Teen-Beat. Wall Drug.

Wall Drug were an improvisational "rock" trio, led by one R. Thak "Phoenix" Prudhomme, with Mark Ibold (Pavement, Free Kitten) and the Austrian drummer Martin Köb (Circle X, Loudspeaker.) Their refreshing, throw-it-at-the-tape-and-see-what-sticks attitude bore a perhaps surprising amount of good material, issued both in the form of cassette-only releases and as contributions to compilation CDs. Wall Drug existed at a time just a few years prior to the mini-explosion of improvised music with a decidedly rock aesthetic, in the form of New York bands like The No Neck Blues Band, Hall of Fame and K Salvatore, and bands based in nearby Virginia like Rake and Pelt; a few years later, there would have been more of a "scene" for Wall Drug to engage. It would be great someday to see a full-length CD release/overview of their work, as Wall Drug truly deserve reexamination, especially by the newer generation of outsider music fans. This cassette represents perhaps their earliest recordings, predating the trio with Martin Köb, and was recorded by Phoenix, Ibold and a guest guitarist, S. "Gil" Meter, on two tracks. Their later trio with full drum kit achieved a more "kosmische" presence, but these early experiments also have a certain charm.

- Wm. Berger, WFMU/Uncle Wiggly.

AUTOBIOGRAPHY

In the late 1980s, Wall Drug was formed by me (Tedd Prudhomme) on guitar, vocals, keyboards; Mark Ibold (of Free Kitten, Pavement) on bass; and Martin Köb on keyboards, miscellaneous percussion, and drums. We recorded in the spirit of Thomas Edison (or in the spirit of him as a young man), infatuated by what we could capture on magnetized tape in spontaneous 'rehearsals' although what we were actually rehearsing for was never clear. Then we added overdubs to our best efforts later and self-produced these things for our own amusement. At the time, we were listening to things like Can, Sun City Girls, Throbbing Gristle, Captain Beefheart, and our own pot-smoke-filled hearts. Our best and favorite stuff happened at Toxic Shock Studio on Broadway, where James Kavoussi did the setting up of microphones and recording. Later, the strain of not performing live became too much for some of the members and the band disentegrated rather beautifully into nonexistence --- much like a magnolia blooms, fills the air with its perfume, then falls away petal by petal (band member by band member).

- Tedd "R. Thak 'Phoenix' "Prudhomme, Wall Drug.

DISCOGRAPHY

ALBUMS

From the Layman Dances

COMPILATIONS

Teen-Beat Fifty

Circle X
DUSTdevils
Pavement
Sonic Youth

SONGS

Crease
The Dragon
Glad You Made It
The Great Surgeon
The Hydra
In Methods
The Last Grain of Time
Marching Into Sun
The Mirage
Nitro
One Year Later
Peace
Stream Plug-Unplugged
Thaw
3 Dicks Up
Twinkle
Wall Drug
60 Seconds

peek-a-boo