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Playin' with the Girls Against Boys
The all-male foursome bares it all in an interview and in the studio
By JOSH HERRINGTON
Upon hearing the name Girls Against Boys,
you may think that they are either flaming Riot
Grrls or otherwise champions of gender difference
in the political sense. Rule out the first option; this
band is the boy's team, not the girls.
Now for politics. At first glance, that dubious
distinction is a little bit harder for them to shake.
The lead singer Scott McCloud and drummer
Alexis Fleising did spend the '80s in Washington
D.C. in a band called Soulside. And, yes, they
hung with the Minor Threat/Fugazi's Ian McKaye
and the rest of the D.C. hardcore rabble. O.K.,
now that that has been acknowledged, forget it.
Girls Against Boys have nothing to do with lines
of opposition or moral confrontation, but rather
grim, ambient, droning rock for either persuasion.
The band dispells any connection between
their name and their music without hesitation.
"We don't have a clear-cut answer for the name of
our band," said singer McCloud. "We don't have
any strong beliefs about it. I think it's more of a
thought-provoking thing."
Although the band members avoid almost all
political affiliation or opinion, they do
acknowledge the scene that made them want to, in
Mc Cloud's words, "play some shit."
"(D.C.)'s where we all started out playing
music," he recalled, "and there are strains of that
still left in what we're doing even though we've
been apart from that for a while. But there are
some things that stay with you. Just sort of the way
we do things. We're pretty independently-minded
about stuff."
Well, out with punk-politics, in with punk
experimentation. In 1990, McCloud and Fleising
ditched Soul Side and the D.C. scene for the Big
Apple and picked up bassist Johnny Temple and
sampler/bassist/vocalist Eli Janney. Based in New
York, Girls Against Boys has released an EP and
two albums, the latest one to hit the shelves in
August. It's clear that the change of scenery had an
impact on the way they do things, and perhaps
even the way they sound.
Mc Cloud admitted, "It's a really different
atmosphere than D.C. In terms of making music
(in New York) it has been interesting because it's
a much different place to make music ... In New
York, you see, no one gives a fuck what you do, ya
know? It's a totally different vibe."
Moving must have been quite a liberating
experience because they recorded a good part of
their upcoming album "Venus Luxure No 1 Baby"
completely in the buff. As Mc Cloud explained,
"Sometimes we do things like that just to spice
things up a bit. We were in a studio in London
recording a single that's gonna come out in May,
and while I was singing I just stripped down. I
don't know why. I just do things like that in the
studio to spice things up because it can get pretty
monotonous in there."
G SRL SAGAINST BOYS will be opening for
Jawbox on Saturday the 12 at St. Andrew's
Hall. Tickets are $8.50 in advance; doors open
at 7:30 for alternative kids of all ages. Call
961-MELT.
Since there are no girls in the band, shouldn't they be Boys Against Girls?
GOT AN U.R.G.E. FOR OVERKILL?
The Kronos Quartet follows their ears
Get ready for a celebration of music, martinis, and matching outfits - it's Urge Overkill! Their rockin' mix of punk,
classic rock and vintage clothing make them the kings of dashing and debonair in the alternative world. Though their
latest album, "Saturation," has been a smash, garnering the group acclaim from critics and admiration from old and
new fans, recordings such as "Supersonic Storybook" and "The Stull EP" show that their prior albums are more
than consistent. If the band's only strength was its music, that would be reason enough to go to this concert, but
happily the band is as visually entertaining as it is musically. They really put on a show - hair flying, arms attacking
their instruments; they're all over the stage in awe-inspiring fashion. And speaking of fashion, their ultracool
matching outfits mix '60s mod with classic mob, giving the appearance of a really sharp-looking gang. Who's your
fave: Nash Kato, the ladies' man, Eddie "King" Roeser, the romantic, or Blackie Onassis, the intellectual loner? At
any rate, the men of U.R.G.E. are the best thing to breeze out of the Windy City since Chicago-style pizza, and their
Saturday show will hopefully be every bit as overwhelming and rocking as their performance way back in September
at X-Fest. Show starts at 7 p.m. with punk poppers Eugenius and costs a paltry $7.50, a small price for a near
religious experience. Oh yeah, it's at the State Theatre in Detroit and an all ages show. So go on, get the U.R.G.E.
By KEREN SCHWEITZER
"The world I'm finding is
incredibly fascinating. It is a time
when the possibilities are endless."
Kronos member David Harrington
said. With its diverse musical
repertoire and its numerous sound
capabilities, the Kronos Quartet does
indeed have a vast musical spectrum.
Not only does the ensemble showcase
the rarely-performed 20th century
masterpieces, but they also
commission new works and
experiment with non-Western musical
genres. Founded in 1973, this
ensemble has become a leading voice
in new music.
While American orchestras
struggle to maintain their diminishing
audiences, the Kronos Quartet
regularly performs for full houses.
They have succeeded in holding on to
the traditional classical audience
members, while also attracting a
younger pop culture audience that has
previously been apathetic to concert
hall music. When asked how the
orchestras could learn from Kronos,
Harrington responded, "I am asked
this a lot, but I've never wanted to be
an advisor. I play quartets because it
is something we do together and we
make all of our decisions together;
the orchestra almost feels like a
different world."
In selecting repertoire, the Kronos
Quartet regularly receive hundreds of
new works by aspiring composers.
The group tries diligently to examine
each score, never knowing where they
might find another unknown
masterpiece. "I look for an imagery of
sounds," said Harrington. It is
important to get a sense from each
composer that they are tapping into
themselves. There is a definite
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viewpoint from each composer and
we want a sense of their personality."
When Kronos decides to perform
a new work, the group encourages the
composer to share his/her input in the
rehearsals. "There is a dynamic
relationship with each composer. We
get the score and then we try to bring
the composer into the rehearsal.
Musical notation is not a very precise
form of communication," Harrington
explained.
"For example, when we began to
rehearse the Gubaidulina quartet, we
had no idea what she meant by using
balls on our strings. When the
composer showed up, we realized that
the confusion was just because of a
language barrier."
Harrington had a bit of advice to
give to aspiring composers and
GET TRIPPED WITH DAISY
performers: "Be aware of what you
are hearing inside. I know this is hard
to do sometimes, but I strongly
recommend that you follow your own
ear."
With over 20 recordings including
the Grammy award winning
"Different Trains" and over 200
concerts in a given year, the Kronos
Quartet is extremely busy. In their
Ann Arbor appearance, they will
perform works by composers Sofia
Gubaidulina, Raymond Scott, Lois
Vierk and the University's own
Michael Daugherty. In addition, they
will collaborate with the Gambian
musician, Foday Musa Suso.
THE KRONOS QUARTET will play
at 8 p.m. this Saturday in the Power
Center. Tickets range from $14-
$26. Call 764-2538.
1?Ilk Aloha
~ Entertainment
State Theatre
On state street at Liberty
Adut $5.00: Students $3.00
24 hr INFO LINE -99044024
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663-6771
419 E. Liberty
2 BLOCKS OFF STATE ST.
Silence of
the Lambs
Purple
Rain
THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
Presents the Annual
FAURI MEMORIAL LECTURE ON CHILD WELFARE
REFRAMING THE PRACTICE TASK IN CHILD WELFARE:
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
JAMES K. WHITTAKER, Ph.D.
PROFESSOR OF SOCIAL
WORK
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON,
:h SEATTLE
;: nothsa owWt rmnlet.-
Happy hippie types and those who like to ogle cute girls in bands rejoice!
The show of your dreams awaits at The Blind Pig on Friday at 9:30 p.m. It's
Tripping Daisy and Eve's Plum, two bands that worship the '60s and '70s in
their own particular ways. Eve's Plum will kick things off with their mix of
hard rock, punk and pop. Lots of people think Colleen, the band's singer, is
really pretty, and the band named themselves for the woman who played
Marcia on the "Brady Bunch," so go see them if only for those reasons.
Tripping Daisy will get the show into main gear, playing their psychedelia-
laden bubblegum pop to anyone who will listen (and who is also 19 and over
and willing to pay $5). Hopefully the band will play their faster songs like
"My Umbrella" and "One through Four," since their slower, groove-based
jams could fall flat. They're rumored to sound like "baby Jane's Addiction,"
so if that's your thing, by all means go and see 'em. It should be a kitschy
and memorable event.
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