Current (the old Michigan band)

[JGJR]

I'm listening to Coliseum (their only Lp) from 1993 now and remembering how much I liked it then. It's aged well, which isn't always the case with stuff from this era. Any other fans here? It's very DC-ish (heavily RoS and Soulside influenced to these ears), so if you all don't know them, you maybe should? As an aside, Dax Shepard was a friend/roadie of theirs and he mentioned it in his podcast a while back.

[BAIN]

amazing band

saw them once at the last Native Nod show at the Central Unitarian Church in Paramus with the Yah Mos and Angel Hair

[isolation73]

One of my favorite all-time bands. My old band was lucky enough to share the stage with them in spring of 94. Also saw them in the summer of 94 at the More Than Music fest in Dayton, Ohio. Their alter-ego band, Ottawa, also played (same members + 1 other vocalist). Used to play the heck out of their demo as well. Always loved the lyrics and vocal placement in their songs. Great riffs.

[drew]

Current was great, especially those 7"s Never got to see them. Chino Horde is another band from that era that holds up.

[BAIN]

Current was great, especially those 7"s Never got to see them. Chino Horde is another band from that era that holds up.

Is it bad that 99% of my collection is from that era?

Favorites include

Navio Forge
Indian Summer
Heroin
Bob Tilton
Car vs. Driver
Merel
Greyhouse
Ordination of Aaron
Antioch Arrow
Lincoln
Policy of 3
Mohinder
Hoover
Rye Coalition (early records)
Still Life
Manumission
Sideshow
Drive Like Jehu
John Henry West
Native Nod
Unwound

[lewdd]

Create a spotify playlist for us as I have never listened to any of those bands and never heard of most of them

[scannest]

I can dig most of these bands in small doses, but there is a complete and utter lack of FUN involved that keeps me from really connecting with this stuff. I remember going to stores and staring at all these singles with grey and black covers with small, obscure fonts. Lots of dudes yelling and stomping around, looking like they were trying to throw their guitars in the air if only their straps wouldn't get in the way.

[JGJR]

amazing band

saw them once at the last Native Nod show at the Central Unitarian Church in Paramus with the Yah Mos and Angel Hair

I was at that same show. We may have had this discussion before, but I can't remember, honestly, and don't feel like digging into old posts. In any case, I got there too late to see Angel Hair (who I was a fan of at the time, too; I definitely remember having that 1st 7" and a split) and the Yah-Mos, unfortunately, and never got to see either, but that's the only time I ever got to see Current or Native Nod. As a post-script, I met one of the members of Native Nod about a year ago when we were at adjacent tables at a record fair here in NYC and I asked him about that show. It turned out that NN had already broken up and that was a reunion show. As an aside, he lived in Japan for a while and had a lot of rare Japanese stuff, electronica, jazz, etc. And oh yeah; I also ran into Charles (who booked that show) about a year ago at another record fair I worked in Asbury Park.

[JGJR]

Create a spotify playlist for us as I have never listened to any of those bands and never heard of most of them

They're not on Spotify (a lot of that stuff isn't), unfortunately, but there is an amazing YouTube account that has a lot of these types of records. Follow that link or just let it auto-play and you're in for some real treats.

[JGJR]

I can dig most of these bands in small doses, but there is a complete and utter lack of FUN involved that keeps me from really connecting with this stuff. I remember going to stores and staring at all these singles with grey and black covers with small, obscure fonts. Lots of dudes yelling and stomping around, looking like they were trying to throw their guitars in the air if only their straps wouldn't get in the way.

I like this stuff more than you do (a lot more), but I can kinda feel that. it appealed to me greatly as an unfun sXe teenager, but once I hit 20 and started well not being sXe, not as much. Still, there's osme amazing stuff from that period that I can still dig.

[JGJR]

Current was great, especially those 7"s Never got to see them. Chino Horde is another band from that era that holds up.

Oh yes; the split with Chino Horde and the last 7" is some of their very best stuff, I think.

[JGJR]

Current was great, especially those 7"s Never got to see them. Chino Horde is another band from that era that holds up.

Is it bad that 99% of my collection is from that era?

Favorites include

Navio Forge
Indian Summer
Heroin
Bob Tilton
Car vs. Driver
Merel
Greyhouse
Ordination of Aaron
Antioch Arrow
Lincoln
Policy of 3
Mohinder
Hoover
Rye Coalition (early records)
Still Life
Manumission
Sideshow
Drive Like Jehu
John Henry West
Native Nod
Unwound

Brings back a lot of memories; I saw many (though not all) of these bands back then and enjoyed many of them, bought the records, etc. I recently sold a copy of Dead Dog Summer (Policy of 3's only Lp) that I got from a collection and after playing it, want one for myself because it's held up really well. Of all the Unwound stuff, the last Lp Leaves Turn Inside Out is by far my favorite these days. I still love Drive Like Jehu, especially the 1st Lp. And that Heroin 7" on Gravity is amazing, too.

[Gary]

I also find a lot of that stuff has not held up,I've sold a ton over the past few years,with a ton more still to go. But there are definitely keepers amongst it.
Somehow Current seem to have passed me by. Had a look and I don't think I owned anything by them.

[JGJR]

I also find a lot of that stuff has not held up,I've sold a ton over the past few years,with a ton more still to go. But there are definitely keepers amongst it.
Somehow Current seem to have passed me by. Had a look and I don't think I owned anything by them.

Same; I sold or traded a lot of it in the '90s and have sold or traded other things in the past few years as well. I still wish I'd held on to a few things and have rebought certain things, but that's the minority, I think. I still have a lot of affinity for that time period/era/scene, though, because I kinda came up in it, etc.

[gregpolard]

Were they the band on the Embrace tribute that covered "Dance of Days"? If so, I remember enjoying their take.

[JGJR]

Were they the band on the Embrace tribute that covered "Dance of Days"? If so, I remember enjoying their take.

Yeah; definitely one of the best bands on there. I'm pretty sure I had that tribute Lp.

[FlexMyHead]

I have the LP and a 7" on Council Records, haven't listened to them in a while, so thanks for reminder.

My thought for many of those types of bands was usually (1) is Sarah Kirsch (nee Mike) in the band (2) if YES, buy record immediately. (3) if no, try to read a review first.

Some of the bands listed (great list of that type of "band/mood/genre" by the way) were pretty poppy and more upbeat, but yeah it seemed more like attitude/presentation than being interactive and having a good time.

Does anybody remember the old board member from (maybe?) WI or that part of the country that had an awesome sounding Revolution Summer type band? I was trying to think of it the other day to see if they had stuff online and I can't remember it...we've had some talented fucks put out stuff over the years that is for sure.

[FlexMyHead]

Oh speaking of Hoover (well, you listed them, didn't speak of them), I happened to be backstage at the Black Cat and found myself in front of Tim/Lint Armstrong (my friend's band had the show but Rancid ended up headlining as a secret show) and after a few seconds I said something like "Uh, hey I saw you play here in DC with Hoover a few years back". For whatever reason (I mumbled, loud sound, he was fucked up) he said "Oh you are in Hoover, I fucking loved playing with you guys". I tried to correct him, but he didn't seem to notice and a few times that night he called me "hoover guy". It made it even better that the bands played together the next night in Boston and I went along and he continued to call me "the guy from Hoover", which lead to a few awkward stares from other people as I most certainly wasn't in Hoover. But for two glorious nights, I had Tim thinking I was in Hoover.

[the mean]

saw them once at the last Native Nod show at the Central Unitarian Church in Paramus with the Yah Mos and Angel Hair

I was at this show on tour with The Yah Mos.

Current is pretty much my favorite band from that scene/era. Played with them a bunch. Their best stuff is the last seven songs they recorded. Four of them are on the "Current is 4" 7" and the other three ended up on comps.

[fiestaware]

there is a complete and utter lack of FUN involved that keeps me from really connecting with this stuff. I remember going to stores and staring at all these singles with grey and black covers with small, obscure fonts.

This sums up how I felt about that stuff then, and now. Music with no spark whatsoever.

I'd never heard that Embrace covers comp, mostly because the bands on it fall into ^this category. It's on youtube, gave it a listen, and it's slightly comic/lacking in imagination - no surprises. Except this one, which stands out:

[FormerLurker]

where THE FUCK is jaybird?

[BAIN]

"there is a complete and utter lack of FUN involved"

one my favorite parts about seeing these type of shows back in the day

didn't have a group of idiots slamming around taking our attention off what was important = the music

but I get it, more than 3 chords gets confusing to take in some times.

[JGJR]

saw them once at the last Native Nod show at the Central Unitarian Church in Paramus with the Yah Mos and Angel Hair

I was at this show on tour with The Yah Mos.

Current is pretty much my favorite band from that scene/era. Played with them a bunch. Their best stuff is the last seven songs they recorded. Four of them are on the "Current is 4" 7" and the other three ended up on comps.

I loved that 7" at the time. I think that and the splits with Chino Horde and Indian Summer have their best material, personally. Going to YouTube to listen to that 7".

[scannest]

Create a spotify playlist for us as I have never listened to any of those bands and never heard of most of them

They're not on Spotify

It is. I listened to it yesterday. Gotta search on both "Current" and "Coliseum".

[FlexMyHead]

Well done! Somebody got my Rancid and Embrace cover tie in! I fear I go over people's heads like an aeroplane!

[JGJR]

Create a spotify playlist for us as I have never listened to any of those bands and never heard of most of them

They're not on Spotify

It is. I listened to it yesterday. Gotta search on both "Current" and "Coliseum".

Oh shit, thank you. Found it! What did you think?

[jaybird]

where THE FUCK is jaybird?

LOL.


Being a native Michigander, I do vaguely remember this whole scene and the various associated bands, and pretty much did not give a fuck about any of it then or now, for similar reasons as what others have mentioned - a lot of pretentious, "wanna-be D.C.-isms/worst parts of Fugazi" type shit. Zero interest from me and most people I hung out with.

[the mean]

The Sparkmarker song is the best song on that Embrace covers comp.

The whole "those dudes are no fun" is such garbage. Not everyone is Stikky.

[JGJR]

The Sparkmarker song is the best song on that Embrace covers comp.

The whole "those dudes are no fun" is such garbage. Not everyone is Stikky.

This is probably not a popular opinion, but I enjoy Stikky much more than Spazz. Where's My Lunchpail? is so much fun.

[Jaygun]

I'm listening to Coliseum (their only Lp) from 1993 now and remembering how much I liked it then. It's aged well, which isn't always the case with stuff from this era. Any other fans here? It's very DC-ish (heavily RoS and Soulside influenced to these ears), so if you all don't know them, you maybe should? As an aside, Dax Shepard was a friend/roadie of theirs and he mentioned it in his podcast a while back.

Fun to stumble across this thread. It's been a bit since I've been on here. So Dax and Justin Labo from Current/Ottawa are cousins. I used to work for Dax's mom company for a bit, along with every other band dude in Detroit. Jay Navarro was in Roosevelt's Inaugural Parade, with Scott Ray who was in Current on the first 7", and convinced me to move to Detroit to play guitar in Cleons Down with him. Justin Labo played guitar for a second in Cleons Down at the beginning. I fucking loved Current, part of why I agreed to move to Detroit, I wanted to be part of where that style of music was coming from. Man, now I miss the 90s

[gregpolard]

I'm listening to Coliseum (their only Lp) from 1993 now and remembering how much I liked it then. It's aged well, which isn't always the case with stuff from this era. Any other fans here? It's very DC-ish (heavily RoS and Soulside influenced to these ears), so if you all don't know them, you maybe should? As an aside, Dax Shepard was a friend/roadie of theirs and he mentioned it in his podcast a while back.

Fun to stumble across this thread. It's been a bit since I've been on here. So Dax and Justin Labo from Current/Ottawa are cousins. I used to work for Dax's mom company for a bit, along with every other band dude in Detroit. Jay Navarro was in Roosevelt's Inaugural Parade, with Scott Ray who was in Current on the first 7", and convinced me to move to Detroit to play guitar in Cleons Down with him. Justin Labo played guitar for a second in Cleons Down at the beginning. I fucking loved Current, part of why I agreed to move to Detroit, I wanted to be part of where that style of music was coming from. Man, now I miss the 90s

I definitely miss the 90's! There was a podcast I heard where he interviewed Pete from Fall Out Boy and they started talking about the 90's HC stuff, it was cool.

[JGJR]

I'm listening to Coliseum (their only Lp) from 1993 now and remembering how much I liked it then. It's aged well, which isn't always the case with stuff from this era. Any other fans here? It's very DC-ish (heavily RoS and Soulside influenced to these ears), so if you all don't know them, you maybe should? As an aside, Dax Shepard was a friend/roadie of theirs and he mentioned it in his podcast a while back.

Fun to stumble across this thread. It's been a bit since I've been on here. So Dax and Justin Labo from Current/Ottawa are cousins. I used to work for Dax's mom company for a bit, along with every other band dude in Detroit. Jay Navarro was in Roosevelt's Inaugural Parade, with Scott Ray who was in Current on the first 7", and convinced me to move to Detroit to play guitar in Cleons Down with him. Justin Labo played guitar for a second in Cleons Down at the beginning. I fucking loved Current, part of why I agreed to move to Detroit, I wanted to be part of where that style of music was coming from. Man, now I miss the 90s

I didn't know you lived in Detroit or had any connection to Current or that scene or that Justin and Dax are cousins (which makes sense). Thanks for chiming in. Oh and Justin much later was and maybe still is in a SF noise-pop/dream-pop/shoegaze band called Film School. I loved their 1st Lp in 2006.

[Jaygun]

I'm listening to Coliseum (their only Lp) from 1993 now and remembering how much I liked it then. It's aged well, which isn't always the case with stuff from this era. Any other fans here? It's very DC-ish (heavily RoS and Soulside influenced to these ears), so if you all don't know them, you maybe should? As an aside, Dax Shepard was a friend/roadie of theirs and he mentioned it in his podcast a while back.

Fun to stumble across this thread. It's been a bit since I've been on here. So Dax and Justin Labo from Current/Ottawa are cousins. I used to work for Dax's mom company for a bit, along with every other band dude in Detroit. Jay Navarro was in Roosevelt's Inaugural Parade, with Scott Ray who was in Current on the first 7", and convinced me to move to Detroit to play guitar in Cleons Down with him. Justin Labo played guitar for a second in Cleons Down at the beginning. I fucking loved Current, part of why I agreed to move to Detroit, I wanted to be part of where that style of music was coming from. Man, now I miss the 90s

I didn't know you lived in Detroit or had any connection to Current or that scene or that Justin and Dax are cousins (which makes sense). Thanks for chiming in. Oh and Justin much later was and maybe still is in a SF noise-pop/dream-pop/shoegaze band called Film School. I loved their 1st Lp in 2006.

Here's even more 6 degrees shit. Justin played in Film School, with Dave Dupuis, who I meet from the Amusement Parks On Fire dudes, who has a band called Nightmare Air, that I ended up hooking up Jimmy, who played in Noise by Numbers with me, up with. He's their drummer now. And, Jimmy is originally from Detroit as well. Ha!

[xxxMidgexxx]

I'm listening to Coliseum (their only Lp) from 1993 now and remembering how much I liked it then. It's aged well, which isn't always the case with stuff from this era. Any other fans here? It's very DC-ish (heavily RoS and Soulside influenced to these ears), so if you all don't know them, you maybe should? As an aside, Dax Shepard was a friend/roadie of theirs and he mentioned it in his podcast a while back.

good stuff

[xxxMidgexxx]

The Sparkmarker song is the best song on that Embrace covers comp.

The whole "those dudes are no fun" is such garbage. Not everyone is Stikky.

That comp is not a shining star. Just saying

[BAIN]

The Sparkmarker song is the best song on that Embrace covers comp.

The whole "those dudes are no fun" is such garbage. Not everyone is Stikky.

That comp is not a shining star. Just saying

Completely agree.

Sometimes perfection should not be attempted to be covered.

It was a nice idea and a benefit for a cause, but completely unneeded.

While I like most of the bands work outside of this comp. It truly has no playback quality.

[the mean]

The Sound Of Indie youtube channel got wiped off the internet because of a copyright claim. Can't find the full Current video from the show we played with them in Detroit in 93 (there's one song that is still up.) I watched that video for years (I've got the VHS) and their dorky friend shows up, turning to the camera making a bunch of faces and mouthing the lyrics. Turns out that was Dax Shepard.

[isolation73]

Almost forgot: Gregor. They put out a 7" and only played a few shows. Current minus Matt on vocals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJrDeBKKKQ4

[isolation73]

Good news for Current fans. Council Records is back and the Current discography is available for purchase.
https://current-hc.bandcamp.com

[B.S.]

Does anybody remember the old board member from (maybe?) WI or that part of the country that had an awesome sounding Revolution Summer type band? I was trying to think of it the other day to see if they had stuff online and I can't remember it...we've had some talented fucks put out stuff over the years that is for sure.

MONUMENT! You can find the recording on Data-Control records bandcamp. I wish they did more stuff.

Current rules so much. The Coliseum LP has some Avail-esque moments if they added more of a discordant/screamy vibe. They knocked it out of the park with the Is 4 7" though, which I believe was their last release. No one is really doing anything similar these days. That Calvary record is highly underrated in many circles though.

Matt Weeks is doing a new band called Wrong War, who would've been perfect as a "Jade Tree hardcore punk" band in the sense that they kinda remind me of Trial By Fire and Paint it Black.