So it’s been a long time since there’s been an update here at art/into/pop. February was my digital vacation month, but I’m back and have great plans for some future postings. February was a meaningful month musically speaking. I picked up some great vinyl I plan on sharing on the site in the upcoming weeks and saw some great shows - including performances by two indie rocker legends: the-one-and-onlys Thurston Moore and Stephen Malkmus. Thurston was great in a I’m-50-but-still-rock-like-a-sardonic-hipster kind of way, and Malkmus was.... eh... well, let’s just say I heard the Jicks were having a pretty sloppy-good time backstage before going on...
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| Post-Hardcore's Master of Ceremonies: Ian Mackaye - There's really no reason for this pic considering I haven't dared touch upon the behemoth DC scene on the blog... I just like the pic.... |
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| F. Erskine |
I want to continue my focus on the essentials of Post-Hardcore - the last such posting being on the New York rockers, Helmet and Quicksand. This time I want to shift focus to another equally significant musical cityscape - the midwest’s windy city. Chicago post-hardcore had a distinctly jazzy take on the genre, which is no surprise I guess. Take, for example, the shortlived project, Abilene - a band started by a Chicago non-native, Alex Dunham of Hoover and Crownhate Ruin fame. He formed the band in Chicago sometime in the late 90s and was quickly joined by former Hoover bandmate, Fred Erskine, who played trumpet for the group. There was an earlier posting on their previous, DC-based band where I claimed Hoover to be one of the all-time best Post-Hardcore acts; their sole full length, The Lurid Traversal of Route 7 (1994 Discord Records), is an absolute essential for Rock collections - up there with the best moments of early-90s Fugazi. 
Abilene is amazing as well - one of my personal favorite listens right now, and it’s the jazziest addition to both Dunham’s and Erskine’s impressively vast discographies. I’ve only tracked down one full length by the band, so I’m a little ignorant of the entirety of their catalogue. They released the album, Two Guns, Twin Arrows (54-40 Or Fight! Records), in 2002, and it’s an album that will leave listeners demanding more. Here’s the second track, “Blanc Fixe”:
That’s definitely jazzier than even June of 44! The album showcases Erskine’s trumpet playing more than any other previous project, and that’s due to the open, experimental nature of the band’s song structures - there’s more space for soloing and developing melodies. It’s really great material. Check out the song, “Fellini”:
Ah, there’s the post-hardcore roots! The song’s still jazzy and improvisatory, however. “Fellini” is probably more accurately representative of the album’s avenue of sound - although their sonic roadmap does lead to auditory ventures far removed from the typically expected, DC-influenced conventions of 90s post-rock. Abilene concludes the album with a mellower jam entitled, “Solidarity”:
I really really recommend this one! If you like the sounds of previous posts such as Hoover, June of 44, Rockets Red Glare, Sharks Keep Moving, or Half Visconte, check this out!!
Now sometime before Abilene’s run, Dunham formed another short-lived, Post-Hardcore project with some Chicago cohorts called Radio Flyer. The group released one full-length in 1997 called In Their Strange White Armor (Polyvinyl Records); it too was mellower and jazzier than typical 90s post-hardcore - although its jazz overtones remain more subtle than that of the later Abilene... Here’s the song, “Ice Cream Cheater,” from their sole album:
It’s a solid album by an unfortunately short-lived project; definitely check them out:
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| Sweep the Leg Johnny live |
Now I mention Radio Flyer briefly - mainly to note that Dunham collaborated with another Chicago rocker, Kevin J. Frank (from Sky Corvair, Traluma, etc.). More recently, Mr. Frank has played with guitarist, Chris Daly, in the post-hardcore project, Haymarket Riot - another solid, Chicago-based band that’s worth a listen. The group, however, does not display as much jazz-infused influence, which contradicts my original thesis, and instead of adjusting my claim, I’ll opt to suppress the facts - like any good politician or pundit would do - and spend no time showcasing their music. My purpose is to make a connection to my next band of focus - a group started by the same Chris Daly in Chicago sometime in 1996. The guitarist met saxophonist, Steve Sostak, and they started the experimental, Post-Hardcore project, Sweep the Leg Johnny.
Man, I used to think Johnny was such a badass! I bet Daly and Sostak did too. Someone should remake Karate Kid from his perspective - about an average teen keepin' it cool as the resident karate kick-ass in a California town until the nerdy, unbecoming kid from out of town shows up to cramp his style - now that's a movie I want to see....
Like Abilene, Sweep the Leg Johnny was jazzier than their coastal contemporaries. Unlike Abilene, they were more mathy and more frantic as well- often rocking at a faster, poppier pace. The band consistently and frequently released records until 2002 - mostly on Southern Records. Their first full length with Southern was released in 1999 and was entitled, Tomorrow We Will Run Faster. Listen to the magnum opus track, “Rest Stop”:
That song demonstrates well their full range of sound, for Sweep the Leg Johnny could explore the slower, mellower spaces as well. They were rowdy and frantic, however. For instance, here’s the most popular track, “Bloodlines,” from their next full length with Southern Records, Sto Cazzo (2000):
Their finest, most mature recording was their last album, Going Down Swingin’ (2002 Southern Records). Much of the album’s material was re-recorded songs from previous releases; “Rest Stop,” for example, was recorded again for the final Lp. One of the newly recorded songs was the track, “Only in a Rerun”:
That song features some of my favorite moments of Sostak’s sax work (check it out around 2min. 20sec. onwards.... awesome!!!) Another favorite is the re-recorded gem, “Blizzard of ’99”:
That song’s on the mellower side as well for Sweep the Leg Johnny.... The band broke up sometime in 2002, but Steve Sostak teamed up with Chris Daly to continue their work in the short-lived project called Check Engine. The band released only one self-titled album on Sickroom (Lp) and Southern Records (Cd). I could find no samples of the band’s work on youtube or bandcamp, but if you like the more developed material by Sweep the Leg Johnny, then you NEED to hear this album; it’s must for sure.
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