codeine: not crap

they are one of a handful of bands i can find no real fault with. if held at gunpoint, i'd say i could do without "cigarette machine", maybe, but that's it. i still get chills when i hear "cave-in" and "ides". aaaand they covered songs by both MX-80 sound and joy division, two other bands i'd very easily classify as "not crap".

They were unique for their time(early 90"s) Folks like Labradford later brought more to this sound.

Not Crap.

Although I was not enamoured of their first record, the Barely Real EP is just about as solid and entrenching as they come.

I once spent a week sick on a couch in Olympia WA with "exudative pharyngitis", which delightfully catapults past strep throat by adding the pain of glass crammed into your throat and ear canals. Some kind soul tried to help by giving me a bottle of Vicodin to take, and then loading up a 6-CD changer with two CDs. One was The White Birch. I cannot for the life of me remember the other.

As far as 7" vinyl collaborations go, the Bitch Magnet one is good, and the Bastro one is fantastic.

Again I'll say it,

Not Crap.

Yeah, a very good band. I like Frigid Stars more than White Birch but Barely Real is definitely the high point. However absurdly I always associate White Birch with them going yuppie. It was too pristine. Second Chance is such a unique, haunting song. I always imagined it was inspired by hearing pianos being tuned, a really desolate sound. That DDDA thing, it's perverse in such a chaotic, apocalyptic song.

For some semi- entertaining footage of Steve Immerwahr Supersphere has a little video of him commenting about Cynthia Plastercaster's show in New York. Or is it insound?

guess i just wanted to bump this really old thread. a friend sent me some live recordings of codeine, and i've been listening to them nonstop. it's nice because i unfortunately never got to see them live.

i want to reiterate that, in my opinion, this band never had a real misstep, and i think they're a bit underrated. i wish they'd get back together...

Yeah, they were good and really really nice people. Anybody know the full story? Why did they disappear?

Barely Real is my favourite, too.

Dylan wrote:Yeah, they were good and really really nice people. Anybody know the full story? Why did they disappear?

**WARNING: ATTEMPTED COMEDY**


I think they're still playing.....




(wait for it)




.....just reeeeaaaally reeeeaaaally slow.

Quick Codeine story...

They were to be on the Simple Machines 'Working Holiday' 7" series as the flip side to Liz Phair when she was still 'Girly Sounds'. Liz somehow let time get away from her or didn't get to record or something and the old band I was in was put on the flip side in her place. I soon after saw Codeine play in Chicago and met and chatted with those guys (note: Doug was not in the band anymore) and as soon as I mentioned who I was and what band I played with, they totally gave me the cold shoulder. I remember reading an interview with them soon after that that where they go on about how they HATED our track and were really bummed out to be backed with us.

Anyway, it was a cute story I had to share.

...

definite NOT CRAP.

Bitch Magnet split is cool as hell as is "Barely Real" and "White Birch." I've read that they do an extremely creepy version of Badfinger's "Without You" which would go along great with their creepy version of "atmosphere."

When June of 44 played in Iowa City four years or so ago I asked Doug what it was like playing drums in codeine, he replied, "Like Death."

yep