Re-Make / Re-Model

Hello children.

This will be the first of undoubtedly many music-oriented posts on Open Air Gas Leak. Before I begin, please be advised of the following: This is not going to be another long-winded indie rock blog space. I'm going to say what I want to say and that's it. I'm not going to masturbate over any artist's importance. I'm not trying to impress anyone with my knowledge. In short, I have nothing to prove to you. Deal with it.

That being said, let's begin with the Open Air Gas Leak reissue / reunion extravaganza...

"Check that expiration date man, it's later than you think..."

I can't say anything about Pavement that hasn't been said. So why am I writing this? Wowee Zowee has been reissued and bonus-tracked, silly! You already know this. The boys did a fine job on Wowee Zowee: Sordid Sentinels Edition to be sure. I find their reissues useful since they incorporate additional session tracks, companion singles/EPs, radio sessions and live treats. In other words, they incorporate bonus material which is good to hear, and not as pointlessly exhaustive as it could be. Of course, the original album is great too. I think it's the last weird indie album they did. It's been a while since I've heard Brighten the Corners, but chunks of that seem like a Crooked Rain rehash to me... Anyway, if you haven't gotten WZ, maybe you should. But you don't have to if you don't want to. If you want to try before you buy, go here.

Anyway, the main reason for this post is to comment on the "Pavement reunion" rumors which accompany each reissue. Folks: It's not happening anytime soon. Sleater-Kiney's Janet Weiss just joined the Jicks if you haven't been paying attention. S.M. et. al. have done some really nice work so far, and with Weiss in the fold we should be hearing even more. Besides, Pavement haven't even been on hiatus for 10 years yet. That's an unofficial rule, isn't it?

Don't get me wrong - I'd be more than happy to see Stevie and the Stockton Boyz Jazzmaster it up like in days of not-so-old. But give it time, people. Like a fine wine or cheese, reunited bands become better with age. People become more mature and don't bicker over the same old stuff. If J. Mascis and Lou Barlow can set aside their differences, so can S.M. and Spiral Stairs. Hell, if Lou and J. can forgive and forget, then maybe there is hope for Lou and Eric Gaffney. But I'm getting ahead of myself...

"We're not here to crawl away or find blame for wasted time..."

I'll confess that I got into Sebadoh with Bakesale just like everyone else. It's a fine place to begin since it points to their more straightforward/safe mid-late 90s stuff while also featuring a few songs with Eric Gaffney on drums (the best songs on the album, IMHO). But as I got into their "classic" period material, III remained elusive (read: out of print). I could have gotten it for like $50.00 on Amazon but Lou B. had long been talking of a reissue so I waited and waited and waited. So it finally came out and showed up in my mailbox one day. Turns out I waited so long that I forgot I had pre-ordered it from Insound... Christmas in August, as it were.

So how is it? Awesome, that's how. To be brief: III is even more gloriously uneven than Bubble and Scrape. The "properly" recorded songs don't sound too shiny, and the lo-fi tracks are especially inviting. There's not an outright bad song here, although Jason's contributions are not his best... he saved those for Bubble and Bakesale. Eric has some real gems, and Lou is Lou, but it's some of the most interesting Lou you'll hear. Like Pavement, Seb-ba-dough includes useful extras - the Gimme Indie Rock! EP, demos and outtakes from III, and a copy of their "introducing the band" tape they used to play during their 1991 shows. To hear some tracks, go here. If you're curious about other Seb output from the late '80s - early '90s, go here.

Now the reunion news: Lou and Eric patched things up enough to tour for the first time in about 13 years. (I told you that a minimum 10-year break is mandatory!) The tour happens in February - March of 2007. This is a good thing for people like me who never experienced the group at their best. But I say unto thee: Enjoy it while it lasts because it ain't gonna last long, children. I get the impression that the schism between Lou and Eric was even wider than that between Lou and J; while time heals all wounds, it also wounds all heals. Besides, the group's best days are well behind them. Wait, so are Pavement's. But that's okay. It's all about the music, especially if you're Rolling Stone and you say "This reissue is good but we can't WAIT till they give us Harmacy!!!!!!" Do they mean that? Of course they do. They're Rolling Fucking Stone.