Fibulator

Fibulator's musical madness is akin to the bizarre aesthetic of other California freaks like Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, or, more recently, Zoogz Rift and Residents, or, even more recently, Thinking Fellers Union Local 282. The Oakland (California) ensemble, that at different times included Ken Holt (bass), Chris "Heco" Davis (reeds and woodwinds), Perry Yung (guitar), Chris Whittal (drums) and his replacement Geoff Soule, and vocalists Sarah Arvey and Kris Langan, debuted with a self-produced and self-titled cassette, followed by the LP Even From Here You Look Big (Electro Motive, 1992). Second LP Drank From The Asphalt (Electro Motive, 1993) is considered their best. Unhammerlike (Silly Bird, 1994) is a spastic collage of garage-rock riffs, pop melodies, odd time signatures, and eccentric sounds and features their show's staple Angelina. After Kris Langan left the band, the group recorded the single Stupidedly (Silly Bird, 1995), but the record was never released to the public. Fibulator's members spread into other San Francisco Bay Area ensembles. GrndNtl Brnds (pronounced "Grand National Brands") is a supergroup of sorts formed by former Molecules' drummer Tom Scandura Giant Ant Farm' guitarist Dren McDonald, Fibulator's vocalist Kris Langan and Little My's bassist and keyboardist Rick Weldon. Communicating for Influence (Vaccination, 2000) is as colossal a nonsense as any of the Fibulator's albums. Mono Pause is a music and performance collective which includes Peter Conheim (of Wetgate and Negativland) playing bass and electronics, Mark Gergis on bass, electronics and drums, Erik Gergis on synthesizer, accordion and drums, Heco Davis (of Fibulator) on reeds, woodwinds and 78 record players, and Miles Stegall on drums. THe band has also included Geoff Soule (of Fibulator and Fuck) on drums, Brian Hall (Ubzub) and Mike Shizuru (Tone Locusts) on guitars and Mike REilly on trumpet. The cassette Set The Controls for the Head of the Duck (Electro Motive, 1996 - Qualipy, 1998) is a fully improvised jam for guitars, basses, horns, keyboards and toys that coined their "spy-fi" style. Peeping Through The Listen Hole (Electro Motive LP, 2000) is slightly more organized. The 1994 cassette Hearing Radio Through Your Teeth contains a live radio performance, the closest thing to Negativland's political sermons they have yet recorded. Geoff Soule Twish has his own Gramma Shroll project but is mainly known as a member of Fuck.