Bob Bannister

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I read about Bob Bannister in a Ben Chasny article. Does anyone know much about him?

I picked up "Dives And Lazarus" and I've downloaded an album called "The Vinland Map and Tartar Relation" and I'm completely floored.

He's totally sidestepped this whole "faux-Fahey" business and reinvented the guitar for me. "The Vinland Map" goes all over the place. I can't find any info about it on the web.

Anyone got some info?
Thanks.

― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Wednesday, 16 March 2005 18:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Used to be in a band called Fire in the Kitchen. Pretty sure they had a few records out.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 16 March 2005 19:13 (twenty-one years ago)

he's also a core member of drone/free rock stalwarts TONO-BUNGAY, who have a whole mess of records out. they're sort of like if cul de sac were into garage rock instead of surf, i guess, but i hate making such comparisons... i wholeheartedly recommend the sold by volume 10" and the rough music LP. they have an oldish webpage here.

― mark matienzo, Wednesday, 16 March 2005 19:31 (twenty-one years ago)

FITK were the first band that Matador put out.
Bob still plays in Tono-Bungay.
awesome guitarist !

― Russell (Russell), Wednesday, 16 March 2005 19:32 (twenty-one years ago)

He was/is also a pretty regular fixture on the DroneOn list, and answered many puzzling questions about lost records from folks over the years. Aside from TB and FITK, he's also played a one-off with Cat Power, I believe.

― Toenes, Wednesday, 16 March 2005 21:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Wow, I haven't heard that name since I used to read his posts on the Droneon list years ago. As Toenes said, he always had tons of great arcane info and recommendations.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Wednesday, 16 March 2005 21:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Think I recall from DroneOn discussions that he also played with Parts & Labour for a bit. Also I seem to remember he did a list of great 70s records you can find cheap. Anyone have a copy of that still? Be interested to see it now Im a little older and wiser (oh and sadder too!). Still never heard the mans music though...

― NickB (NickB), Wednesday, 16 March 2005 21:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Is he also a reveiwer on turntablelab?

http://soulstrut.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=289779&page=1&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=7&fpart=1

― Antonio DePietro, Wednesday, 16 March 2005 22:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Bob is a fantastic guitar player and an EXTREMELY good guy, with encyclopedic knowledge of basically every guitar-rock album released before 1980 or so and quite a few after that.

Fire in the Kitchen were wonderful--I believe they did a reunion show a month or two ago, just for the hell of it, basically.

― Douglas (Douglas), Wednesday, 16 March 2005 23:49 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

He used to be in Light Leak, which morphed into . . . thin air.

― zenith orb, Thursday, 27 April 2006 23:51 (twenty years ago)

He was also in a short-lived 90's group Vodka along with drummer/"reporter" Celia Farber and ex-Rude Buddah singer (also occasional Swans bass player)Jenny Wade. I'm sort of fond of their album...it's mostly above-average alterna-rock with quirky vocals.

― dlp9001 (dlp9001), Friday, 28 April 2006 01:29 (twenty years ago)

since this is revived...I had recently emailed bob about his turntablelab reviews... turns out it's not him.

In addition to his serious arcane knowledge he's a great guitarist... saw him at one of the Deep Heavens in Tono Bungay and this past weekend at Terrastock 6 with P.G. Six.

― nick ring (nick ring), Saturday, 29 April 2006 03:21 (twenty years ago)

super xpost: i thought the first band matador released was the elmer-fudd-fronting-led-zep (apologies for hyphen chliche!) awesomeness of HP ZINKER -- which was also the first band on thrill jockey?! or am i totally wrong? i could look it up but my seattle hotel inernet connection sux0r.

bob bannister DID write about music quite a bit in the '80s and '90s, fyi -- really good writer, very clearand informative in 'zines where the other writing often was not (he wrote for my old one a bit).

he was a really sweet guy, and am sure he still is -- lost touch but he def. was ahead of the curve in championing british folk and droney stuff and trying to combine these things interestingly and newishly with the rock.

― Mike McG, Saturday, 29 April 2006 06:39 (twenty years ago)

This is correct. HP Zinker had a 12" and a 7" as the first two releases. FITK have an early catalogue number, but the single didn't come out until 1992. Matador discography.

The FITK single is really good, but I've never heard anything else by the band or Bob Bannister.

― Vic Funk, Saturday, 29 April 2006 09:28 (twenty years ago)

I feel like an idiot for bringing this up, but The Dustdevils' "Geek Drip" is numbered "Ole02" (I'm looking at a copy now) leading me to wonder, very slightly, about that Matador discography. Doesn't mean that both Zinker things didn't come out first, of course.

― dlp9001 (dlp9001), Saturday, 29 April 2006 10:49 (twenty years ago)

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