Powerdresser - Split Fingered Fastball
1992
San Diego's indie explosion of the early '90s included Heavy Vegetable, Truman's Water, and Rocket From the Crypt. Powerdresser, while neither the most popular nor influential band of the scene, is probably the most tragic. Lead singer and guitarist Denver Lucas drowned under mysterious circumstances in 1994, just before the band was scheduled to record new material. He was 22. Drummer Lee Chapman had recently left the band, leaving its future unclear. Denver's death ended it.
The band's tricky time signatures owed a debt to prog, but the short run-times, mumbled vocals and dry guitar sound made the sound startlingly unique, if a bit obtuse. The band's only official releases were a split single with Heavy Vegetable and "Split Fingered Fastball," which appears on Ask for Disorder, a San Diego compilation.
Last time I checked, Powerdresser's entire recorded output could be downloaded for free here.
1 comment:
Hi -
I think the song on the split 7" with Heavy Vegetable was actually entitled "It's a Corduroy world," which was an amazing song. That 7" may still be available through Golden Rod Records in San Diego.
I think "Spit Finger Fastball / Jim" was on the Negative Records 12". Negative Records also put out a Powerdresser 7", "If You'd Scream," backed with "Humore Me."
Jason Soares, who was Negative Records, probably doesn't have any of either record left, but the Truman's Water guys used to have a few hanging around, and it may be worth asking them. Some day a compendium CD will come out of the entire body of their work. If I keep saying it.
There is also a recording of songs Denver wrote for a project that never materialized (I think for Negative Records) that Gabe, the bassist for Powerdresser, pressed onto a 12" record some time ago. Some day those will see the light of day, if they haven't already.
Lesser, with whom the Powerdresser members were friends, made two cut-up / reworks of Powerdresser material, I think they are on "Welcome to the New American Experience," and I'm not sure the name of the other Lesser (Power-Lesser) recording on which the altered songs of Powerdresser appeared.
The Boredoms sampled the last track on the Negative 12" for their album Super Roots.
Paul Goode created a different cut-up and remix of later unreleased Powerdresser material from their practice tapes, which may see the light of day some day.
In addition to playing with Lee Chapman, during one of his absences, Powerdresser also worked with Johnny Scheir from Donald Wilson (and later from Last of the Juanitas), and also with a guy whose name I do not remember at the moment who was a trumpeter for Rocket from the Crypt and maybe in Stacatto Reeds, if I am not mistaken. Both drummers played on a song called Pele (kicked my troubles down the drain). I saw the Stacatto Reeds guy play Pele live with them once, but never saw Johnny Schier play with them.
Some years ago, Lee played drums with Physics, and is on the Physics CD, Physics 2. Denver was a founding member of Physics, but only appeared on their first CD, Physics 1.
That's the last musical involvement I've heard from Lee ... his playing is as distinct as Bill Bruford's, so I doubt that Lee is out there playing with anyone, or the tell-tale signs would make their way home.
Gabe has been involved in a few musical projects since then, a few Klezmer troupes on the East and West coast, playing with Rob and Pea in Optiganally Yours for a couple of years, and in a project called Free, with a bassist from Scottland, a bassist from San Diego and a percussionist from New Mexico.
Gabe does a lot of media advocacy / accuracy work as well, volunteering for organizations like FAIR, Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting (fair.org) and The NewStandard (newstandardnews.net).
Anyway. More than you ever thought you could want to know about Powerdresser musical and personnel history. From time to time, as new stuff shows up, it will probably make its way to mp3it.com
There are lyrics and some other notes about Powerdresser posted at www.unm.edu/~base/power.html , though the info has not been updated in ... a long time.
-- Jeff, in New Mexico
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