Versus (band)
Encyclopedia
Versus is an American
indie rock
band formed in 1990 by Richard Baluyut
, Fontaine Toups and Edward Baluyut
in New York City
. Richard and Fontaine were to remain the two core members throughout the band's history. The band was noted for their marriage of indie pop
songwriting and vocal harmonies to the "loud-soft" dynamics of grunge
and alternative rock
. They were also noted for their proficient and disciplined musicianship and for their credo of "meat, sports and rock", neither of which had much currency in the early 1990s American
indie scene. They named themselves after the Mission of Burma
album Vs.
Versus has counted at least one, usually two and sometimes three of the Filipino-American Baluyut brothers as members throughout its existence, and was perhaps the most prominent example of a wave of American
indie
bands emerging in the early 1990s which featured Asian American
members. Merge Records
was Versus' most recent record label
, although they have maintained a long involvement with TeenBeat Records
, and released two CDs through Caroline Records in the mid 1990s.
The band makes an appearance in the 1994 cult
roadmovie Half-cocked.
, Fontaine Toups formed The Fontaine Toups and Richard Baluyut converted his solo acoustic project Whysall Lane
into a full band. Former member Edward Baluyut formed and played in The Pacific Ocean
from 1996 to 2003.
at a Hanukkah
show on December 4, 2007. At that point Richard Baluyut had recently returned to live in New York City, both TFT and Whysall Lane had broken up, and +/- was temporarily on hold while member Chris Deaner
was touring as part of Kelly Clarkson's
live band. Versus opened for Love Is All
at the Bowery Ballroom
in June, 2008 as a three-piece with Ed Baluyut on drums. The band played as a four-piece with James Baluyut and Patrick Ramos when they toured Japan with +/- in late 2008, but in June 2009 the Versus MySpace page announced that Edward Baluyut had rejoined as a longtime member and that James and Patrick had left the group. The group began recording a new album that month, and started performing as a four-piece band with Margaret White on violin and keyboards. The band released "On the Ones and Threes" (on Merge Records
) - the first Versus LP in ten years - in August 2010. A UK-based fan-site for them that had been around since 2000 finally closed in January 2011.
& Superchunk
.
Versus drummer Edward Baluyut
missed the August 13th, 2010 show in Toronto at Lee's Palace
because he had to return home for the birth of his child. Paul Boddum of the opening band Soft Copy, played drums for the set.
MySpace
Reviews
Interviews
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band formed in 1990 by Richard Baluyut
Richard Baluyut
Richard Baluyut is a US singer and guitarist. He is best known as the lead singer and guitarist for Versus from 1990 onwards, but he was also a singer/guitarist for Flower between 1986 and 1990 and the lead singer and guitarist for Whysall Lane. He composed the soundtrack for the film Midas' Son...
, Fontaine Toups and Edward Baluyut
Edward Baluyut
Edward 'd pogi' Baluyut is the drummer for the bands Versus and The Pacific Ocean.He currently resides in Great Neck, New York and is an English teacher for the Great Neck North High School...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Richard and Fontaine were to remain the two core members throughout the band's history. The band was noted for their marriage of indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
songwriting and vocal harmonies to the "loud-soft" dynamics of grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
and alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
. They were also noted for their proficient and disciplined musicianship and for their credo of "meat, sports and rock", neither of which had much currency in the early 1990s American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
indie scene. They named themselves after the Mission of Burma
Mission of Burma
Mission of Burma is an American post-punk band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1979. The band was formed by Roger Miller , Clint Conley , Peter Prescott and Martin Swope...
album Vs.
Versus has counted at least one, usually two and sometimes three of the Filipino-American Baluyut brothers as members throughout its existence, and was perhaps the most prominent example of a wave of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
indie
Indie (music)
In music, independent music, often shortened to indie music or "indie" is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing....
bands emerging in the early 1990s which featured Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
members. Merge Records
Merge Records
Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records...
was Versus' most recent record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, although they have maintained a long involvement with TeenBeat Records
TeenBeat Records
Teen Beat is an independent record label, originally based in Arlington, VA, now based in Cambridge, MA. It was founded by Mark Robinson in 1984 at Wakefield High School along with Phil Krauth , Andrew Beaujon , Tim Moran , and Ian Zack .The label was originally set up like a lending library...
, and released two CDs through Caroline Records in the mid 1990s.
The band makes an appearance in the 1994 cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
roadmovie Half-cocked.
Breakup and Other Projects
The band still continued to tour occasionally but began a recording hiatus in 2001 after it broke up for a short period and Richard Baluyut relocated to San Francisco. The members afterwards moved on to other bands - James Baluyut and Patrick Ramos formed +/-+/- (band)
+/-, or Plus/Minus, is an American indietronic band formed in 2001. The band makes use of both electronic and traditional instruments, and has sought to use electronics to recreate traditional indie rock song forms and instrumental structures...
, Fontaine Toups formed The Fontaine Toups and Richard Baluyut converted his solo acoustic project Whysall Lane
Whysall Lane
Whysall Lane was an American indie rock band based in San Francisco whose music combines elements of 1990s indie rock and classic rock with lyrics inspired by romantic obsession...
into a full band. Former member Edward Baluyut formed and played in The Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean (band)
The Pacific Ocean was an American indie rock band formed in 1996 and based in New York City.Edward Baluyut had left Versus in 1996 due to work and family commitments and had played drums for Connie Lovatt's band Containe that year. Shortly afterward, Connie and Edward formed The Pacific Ocean...
from 1996 to 2003.
Reunion and Current Status
After a prolonged period of inactivity (the band had only played one show in the preceding 3 years) Versus played a private warm-up show in November 2007 and opened for Yo La TengoYo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo, sometimes abbreviated as YLT, is an American alternative rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted of Ira Kaplan , Georgia Hubley , and James McNew .Despite achieving limited mainstream success, Yo La Tengo has been called "the quintessential...
at a Hanukkah
Hanukkah
Hanukkah , also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE...
show on December 4, 2007. At that point Richard Baluyut had recently returned to live in New York City, both TFT and Whysall Lane had broken up, and +/- was temporarily on hold while member Chris Deaner
Chris Deaner
Chris Deaner is an American drummer, film maker and computer programmer. He is best known as the drummer for Plus/Minus from 2001 onwards, as a founding member of Loudest Boom Bah Yea, and as the drummer for Kelly Clarkson from 2007 to 2008...
was touring as part of Kelly Clarkson's
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
live band. Versus opened for Love Is All
Love is All
Love Is All is a five-piece indie pop band from Gothenburg, Sweden. It releases songs in English. Paste Magazine has stated that it makes "infectiously lo-fi punk rock laced with saxophone and melodic vocals".-Biography:...
at the Bowery Ballroom
Bowery Ballroom
The Bowery Ballroom is a music venue in the Bowery section of New York City. The structure, at 6 Delancey Street, was built just before the Stock Market Crash of 1929. It stood vacant until the end of WWII, when it became a high-end retail store. The neighborhood subsequently went into decline...
in June, 2008 as a three-piece with Ed Baluyut on drums. The band played as a four-piece with James Baluyut and Patrick Ramos when they toured Japan with +/- in late 2008, but in June 2009 the Versus MySpace page announced that Edward Baluyut had rejoined as a longtime member and that James and Patrick had left the group. The group began recording a new album that month, and started performing as a four-piece band with Margaret White on violin and keyboards. The band released "On the Ones and Threes" (on Merge Records
Merge Records
Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records...
) - the first Versus LP in ten years - in August 2010. A UK-based fan-site for them that had been around since 2000 finally closed in January 2011.
Members
- Richard Baluyut - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
(1990 onwards) - Fontaine Toups - bassBass (instrument)Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
(1990 onwards) - Edward Baluyut - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(1990–1991); drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(1992–1996, 2008 onwards) - Margaret White - violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, keyboards (2009 onwards) - Robert Hale - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(1991–1992) - James Baluyut - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
(1995–2008) - Patrick Ramos - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(1996–2008)
Touring
Versus has scheduled shows in 2010 with PolvoPolvo
Polvo is an American indie noise rock band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The band, formed in 1990, is fronted by guitarists/vocalists Ash Bowie and Dave Brylawski. Brian Quast plays drums, and Steve Popson plays bass guitar...
& Superchunk
Superchunk
Superchunk is an American indie rock band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, consisting of singer/guitarist Mac McCaughan, guitarist Jim Wilbur, bassist Laura Ballance, and drummer Jon Wurster. Formed in 1989, they were one of the bands that helped define the Chapel Hill music scene of the 1990s...
.
Versus drummer Edward Baluyut
Edward Baluyut
Edward 'd pogi' Baluyut is the drummer for the bands Versus and The Pacific Ocean.He currently resides in Great Neck, New York and is an English teacher for the Great Neck North High School...
missed the August 13th, 2010 show in Toronto at Lee's Palace
Lee's Palace
Lee's Palace is a concert hall located on the south side of Bloor Street West east of Lippincott Avenue in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The facility consists of a converted motion picture theatre and can accommodate several hundred guests.- Founding :...
because he had to return home for the birth of his child. Paul Boddum of the opening band Soft Copy, played drums for the set.
Discography
- Insomnia/Astronaut [7"] Land Speed 1992
- Bright Light/Forest Fire [7"] Pop Narcotic 1992
- "Another Face" on Stars Kill RockStars Kill RockStars Kill Rock is a 1993 album by various artists and was released on the Kill Rock Stars label.-Track listing:# Tiger Trap - "Supreme Nothing"# Godheadsilo - "Nutritious Treat"# Frumpies - "Fuck Kitty"# Jack Acid - "Cheap Tragedies"...
compilation LP Kill Rock StarsKill Rock StarsKill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in 1991 by Slim Moon and based in both Olympia, Washington and Portland, Oregon. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, making it difficult to pigeonhole as having any one artistic mission...
1993 - Let's Electrify [cd-ep] Remora 1993
- The Stars Are Insane [cd] TeenBeat RecordsTeenBeat RecordsTeen Beat is an independent record label, originally based in Arlington, VA, now based in Cambridge, MA. It was founded by Mark Robinson in 1984 at Wakefield High School along with Phil Krauth , Andrew Beaujon , Tim Moran , and Ian Zack .The label was originally set up like a lending library...
1993 - "Tin Foil Star" on January Working Holiday [7"] split single with ScrawlScrawlScrawl is a musical trio based in Columbus, Ohio. The founding members are Marcy Mays , Sue Harshe , and Carolyn O'Leary . Their first show, in the summer of 1985, was a 20-minute opening spot for the Meat Puppets...
Simple Machines 1993 - Frog/Go Tell It On The Mountain [7"] K RecordsK RecordsK Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington, co-founded, owned, and operated by Calvin Johnson, formerly of the bands Cool Rays, Beat Happening, The Go Team, The Halo Benders and presently in the bands Dub Narcotic Sound System and The Hive Dwellers...
1994 - Big Head On/N.I.T.A. [7"] TeenBeat RecordsTeenBeat RecordsTeen Beat is an independent record label, originally based in Arlington, VA, now based in Cambridge, MA. It was founded by Mark Robinson in 1984 at Wakefield High School along with Phil Krauth , Andrew Beaujon , Tim Moran , and Ian Zack .The label was originally set up like a lending library...
1994 - "Tin Foil Star" and "Hacienda" on Working Holiday!Working Holiday!Working Holiday! is a CD album released on the Simple Machines label. It is a compilation of tracks by American indie bands which were originally released on a series of 12 7" singles by Simple Machines as part of the Working Holiday monthly record club starting from December 1992. Each song was...
comp. [cd] Simple Machines 1994 - "Crazy" on "A Day in the Park" comp. [cd] The Now Sound 1994
- "Sunburned (Life's A Beach)" on "Why Do You Think They Call It Pop? -The Pop Narcotic Compliation" comp. double [10"] Pop Narcotic 1994
- "Know Nothing" on "Wakefield / Volume 1 / A TeenBeat Sampler (teenbeat 141)" TeenBeat RecordsTeenBeat RecordsTeen Beat is an independent record label, originally based in Arlington, VA, now based in Cambridge, MA. It was founded by Mark Robinson in 1984 at Wakefield High School along with Phil Krauth , Andrew Beaujon , Tim Moran , and Ian Zack .The label was originally set up like a lending library...
1995 - Dead Leaves [cd] TeenBeat RecordsTeenBeat RecordsTeen Beat is an independent record label, originally based in Arlington, VA, now based in Cambridge, MA. It was founded by Mark Robinson in 1984 at Wakefield High School along with Phil Krauth , Andrew Beaujon , Tim Moran , and Ian Zack .The label was originally set up like a lending library...
1995 - "Reveille" on Ear of the Dragon: 19 Asian American BandsEar of the DragonEar of the Dragon is a CD album released on the Fortune 5 label in collaboration with A Magazine. It is a compilation of tracks by American and Canadian indie bands which contained Asian-American members...
comp. [cd] Fortune 5 Records 1995 - Deep Red [cd-ep] TeenBeat RecordsTeenBeat RecordsTeen Beat is an independent record label, originally based in Arlington, VA, now based in Cambridge, MA. It was founded by Mark Robinson in 1984 at Wakefield High School along with Phil Krauth , Andrew Beaujon , Tim Moran , and Ian Zack .The label was originally set up like a lending library...
1996 - Yeah You [7"/cd5] (UK only) Caroline Records 1996
- Secret Swingers [cd] Caroline Records 1996
- Glitter of Love [7"/cd5] (UK only) Caroline Records 1996
- Two Cents Plus Tax [cd] Caroline Records 1998
- Afterglow [cd-ep] Merge RecordsMerge RecordsMerge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records...
1999 - Shangri-La [cd5] Merge RecordsMerge RecordsMerge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records...
2000 - Hurrah [cd/lp] Merge RecordsMerge RecordsMerge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records...
2000 - Drawn and Quartered [cd-ep] Insound Tour Support SeriesInsoundInsound is an online CD, vinyl, digital, and music related merchandise retailer that focuses primarily on the sale of indie rock and music from other similar genres. The company is located in Greenpoint in Brooklyn, New York.- History :...
2000 - On the Ones and Threes [cd/lp] Merge RecordsMerge RecordsMerge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records...
2010
Soundtrack Appearances
- The Dhamma BrothersThe Dhamma BrothersThe Dhamma Brothers is a documentary film released in 2007 about a prison meditation program at Donaldson Correctional Facility near Bessemer, Alabama. The film concentrates on four inmates, all convicted of murder. It also includes interviews of guards, prison officials, and local residents. It...
One song, Crazy-maker - Midas' Son Two songs, Said Too Much and Ghost Story. Also original score by Richard Baluyut.
External links
- Versus at Merge Records
- Versus Lyrics
- [ Entry for Versus at Allmusic.com]
- Trouserpress entry
MySpace
Reviews
Interviews
- Sponiczine
- Willamette Week Online
- CMJ New Music MonthlyCMJ New Music MonthlyCMJ New Music Monthly was a monthly music magazine with interviews, reviews, and special features. Each issue included a compact disc with 15 to 24 songs by well established bands, unsigned bands, and everything in between...
July 1998, Page 9. Archived at Google Books. Retrieved 11 December 2009.