (below)-- helping out now as yours truly crunches for End of Semester deadlines.
(above: Throck descending Mount Palomar at 50 mph no-handed in the winter of 2002)
Hello, Crisis fans. Throckmorten Mordecai Wellington coming at ya from exotic Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. I am here to pimp out one of my favourite new bands.
New band with a familiar sound. A sound that has been absent for too long and one that you will all remember. The band I speak of is Ben Deily’s (ex-Lemonheads) Varsity Drag and for an added extra bonus is his 90’s project Pods (Pardon Our Dust).
First let us all give props to Neal for supplying us with a steady diet of great downloads The Crisis has afforded us with since its inception. He has turned me onto a lot of great music and has dazzled me with music from my past that I thought I would never hear again (stuff that is out of print or had on audio cassette and whatnot). He has helped me relive many a good memories with his posts and has also kept me (and you, too) with a smile on my face with his witty and genuine writings.
Second, let me put up my own disclaimer: I am writing this post from an establishment that has both Guinness and Internet on tap. So disregard any errant information and lazy grammar.
Many people wondered where the unique punk sound of Lemonheads went between the albums Lick and Lovey. Well, that unique sound decided to better himself and get an education at the prestigious university called Harvard. And well he did. Cum Laude if memory serves correct. Veritas, Ben.
Where Lick ended, Ben continued his punk poetry through his next project, Pods with his brother Jonno and the then more recently Varsity Drag. Having released The Drag’s first album in Europe on Boss Tuneage Records, then almost immediately followed up (and recently just finished) a successful tour of Europe. (Footnote, Ben and his fellow band mates all have 9-5 jobs, that is like running 2 marathons back to back).
Varsity Drag is made up of Ben Deily (guitar, vocals, piano), Greg Randall (guitar, vocals [http://myspace.com/gregrandall]), Will Anderon (bass guitar, vocals), Ian G. Miller (drums, vocals), Bob Spector (guitar, vocals), and was recorded in a plush metal shipping container in the Bay Area of No-Cal, like all chart-toppers these days.
I became a Lemonheads fan in 1988 when I was 14. I was intrigued with the punk sound meshed with great lyrical content. Sharing song writing duties with Evan Dando, Deily’s songs stood out to me the most. Especially in songs like "Postcard," "Second Chance," "Two Weeks in Another Town" and "Come To The Window." I was disappointed when Lovey came out and Deily’s name was not on it and the patented sound was gone. The sound that produced one of the 77 best Punk records of all time ("Hate Your Friends") was absent. Having indulged in other Punk bands (the usual, Misfits, Suicidal Tendencies, Buzzcocks, Stranglers, Wire, The Dead Milkmen, Dead Kennedys, Stiff Little Fingers, etc etc) from that era, I find it refreshing to hear that he has been making music still with that same gritty, catchy edge and with the same meaningful lyrics.
Posted below are some songs for your judgment and liking. Off of For Crying Out Loud, Varsity Drag’s debut album.
Skinny Ties mp3
Billy Ruane mp3
Look at Me mp3
If that is not enough, you can get a taste of Pods:
Only Living Boy mp3
Promise mp3
Name in Vain mp3 (a scathingly plead to Evan Dando to finally put the Lemonheads name to rest).
End/Begin mp3
If that is not doing it for you, surf over to theirSpace for more songs. Also, Ben Deily has a website full of satire and some rare mp3’s at bendeily.com. "Holla back" at him and let him know what you think of his latest releases. More Pods and Varsity Drag sounds are for sale here. You can also find Varsity Drag on Amazon. I hope you enjoy them all. Varsity Drag is signed to Boss Tuneage Records.
I want to thank Neal for letting me guest post on my favourite mp3 blog. The best on the Inner Nets, by far. He never ceases to amaze me with what he posts.
Until next time friends; Throck out.
Never Postpone Joy. (That’s the Guinness talking).
(above: Throck descending Mount Palomar at 50 mph no-handed in the winter of 2002)
Hello, Crisis fans. Throckmorten Mordecai Wellington coming at ya from exotic Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. I am here to pimp out one of my favourite new bands.
New band with a familiar sound. A sound that has been absent for too long and one that you will all remember. The band I speak of is Ben Deily’s (ex-Lemonheads) Varsity Drag and for an added extra bonus is his 90’s project Pods (Pardon Our Dust).
First let us all give props to Neal for supplying us with a steady diet of great downloads The Crisis has afforded us with since its inception. He has turned me onto a lot of great music and has dazzled me with music from my past that I thought I would never hear again (stuff that is out of print or had on audio cassette and whatnot). He has helped me relive many a good memories with his posts and has also kept me (and you, too) with a smile on my face with his witty and genuine writings.
Second, let me put up my own disclaimer: I am writing this post from an establishment that has both Guinness and Internet on tap. So disregard any errant information and lazy grammar.
Many people wondered where the unique punk sound of Lemonheads went between the albums Lick and Lovey. Well, that unique sound decided to better himself and get an education at the prestigious university called Harvard. And well he did. Cum Laude if memory serves correct. Veritas, Ben.
Where Lick ended, Ben continued his punk poetry through his next project, Pods with his brother Jonno and the then more recently Varsity Drag. Having released The Drag’s first album in Europe on Boss Tuneage Records, then almost immediately followed up (and recently just finished) a successful tour of Europe. (Footnote, Ben and his fellow band mates all have 9-5 jobs, that is like running 2 marathons back to back).
Varsity Drag is made up of Ben Deily (guitar, vocals, piano), Greg Randall (guitar, vocals [http://myspace.com/gregrandall]), Will Anderon (bass guitar, vocals), Ian G. Miller (drums, vocals), Bob Spector (guitar, vocals), and was recorded in a plush metal shipping container in the Bay Area of No-Cal, like all chart-toppers these days.
I became a Lemonheads fan in 1988 when I was 14. I was intrigued with the punk sound meshed with great lyrical content. Sharing song writing duties with Evan Dando, Deily’s songs stood out to me the most. Especially in songs like "Postcard," "Second Chance," "Two Weeks in Another Town" and "Come To The Window." I was disappointed when Lovey came out and Deily’s name was not on it and the patented sound was gone. The sound that produced one of the 77 best Punk records of all time ("Hate Your Friends") was absent. Having indulged in other Punk bands (the usual, Misfits, Suicidal Tendencies, Buzzcocks, Stranglers, Wire, The Dead Milkmen, Dead Kennedys, Stiff Little Fingers, etc etc) from that era, I find it refreshing to hear that he has been making music still with that same gritty, catchy edge and with the same meaningful lyrics.
Posted below are some songs for your judgment and liking. Off of For Crying Out Loud, Varsity Drag’s debut album.
Skinny Ties mp3
Billy Ruane mp3
Look at Me mp3
If that is not enough, you can get a taste of Pods:
Only Living Boy mp3
Promise mp3
Name in Vain mp3 (a scathingly plead to Evan Dando to finally put the Lemonheads name to rest).
End/Begin mp3
If that is not doing it for you, surf over to theirSpace for more songs. Also, Ben Deily has a website full of satire and some rare mp3’s at bendeily.com. "Holla back" at him and let him know what you think of his latest releases. More Pods and Varsity Drag sounds are for sale here. You can also find Varsity Drag on Amazon. I hope you enjoy them all. Varsity Drag is signed to Boss Tuneage Records.
I want to thank Neal for letting me guest post on my favourite mp3 blog. The best on the Inner Nets, by far. He never ceases to amaze me with what he posts.
Until next time friends; Throck out.
Never Postpone Joy. (That’s the Guinness talking).
posted by Blank Crisis at 10:30 AM
:: permalink 
I'm Neal from Atlanta/Athens, GA (USA). Thanks so much for visiting. Drop a line at neal(at)blankcrisis(dot)com.
3 Comments:
Wow this is better than the Lemonheads!
Throckmorten is my hero!
Hi All,
Greg can be found at www.myspace.com/randallgreg
Cheers!!
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