Country Teasers
Encyclopedia
Country Teasers is a Scottish art punk
band formed in 1993.
Early Country Teasers albums were characterised by illiterate, scathingly satirical lyrics and discordant, repetitive sound – like William S. Burroughs
leading Joy Division
or The Fall through a setlist of art-damaged country and western songs.
Later Teasers releases branched out to "abuse not only country & western but every other genre they can get their hands on, including rap, goth, punk, folk, disco, electronic, and noise," leading to comparisons with other home-recording deconstructionists like Royal Trux
, Butthole Surfers
and Ween
. Frontman and songwriter Ben Wallers
's lyrics have elicited comparisons to Jonathan Swift
, Bill Hicks
and Chris Morris
, provoking the audience with unorthodox standpoints and purposefully offensive vocabulary in order to force them to question their own opinions. ""Evil country outfit" Country Teasers are led by the enigmatic singer/guitarist BR Wallers. Their discordant aural assault is filled out with bitingly ironic lyrics, poking fun at racism and sexism by inhabiting the minds of the losers that purvey these attitudes." "Like moralistic ’80s punks Crass, the Country Teasers make their statement, but they use humor to do it, as opposed to histrionic art-house punk screech… They find your comfort zone and blissfully stomp all over it." The Teasers' live shows are infamously unpredictable fusions of alcohol-or-whatever-fueled unprofessionalism and high-concept performance art, or in the words of the New York Press: "Country Teasers does art better than Sonic Youth and drunkenness better than The Pogues—and doesn’t need art or liquor to be confrontational bastards." Country Teasers are often compared to The Fall, although as Static Party's Ryan W points out, "it's not in the chord structures or the Northern (UK) accent, it's in the feel they create akin to the early Fall records that a truly creative brain is battering against resistance (self or other) to create something meaningful to itself. If you get something from it as well... Art! Put on a CT record and read the Maakies
comics, it's better than bread and chocolate."
Wallers also performs solo material under the stage name of The Rebel
. Dusted magazine described The Rebel's album "K.I.T." as "a celebration of pop experimentalism and DIY noise that would fit on the same shelf as early Cabaret Voltaire or Severed Heads in its scope, and any Fall album from their first decade in its depth. Despondent, scowling, and alone, the spell of Kit is hard to shake, and gives credence to even the Country Teasers’ most caustic works." Graham Brodie is currently away in Thailand mixing a gramophone record about the early poetry of Gary Glitter.
Another sometime member of the band is playwright Simon Stephens
.
Art punk
Art punk or avant punk refers to punk rock of an experimental bent, or with connections to art school, the art world, or the avant garde....
band formed in 1993.
Early Country Teasers albums were characterised by illiterate, scathingly satirical lyrics and discordant, repetitive sound – like William S. Burroughs
William S. Burroughs
William Seward Burroughs II was an American novelist, poet, essayist and spoken word performer. A primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodernist author, he is considered to be "one of the most politically trenchant, culturally influential, and innovative artists of the 20th...
leading Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
or The Fall through a setlist of art-damaged country and western songs.
Later Teasers releases branched out to "abuse not only country & western but every other genre they can get their hands on, including rap, goth, punk, folk, disco, electronic, and noise," leading to comparisons with other home-recording deconstructionists like Royal Trux
Royal Trux
Royal Trux was an American alternative rock band from 1987 to 2001, founded by Neil Hagerty and Jennifer Herrema .-History:...
, Butthole Surfers
Butthole Surfers
Butthole Surfers is an American alternative rock band formed by Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary in San Antonio, Texas in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but its core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer King Coffey has been consistent since 1983. Teresa Nervosa served as second...
and Ween
Ween
Ween is an American alternative rock group. They formed in 1984 in New Hope, Pennsylvania when central members Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo met in an eighth grade typing class. Ween has a large cult underground fanbase despite being generally unknown in American pop music...
. Frontman and songwriter Ben Wallers
Ben Wallers
Benedict Roger Wallers is the frontman, guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for the band Country Teasers. His lyrics often deal with taboo subjects such as racism, sexism and xenophobia from first-person standpoints...
's lyrics have elicited comparisons to Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift was an Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer , poet and cleric who became Dean of St...
, Bill Hicks
Bill Hicks
William Melvin "Bill" Hicks was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, satirist, and musician. His material largely consisted of general discussions about society, religion, politics, philosophy, and personal issues. Hicks' material was often controversial and steeped in dark comedy...
and Chris Morris
Chris Morris (satirist)
Christopher Morris is an English satirist, writer, director and actor. A former radio DJ, he is best known for anchoring the spoof news and current affairs television programmes The Day Today and Brass Eye, as well as his frequent engagement with controversial subject matter.In 2010 Morris...
, provoking the audience with unorthodox standpoints and purposefully offensive vocabulary in order to force them to question their own opinions. ""Evil country outfit" Country Teasers are led by the enigmatic singer/guitarist BR Wallers. Their discordant aural assault is filled out with bitingly ironic lyrics, poking fun at racism and sexism by inhabiting the minds of the losers that purvey these attitudes." "Like moralistic ’80s punks Crass, the Country Teasers make their statement, but they use humor to do it, as opposed to histrionic art-house punk screech… They find your comfort zone and blissfully stomp all over it." The Teasers' live shows are infamously unpredictable fusions of alcohol-or-whatever-fueled unprofessionalism and high-concept performance art, or in the words of the New York Press: "Country Teasers does art better than Sonic Youth and drunkenness better than The Pogues—and doesn’t need art or liquor to be confrontational bastards." Country Teasers are often compared to The Fall, although as Static Party's Ryan W points out, "it's not in the chord structures or the Northern (UK) accent, it's in the feel they create akin to the early Fall records that a truly creative brain is battering against resistance (self or other) to create something meaningful to itself. If you get something from it as well... Art! Put on a CT record and read the Maakies
Maakies
Maakies is a syndicated weekly comic strip by Tony Millionaire. It began publication in February 1994 in the New York Press. It currently runs in many American alternative newsweeklies including The Stranger, LA Weekly and Only...
comics, it's better than bread and chocolate."
Wallers also performs solo material under the stage name of The Rebel
Ben Wallers
Benedict Roger Wallers is the frontman, guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for the band Country Teasers. His lyrics often deal with taboo subjects such as racism, sexism and xenophobia from first-person standpoints...
. Dusted magazine described The Rebel's album "K.I.T." as "a celebration of pop experimentalism and DIY noise that would fit on the same shelf as early Cabaret Voltaire or Severed Heads in its scope, and any Fall album from their first decade in its depth. Despondent, scowling, and alone, the spell of Kit is hard to shake, and gives credence to even the Country Teasers’ most caustic works." Graham Brodie is currently away in Thailand mixing a gramophone record about the early poetry of Gary Glitter.
Another sometime member of the band is playwright Simon Stephens
Simon Stephens
Simon Stephens is an English playwright.Hailing originally from Stockport, Greater Manchester, he is now an increasingly significant voice in English theatre. His plays are often humane explorations of family life...
.
Albums
- The Pastoral - Not Rustic - World of Their Greatest HitsThe Pastoral - Not Rustic - World of Their Greatest HitsThe Pastoral - Not Rustic - World of Their Greatest Hits is the 1995 debut album by Country Teasers. The compact disc release adds "Anytime, Cowboy" and "No.1 Man" from the Crypt single, which was recorded in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1993.-Side one:...
(1995, Crypt RecordsCrypt RecordsCrypt Records is a Hamburg-based record label and record store founded by Tim Warren. The label is perhaps best known for issuing the eight-volume Back From The Grave Series of garage rock compilations, although its reissues and releases include surf, rockabilly, punk rock, exotica, garage punk,...
) - Satan Is Real Again, or Feeling Good About Bad ThoughtsSatan Is Real Again, or Feeling Good About Bad ThoughtsSatan Is Real Again, or Feeling Good About Bad Thoughts, released in 1996, is the second album by Country Teasers.-Side one:#"The Wide-Open Beaver of Nashville" – 2:16#"Black Change" – 1:30#"Panty Shots" – 4:32#"It Is My Duty" – 6:53...
(1996, Crypt Records) - Back to the Future, or Brideshead Revisitted RevisittedBack to the Future, or Brideshead Revisitted RevisittedBack to the Future, or Brideshead Revisitted Revisitted is a 1998 CD which compiles studio out-takes, home recordings, live tracks and various odds and ends by Country Teasers...
(1998, Guided MissileGuided MissileGuided Missile is a London based independent record label set up by Paul Kearney in 1994.Guided Missile has always focused on 'the underground', preferring to put out a steady flow of releases and developing the numerous GM events around London and beyond....
) - Destroy All Human LifeDestroy All Human LifeDestroy All Human Life is the third studio album by Country Teasers, recorded by Fred Baggs.-Side one:#"Reynard the Fox" – 5:10#"Golden Apples" – 3:28#"David I Hope You Don't Mind" – 5:07#"Hairy Wine" – 3:30...
(1999, Fat Possum) - Science Hat Artistic Cube Moral Nosebleed EmpireScience Hat Artistic Cube Moral Nosebleed EmpireScience Hat Artistic Cube Moral Nosebleed Empire is an album by Country Teasers which compiles songs from seven-inch singles with home recordings and studio out-takes.-Side one:#"Getaway!"#"I Get Hard"#"I'm a New Person, Ma'am"...
(2002, In the RedIn the Red RecordsIn the Red Records is an independent record label in Los Angeles, CA formed in 1991 by Larry Hardy. It is known for hosting garage punk related bands on its label....
) - Secret Weapon Revealed at Last, or Full Moon Empty SportsbagSecret Weapon Revealed at Last, or Full Moon Empty SportsbagSecret Weapon Revealed at Last is the fourth studio album by Country Teasers. Finding it increasingly difficult for the entire band to congregate to perform or record, the album contains several older songs written between 1997 and 1998 and recorded during the Winter of 2002...
(2003, In the Red) - Live AlbumLive Album (Country Teasers album)Live Album is an album by Country Teasers consisting of live recordings, radio sessions, tape collage, skits, audience heckling and various odds and ends. It was released on CD in 2005.- Track listing :#"Boycott the Studio" Live Album is an album by Country Teasers consisting of live recordings,...
(2005, In the Red) - The Empire Strikes BackThe Empire Strikes Back (album)-Side one:#"Spiderman in the Flesh" – 4:09#"Points of View" – 5:06#"Hitlers & Churchills" – 3:09#"Mos E17ley" – 4:43#"The Ship" – 4:15#"Raglan Top of Lonsdale Grey" – 5:26-Side two:#"Good Looking Boys or Women" – 3:23...
(2006, In the Red) - W.O.A.R./W.O.A.W.O.A.R./W.O.A.W.O.A.R./W.O.A. is a split 12" record released on Portland, Oregon label Holy Mountain.The a-side of the album features twelve short songs by Scottish art punk outfit The Country Teasers. Though the sleeve art, song format and titles are consistent with Ben Wallers' work under the name The Rebel,...
(split 12" with Ezee Tiger) (2008, Holy Mountain Records)
Singles
- "Anytime, Cowboy", (1995, Crypt RecordsCrypt RecordsCrypt Records is a Hamburg-based record label and record store founded by Tim Warren. The label is perhaps best known for issuing the eight-volume Back From The Grave Series of garage rock compilations, although its reissues and releases include surf, rockabilly, punk rock, exotica, garage punk,...
) - "Anytime, Cowboy", with b-side "No.1 Man"
- Split 7" with Penthouse, (1996, Butcher's Wig)
- "Getaway"
- The Scottish Single, (1996, Guided MissileGuided MissileGuided Missile is a London based independent record label set up by Paul Kearney in 1994.Guided Missile has always focused on 'the underground', preferring to put out a steady flow of releases and developing the numerous GM events around London and beyond....
) - "The Last Bridge of Spencer Smith", with b-side "Prettiest Slave on the Barge/Kenny Malcolm on Smack"
- Secrets in Welsh (1996, Nana Records)
- "Tough Luck on Jock", "Treble Life, Part 2", "Secrets in Welsh" and "Flares"
- Against the Country Teasers! (1996, Guided MissileGuided MissileGuided Missile is a London based independent record label set up by Paul Kearney in 1994.Guided Missile has always focused on 'the underground', preferring to put out a steady flow of releases and developing the numerous GM events around London and beyond....
) - "After One Thing", "Bryson's the Baker", "Small Shark in Tiny Pool", "Adam Wakes Up", "Kenny Malcolm On Smack Left Prettiest Slave On The Right" and "Henry Krinkle's Theme"
- Split 7" with Amnesiac Godz (2/3 SebadohSebadohSebadoh is an American indie rock band, formed in 1986 in Westfield, Massachusetts by Eric Gaffney and Dinosaur Jr bass player Lou Barlow. Along with such bands as Pavement and Guided by Voices, Sebadoh helped pioneer lo-fi music, a style of indie rock characterized by low-fidelity recording...
), (1999, Guided Missile RecordsGuided MissileGuided Missile is a London based independent record label set up by Paul Kearney in 1994.Guided Missile has always focused on 'the underground', preferring to put out a steady flow of releases and developing the numerous GM events around London and beyond....
) - "Country Teasers", "Hairy Wine" and "Reynard the Fox"
- "Laziness", (2004, Discos Alehop, hop 022)
- "Raglan Top Of Lonsdale Grey", "Assfucksiation Initiated", "Laziness", "Ahoy There"
Appearances
- Guided Missile Recordings: A "Guided" Tour (1996, Guided Missile)
- <
> - Plan Boom (1996, What's That Noise Records)
- "Black Eggs"
- Maximum Beatbox (1996, Fidel Bastro (Hell No!)/Heinz Krämers Tanz Café)
- "O1- Only My saviour" "O2 getaway"recorded live at Heinz Krämers Tanz Café 1995/96
- Cheapo Crypt Sampler #2! (1997, Crypt RecordsCrypt RecordsCrypt Records is a Hamburg-based record label and record store founded by Tim Warren. The label is perhaps best known for issuing the eight-volume Back From The Grave Series of garage rock compilations, although its reissues and releases include surf, rockabilly, punk rock, exotica, garage punk,...
) - "Black Change" and "Mosquito"
- Crypt - Beat Generation (1997, Beat Generation no. 5)
- "Black Change" and "Black Cloud Wandering"
- Hits & Missiles" (1998, Guided Missile)
- "Only Whittlin"
- Opscene #6, (1999, Opscene Magazine)
- "Hairy Wine"
- Don't Tread On Me (1999, Butcher's Wig/Shellshock/Pinnacle)
- "Getaway"
- Flitwick Records Compilation (2002, Flitwick Records)
- "Independent Mail Guardian (Success)"
- La Legaña Sinfónica (2003, Discos Alehop!)
- "Please Stop Fucking Each Other"
- Hot Pinball Rock Vol. 2 (Multiball #22 CD with magazine) (2004, Extra Ball Records)
- "Pinball Machine"
- Babyhead (2004, S-S Records)
- "I Like the Cock"
- Static Disaster: The U.K. In The Red Records Sampler (2005, In The Red)
- "Success"
- Revolver USA Sampler Summer '06 (2006, Midheaven)
- "Please Ban Music"