Eerie Materials
Encyclopedia
Eerie Materials was an independent record label
started in the early 1990s, first based in Richmond
, Virginia
and later in San Francisco, California
.
of the time, and formed several other interesting musical projects, including Cave Clown Microwave (which included contributions from the people of Wheelchair Full of Old Men, Thought Balloon Tapes, Nauscopy
, and many others); and Kingdom Scum, who later had LPs and CDs not only on Eerie Materials but on Staalplaat
and Turn of the Century as well.
Releases by Eeyore Power Tool included a split 7" with Sockeye, another one with Caroliner, and an LP with hand-decorated covers. There was also a remarkable video release, "Eeyore Grumpy Ghoul: Scenese From the 1902 Virgin Scary Tour" (where "1902" was their way of saying "1992").
Other bands on the Eerie roster included Negativland
, Evolution Control Committee, Faxed Head
, Brown Cuts Neighbors
, and Hemorrhoy Rogers.
and sampled music from AC/DC
. CBS
threatened legal action against Eerie Materials on the grounds of copyright infringement. This threat outraged members of the Evolution Control Committee as well as Negativland
. Nevertheless, Eerie discontinued further sales of the record and no further legal action was taken.
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
started in the early 1990s, first based in Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and later in San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
History
Before the label began, in the late 1980s, brother and sister Troy Fiscella and Tristana Fiscella, along with their friends Mark, Frances, and Scott H., formed the band Eeyore Power Tool (which went by various names depending on the release, examples are "Eeyore Fiend Magnet", "Eeyore Prayer Tool", and "Eeyore Crypt Orchid", among many others). They became an important influence in the cassette cultureCassette culture
Cassette culture, or the cassette underground , refers to the practices surrounding amateur production and distribution of recorded music that emerged in the late 1970s via home-made audio cassettes...
of the time, and formed several other interesting musical projects, including Cave Clown Microwave (which included contributions from the people of Wheelchair Full of Old Men, Thought Balloon Tapes, Nauscopy
Nauscopy
Nauscopy is an independent record label based in New Hampshire which was begun as a cassette label called Burping Turds Musick in California in 1991, no doubt taking cues from other cassette culture people of the time such as GWOP, Wheelchair Full of Old Men, Eerie Materials, and others.The name...
, and many others); and Kingdom Scum, who later had LPs and CDs not only on Eerie Materials but on Staalplaat
Staalplaat
Staalplaat is an independent record label that is located in Amsterdam with a separate store in Berlin. Created in 1982, the company's mission was created as a sound forum for sound artists, who write and perform new and experimental music...
and Turn of the Century as well.
Releases by Eeyore Power Tool included a split 7" with Sockeye, another one with Caroliner, and an LP with hand-decorated covers. There was also a remarkable video release, "Eeyore Grumpy Ghoul: Scenese From the 1902 Virgin Scary Tour" (where "1902" was their way of saying "1992").
Other bands on the Eerie roster included Negativland
Negativland
Negativland is an experimental music and sound collage band which originated in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1970s. They took their name from a Neu! song, while their record label is named after another Neu! song...
, Evolution Control Committee, Faxed Head
Faxed Head
Faxed Head is a death metal side project headed by Trey Spruance of Mr. Bungle fame. The band's bios and lyrics describe them as 'teenage survivors of a suicide pact gone horribly awry,' and place them in small-town Coalinga, California. Band members' identities are generally kept secret and the...
, Brown Cuts Neighbors
Brown Cuts Neighbors
The Brown Cuts Neighbors was formed by Jason and Colleen Martin in Schenectady, New York in 1980, and included an army of stuffed animals, imaginary people, and other entities. Their first tape, "Should Could Would" was recorded in September 1980. Early performances included broadcasting toy...
, and Hemorrhoy Rogers.
Legal Trouble
In 2000, the label released a 7" by the Evolution Control Committee called "Rocked By Rape", a criticism and parody of violence on television which used words spoken by Dan RatherDan Rather
Daniel Irvin "Dan" Rather, Jr. is an American journalist and the former news anchor for the CBS Evening News. He is now managing editor and anchor of the television news magazine Dan Rather Reports on the cable channel HDNet. Rather was anchor of the CBS Evening News for 24 years, from March 9,...
and sampled music from AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
. CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
threatened legal action against Eerie Materials on the grounds of copyright infringement. This threat outraged members of the Evolution Control Committee as well as Negativland
Negativland
Negativland is an experimental music and sound collage band which originated in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1970s. They took their name from a Neu! song, while their record label is named after another Neu! song...
. Nevertheless, Eerie discontinued further sales of the record and no further legal action was taken.
Artists (partial list)
- AnachronautsAnachronauts (band)Anachronauts was an American surf rock band, founded by Scott Burright and Stacey Hathaway in 1992 in New Orleans, Louisiana. They moved to Dayton, Ohio in 1995, where they were joined by Steve Forte...
- Breathilizor
- Brown Cuts NeighborsBrown Cuts NeighborsThe Brown Cuts Neighbors was formed by Jason and Colleen Martin in Schenectady, New York in 1980, and included an army of stuffed animals, imaginary people, and other entities. Their first tape, "Should Could Would" was recorded in September 1980. Early performances included broadcasting toy...
- Caroliner
- Cave Clown Microwave
- Colon On The Cob
- Dum Dum TV
- Evolution Control Committee
- Eeyore Gorilla Cookies
- Faxed HeadFaxed HeadFaxed Head is a death metal side project headed by Trey Spruance of Mr. Bungle fame. The band's bios and lyrics describe them as 'teenage survivors of a suicide pact gone horribly awry,' and place them in small-town Coalinga, California. Band members' identities are generally kept secret and the...
- Friendly
- Gang of Pork
- Hemorrhoy Rogers more info on Hemorrhoy here: http://ear.trippy.org/hemorrhoyrogers.html
- Kingdom Scum
- NegativlandNegativlandNegativland is an experimental music and sound collage band which originated in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1970s. They took their name from a Neu! song, while their record label is named after another Neu! song...
- NudibranchNudibranchA nudibranch is a member of what is now a taxonomic clade, and what was previously a suborder, of soft-bodied, marine gastropod mollusks which shed their shell after their larval stage. They are noted for their often extraordinary colors and striking forms...
- Sludecrypt
- Sockeye
- Sonique Rabbit Fists
- Teenage Larvae
- The Popsicle Melts