1995 Revisited: Fastbacks, Muffs & Uncle Joe’s Big Ol’ Driver

“I remember everything … I remember everything …”

This past Saturday, the Bottom of the Hill club in San Francisco capped off a week of 20th anniversary celebrations with a lineup that could’ve been beamed in from 1995: Fastbacks, Muffs (Facebook group), and Uncle Joe’s Big Ol’ Driver. Don’t misunderstand me, I wasn’t there. I was at La Zona Rosa in Austin having my face melted off by Wild Flag. But, for those of us who were paying attention in the mid-’90s, the BotH gig represented a painstakingly accurate synopsis of 1995 at its musical best, and I felt like it needed a little more love.

While the nation played sad panda with its Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, and Stone Temple Pilots action figures, the FBX and Muffs were throwing down badass, no bullshit, melodic punk jams, while Uncle Joe’s engaged our fistpumping drunk rock receptors. Since the popular and critical view of ’95 only tangentially merges with my own, obviously superior version of that year’s offerings, I’m toying with a more detailed ’95 retrospective, somewhat akin to my 1989 Reconsidered post from a few years back. However, since these bands would make that cut anyway, let’s focus on them for now.

 

Fastbacks – On The Wall/Went For A Swim
Here…They Are: Live At The Crocodile Cafe
Recorded June 26, 1995
Discogs

 

5 1/2 minutes that perfectly sums up the FBX appeal and I’m not just saying that because I was at this show: Gorgeous melody being dry humped by sloppy punk rock enthusiasm, the Lulu (low) and Kim (high) vocal harmonies, and the Kurt leads that sound like he’s falling down a flight of stairs. Even Musburger’s drums are right on point, which is saying something since he was one of approximately 87 different drummers over the course of the band’s career. As I’ve mentioned before, the enduring image of the Fastbacks, especially at The Croc, is an entire audience of drunks tossing their empty beer cups at Kurt Bloch on stage, and him baseballing those fuckers back into the crowd with his goldtop Les Paul … DURING his solos! Incidentally, the name of the label that issued this live album = Lance Rock Records. Coincidence? Yes. Totally appropriate? Duuuh.

I say we celebrate the FBX with a silly and possibly incomprehensible video.

Like “On The Wall” and “Went For A Swim,” “Waste Of Time” appeared on Answer The Phone, Dummy, their Sub Pop LP released in late 1994 (as I recall). Therefore, it saw most of its live action during today’s focus year of 1995. This video is refreshingly goofball and features the thespianic talents of Dan Peters (Mudhoney) as a show host, Ken Stringfellow (Posies) as some sort of egg whisperer, and Jason Finn (Love Battery, Presidents of the USA, and briefly, Fastbacks) as an amused audience member. More importantly, I will never be able to unsee Kurt as a hyperkinetic aerobics instructor. Seared into my retinas for all eternity.

 

You know how us music nerds like to talk about bands that would’ve been bigger if only the universe were just? We can’t help it. It’s a compulsion. I’m not sure that’s true for the Fastbacks. I used to think that, but I think that was my heart talking. Fact is, they were a little too unkempt and punk rock in the best way, and hey, what’s wrong with being a beloved Seattle institution? Nothing.

The Muffs, on the other hand, should’ve been huge. OK, maybe not Nirvana/Pearl Jam huge, but at least the size of Sonic Youth. They had the FBX melodic punk sensibility down cold, but were more polished. Lead singer/songwriter, Kim Shattuck, was a smokin’ hot force of nature, funny, and owner of a banshee howl scream that could melt plastic.

Muffs – On And On
Blonder And Blonder, 1995
Amazon

 

By ’95, the band was a tight three-piece, had great stage presence, and it was impossible not to bounce around like a fool at their shows. Besides, if the world could make room for Green Day, how could The Muffs not follow in their wake? Oh, did I mention that their first two albums were produced by the same guy who produced Dookie (Rob Cavallo), in the same era (1993-95), and for the same label (Reprise)? With the benefit of hindsight, I feel justified in saying that there was a ball and some motherfuckers dropped it. That’s all.

Muffs – Sad Tomorrow
Blonder And Blonder, 1995
Amazon

 

“Even though the band is long-time friends with Green Day, the repetition of the formula hits a little too close for comfort. Shattuck’s songs aren’t quite as strong as Billie Joe’s.”
–Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

In the immortal words of Gob Bluth, “COME ON!” I think Erlewine has some perceptive observations throughout AMG, but this isn’t one of them. The dual insinuation here is that Green Day got stupid big because of some mysterious, McRibby quality to Billie Joe Armstrong’s songwriting, the lack of which simultaneously doomed The Muffs. Caucasian, please.

 

I like Green Day well enough and have no problem admitting their songs are catchy as shit. That they got huge isn’t all that surprising. But, lots of bands write catchy songs and don’t get popular because … well, no one knows. For every band that blows up, another hundred don’t, and if the music industry could’ve ever figured out exactly why they wouldn’t be busy feasting on their own organs. But, Billie Joe’s songs, for all their earworminess, aren’t appreciably stronger than Kim’s songs. I mean, we’re talking about simple, 3-4 chord, power-pop songs, not Steely F’ing Dan.

Green Day didn’t break into the mainstream because of the subtle songwriting nuances of “Basketcase” and mixolydian modes* in “Longview.” I don’t think it’s anymore complicated than they were the right band at the right place at the right time. And maybe I’m looking through Muff-colored glasses, but I think “On And On,” “Sad Tomorrow,” and probably 20 other Muffs songs are as good as anything in the GD catalog, but the band just didn’t take. It happens. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t get your Muff on now. In fact, if you don’t, my cousin Kiyomi is gonna kick you in the junk, and I’m pretty sure you don’t want that.

* I don’t actually think there are mixolydian modes in “Longview,” but I couldn’t pass up the old-time Beatles reference. I’m charming like that.

Muffs – Oh, Nina

Recorded 2005-ish

Kim Shattuck leads the band through another jam from Blonder And Blonder, simultaneously rockin’ the cute pigtails and the pantheonic Joan Jett howl. As usual, Barnett and McDonald are totally locked in on punk rock rhythm section. This clip is actually part of a show called “Bitchin’ Ass,” which has a hilarious theme song, and stars Steve and Jeff McDonald of Redd Kross and Anna Waronker of That Dog. Speaking of which, Roy McDonald actually came to The Muffs from fellow should’ve-been-biggers, Redd Kross, but is somehow not related to Steve and Jeff, despite the same surname.

You’re forgiven if you’ve never heard of Uncle Joe’s Big Ol’ Driver, although I have discussed them before. They existed only briefly, roughly 1992-95, first in San Diego and then in Seattle. UJBOD only had two albums to their name, the self-titled from 1994 and their swan song, Chick Rock, from 1995. Here’s a taste:

Uncle Joe’s Big Ol’ Driver – The Same Thing
Chick Rock, 1995
Lead vocals: Andrew McKeag
Amazon

 

Uncle Joe’s Big Ol’ Driver – Lip Gloss
Chick Rock, 1995
Lead vocals: Dave Jass
Amazon

 

For a band with a three-year lifespan, you wouldn’t think Uncle Joe’s would make much of an impact. But, when you combine their love of ’70s rock and punk, and a blistering juggernaut of a live show, they were my bridge between classic ‘Mats and Soul Asylum on one side and Slobberbone and Grand Champeen on the other. Seriously, I cannot overestimate how much fun these guys were live. I pitied any band that had the misfortune to follow them because they kicked out the MFing jams.

UJBOD – Possible Driving Song + Red Room + Interstellar Overdrive riffage

Recorded January 23, 2009
The Casbah, San Diego, CA

Coincidentally, this set was recorded almost 3 years ago for the 20th anniversary of San Diego’s venerable Casbah nightclub. Again, a 20 year anniversary. I think we should take a step back and appreciate the fact that The Casbah, Bottom of the Hill, Fastbacks, Muffs, and UJBOD are still around to remind us why perseverance and determination matters. Maybe we’re older, maybe we’re a little slower, but if we stick around long enough, who knows? Maybe we find out that we somehow made a difference. For example, who else has the background and moxie to celebrate these great, overlooked bands? Exactly.

“I remember everything … I remember everything …”