From
High Bias: Stagestruck: THE WILD SEEDS/WANNABES/RITE
FLIERS @Hole in the Wall, Austin, TX October 5, 2001 by Michael
Toland
The music scene of the 80s is remembered these
days for post-new wave synth pop, melodramatic heartland arena rock
and that weird gated drum sound that seemed to permeate every popular
recording. But there was something else going on underground, something
that had nothing to do with fashion or fame. Back then, the term
"alternative rock" actually fulfilled its sobriquet by offering
sounds that were different from the mainstream, that truly were
an alternative to Bruce Springsteen and Duran Duran. One of the
strains of underground music was a guitar-driven, song-based sort
of rock/pop that emphasized melody by using a simple presentation
with no image or gimmicks‹just good songs played clean and neat.
In Athens, Georgia, where many felt the style originated, they called
it the New South or jangle pop, and R.E.M ruled the roost (and quickly
outgrew the sound). In Austin, where the Reivers, the True Believers,
Doctor's Mob, Grains of Faith, the Texas Instruments and the Wild
Seeds rotated headlining slots, they called it the New Sincerity,
and it was a scene every bit as vital as that of Athens. The bands
got an hour of MTV's show The Cutting Edge devoted to them, scored
record contracts with various indies and/or majors, toured the country
and broke up at the advent of the 90s. The members of the various
bands have gone to other, sometimes nationally recognized careers,
leaving behind a handful of great records and a second wave of Austin
guitar pop bands like the Wannabes inspired by their perseverance.
The unofficial hub of the New Sincerity wheel was
the Wild Seeds, led by singer/songwriter/journalist Michael Hall,
who has since gone on to a low-key but respected solo career and
a staff writing position with Texas Monthly. Hall has recently issued
a 20-song Seeds compilation on his own Aznut imprint, with most
of this music seeing CD release for the first time. To celebrate
Hall reconvened the final lineup of the Seeds for a record-release
party at Austin's venerable Hole in the Wall, the club that gave
many of the New Sincerity bands their start and one of the few that's
fallen under the radar of the city's scene-destroying urban renovation
program. Apparently, the band (Hall, lead guitarist Randy Franklin,
harmony singer Kris McKay, bassist Paul Swift and drummer Joey Shuffield)
rehearsed hard for this performance, because they sounded like they'd
never been away. The quintet ran through its best-loved material
as if they still played it nightly. Opening with "She Said," from
the band's debut EP Life is Grand (Life in Soul City), the band
immediately locked into the kind of melodic, soulful groove they
perfected in the early 80s. Shuffield drove the songs powerfully
but firmly, while McKay enthusiastically shook her tambourine, grinning
widely during the entire show. Franklin peeled out tasteful leads
and fills, while Hall and Swift held steady. Fittingly, the evening's
true stars were the songs themselves. The Seeds regaled the crowd
with much-loved classics like "Debi Came Back," "Big Mimosa Sky,"
the McKay showcase "All This Time" and the sardonic "I'm Sorry,
I Can't Rock You All Night Long," as well as revelatory versions
of deeper album tracks like "Long Gone Train," "Like a Fall" and
the set-closing mantra "If I Were a Storm." Their two-song encore
consisted of covers‹Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl" and Elton John's
"Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting"‹but it was the main set
that forcefully reminded the audience that hearing great original
songs well-played is still the best way to spend a Saturday night.
While the evening clearly belonged to the Wild
Seeds, the Wannabes and the Rite Fliers turned in solid, enjoyable
sets as well. The 'Bes opened with two new tunes but then stuck
to their own classics, to the delight of their loyal following (not
coincidentally the same audience as that for the Seeds). "Itchin'
Jenny," "Every Star Mary," "Boxing Manual" and a ferocious "I Am
God" displayed their easy mastery of melody and louder-than-God
crunch, and set closers "You May Be Right" (yes, the Billy Joel
song) and "Glandma" proved that punk rock doesn't have to be anarchy
to be exciting. This was the debut performance of the Rite Fliers,
a tradition-minded jangle pop quartet led by ex-Doctor's Mob frontman
Steve Collier and ex-Balloonatic songwriter John Clayton. (The two
had previously collaborated in the promising but ill-fated Sidehackers.)
Like the Wild Seeds, the Fliers did nothing radical, just played
their hearts out with simple, catchy guitar songs and sincere presentation.
A fitting opener to a night celebrating the sincerity in all of
us.
Copyright © 2001 High Bias
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