How minimal can you get? #71

Jeffrey Lewis
“Born Jeffrey Lightning Lewis in New York City, November 1975, Jeff grew up with loving beatnik parents in an East 9th St tenement. Having no television in the household, young Jeff became a comic book fanatic before he even knew how to read. His brother Jack was born in 1980. After graduating New York State University at Purchase in 1997 (with a Literature degree and a senior thesis written on the comic book Watchmen) Jeff spent the lonely winter of 97–98 starving in a 150$ a month illegal co-op sublet, listening to lots of scratchy Pearls Before Swine and Donovan records, and making up some musically minimalist songs on an old guitar belonging to his dad.” Antifolk Online

Jeffrey Lewis with Jack Lewis and Anders Griffen It's The Ones Who've Cracked That The Light Shines Through CD (Rough Trade, 2003)

Jeffrey Lewis ‎– I Saw A Hippie Girl On 8th Ave

How minimal can you get? #70

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band LP (Apple Records, 1970)

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band – My Mummy's Dead

Spike In Vain

Spike In Vain – God On Drugs
Watch it here.

How minimal can you get? #69

Discharge
“Discharge took the minimalist ethic of the Ramones to its absolute extremes on a handful of multi-song singles and two blistering albums, Why and Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing, ultimately paving the way for thrash metal. The most ferocious of pacifists, Discharge's attack consisted of monstrous high speed guitar riffs and demented proto-thrash solos, submachine gun drumming and Cal's hugely embittered shout, which makes the almost-banally blunt lyrics virtually indecipherable. Not given over to verses and middle-eights as such, you could fit the words to the group's minute-long songs onto the backs of matchboxes.” Punky Gibbon

“The music of the UK band Discharge was brutally fast and angry. The band's brilliance lay in it's sparse use of lyrics… the songs were almost like Japanese haiku poetry, but were concerned with the horrors of the modern world and the drive towards war.” Mark Vallen

Discharge Realities Of War 7" (Clay Records, 1980)

Discharge – Realities Of War

How minimal can you get? #68

Y Pants
“Y Pants were an all female band from the infamous No Wave scene of late 70s/early 80s New York. The band was formed in 1979 by Gail Vachon and the photographer/film-maker Barbara Ess. Virginia 'Verge' Piersol soon joined the band as drummer despite her lack of experience. Their sound was labelled 'small music' (stripped down sound that drew from minimalism, dance music, and world music) and was performed using an ukelele/bass guitar, drums, and toy piano. Glenn Branca, who had played with Ess in The Static, produced their debut EP. After playing various clubs and art spaces in New York, the band went on tour to Europe before recording Beat It Down with Wharton Tiers, who is perhaps best known for his work on records by Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr. and Glenn Branca. Ess has gone on to perform music with The Glenn Branca Ensemble and the experimental film-maker Peggy Ahwesh.” RYM

Y Pants ‎Beat It Down LP (Neutral Records, 1982)

Y Pants – Obvious
More info here.

How minimal can you get? #67

Bubonic Plague / Geneva Jacuzzi
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Bubonic Plague – Dracula


‪Geneva Jacuzzi – Do I Sad?
Watch the unofficial version here.

Punk aversion Pt. III

Dead Kennedys Bedtime For Democracy LP (Alternative Tentacles, 1986)

Dead Kennedys ‎– Chickenshit Conformist

Time To Think Where The Hell Is Andrew? 7" (Thinking Time Records, 1992)

Time To Think – A Bunch Of Cults

Teenage PhDs Teenage PhDs 7" (Erectile, 1980)

Teenage PhDs – Punk Rock Is Dead
More info here.

By the way, is it just me or these guys ripped off The Fall's “Various Times” intro?

How minimal can you get? #66

Big Black
“Big Black is a one-man band; Albini wrote the songs, sang/shouted the vocals, and played all the instruments (guitar, bass and a little organ), save a few yells and atonal sax blasts contributed by friends. He also recorded and mixed the disc, designed the cover, and came up with a bizarre variety of inserts – fishhooks, scary photographs, locks of Will Tizard's hair, etc, for the first 1,500 copies. Total cost: $1,870 and a case of beer for a friend who provided a four-track recorder. Albini picked up the tab using his college financial aid money.” Jim Cress (Matter #1, January 1983)

“If a record takes more than a week to make, somebody's fucking up.” Steve Albini

Big Black Lungs EP (Ruthless Records, 1982)

Big Black – Steelworker

How minimal can you get? #65

Tune-Yards

Tune-Yards – Real Live Flesh (4AD Sessions)

How minimal can you get? #64

Voice Farm  
“Voice Farm is a San Francisco based techno-folk duo consisting of vocalist / composer Charly Brown and sound designer Myke Reilly. Voice Farm began its musical journey around 1980. Founding members Charly Brown and Gary Miles performed in San Francisco at The Mabuhay Gardens and The Deaf Club. Patrick Miller of Minimal Man was a brief member of Voice Farm at this time. After performing twice with Patrick at The Fab Mab Gary & Charly realized it was not to be. Patrick did not believe in rehearsing or learning a 'song' per se. At any rate it was way more fun to see him live than to perform with him.” Official site

Human Hands, Nervous Gender, Voice Farm @ the Hong Kong Cafe, Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA 1980

“The first Voice Farm performances were way outside of the then current trend of nihilistic punk bands with guitars. Charly and I always agreed on one thing. Stark minimalism and modernism with a subversive undertone throughout. Bauhaus inspired dancers dressed as downtown executives provided a syncronized backdrop for our live shows. The audiences were split on us as we defied the punky nihilsm of the era with our new brand of modernist art house pop. By the early 80's we had attracted a large cult following and we were being approched by nightclubs, managers, labels etc.” Myke Reilly 

Voice Farm (Gary Miles, Myke Reilly, Charly Brown)

“This is where it all started. In a basement room lined with egg cartons, two synthesizers, a broken Farfisa organ and a beat box. Voice Farm’s first single came in a variety of handmade silkscreened covers. Red, yellow and blue. Former band-mate graphic artist Gary Miles worked his magic on these.” Official site

Voice Farm Sleep/Mödern Things 7" (Optional Records, 1981)

Voice Farm – Sleep
Listen to the 7" here.

More info here.