Trumans Water

Last updated
Trumans Water
Origin San Diego, California
Portland, Oregon (since 1994)
Genres Indie rock, electronica
Years active1991–present
Labels Homestead Records, Drunken Fish
MembersKirk Branstetter
Kevin Branstetter
Mike Coumatos
John Schier
Past membersGlen Galloway
Ely Moyal
Andres Malinao
Kevin Cascell
Mike Lupro
Paul Haines
Website trumanswater.com

Trumans Water are an American indie rock band, hailing from San Diego, California. They have released over a dozen albums over their career, on which they collaborated with acts in genre, including Azalia Snail, Chan Marshall and Thurston Moore.

Contents

Background

Trumans Water was formed by the brothers Kirk and Kevin Branstetter, and the original drummer Jeff Jones in San Diego in 1991, after they were given a guitar and a bass guitar by a friend's father. [1] They advertised for a "lead singer, brain optional", and recruited Glen Galloway as a result. [1] Other members of the band have included Ely Moyal, Andres Malinao and Kevin Cascell. Captain Beefheart, Wire, The Boredoms, Sun City Girls, Pavement and Sonic Youth have all been identified as influences, and during the course of the band's history Trumans Water has produced experimental indie rock, often with a substantial element of improvisation. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] Kevin Branstetter described the band's approach in 1993: "The spirit of the thing is what we want to capture, mess things up, like totally skewing everything, destroying everything and still making it totally listenable" and their recording process: "We record everything live, all play at the same time". [6]

The disc jockey John Peel effectively shot the band to indie stardom in the UK when he played their first LP, Of Thick Tum , uninterrupted and in its entirety during an edition of his BBC Radio One show. [1] [7] The band subsequently recorded three sessions for Peel's show. [8]

The Branstetter brothers relocated to Portland, Oregon in 1994 without Galloway and are the only original members still active[ when? ] in the band. Galloway assumed the Glen Galaxy name to record as Soul-Junk, an experimental Christian rock band, before returning to Trumans Water in 1998. Kevin Branstetter subsequently moved to France in 1995.[ when? ] Being on different continents for the last several years has curbed their musical output but by no means stopped it; they have released six albums despite the geographical separation.

Trumans Water has recently[ when? ] added the bass guitar player Mike Coumatos after more than ten years touring and recording as a three piece (two guitars and drums). A new drummer, John Schier, has been added as well. [9]

Trumans Water has been cited as an influence by several bands including The Cribs. [10]

In 2011,[ when? ] Kevin Branstetter moved to France. Worlds Dirtiest Sport is his side project doing solo (or with guests) guitar/bass guitar/loops/noise songs. The project was started as an outlet when one or more other Trumans was unavailable.

Discography

Albums

Singles and EPs

Cassettes

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<i>Of Thick Tum</i> 1992 studio album by Trumans Water

Of Thick Tum is the first album by Trumans Water. BBC disc jockey John Peel heard this album and was so impressed by it that he played it in its entirety on his show. The band initially self-released a small pressing of this album on vinyl in 1992, with each copy in a handmade and unique jacket with inserts varying from locks of hair to photographs of their relatives. In his review of the follow-up, Spasm Smash XXXOXOX Ox & Ass in Melody Maker, Everett True stated that his copy had included "a Far Side birthday card, the foreword to a book on setting up private hospital rooms, an advice sheet on insurance, some small intestines, and a cloth sleeve which is too small for the LP to fit inside". The album was re-released in the United States by Homestead Records on CD and LP. Subsequent British and Japanese issues of the album contained considerable bonus material.

<i>Godspeed the Punchline</i> 1994 studio album by Trumans Water

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<i>Milktrain to Paydirt</i> 1995 studio album by Trumans Water

Milktrain to Paydirt is an album by Trumans Water. It was released in August 1995 by Homestead Records. It was their first studio album without Glen Galloway, and their first album with Kevin Cascell on drums. It was also their last release on the Homestead label. The song "Off-Peak Arson" features Thurston Moore on guitar. Trouser Press described the album: "The herky-jerky rhythms of "Unitraction Bath" and "Mnemonic Elf Lock" pack a particularly potent post-Fall punch, but that's not always enough to offset the self-congratulatory quirkiness that seems so ingrained in the band's approach".

<i>The Peel Sessions</i> (Trumans Water album) 1995 live album by Trumans Water

The Peel Sessions is a 1995 album by Trumans Water, released on the Strange Fruit label. It collects all of the songs recorded during their three appearances on John Peel's BBC Radio 1 program.

<i>10 x My Age</i> 1993 EP by Trumans Water

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Ross, Alex (1993) "Review/Pop; A Blend of Influences, With Dissonance", New York Times , 24 July 1993, retrieved 21 November 2009
  2. Bush, John "Trumans Water Biography", Allmusic , Macrovision Corporation, retrieved 21 November 2009
  3. Larkin, Colin (1998) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Indie & New Wave, Virgin Books, ISBN   0753502313, p. 448
  4. Floyd, John (1997) "God and Junk", Miami New Times , 13 February 2009, retrieved 21 November 2009
  5. Sprague, David "Trumans Water", Trouser Press , retrieved 22 November 2009
  6. 1 2 Terry, Nick (1993) "Trumans Water: The Roosevelt Underground", Lime Lizard, May 1993, p. 68-9
  7. Strong, Martin C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN   1-84195-335-0, p.1039-40
  8. Trumans Water, Keeping it Peel, BBC, retrieved 21 November 2009
  9. Stampone, David (2006) "Trumans Remains Undefeated", San Diego Reader , 5 October 2006, retrieved 21 November 2009
  10. Eliscu, Jenny (2005) "Album Reviews: The Cribs The New Fellas", Rolling Stone , 8 September 2005, retrieved 21 November 2009