DaddyBird
Been waiting for this one for a long time, and the payoff is well worth it. Stang fulfills the promise offered by it's stellar membership, delivering soul and solace with every note. Drew's vocals whelm, as always. Marvelous.
Favorite track: Cockroach In A Ghost Town.
dkelvin
Released in 1973, it would have become a cult LP since it sounds as the perfect glam rock album (Bowie meets Bolan). But nothing plagiarist or passeist here. Just glam for our bleak times. The four members are top class and Drew Grow voice stunning.
Favorite track: Wilder.
Slang’s debut COCKROACH IN A GHOST TOWN is a force of nature that came, seemingly, out of nowhere. Lyricist/singer/guitarist Drew Grow and drummer/singer Janet Weiss started the band over a decade ago in Portland, OR—both having spent more than half their lives dedicated to making and performing music. Through the years, Weiss has played with everyone from her bands Quasi, Wild Flag, and Sleater-Kinney, to collaborators like Elliott Smith, Stephen Malkmus, and others.; Grow has fronted his own groups Modern Kin and the Pastors’ Wives, producing other bands along the way. Starting as a moonlighting collaboration, the meeting of this particular group was kismet if not totally cosmic.
In their first iteration as a duo, Slang hammered the Everly Brothers inside-out; they put a keen new light on songs by the Traveling Wilburys and Jackson C. Frank—setting out to harmonize together and just play. Following a homespun two-song cassette, the band grew to include Kathy Foster (Roseblood, The Thermals) on bass and Anita Lee Elliot (Viva Voce) on guitar/vocals—with record appearances made by Sam Coomes (Quasi), Stephen Malkmus (Pavement), Mary Timony (Helium, Ex Hex, Wild Flag) and others.
Recorded by Drew Grow & Janet Weiss at home except “Hit The City” & “Time Bomb” recorded by Adam Lee at Halfling Studios. Additional basic tracking by Adam Lee at Halfling: 1,2,7,9.
“In Hot Water” recorded by Patrick Tetreault at Feng Sway Studios.
All songs mixed & mastered by Nicolas Vernhes at Sand to Snow, Pioneertown, CA.
Cover painting by Michael Brophy, Kitchen Painting #19, 2008, gouache on paper, courtesy of the artist & Russo Lee Gallery Portland, OR.
Hand lettering & insert design by Paul Maziar.
Layout by Slang & Rob Jones.
THANK YOU!
Sam Coomes, Kathy Foster, Anita Lee Elliott, Mary Timony, Stephen Malkmus, Nicolas Vernhes, Adam Lee, Patrick Tetreault, Michael Brophy, Paul Maziar, Kill Rock Stars, Slim Moon, Rob Jones, Chris Funk, Julie Weiss, Rob Mackey, Gary Jarman, Chad Queirolo, Katie Brogan, Julie Butterfield, Rebecca Cole, Joanna Bolme, Patrick Stanton, Natasha Wheat, Jeremiah Hayden, Kris Doty, Kelli Shaefer, Denise Nontavarnit, Jenie Evans.
supported by 32 fans who also own “Cockroach in a Ghost Town”
Dirtbag Transformation: "What is this?" was my first reaction. But what an amazing song. It reminds me a bit of the Pixies in how it pulls together dissonance and then resolves. malfunction54
supported by 30 fans who also own “Cockroach in a Ghost Town”
A fantastic album. I can see why they didn't continue under the name The Evens, as it's a different sound with the bass added. Coriky is the Evens + Joe Lally from Fugazi on bass. If you can imagine The Evens with a slightly more funky, aggressive sound like Fugazi... that's what you get! And there's no way that can ever go wrong. What a great debut album!! smiledozer
Fans of orchestrated power pop and 60s-esque baroque with a weirdo twist will love Scott Yoder's brooding yet glammy classic pop songs. Bandcamp New & Notable Jan 20, 2024
supported by 24 fans who also own “Cockroach in a Ghost Town”
Sure, maybe my ears are ruined by the loudness wars, but it's hard to believe that this mix is the sound anyone was looking for. Every element sounds buried and distant to me, which is a shame since the songs are top-notch. Let's have a 13-month anniversary remix, eh? raeforr