2. Green On Red: Death And Angels
![Green On Red: Green On Red [EP] (1982)](http://img226.echo.cx/img226/5035/greenonred9gk.jpg)
Green on Red, originally from Tuscon, Arizona, emerged from the paisley underground scene with an EP, Green On Red, on Steve Wynn's Down There label in 1982. "Death And Angels" bears all the hallmarks of the genre, particularly in the organ playing of Chris Cacavas; here, the band's sound recalls The Seeds crossed with The Doors, with a little Love sprinkled in. The band didn't like the pigeonhole the "paisley underground" tag stuck them in, and by the time of their 1983 debut album, Gravity Talks (on Slash records), they had already toned down the psychedelic devices in favor of a roots-rock approach reminscent of John Fogerty. The band never sold many records, but maintained a following; they managed to release 10 albums and EP's on a variety of labels before disbanding in 1992.
3. The Long Ryders: Looking For Lewis And Clark
The Long Ryders were part of the paisley underground scene, featuring Dream Syndicate's Steve Wynn in its lineup for a spell, and playing many of the same venues as the other bands. However, they owed a much larger debt to the Byrds and Gram Parsons in their musical approach, the psychedelia in their music limited to fuzzed guitars more than trippy jams. After an album and an EP on indie labels, the band signed with Island (who also signed Rain Parade); "Looking For Lewis And Clark" was the leadoff single from their 1985 major label debut, State Of Our Union. Led by singer/guitarists Sid Griffin and Stephen McCarthy, the band was tight and melodic, and is now considered one of the best folk/country/jangle pop/roots rock bands of its day. This single is instantly accessable, features nicely impressionistic political lyrics, and plenty of chiming guitars and harmonica. A real classic; unfortunately it never charted.
4. The Rain Parade: This Can't Be Today
Led by brothers David (guitar) and Steven Roback (bass) and vocalist/guitarist Matt Piucci, The Rain Parade was arguably the quintessential paisley underground band. Favoring hypnotic drone, raga rock, textured and phased guitars, and brooding, melancholic lyrics, they best captured the spirit of the 60's influences so many of these bands shared. "This Can't Be Today" was the first single from their 1983 debut album Emergency Third Rail Power Trip on Enigma records, and remains their best; guitar-and-drums driven, featuring the eerie background vocals of Dream Syndicate's Kendra Smith (who would later form Opal with David Roback), and quite psychedelic. The band had a devoted cult following, but never managed to sell many records; after another EP for Enigma, and a good but flop LP for Island, the band folded in 1986.
Article comments
1 - jody
the article i have been waiting for.
Was it that many years ago...yes it was as the loss of hair and firm teeth confirm. Saw the Parade OPEN for a rotten local band in flint, MI called the strolling bones and the 4 or five songs they played before they were kicked off the stage were perfect..Yeah I loved all of these bands and somehow have original vinyl of them all..try not to listen to them much cause I don't want to wear them out but yeah, yeah, yeah...
2 - mike hollihan
This is great! I like how you don't go for the obvious songs, either. I'd've been sorely tempted to choose "You Are My Friend" by Rain Parade. Beautiful, sublime, sad song.
If you're bringing in the Bangles, can I mention Wednesday Week? Completely lost to history, it seems, but they had good songs and sharp Bangles-y harmonies. Not very paisley, but a good listen.
3 - SFC SKI
Arrive without Travlling is a great album, unfortunately I only have it on cassette. Great playlist.
4 - HW Saxton
Another cool thing about that P.U. scene
was that it helped to fuel a backlash of
more "Garage Punk" oriented 60's styled
bands around L.A. such as The Pandoras,
The Unclaimed,etc that were into a more
fuzzed out,raunchy take on the 1960's
sound.
5 - Vern Halen
To echo a previous comment - the article I've been waiting for. This was the stuff I listened to while the mainstream was listening to something else in the 80's. Glad to see someone remembers that fine Opal album, and Green On Red's great lost Gravity Talks. Rain Parade had a beautifully recorded live in Tokyo where they did Green On Red's Cheap Wine, Television's Aint That Nothin', and a live version of their own Prisoners that'll send chills up your spine.
Howcum all this doesn't get a decent CD release? I've been looking for Dream Syndicate's Medicine Show for years.
BTW, a friend of mine saw Steve Wynn fron DS a few years back, and his encore (or so he claims) was The Days of Wine & Roses album from start to finish. Would've loved to have been there.
6 - Vern Halen
Forgot - thanks for giving me some excellent reading today - a well written overview.
7 - uao
Thanks everyone. Like Vern, this was exactly what I listened to most when it was new; Rain Parade, Bangles, Long Ryders, Dream Syndicate are permanently etched into my brain.
Why indeed is it so hard to get this stuff on CD? I've been thirsty for Crashing Dream, the Rain Parade's Island album, never on CD; I found half on p2p lovingly converted to mp3 from vinyl by a devoted fan.
Another good one is by Matt Piucci of Rain Parade plus a member of the Windbreakers (I think?) called Gone Fishin' on Enigma in 1986.
Sidebar on Rain Parade: in the 90's, Piucci, S. Roback, and one other recorded together as Viva Saturn. I can never find their stuff, either.
Rhino records? Sundazed? Here's a market just waiting to be tapped...
8 - SFC SKI
I listened to a lot back then, but in unearthing my old cassettes, I found lost treasures. Good noews is, the Three O'Clock's "Arrive Without Travelling" is available from Amazon (not from iTunes, sadly). I also loved the Bangles, and still do. While the Paisley Underground centered around California, I think the Smithereens deserve a mention here.
To my mind, the '80's had a huge variety of great music, most of it unnoticed on a large scale and now unremembered. I still listen to newer stuff, but I often find more pleasure in the older, less well known stuff.
To be truthful, I have more music than one man could listen to, it doesn't stop me from buying more.
9 - bmarkey
While it's nice to see Thin White Rope get their props, I have to take issue with your inclusion of them (and True West and Game Theory, too) in the Paisley Underground. I'm not usually a stickler for genre labels, but the sound coming out of Davis at the time was much darker in tone than most of the P.U. bands.
I spent the 80's in Sacramento. For what it's worth, Davis is light-years away from either SF or LA, spiritually speaking, although it's a relatively quick two hour drive to the Bay Area.
10 - Vern Halen
Crashing Dream? I think the closest you'll get is a CD called Demolition which was all the demos from before Crashing Dream. The demos were pretty edgy compared to the final product. It included a live version of Crashing Dream - a great lost song, as well as about 10 extra tunes. I snapped up the only copy I've ever seen, on a label I'm not familiar with - I think it's called 060 Records.
11 - SFC SKI
This post reminds me of 2 great sites, one titled "Lost Bands of the New Wave Era" and the other is the Boston Rock and Roll Museum, lots of lost treasures there.
12 - T
not sure where you want to put the davis bands of the time but certainly those aforementioned were much closer in spirit to the p u of s f and l a. more importantly they were friends. and there was a lot of cross-cultural stuff happening in davis at the time. house parties, the coffee house....
unfortunately the davis noise ordinance all but did away with anything remotely underground then and its oppression continues.
13 - uao
Thanks for the input, T
I included a couple of Davis bands on this list, but I find the fans of the Davis bands get irritated to see them lumped together with paisley underground.
Actually, you've made me curious to see if I can put something together on the 80's Davis scene; it really was active and had a culture like you mention, but I've seen very little about it.
I'll also have to do some hunting for tunes; a lot of Davis bands are hard to find now...
14 - Russ Tolman
Just wanted to pass along the word that singer Gavin Blair, guitarist Richard McGrath, and myself -- AKA True West -- will be on stage together for the first time in 21 years when we play at the International Pop Overthrow festival (IPO) in Seattle on 26 August at The Crocodile.