Contaminated Records‘ Alicia Trout’s first band was the Clears, a storied synth pop outfit led by Shelby Bryant (who would, years later, serve as the model for DJ Qualls’ mousy keyboardist in Hustle and Flow). Next up was the Lost Sounds, a seminal Memphis band whose unique sound made an impact that is still being felt, and which launched the career of Jay Reatard. Currently, Trout plays with Mouserocket, the River City Tanlines, and her solo project, Black Sunday.
The one constant of all of those recording projects is the great production that Trout brought to the table, despite the fact that very few of them were recorded in an actual studio. Trout’s production skills have been brought to bear on dozens of albums, including the Reigning Sounds’ Too Much Guitar (much of which was recorded at the Goner Records store). That’s the Memphis DIY ethic in a nutshell: if the resources aren’t available, make music with what you’ve got.
It started in 1993 as a way for Eric Friedl (aka Oblivian) to put out some singles, and has grown and mutated ever since. Goner Records has been first on the scene with music from such acts as the Oblivians, Impala, Guitar Wolf, Harlan T. Bobo and many others. It’s original narrow brand of garage punk has expanded to embrace everything from the fractured theatrical pop of the Barbaras to the Aussie rock of Eddie Current Suppression Ring.
In 2003, Friedl and partner Zac Ives took over Greg Cartwright’s (aka Oblivian) Legba Records to create the Goner Record Store, which has become a Cooper-Young institution. 2003 also saw the first Gonerfest, the four-day, fall gathering of the punk and garage faithful from all over the world that, after Gonerfest 2 was immortalized by Live from Memphis, has turned into one of the year’s most-anticipated music festivals. This year’s Gonerfest, to be held from September 24-26, is expected to be the biggest yet. Not bad for a bunch of punks.
CREDITS
special thanks to
Zac Ives
Eric Friedl
additional videography by
C. Scott McCoy
featuring music by
CoCoComa Harlan T. Bobo
Digital Leather
The Barbaras
Quintron
Carbonas
It’s the center of the Midtown music universe. The Hi-Tone, across the street from Overton Park, is said to be in the same building that once housed the karate studio where Elvis studied with Master Kang Rhee. Of course, it’s one of several buildings to make that claim, but one thing’s for sure: it’s the best rock club in the city. It has played host to international acts such as Elvis Costello, who recorded a DVD there, and the Oblivians reunion show. It’s the site of the annual climax of Gonerfest, Harlan T. Bobo’s epic psychedelic Christmas shows, and countless awesome acts that appear every night of the week.
CREDITS
special thanks to
Jonathan Kiersky
Andrew McCalla
Mark Akin
John Bonds
Jack Yarber
Bennett Foster
Leila Hamdan
P. Adam Woddard
Greg Faison
Benjamin Daures
Steven J. Naczycz
Terrance Brown
Daniel J. Russo
cora Pitt
Joel A. Gradinger
Robin Pack
Holly Cole
and Packy
music
“Mouth Shut”
performed by the Subteens
The cello is not an instrument usually associated with rock and roll, but it will be if Jonathan Kirkscey has anything to say about it. The Memphis Symphony Orchestra cellist has striven to take the instrument out of the chamber and into the club. He first played with the seminal weird punks Lost Sounds, whose relentless sonic experimentation drove him to “be heard over the guitars.” His now-amplified cello is a crucial component of Mouserocket. The cellist has also played with such luminaries as Al Green, Harlan T. Bobo, and Snowglobe.
Besides the symphony and the rockers, Kirkscey leads an experimental ensemble known as String Theory, which is currently working on the soundtrack to Cigarette Girl.
The only constant in Memphis music is change. Every day another young musician picks up a guitar or plugs in a drum machine to challenge the old guard with a new mutant sound. Scandaliz Vandalistz (no, they can’t pronounce their name, either) first grabbed attention in Memphis with their song “Hey Mr. Beifuss”, an infectious ode to Commercial Appeal film critic John Beifuss. The band, consisting of Alice Buchanan, Katherine Dohan, Alanna Stewart, Brock Terwilleger and Snoel, (and also including occasional guests such as Memphis director Morgan Jon Fox) formed while attending Memphis’ White Station High School. Their “anti-folk” sound combines deceptively naive strumming and singing with the fast punk sensibilities of acts such as Shonen Knife.
In this video, the band plays at a uniquely Memphis venue. Black Lodge Video is a landmark in the Cooper-Young neighborhood, and an invaluable resource for the Memphis film scene. The former home where the store is located was originally renovated as a recording studio, and the spacious attic is a soundproofed, acoustically ideal environment. The intimate space, dubbed the Black Lodge Microdrome, has hosted diverse bands from Miami noise legends Laundry Room Squelchers to Memphis thrashers Unstoppable Juggernaut.
CREDITS
special thanks to
Katherine N. Dohan
Alice Buchanan
Alanna Stewart
Dustin McCormick
Brock Terwilleger
Black Lodge Video
music
“Hamsta’ Lovin’,” “Fireworks,” “Panamanian Fghter,” and “Blue Egg Blues”
performed by Scandaliz Vandalistz
