With the rise in popularity of bands like Deerhoof, Black Dice and Wolf Eyes, I have to think back to a great band that bridged the void between the new noise and the old freakout scene of Butthole Surfers. Caroliner changed their name with each album or single they put out. Each output was hand packaged in a manner that reflected a day-glo hobo's nest. From the Caroliner Rainbow Hernia Milk Queen "Rear End Hernia Puppet Show" Lp (my copy came packaged in a sleeve festooned with creosote and the contents of a vacuum cleaner bag) to Caroliner Rainbow Susans and Bruisins "The Cooking Stove Beast" Lp (this one packaged in a chopped up and half-unraveled sweater and water-damaged paged from a WWII era diary), each record was a sonic haystack compiled of garbled falsettos, banjos and over-blown hurdy-gurdys. Even more legendary are the tales of Caroliner concert performances. Two day set-ups, playing in the rafters, musicians buried beneath giant, shapeless, flourecent piles of costuming were just part of the experience. Caroliner actually played the chaotic compositions of their records, which i think none of us thought possible.
Keep your eyes open. It's been over 20 years since their formation but rumors abound that they still play live on ocassion. And the records do pop up from time to time.
Find out more about Caroliner straight from the singing bull's mouth:
< Interview 1 > < Interview 2 >
1 comment:
It pleases me to read anything concerning Caroliner, even though 2 years old =)
Reason for commenting is to say that Caroliner are in the process of re-releasing some of their more classic albums on CDr via Brutalsoundfx - featuring approximations of the cover artwork and, of course, the essential lyric sheet. In case you never heard their 2xLP "Wine Can't Do It, Wife Won't Do!" (2003) this has recently been added as well. Sheer luxury =)!
New album in the works as well.
Very strange that everyone keeps insisting that their records are hard to come by, since much of the back catalog is available through bsfx.
Cheers, and mirthful listening!
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