I’ve featured many bands from Iowa here at NSS. For some reason, to me the Iowa sound is a most refreshing middle-America noise. I like a lot of middle-America noise, be it the true Noize of Chicago, the rawk of Cleveland, or unique regional tastes from Milwaukee, or Kentucky or Nebraska…all these areas have their scenes & styles, but there’s always somethin' about Iowa.
Horny Genius was a seminal indie band from Iowa City, Iowa. Their rock style is just anarchic & frenetic enough: ringing guitar notes & off-kilter melody lines all supported by a tight rhythm section with an almost pop feel. The thematic content of their tunes veer between ethereal & everyman, between literary & lowbrow.
Version 1.0 started in 1983 in Monticello, Iowa as The Mental Midgets. They moved to Iowa City & performed as Version 2.0 – That Matters & Version 3.0 – The Repomen. Their first official gig as Horny Genius was at the University of Iowa Student Union in October 1985. That same year they released their first cassette, Dogs Under the Car.
This is their 1989 release Burn Your Sister, recorded at Smart Studios in Madison,WI with Butch Vig (Community 3 Records).
On Burn Your Sister, Horny Genius are: John McNeill – guitar, bass, & vocals; Mike Turnis – guitar, bass, & vocals; Scott Siegling – guitar; & Scott McWilliams – drums & percussion.
Side 1 –
Cha Cha with Hal
Mother Horta
Needlethreading
Trilobite / Going Down to Mexico
Cancel my Order
Side 2 –
Montanar Stomp
A Long Way to Rewind
Faults
Slap the Wall
A Case of 3
Crossed Wired
Enjoy,
NØ
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ReplyDeleteThanks for this. Aside from the fact that they look like a cool band from the shot featured, Butch Vig was monumental. It would be rude to suggest he had some kind of Ed Gein fixation, but nevermind. "Gish" is a personal favourite. As is SY's "Dirty".
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