LAGWAGON

INTERVIEW WITH KEYBOARDIST GREG KUEHN BY JANELLE JONES

CATHEDRAL OF TEARS

Following the 1982 release of TSOL’s second album, the more experimental Beneath the Shadows, vocalist Jack Grisham, keyboardist Greg Kuehn, and drummer Todd Barnes left the band amid rifts between its members. Shortly after their departure, Grisham and Kuehn embarked on their own project, Cathedral Of Tears, a band that veered even further from the pure, so-called “punk” label. Their only official release was a self-titled EP in 1984, by which time Kuehn had left the band.

Now, for the first time, Cathedral Of Tears’ impressive, four-song demo that started it all is available on Pine Hill Records. The demo exudes darkly danceable instrumentation coupled with cool, seemingly stream-of-consciousness vocal stylings.

“It was fun to do whatever the fuck we wanted to do and not worry about it,” Kuehn explains. “Not that we worried about a whole lot before, but it was different.”

He notes other bands who were exploring that darker, goth vein, like Sisters of Mercy (with whom they shared the stage). “It was just that whole post-punk thing. Postpunk, synth-pop, I don’t know what you call it, but it was fun to do something with that,” he says. “They call it darkwave now. We didn’t know it at the time.”

DEAD KENNEDYS

IGUANA STUDIOS REHEARSAL TAPE SAN FRANCISCO 1978 MANIFESTO RECORDS

Kicking off with “Man with the Dogs,” this 13-song recording features an interesting array of songs from the Dead Kennedys’ early pantheon. Now available on CD, having previously been released on vinyl in 2018, we find here alternate versions of a bevy of well-known tracks that appeared on the now-iconic 1980 debut full-length Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. These include “California Über Alles,” “Kill the Poor,” and a neat version of “Holiday in Cambodia,” along with more obscure numbers like “Dreadlocks of the Suburbs,” “Kidnap,” “Cold Fish,” and the super-trippy “Mutations of Today.” Offering a great snapshot of the primitive days of Dead Kennedys (they formed in San Francisco in 1978), this recording showcases the then-five-piece's first line-up – vocalist Jello Biafra, bassist Klaus Flouride, guitarists East Bay Ray and (the elusive) 6025, and drummer Ted – experimenting with and cementing their legendary sound. -Janelle Jones �� �� ��

In any case, Grisham and Kuehn had been working on the songs that appear on the early demo before TSOL fractured. After a stint with Bad Religion bassist Jay Bentley, they enlisted Middle Class bassist Mike Patton. They also recruited drummer Phil Maturano, who Kuehn says was more “in that scene,” utilizing “electronic drums and stuff. So it was like, that’d be cool, let’s see if we can do something with that.”

Of this demo, Kuehn says, “It’s not recorded as well but it’s got some immediacy that I like a lot. We did it quickly and it was one of those things, ‘let’s just go record,’ knock it off in a day or whatever, so it was fun.”

As it was recorded on the fly and not intended for release, Kuehn feels “it’s not perfect,” but rightly says, “I think it’s always cool to have a glimpse into an era, it’s cool to have another piece of the puzzle.”

Kuehn didn’t stay on with the band for their 1984 release. “I was bummed I didn’t get to do that record, but these things happen,” he explains. “It was cool to have that original [demo]. It would’ve been cool to see where it went with me in it.”

Nonetheless, Grisham and Kuehn did come back together, and still write and tour with TSOL. �� �� ��

THE DAMNED

BLACK IS THE NIGHT THE DEFINITIVE ANTHOLOGY - BMG

The Damned’s Black Is the Night is a 39-song anthology that spans the monumental band’s career of 40-plus years. It features a ton of favorites from their 1977 debut LP Damned Damned Damned, right up through their latest material (new single “Black Is the Night”), and is a true must-have for any fan. It’s a great collection of songs that showcases how the pioneering punk band has incorporated different styles and elements into their sound over the years, from the gritty immediacy of their early days, as seen on songs like “1 of the 2,” “So Messed Up,” and “Stretcher Case Baby,” to their darker, more intricate leanings on “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” “Curtain Call,” and the beautiful “Street of Dreams.” We must also note that The Damned are still going strong to this day, as evidenced by the release of the exquisite 2018 album Evil Spirits, and their seemingly nonstop touring schedule. - Janelle Jones �� �� ��

PHOTO BY MICHAEL THORN

Gloom Ballet, out now on Southern Lord, is my platonic ideal ’80s throwback record. It may not be yours, but there’s a very high chance it is. Combining the best parts of post-punk, goth, deathrock, and new wave, LA’s The Wraith are a haunting concoction of what made the decade excellent for alternative music fans. Recorded with a cornucopia of vintage equipment, the album just oozes retro from every note and chorus, in tone and atmosphere - and guitarist Kaz Alvis’ hooks are on bloody point. It doesn’t hurt that Gloom Ballet is a ripper from start to finish with no excess.

Alvis pondered what the band’s collective aim was and came up with the following: “Dynamics, contrast, and poetry are significant parts of The Wraith's sound. The tone of the record is rooted in the dark parts of life while also trying to express a sense of endurance and, ultimately, prevailing.”

The Wraith are here to party, and the album’s clear love of the trappings of the era only make the party more killer. ��