18th Dye was one of the most underrated, forgotten indie bands of the 90s. This German/Danish noise rock trio was incredibly talented, reaching their pinnacle with the Steve Albini-produced album “Tribute to A Bus”
in 1995. Their live sets were legendary (according to the few people clued in enough to attend them), and not even Sonic Youth or Yo La Tengo could better their highly controlled use of feedback as a source of melody and texture.
in 1995. Their live sets were legendary (according to the few people clued in enough to attend them), and not even Sonic Youth or Yo La Tengo could better their highly controlled use of feedback as a source of melody and texture.After breaking up in 1999, the band reformed last year, and have been playing new material live here and there. They are recording a new album with a release date to be determined. I think their web site has said this for months, but I just noticed it, so it is therefore Top 40 Sucks breaking news.
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Got any links to some music? Use of feedback even Yo La Tengo and Sonic Youth couldn’t touch? That’s a bold statemtent coming from the ylwatcher…
They have a myspace page, but the music on it is not a good example of what I’m talking about, which I should explain a little better. I am not saying their use of feedback is more effective than SY or YLT, but a few of their songs have the most carefully controlled use of feedback I have ever heard. They create melodies with the feedback and other very musical effects that are integral to the songs, rather than the freakout detours (which are great too) SY often and YLT occasionally employ. YLT sometimes use feedback as melody, and have become more impressive at it over the years, but at the time Tribute to A Bus came out, YLT had done anything close in terms of highly controlled feedback. Maybe I should have said they “rival” the big guys, instead of blowing them out of the water. Not better, just different.
Somebody has the same two favorite 19th Dye songs as I do.Go here:http://nb1.be/article/165/dont-ever-dyeListen to “Poolhouse Blue”. The other song is awesome, too (one of my favorite rock instrumentals of all time), but “Poolhouse” exhibits the use of feedback I’m talking about.
I like it…a lot. But based on “Poolhouse Blue” I would have to agree that the use of feedback is good and compares to SOME Sonic Youth, but IMO Sonic Youth are the masters. I can’t give an informed opinion about Yo La Tengo ’cause I only have two albums, but at this point in time SY has always consistently created the best textures w/ feedback of any band I’ve ever heard. From Dirty, Goo, Daydream Nation…to Washing Machine, Murray St. and Rather Ripped – all brilliant.
Textures, agreed. SY are the masters, followed closely by YLT. If I listen to certain SY songs on a good stereo, I get tears in my eyes at how beautiful the noise is, but the highly controlled melodies 18th Dye create with feedback are unique.
Poolhouse Blue is one of the greatest forgotten songs of the 90s. It actually makes me nostalgic for that era.