The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 15, 1996, Page 4, Image 4
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V V.
Daniel l? Howl* and tho Tantrums will
Daniell
JOHN LYONS Staff Writer
Danielle Howie and the Tantrums
one of Columbia's most promising bands
will be opening tonight for Man oi
Astroman? at Rockafellas'.
The band's four members spoke witl
The Gamecock Monday night befor<
performing a live, acoustic set on WUSC
FM90.5.
The band formed from the ashes o
two veiy popular, now defunct Columbi;
bands, Lay Quiet Awhile and Blightobody
When asked about the difference!
between the new and old bands, guitaris
John Furr said simply, "We're differen
players."
Bassist Bryan Williams elaborated
"I think we play a lot more of Danielle'i
songs too. Lay Quiet Awhile was mori
of a collective effort."
Furr and Williams were formerly ii
Blightobody.
The Lay Quiet Awhile portion of th<
band is Danielle Howie on vocals ant
acoustic and electric guitars and Tom
Tague on drums.
The Tantrums originally formed a
a backup band for Howie's solo recording
Williams did not join until they decidet
to form as a complete unit.
They have received a very positivi
J
K4HkisS ffl
P>V^I
bo opening for Mm or AstroniM? at Rock
e's throi
response for such a young band, and
Howie's long-awaited release "About To
, Burst," which features the Tantrums on
, several tracks, should be out by April,
r Howie said, "Ifs one of those things
where you say your record's gonna come
i out, and it doesn't."
i The compact disc was originally meant
to be released in October and has had
several setbacks,
f "We've seen it. Ifs all ready to go, so
i it won't be long," Furr said.
Part of the band's appeal has been
3 the history of its members. Each of them
t is well-established in the Columbia area,
t Tague teased Furr and said, "People
recognize John everywhere we go. It's
because of that Playgirl spread he did."
s Furr and Tague have a side project
e together that goes by the name of Cherry
Cherry Pow Pow. <
i When asked if any recording was
underway, Furr said the band is very
s big in Germany and Italy,
i Howie is pursuing a solo career in
f addition to playing with the band. She
recently won best female singer in
s Columbia in a Free Times poll.
"I feel like I have a lot of support,"
i she said, "but I still have to wake up
everyday and come up with new songs,
3 so it doesn't really go to my head. If
%ice
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E.
of Alias' tonight. For mors Information,
iving a 1
anything, it humbles me because it mea
that people believe in me, and they ma
me feel good about doing the next thin
All four said they were excited abc
tonight's show at Rockafellas', and Fi
said, "I can't wait to blow Ghettoblasl
off the stage."
Thev all lauehed at this, and Williaj
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explained, "We've made a pact to sh
a feud with some band in Columbi
When asked where the band w
going, Williams said in a jovial mann
"to the top, baby; all the way."
Howie inteijected and said, "We j
want to make good records."
During both the interview and 1
live set on WUSC, the band was relai
and joked around.
Howie flicked tiny wads of paj
across the table at Furr during t
interview and wandered around the ro
examining the contents.
The light-hearted attitude is just (
way the band is different from Blightob*
and Lay Quiet Awhile.
"See, with Blightobody, we scrounj
and hurt and payed our dues," Furr si
"We drove four hours, played for $50
two people, and in this band we're tak
a little bit different philosophy.
"We still have to be exposed, but wi
concentrating more on making gc
It
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Photo special to The Gamecock \
cal RockafeHas' at 252-7625. j
fantrum
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ins music and taking our time and selecting e
ike good performances" ^
g" "We haven't toured," Howie said. "We
>ut just kinda play around." c
irr The band has been playing about k
ter once a month in Columbia and has played
shows in Atlanta, Charleston and 2
ms Charlotte. 11
irt In comparing the music scenes of
a." Columbia and Charleston, Tague and v
ras Furr agreed that Columbia has more ti
ter, talent, but Charleston has a stronger d
base of support from fans. 8
.._? xinn: - j J
usi Williams uisogiwu anu stuu lie uiuias
Charleston currently has a stronger i]
;he scene. ^
ted Howie said, "Thats whafs great about
music; its something to talk about. Some
>er bands you like, and some bands you don't
he Its fun. a
om "Everybody can relate to music," she
said. "Music's in everybody's life, even ^
me if they don't buy it. Its always in your o:
xiy face. Its like TV; everyone's seen a TV,
everyone's heard music. Everybody can ^
?ed sing, some people just don't."
rid. The excitement for Danielle Howie h
for and the Tantrums is well-deserved, and ?
ing tonights show with Ghettoblaster and
Man or Astroman? provides an n
s're opportunity to see two talented local n
tod bands with a better-known headliner. v
111 W#fl|
Tl
Man or Astron
Columbia "gee
K>HN LYONS Staff Writer lik,
Biitlstuff, Coco the Electric Monkey it i
Vizard, Star Crunch and Dexter X, Man r0(
<Yom Planet Q. rec
Characters in a new children's show?
Remnants of B-movies from the '50s? C0E
Well, not quite... ag
It's actually a list of the band
nembers of Man or Astroman?, masters he
if an uncanny "sonic mayhem." wo
The core members of the band are
Birdstuff, Coco and Star Crunch. aU(
Birdstuff told The Gamecock Dexter X the
inly plays with the band during live the
lets.
Dexter X is actually "a bounty the
lunterhe said. "All he does is conquer "to
)lanets, most recently planet Q. But we
leed him live." at ]
Strange? no
That's just the beginning.
Birdstuff took time this week to mo
liscuss the band's show tonight at wo
lockafellas'but spent more time tak
sxplaining just who and what Man or
Lstroman? are. tele
He said he is the "self-declared inn
lictator" of the group and that he and
Itar Crunch are "gaseous Siamese twins." ^
"Star Crunch and I took a joyride ^ i
ind built Coco," he said. "He's primarily
nade of old Atari parts." auc
Due to an intergalactic slip-up in (j0 (
vhich Coco spilt urine in the ship, the he
rio crashed on Earth, or as Birdstuff
escribes it, "on this menial lump of a c y
pace rock." ^ei
"We ended up in the strangest place sho
i the universe, and that is southern
Jabama," he said. we
He describes their situation as a sh0
losmic 'Gilligan's Island." paij
Man or Astroman? was formed as
cover-up for the search for parts of tha
heir spacecraft. They are originally ?wi
'om grid sector 23-B6-1 but have been nov
n Earth for about three years. Sou
The band recently moved from
Jabama to Georgia. Bin
"We broke out of the Alabama black top
ole, the heart of the Dixie ghetto," the
lirdstuff said. <
When pressed to discuss the band's h o
lusic, he told The Gamecock, "We've Ght
ever even heard our music. Space is a on )
acuum. I don't know what we sound p.m
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lursday, February 15, 1996
nan? offers
?k rock"
e."
Regardless of who has or hasnt heard
the band's sonic fusion of surf guitar
:k and indie '60s garage rock has
:eived critical praise.
Man or Astroman have been
apared to surf rock great Dick Dale
well as some early punk rockers.
Birdstuff recalled one show where
refused to play to see how the audience
uld respond.
The band pulled a member of the
dience onstage to play drums and
:n formed an entirely new band from
! audience.
Birdstuff said they finished the set
iugh, because the audience band was
o much competition."
When asked about the show tonight
Rockafellas', Birdstuff said, "There's
telling what will happen."
The band "just got off a little sixnth
brainwashing stint all across the
rid and plans a temporary cerebral
;eover," he said.
The band's live shows incorporate
jvisions and spacesuits among other
ovations and have been highly praised.
Birdstuff said he can't accept much
iit, though, and cites their hypobeam
their real source of success.
After the hypobeam is used on an
lience, "people have no choice but to
everything short of worshipping us,"
said.
Birdstuff describes it as "kind of
berkinetic geek-rock
doad..everything your sensory intake
uld ever have."
"We're more professional dorks than
are a band," he said. "It (the show) v
uld be harmless though, and not too
nful."
They are coming off of a world tour
it took them everywhere from
tzerland to Tasmania, and they are
r concentrating on performing in the
theast.
In regard to the show at Rockafellas',
istuff said he was "looking forward
ieople wearing baseball hats with
word "cocks" on them."
They will be playing with Danielle
wle and the Tantrums and
sttoblaster and will do an interview
VUSC-FM 90.5 between 7:30 and 8
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