Not that there's a common thread here, but this is a continuation of Neuroblog 001. Our senses are overloaded (in the passive voice). We are experiencing sensory overload (in the activation voice). We are affected by SENSORY OVERLORDS (PLURAL). AND we're working on SENSORY OVERLORD (singular), the album, the second album. The first played on words, too: MIND ALTAR.
"Mind Altar" is a common double entendre or multiple entendre, and is the only record album named as such, as far as Neuro knows. A thematically and musically "heavy" album, it was never meant to be or not to be (and is available on CD, still, given its release on the last possible day of 2013).
And that's how it HAD to be. Neuro is aka Neuro NYC. The release date of the album had nothing to do with the number 12, except it consists of 12 songs. One is "12 Armies", inspired by the movie about monkeys, which isn't really about monkeys. It's about a pandemic that wiped out the earth's population, and so … what is our "12 Armies" song about? Maybe Neuro is math rock (see Neuroblog 001? The one which mentions 2112 by Rush in the context of "math rock" or "Math Rock").
This is an attempt to connect the dots of the "Mind Altar" processing. We were on purpose being "Goth rock", and we told Peter Murphy of Bauhaus (the defining and/or first major band of Goth? If Neuro knew, Neuro would state it outright, but pass on googling it). As fans, we (2 out of 5 Neuro members at the time) went to Tower Records on East 4th and Broadway for his current album's promotion, and so he was very kind in what he wrote on his poster to Neuro. Except what did he write? He did say something to the effect of "we all have our influences, and it's an honor to be an influencer". Where is that poster? It may be in Yonkers.
Let's stay on topic(s). What are they? Neuro, NYC, and timing, in the context of the former two (topics):
We played at "The Bat Cave" a few times on 30th and Broadway (West) during the mid-00's or so. FACT CHECK:
[Time Out, 2010:](https://www.timeout.com/newyork/bars/downtime-closed),
"You can’t please all the people all the time, but this snazzy tri-level venue gives it a shot. There’s a spacious dance floor, a VIP room with couches, and a lounge with little nooks for catching your breath. The action ranges from live hip-hop groups to Saturday’s regular goth dance party, Albion/Batcave, so check before going you never know what you’re in for."
The entire building was dedicated to music (or most of it), e.g., rehearsal space, Melissa Cross' vocal studio (Jesse of Neuro studied with her before she became the Scream Queen, as in "The Zen of Screaming"), and whatever else. Once, we opened for a goth band called "Tapping the Vein". In retrospect that feels rather scary and unwholesome, and so how "goth" were we, really? This was (fact check needed) before metal core or death core or whatever core, and as a vocalist, Jesse couldn't and can't really scream. Although Melissa Cross was a great voice teacher and mentor to him, back in time… Goth is NOT about screaming. Listen to Peter Murphy. Or Bauhaus.
Or how about Clan of Xymox, Dead Can Dance, Cocteau Twins, Pixies, The Birthday Party, Mojave 3, Blonde Redhead, St. Vincent and Grimes?
Pixies are not a Goth-rock band. And Black Francis/Frank Blank screams well. Pixies rock. WE LOVE PIXIES (it's not "The Pixies). Without PIxies, no Nirvana. It's probably their honor to be such influencers.
As for the rest of the bands or singer/songwriters named above, maybe 3 could be dubbed Goth-ish. The one thing they all have in common? They all used to be "on 4AD". The record label. Owned by Beggars Banquet in the UK? Not sure anymore. Grimes no longer being on 4AD? That's new to me. Or news. Columbia Records now? OK Grimes.
Now for the disappointment: I (Jesse of Neuro) thought that 4AD stood for 4 anno Domini (AD), i.e., before Christ (BC) as used to number years in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. In fact, I thought that "they" had got the timing wrong by 4 years (although leap year is every 4 years). Turns out the reason the label changed its name from "Axis" (as in Jimi Hendrix) to 4AD is ...
Take it away, Ivo Watts? No. But here are some answers: http://www.evo.org/4ad-faq/otherQs.html
"As far as we know, it's a contraction of "Forward": Forward -> 4wArD -> 4AD. Ivo originally named the label Axis but someone else already held the trademark so he had to change it in a hurry.
An alternative explaination is given by Tym Rourke: "I've heard a different story on where the name came from. I was told it was a play on words. The label was created to act as a one-off label for Beggar's Banquet, much like Guernica for 4AD (Bauhaus was the only band to follow this route). So bands were originally going to be on the label for only one release...For A Day...4AD...".
It seems likely that the former explanation is correct as the new 4AD mail order catalogue (circa December 1998) has the following text in the introduction on page 1:
"1980 FORWARD. 1980 FWD. 1984 AD. 4AD"
[END OF QUOTED REFERENCES TO THE QUESTION]
AND so 4AD does have to do with timing and numbers and the fact that Neuro's influencers were quite popular in NYC, but then again, EVERY FORM OF MUSIC is popular in NYC. Music from the UK tends to trend very popular in NYC (e.g., Bauhaus are English, and Cocteau Twins are Scottish). And speaking of Blonde Redhead, they are a NYC band. They were formed in NYC in the early 90s, a trio, primarily, one from Kyoto and twins from Milan.
Debbie Harry was born in Jersey and Blondie was far more popular in the UK and Australia than the U.S. during the first two albums, and of course everybody knows the Sun rises in the .... East? And everybody knows Blondie was a CBGB's band, but that's a different story. Nobody came to Neuro's show at CBGB's. Well, a few. Neither the venue nor Neuro were big deal, at the TIME … Still, we played at CBGB's. What an honor.
Neuro aka Neuro NYC, a band, WAS literally conceived in the shadows of the Twin Towers before 9/11. Where, precisely? In a key member's apartment, at "Steamroom Studios" (producer Josh Margolis), and on Murray Street, which was the locale of the Off Wall Street Jam. It was a rock musician's club, sort of. Lots of Wall Street types, the nice ones (there's no such things as a "Wall Street type", or there is, but most people aren't).
The Off Wall Street Jam: musicians with day-jobs (or any jobs? or even without jobs; please let's stay together here) banded together. Mostly bands performing covers, unlike Neuro. Not that we were "Wall Street types", and …
Neither were any of the members of Sonic Youth? I'm band-name-dropping. And using the "royal we" above, but sometimes me, as in i. Is this Jesse of Neuro trying to be pretentious? No pretenses, but in the past, their studio (or whatever it was), Sonic Youth's, that is, was in the same building, right underneath the Off Wall Street Jam. I think. Or in the basement? And I never met them. Sonic Youth weren't young at the time, and age should not matter in the context of music.
What time period are we in? It's so confusing because of time warps, Einstein, and the speed of light. And especially confusing in the 1990s future of the movie "12 Monkeys", as in the army of the 12 Monkeys, yes. But that's really not what the movie is about. It is literally about time travel, Einstein. Brad Pitt played this lunatic, batshit crazy, rich-kid-in-an-asylum and he was nominated for an Oscar, "Best Supporting Actor", for the first time. Terry Gilliam makes strangely brilliant movies, like "Brazil" and stay on-theme, please: NYC and time?
By the year 2000, in NYC after having lived in the USA's capital (across from The Mother Council of the Masonic Temple, name-check please, as in 33 degrees of the highest order, digression offset, close parentheses!), I was stardusted. And Snow-blinded (what do I mean by the latter? It's a G. Rex moniker, because I love her! It's also a reference to a more goth-edged Cocteau Twins song). Or moon dust covered me, because my first cover band before and during Neuro was Glamasoarus Rex (G. Rex). Take that as in instance in time travel.
A shout-out to all the members of the glam band, G. Rex, Sandra Lagerstrom (Snow), Keith's mentioned way below, Brian Bernstein, Nigel Brisbane (whose stage name?) and the man who made it happen, Bill Bennett. R.I.P. Bill. Death is difficult for those who remain as what? Alive?
Mr. Bill Bennett ran the Off Wall Street Jam. I thank him for getting me on stage. I had stage-fright, but a bigger fear of not overcoming it. I became a ham on stage, glammed and glazed as Wiggy Moondust. After 9/11, I became dazed and confused. I still am. Except when I'm not.
To be or not to be, in what tense? In Sense. Senses. Consciousness. When one's senses stop, one is no longer "here". Where?
When? In the early 2000s, Neuro's inception occurred while yours, neurotically, was an Accountant for TVT Records in the East Village.
To Be or Not to be CONTINUED IN NEUROBLOG 004. THANK YOU. YES, TBC. BREVITY of blogging is key? I don't know yet. Stay in tune.