Never saw 'em live, but what I'd heard on the radio reeled me in. I'll differ with Stack on Exploded Drawing, which in my opinion has a few good songs, but the creativity overall seems stretched thin there. OTOH, Today's Active Lifestyles boasts some real winners ("Thermal Treasure" starting from the loosest, non-fitting noise and just exploding, the gorgeous "My Kimono"), as does New Dark Age ("Tragic Carpet Ride" and "Old Lystra"--sweet driving music), before hitting the pinnacle of This Eclipse. I think it was the best example of what they were capable of, a fine balance of chaos, rock, noise, and pop. And even the comparatively weak Shapes has the gorgeous "El Rocio."

While, overall, there was some unevenness in the output, most emphatically Not Crap.

How anyone could ever think this band was crap is beyond me. Just a singular, yet not completely "out there" approach and sound.

As Mr. Stack hints at, "Ex. Draw." is simply one of the best albums out there. I was too young to see them "in their prime", or when they were a band, and it's one of my regrets.

I stand behind "Shapes", too. Better after not listening to it for a year or two. Creepier sounding.

Ike in Kazoo

Are you kidding me...

NOT CRAP!!!

they're my favourite band of the 90's alongside Brainiac.
ash is a real genius...does anyone know what he's up to?

post-polvo he was in helium... then in 2000 released a solo album under the band name Libraness, which was a bunch of 4-track stuff he had recorded from 93 to 2000... that's what i hear on the net anyways. no idea what he's been up to in the past 4 years... and i haven't heard Libraness, though i would expect to like it a lot.

College Prog Crap.

LOL. you go, girl!

Ash Bowie moved to SF- lived there for maybe a year? Recently left town I think. He was playing with a guy from Versus in a band called Whysall Lane (who nobody seemed to like- they got glossed "Why So Lame").

NOT CRAP
Celebrate The New Dark Age is such an amazing record.
I saw Ash play with Helium back in 97 or 98 on a tour with Blonde Redhead and I think he played with them at Lollapalooza 95 as well.

Yeah, pretty much no way dudes. Not crap, even on their worst day.