losthighway wrote:Who else is largely without precedent?... Craig Wedren (shudder to think)?

Nah, Craig Wedren's falsetto/glam/pseudo-fey schtick was probably lifted from, or at least was heavily influenced by, the far weirder and more versatile Bruce Merkle (aka Bruce Hellington) from the earlier DC band 9353.

Although Merkle alternated what would become Wedren's trademarks w/deep bellowing, Zappa-like cartoon voices, and horrible screeching. 9353 was probably the most popular independent rock band in the District circa 1984 (yep, largely forgotten now, but an even bigger draw than any of the Discord groups).

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 11:30 am

losthighway wrote:Who else is largely without precedent?... Craig Wedren (shudder to think)?

Nah, Craig Wedren's falsetto/glam/pseudo-fey schtick was probably lifted from, or at least was heavily influenced by, the far weirder and more versatile Bruce Merkle (aka Bruce Hellington) from the earlier DC band 9353.

Although Merkle alternated what would become Wedren's trademarks w/deep bellowing, Zappa-like cartoon voices, and horrible screeching. 9353 was probably the most popular independent rock band in the District circa 1984 (yep, largely forgotten now, but an even bigger draw than any of the Discord groups).

That's an interesting band! Did not know about them.

Always considered Shudder to Think's vocal bonkers-ness in relation to this.

losthighway wrote: Sun Dec 12, 2021 5:36 pm

jason from volo wrote: Thu Dec 09, 2021 5:49 pm Sometimes bespectacled, sometimes shoegazing, sometimes mumbling frontman whose guitarist likes to jingle-jangle. Morrissey. Michael Stipe.

Ah dang, I was thinking of running a list of singers who had no type, or invented the type. Michael Stipe came to mind, but I can see a Morrissey connection.

I think Eddie Veddar invented the "hyur" or "yarl", he's even apologized for it.

Who else is largely without precedent?
Scott Walker? Frank Black? Corin Tucker? Craig Wedren (shudder to think)? Greg Dulli?

I always thought Greg Dulli was a guy who can't sing trying to impersonate James Brown.

^ Ha. I've said it before, sometimes a failed attempt at copying one's heroes is a side route to originality.

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 11:30 am
Nah, Craig Wedren's falsetto/glam/pseudo-fey schtick was probably lifted from, or at least was heavily influenced by, the far weirder and more versatile Bruce Merkle (aka Bruce Hellington) from the earlier DC band 9353.

Although Merkle alternated what would become Wedren's trademarks w/deep bellowing, Zappa-like cartoon voices, and horrible screeching. 9353 was probably the most popular independent rock band in the District circa 1984 (yep, largely forgotten now, but an even bigger draw than any of the Discord groups).

Always makes me happy to see 9353 mentioned anywhere. Really neat band (only heard the record, never saw live). Actually met Bruce Merkle when passing through DC in mid 80s. After talking for a few minutes we discovered that he had been one of the workers who installed the running track at my high school in Texas during the time I was attending said high school. Small world.

zorg wrote: Mon Dec 13, 2021 7:15 am The complete history of yarling : http://www.endino.com/archive/yarl.html

That was amazing. Jack rules.

Adam_I_III wrote:Always considered Shudder to Think's vocal bonkers-ness in relation to this.

Huh. Maybe. I was not following along at the time, but I seem to recall the Four Horsemen having some kinda connection to the DC area. Maybe one of the guys in the band was from there? Or maybe it was one of the guys in the band that eventually became the Four Horsemen? Or maybe I'm just confused? Either way, I'd never considered any similarities to Shudder to Think, but I guess both of them were major-label acts that released these "epic" hard-rock albums featuring baroque singers that kinda flopped for being way too weird?

perdothegit wrote:Always makes me happy to see 9353 mentioned anywhere. Really neat band (only heard the record, never saw live). Actually met Bruce Merkle when passing through DC in mid 80s. After talking for a few minutes we discovered that he had been one of the workers who installed the running track at my high school in Texas during the time I was attending said high school. Small world.

I'm also just a hair too young to have seen the original band live, but I love the first two albums plus the early demos.

I like the third one (early '90s, after Bruce and sometimes Vance reassembled the band), and respect the freakish fourth one (relatively recent) but rarely listen to it. Never met Bruce in person, but he seems like an inimitable presence--not just as a vocalist. (We have a friend in common.) Crazy-ass coincidence about your high-school running track.

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Tue Dec 14, 2021 9:31 am

Adam_I_III wrote:Always considered Shudder to Think's vocal bonkers-ness in relation to this.

Huh. Maybe. I was not following along at the time, but I seem to recall the Four Horsemen having some kinda connection to the DC area. Maybe one of the guys in the band was from there? Or maybe it was one of the guys in the band that eventually became the Four Horsemen? Or maybe I'm just confused? Either way, I'd never considered any similarities to Shudder to Think, but I guess both of them were major-label acts that released these "epic" hard-rock albums featuring baroque singers that kinda flopped for being way too weird?

The video is for the song 'The Four Horsemen' by the Greek band Aphrodite's Child, Vangelis' old group from the 60's/70's

Not

The American Band 'The Four Horsemen' from the 80s/90s

If that's any help.

Johnny Doglands wrote:

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Tue Dec 14, 2021 9:31 am

Adam_I_III wrote:Always considered Shudder to Think's vocal bonkers-ness in relation to this.

Huh. Maybe. I was not following along at the time, but I seem to recall the Four Horsemen having some kinda connection to the DC area. Maybe one of the guys in the band was from there? Or maybe it was one of the guys in the band that eventually became the Four Horsemen? Or maybe I'm just confused? Either way, I'd never considered any similarities to Shudder to Think, but I guess both of them were major-label acts that released these "epic" hard-rock albums featuring baroque singers that kinda flopped for being way too weird?

The video is for the song 'The Four Horsemen' by the Greek band Aphrodite's Child, Vangelis' old group from the 60's/70's

Not

The American Band 'The Four Horsemen' from the 80s/90s

If that's any help.

Hahah, oh shit. Sorry! Accidentally hilarious mix-up of band and song title on my part. Serves me right for listening to this while at work, w/my eye on something else.

I was going to say, I have zero recall of what the early-'90s Rick Rubin-affiliated Four Horsemen sounded like. I remember a bombastic frontman. But I didn't remember it sounding anything like that! Too funny... Thanks for setting me straight.

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Tue Dec 14, 2021 12:19 pm

Johnny Doglands wrote:

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Tue Dec 14, 2021 9:31 am

Huh. Maybe. I was not following along at the time, but I seem to recall the Four Horsemen having some kinda connection to the DC area. Maybe one of the guys in the band was from there? Or maybe it was one of the guys in the band that eventually became the Four Horsemen? Or maybe I'm just confused? Either way, I'd never considered any similarities to Shudder to Think, but I guess both of them were major-label acts that released these "epic" hard-rock albums featuring baroque singers that kinda flopped for being way too weird?

The video is for the song 'The Four Horsemen' by the Greek band Aphrodite's Child, Vangelis' old group from the 60's/70's

Not

The American Band 'The Four Horsemen' from the 80s/90s

If that's any help.

Hahah, oh shit. Sorry! Accidentally hilarious mix-up of band and song title on my part. Serves me right for listening to this while at work, w/my eye on something else.

I was going to say, I have zero recall of what the early-'90s Rick Rubin-affiliated Four Horsemen sounded like. I remember a bombastic frontman. But I didn't remember it sounding anything like that! Too funny... Thanks for setting me straight.

No probs. I recognised the band name immediately because -

A. I have a few Vangelis records knocking around here somewhere, and

B. I went to music college with a synth guy who was - also from greece and also called Vangelis.