Tesco Vee is a Michigan-based punk rock

Punk rock

Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...

 musician and co-founder of Touch and Go Records

Touch and Go Records

Touch and Go Records is an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois, USA.After its genesis as a hand-made fanzine in 1979, it grew into one of the key record labels in the American 1980s alternative and underground rock scenes, Touch & Go carved out a reputation for releasing adventurous...

 zine

Zine

A zine is most commonly a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any self-published work of minority interest usually reproduced via photocopier....

. Born in Kalamazoo, Michigan

Kalamazoo, Michigan

The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...

, he is a former elementary school teacher and the founding member, and front man, of punk bands The Meatmen

The Meatmen

The Meatmen are an American punk band headed by Tesco Vee originally from 1980 to 1997, and reformed in 2008. They are currently still touring and recording.The Meatmen made fun of the hardcore punk scene of the time...

, Tesco Vee's Hate Police, Blight, and Dutch Hercules.

History

In 1979, while working as a third and fifth grade teacher in Williamston, Michigan, Tesco Vee and his friend Dave Stimson self wrote and self printed Touch and Go, a Lansing-based zine, and one of the pioneering punk and hardcore punk

Hardcore punk

Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...

 zines. It featured politically incorrect, and often crude humor, alongside album and single reviews of Black Flag

Black Flag (band)

Black Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band...

, Minor Threat

Minor Threat

Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1980 and disbanded in 1983. The band was relatively short-lived, but had a strong influence on the hardcore punk music scene, both stylistically and in establishing a "do it yourself" ethic for music distribution and...

 and Bad Brains

Bad Brains

Bad Brains is an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members objected to this term to describe their music. They are also an adept reggae band, while later recordings featured elements of...

.

In 1981, Touch and Go also became a small label, releasing vinyl singles by The Necros, Meatmen and Negative Approach.

After 22 issues, and a few limited release punk singles, Touch and Go (as a zine) folded. It was then taken over by Corey Rusk (of The Necros), who moved the label to Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

 and grew it into an international success - signing bands such as the 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...

, Jesus Lizard

Jesus Lizard

Jesus Lizard may refer to:*Jesus Lizard, a common name for the basilisk lizard genus, known for being able to run across water*The Jesus Lizard, an American rock band formed in 1987 in Austin, Texas, and later based in Chicago, Illinois....

 and TV on the Radio

TV on the Radio

TV on the Radio is an American art rock band formed in 2001 in Brooklyn, New York, whose music spans numerous diverse genres, from post-punk to electro and free jazz to soul music....

. Rusk continues to operate the label today.

At that point, in 1983, after handing Touch and Go over to Rusk, Tesco moved to Washington DC and began to focus on his own punk band, The Meatmen

The Meatmen

The Meatmen are an American punk band headed by Tesco Vee originally from 1980 to 1997, and reformed in 2008. They are currently still touring and recording.The Meatmen made fun of the hardcore punk scene of the time...

 - who played shows until 1996. In 1999 Tesco and his family moved back to the Lansing, Michigan area. In 2007 Tesco began playing Meatmen shows again with a new lineup of Michigan musicians.

In 2010, Tesco reformed Tesco Vee's Hate Police and eventually recast and toured with The Meatmen. He is also promoting "Touch and Go: The Complete Hardcore Punk Zine '79-'83"

Touch and Go: The Complete Hardcore Punk Zine '79-'83"

Touch and Go: The Complete Hardcore Punk Zine '79-'83 is a 576-page trade paperback book containing all 22 issues of the Touch and Go Punk zine, a punk magazine that chronicled the early hardcore punk and post punk scenes....

 - a book released on June 30, 2010 that chronicles all 22 issues of the Touch and Go zine in one trade paper back book.

External links

AMG bio: Meatmen Accessed July 6, 2010

Pitchfork Media: T&G zine on Pitchfork Accessed July 6, 2010

Blurt Online: Tesco, T&G book feature Accessed July 6, 2010

Outsight Radio Hours: 2010 radio interiew