Band of Susans: Search and Destroy

I got the 'word and the flesh' alb? Released before loveless, I wonder if K.Shields just blatantly ripped it off.

After hearing the record again this morning I must declare that it is one of the best rock albums I've heard in the 1990s (or any toher decade). Those riffs burn, man. the lyrics are a wonderful 'this means nothing' and are sung beautifully in morose kinda style. Ends really well with a cover of Chatham's guitar trio.

Despite the cover similarities the only other thing in common with MBV is their greatness. You can't compare the sound as band of susans had this minimal guitar sound riffage. It's an all new brand of rawk riffage.

Susan Stenger is indeed lovely looking, which is nice.

Have to find the compilation wired for sound. Has anybody got any thoughts on the Peel sessions disk?

I love the guitar sound, how the guitars just dissolve into each other, very beautiful.

Do you know if wired for sound is still available?

Still convinced that "Here Comes Success" is their best album by a long shot, but who knows what the future may bring.

An exhibition of Niblock's films will be shown till early March.

R. Poss goes on at length about not being influenced by Branca, and my appreciation of the band definitely went up when I ditched the Sonic Youth comparisons: they're really doing very different things.

Hmmm, bunch of their stuff now on Spotify (hadn't noticed that before). Including bonus tracks (radio edits) on Here Comes Success, and I can't figure out where they came from...

This popped up on Robert Poss' FB feed today:

"I have just received the digitalized version of part of my cassette archive, transferred by Jeff Keibel. (Thanks, Jeff !)
This includes live stuff, my original Band Of Susans demos and alternate mixes, basic tracks, and other ephemera.
Much to be gone through, and some pitch/speed adjustments to be made for sure."

He's thrown a couple of things up on Soundcloud already.

https://soundcloud.com/robert-poss

http://www.youtube.com/watch?t=161&v=FUxtK-utV8Y

I find it baffling how under the radar they have become.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s2f1gJvhus

i confused this band with the infinitely more boring Sky Cries Mary forever.

But SCM has that cool Elephant song or whatever it's called.

Had the vaguest of awareness of this band back in the 90s but apparently I’ve never heard them until now. Liking what I’m hearing so far.

Does anyone know, are the versions of “Hope Against Hope” and “You Were an Optimist” that appear on the debut album the same versions that we’re on the Blessing and Curse EP?

AFAIK the version of “Hope Against Hope” on the first album was (just) a different mix but the version of “You Were an Optimist” was a brand new recording for HAH

They are identical as far as I can tell.

The Peel Session version of Hope Against Hope is the best one.

Unmentioned on this thread (and my only context for them) is that they were "the first band on the Internet," or at least positioned themselves that way -- I remember they were active on one of the pre-WWW online services in the early '90s.

Just looking at the album notes and it says that the album was recorded at Platinum Island, NY except Hope Against Hope which was remixed there. The EP was recorded at Caliope Productions. So perhaps Master of Treacle is correct. They sound the same though.

xpost Might be a running tie between them and Poster Children, and I'm sure there are others.

I think Master of Treacle is correct - the EP version of You Were An Optimist is 15 seconds longer than the album version, but Hope Against Hope is about the same length on both releases.

I remember I met Page Hamilton as a member of them before he went solo. Or formed a new band like.
They were on the Blast First package I first hitched following. Alongside Rapeman and Dinosaur Jr.
Have meant to pick up the 2cd anthology for ages. Had the lp with Hope Against Hope at the time.
Did love the bits where the only dynamic instrument was the drums cos everything else was laying down layers of drone.

Been revisiting these albums recently, I was always a little lukewarm on them but everything is sounding great to me now, esp the last string of records from The Word and the Flesh on are all kind of a miracle

Should say at this point that years back Robert Poss and I became FB friends — he’s got a good presence on there, one of many musicians from the very broad time and place still engaged with things as they are while sharing tons of interesting memories and clips and things.

Posting this again coz I love it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s2f1gJvhus

Was listening to Peel Sessions just now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rCxIyxywpA

this band needs the Numero Group treatment

Yes

Extremely good idea.

Robert's posted lately on FB that health travails are cutting into his activity:

https://scontent-sjc6-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/705128195_10238617481629169_607767548162554204_n.jpg?stp=cp6_dst-jpg_p180x540_tt6&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=127cfc&_nc_ohc=uOteZ0y-J5oQ7kNvwF0fB-N&_nc_oc=AdqHlt1ho29I6MJDl0uPvkGvfgPqfnYcIz8ZDXSzQRRlaqU2EYXANiM8G17lxoOs79U&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc6-1.xx&_nc_gid=-ECkjOotFwJ96n1p-xYmtQ&_nc_ss=7b2a8&oh=00_Af8qgSpMmZShNMKWnANV4fQQvKuBC9gvJIm7e2ENfpdFvA&oe=6A24F407

But that said he's still posting examples of old and newer work, and just announced this, which he participated in under Susan S's direction:

https://robertposs.bandcamp.com/track/live-in-paris-with-susan-stenger-and-the-ghost-of-alan-vega-2014

Damn, I gleaned from Insta that he was having health issues but didn't realize the full extent

Yeah, it ain't good. Bummed I've never seen him/them live, though oddly enough he and Susan S did a radio appearance on my KUCI show back in the mid-90s, like for an interview? I should dig that out again. Perhaps even more oddly, the one time I've seen Susan play was when she played bass for a non-Bad Seeds show by one Nick Cave around 99/2000 (it was her, Warren Ellis being himself, Cave on piano and vocals and I want to say it was Thomas Wydler on drums but don't quote me -- a good show in any event, with Neko Case and Her Boyfriends opening, so that was a good early 'wow who is this?' moment in turn).