Girls Against Boys (GVSB) C/D?

That said, I may actually prefer New Wet Kojak's "Do Things" to "You Can't Fight What You Can't See", probably because of what Paul Cox is describing. I'd like to think that "YCFWYCS" was them just getting their druthers after the awkward "Freak*On*Ica" and that the next album will be their real step forward. The Series 7 soundtrack showed them branching off into some neat directions (I might actually prefer the '80s textures of "Creeping Feeling" and "One Dose Of Truth" to everything on "YCFWYCS").

"My Night of Pleasure," from, uh, "Tropic of Scorpio," I think
The whole of the _Venus Luxure No,. 1 Baby_ LP,
The "Sexy Sam" single
Bits of whatever the next album was called
almost all of _House of GVSB_ which should have been their big crossover move. (Had that album come out on a major and given a real push instead of the seriously misguided _Freak-on-ica_, I remain convinced they'd still be around now....)

They did something pretty cool in combining that thick SG-or-hot-rodded-Telecaster-and-Marshall chord-sound of late 80s/early '90s DisChord rock with slick clothing, show biz hair, and a f*ckable vibe, which is a big break with that scene's middle-class activist look and feel. GVSB also had an excellent producer in Ted Nicely, one of the most underrated rock producers of the 90s. I was really convinced that they would become very, very popular, the DC act to make the jump from Dischord-mindset to Touch and Go land to major label mass culture. But no.

If you're interested in serious DC archology, almost all of GVSB's riff-logic can be traced back to a song called "Twist and Shout," by the truly brilliant and wildly underknown DC band Happy Go Licky. HGL was the same folks from Rites of Spring, only this time totally modernizing the emo-punk sound, introducing tape loops, electronic touches, chaotic song structures, willfully enigmatic lyrics and dance riddims. They never made a proper studio album, and only reasled one post-breakup live EP unitl Dischord rereleased it a few years back with a mess of previously unreleased live recordings under the name "Will Play." Guy and Brendan from HGL went on to form Fugazi, while Eddie Janney largelt reited from punk rock and Mike Fellows went on to play with Royal Trux, Silver Jews, do some DJ-ing and make his own laptop-folkish album for Jade Tree. HGL are a key DC rock band, perhaps THE key late 80s/pre-Fugazi DC band.

Back to GVSB, prior to the solidification of the GVSB line-up, some of the GVSB folks played with Mike Fellows of Rites/HGL in a band called Little Baby, which might explain the influence sharing.

That's all.

Also, that Happy Go Licky song has no vocals and is incredibly slow and spacey. I don't quite understand from all your referencing how this supposedly influenced a group defined by their tight attack, especially since it seems they already were working that sound in Soulside.

But "Punch the Geek", from the box set, was recored and released in 1989. "Twist and Shout" was recorded in 1987. Not sure why Dischord juggled the order on the box.

You can, however, argue that post-HGL, Soulside started to move away from the too-much-faux-reggae, too many afternoon-post-harDCore-matinees sound to something a little more catholic. Not sure what the no vocals thing has to do with it (it doesn't take much to imagine Scott McCloud's growl over the calmer passages on "Twist and Shout," I think) And "Twist"'s quiet/loud dynamic and the thick-two-chord-riff-pounded-into-the-ground thing got used A LOT in GVSB. They just slicked it up.

Amazed I've spent this much time on GVSB in 2003....

Don't want this to degrade into a Fugazi/Dischord thread, as Mr. Nasty asked about GVSB and we've wandered away from that. If someone wants to start one, we can take the conversation over there....

Joe

Girls Against Boys (aka GvsB) - Classic or Dud?

They just put out an album last year (2 if you count the Series 7 soundtrack).

But i would also like to hear opinions on the most recent(2002) album on Jade Tree.

I was surprised how much I liked You Can't Fight What You Can't See, although maybe my expectations were low after Freak*on*ica. "Basstation" and all of the second side are really good, even if it doesn't match up with the high points of the records on T&G. I think the switch to more conventional pop/rock songs, away from the atmospheric stuff they made their name with was probably a good one because there wasn't much else they could do with it. So yeah, there's an opinion for you, it's a good record.

This album makes me want to fuck. A few week songs, but "Cash Machine" "Zodiac Love Team" "Disco Six Six Six" and "Another Drone In My Head" at least are undeniably classic.

house of gvsb is so cool.

I wonder if I still have it. (It's not on my CD shelf. Pretty sure I either finally sold it or moved it into storage limbo within the past year. If that latter, it'd be the only G Vs B CD I still own.)

I got most of them. I have this one on lp I think.

I had the cassette of this when it came out, and only recently found a used CD copy to replace it with. That and V-Lux are my faves - the promise of their upcoming major label debut got BIIIIG hype from me on the teen page of the Centre Daily Times.

They were the next big thing after the house of record. You could literally see the momentum disappear during their Conan O'Brien appearance. Dancing keyboard players look ridiculous, as it turns out.

Scott McCloud's "sexy smoker" voice turns off most people I've tried to introduce them too of late (blended in at the time, but pretty Gravity Kills now). I still love them at their best, though. Wonder why their best-looking video happened to be for a damn tribute album (good cover, though!).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQGIk2YEwJw

i was just listening to some tracks from House Of today. at the time i didn't think the voice was weird..

i had this album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auaJ1A4kw7I

This album makes me want to fuck.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Sunday, January 25, 2004 1:58 AM (6 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

i was disappointed by house of.. but cruise yourself is still one of my alltime favourite 90s albums. not heard it in over a decade mind

I've been playing Cash Machine pretty regularly over the years.

Fuck, dudes! "Bullet Proof Cupid" sounds massive to me right now. I can't remember the last time I played it, so it's obviously been too long.

I only ever had the first four albums. Were Freak*on*ica and the last one with the long title worth hearing at least? I remember not liking the song I heard from Freak*on*ica at the time, but fuck if I know why 15 years later.

I think Venus Luxure #1 Baby has stood the test of time and then some...always my favourite by far and a classic of its type.

http://devonrecordclub.wordpress.com/2011/09/30/girls-against-boys-venus-luxure-no-1-baby-round-15-toms-selection/

ROCKETS ARE RED!
HOW DO YOU FEEL?
WELL HOW DO YOU FEEL?!
WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT!?

loved it then, love it now, REAL LOUD.

i'm from france. that's why i dance. so ooh la la. tres bon. i'm from france

We should all be grateful to them. Believe it or not, before GVSB, musicians didn't get health insurance when they signed with a label.