bug rump by Carp 18

By "most recent," I mean that recording for Bug Rump began back in 1999, a project Fahey, bassist/vocalist Dave Helgerson and drummer Paul Schmitt readily admit took a backseat to their "grown-up lives." That being said, the three albums each carry their own cachet and style, and reflect the times they were recorded in. A testament to the fact that the band is thrilled to finally have finished Bug Rump is found on the rear inner sleeve of the CD, a short but sweet message that simply reads, "the fuckin' thing's done."

Me, I was just happy to finally hear the finished product and consider myself lucky that I was able to compare the different periods and musical trends the band rode out in the interim. Where Russian Racehorse was pretty much a spiffy collection of straight-up cow-punk à la Uncle Tupelo or Whiskeytown (excluding a few rockabilly-ish numbers courtesy of the bassist and drummer), and included guests like former Gear Daddy Randy Broughten on pedal steel and producer Tom Herbers on bass, Bug Rump is a veritable potpourri of indie-laden pop rock with just a hint of the band's former alt.country direction.

Album opener "Understand" is a dire, whip-smart cry for love and understanding that's equally reminiscent of John Prine and John P. Strohm's finer solo work, while "Up in Your Neck of the Woods" is a bouncy, acoustic homage to lives spent north of Brainerd and the folks who populate that geographic locale. "Dreamhouse" finds the band allowing bassist Schmitt to lead the trio through a slippery melange of jangly pop, straight-up jukebox jamming and tense rock and roll moments.

"Muscle Car Blues (Tell Me Another)" (which was submitted to and accepted by NPR for a humorous auto-themed CD they were releasing a while back) finds the band proving they still have those old pedal-steel-driven country chops and exposing their subtle, yet genuinely intelligent sense of humor. "Padded Amps & Flannel Shirts" is a direct slam at the bandwagon jumpers who've found some sneaky way to connect Nashville with indie country, the band rocking at their finest and Fahey in perfect voice.

"The Coolest Place on Earth" is a moving, harp-driven ballad that's like a perfect cross between Neil Young and The Mammy Nuns (oh wait, is there even a difference?), a tune written with both one specific place in mind that also translates perfectly to wherever you are, whatever you're doing, whoever you are.

In the end, Carp 18 are one of those bands that will probably never put out albums at as quick a pace as you'd like them to, yet in doing so, leave listeners on the edges of their seats waiting for the next installment from their ongoing "grown-up life" sagas. Hands down, a true-blue, dyed-in-the-wool release from an outfit you should make every effort to check out. Highly recommended listening. Check 'em out at myspace.com/carp18.

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Carp 18 is a Minneapolis-based band formed in 1991 by 3 former members of a pop/rock band called the Tangents (1987-1990) who were originally called the Pungent Reflection who gigged mainly at places like Fernando’s on Lake Street and the Valli in Dinkytown. The Tangents were formed by Randy Justesen (Randy & The Wolfpack) and Joe Fahey who met in the late 1970s in their North Minneapolis neighborhood. They were in a variety of neighborhood bands together, mostly playing garage parties which ended when the cops showed up. Their first bar gig was in 1979 playing for a room full of bikers at a place called The Joint which still exists next to the Cabooze. They wrote original music and played covers by bands like Cheap Trick and the Cars.

In late 1990 the Tangents fell apart but their was a strong desire by drummer Paul Schmitt, bassist/Tangents soundman Dave Helgerson and guitar player Joe Fahey to form a new band and concentrate on writing original material and to knock out a few songs by their heroes such as R.E.M., The Replacements, The Velvet Underground and a whole lot of Neil Young.

Guitarist Joe Fahey was more of a instrumentalist and had never really sang much in bands so he took some lessons from former Tetes Noires member Jennifer Holt. He took enough lessons to know he wasn’t going into opera and began fronting a rock band for the first time, with a baby on the way, at the ripe old age of 31.

Drummer Paul Schmitt grew up in Stanley, Wisconsin, a small town near Eau Claire where he raced motocross bikes and jammed to Thin Lizzy. His first concert was Brownsville Station at a local county fair who just may have been the gateway drug to AC/DC, Angel City and the like. He later moved to Brainerd, then landed in the Twin Cities where he joined a band called Rock Bottom.

Bass player Dave Helgerson grew up in Albert Lea, Minnesota. His Dad played guitar and took him to many shows featuring country music legends such as Buck Owens & The Buckaroos, George Jones and this singer-songwriter from Arkansas named Johnny Cash. The family lived in St. Louis for a couple years but ended up back in Albert Lea.

The band played their debut gig at Mayslack’s in Nordeast Minneapolis in 1991 though, at that time, the only live music at that venue was polka. They hauled their own crappy PA in and their gear smelled like garlic for months afterwards.

They recorded their first, self-produced work “A Rough Fish Mix” in the summer of ‘91 in a matter of hours, on a 4-track cassette deck in a pole barn near Stillwater. They sent their tape in to KJJO, a radio station that was playing a format new to the world .... “Alternative Rock.” The song “Alone in the Dark” from the tape ended up winning in some type of competition and the band’s 2nd gig was a Battle of the Bands contest at Peavey Plaza. Carp 18 was proud to finish 4th out of 4.

It was around that time that they began to produce a newsletter called “The Catch O’ the Day” which was devoted mostly to the embellished, and humorous antics of Carp 18 and all other sorts of craziness. Though, at its peak, the mailing list was around 200, the COD (as subscribers knew it by) began to get some very positive response from people such as City Pages writer Jim Walsh & Twin Tone founder/music fan Peter Jesperson. And all the mothers of the band members, of course, agreed with all of the above.

Oh shit, I’m out of space ... okay ... between raising children, drinking Jägermeister and working their day jobs, the band played gigs at about every club in town for the next 10 years and rarely missed a weekly practice; recorded at Paisley Park where Prince upgraded them to the big studio because he didn’t want to tear down, received some major label interest from MCA among others. In 1997 they released their debut, full length CD “Russian Racehorse” (produced by Tom Herbers) which yielded a few pretty decent reviews.

While recording their 2nd album in December, 1999, the band members felt pressure on their long friendship and decide to split up. Nobody believed it and, for good reason because here they are, back together after a ridiculously long hiatus (more of a schism I suppose) with their completed CD “bug rump”

SIDE 1

Understand

Joe: electric guitars, acoustic guitar, toy piano

Dave: bass

Paul: drums

Tom Herbers: chamberlin (not wilt)

Up In Yer Neck O’ the Woods

Joe: acoustic guitar, banjo,

electric guitar, handclaps

Dave: bass, singin’, handclaps

Paul: drums, singin’, handclaps

Randy Broughten: pedal steel

Dreamhouse

Joe: electric guitars, acoustic guitar, singin’

Dave: bass, singin’

Paul: lead vocal, drums

Weeping Willow

Joe: electric guitars, acoustic guitar, piano, chamberlin (was told the wilt thing was amusing ... once)

Dave: bass, singin’

Paul: drums, tambourine

Hey Ivy

Joe: electric guitars, acoustic guitar

Dave: bass

Paul: drums, singin’

Find Me a River

Joe: acoustic guitar

Dave: bass

Paul: drums, tambourine, singin’

Cousin Tom Murphy: mandolin

Tom Herbers: mellotron

SIDE 1

Muscle Car Blues

(Tell Me Another)

Joe: electric guitars, acoustic guitar

Dave: bass, singin’

Paul: drums, tambourine, singin’

Randy Broughten: pedal steel

Views From the Desert

Joe: acoustic guitar, talk box,

hammond organ, swirly sounds

Dave: bass

Paul: drums

Tom Herbers: piano, wurlitzer electric piano, hovering ivories

Padded Amps & Flannel Shirts

Joe: electric guitars, acoustic guitar

Dave: bass, singin’

Paul: drums, cowbell (recorded three

months pre-Walken/Ferrell history)

Ian Bodean: Flute

In the Next Life

Joe: acoustic guitar, electric guitars

Dave: bass, singin’

Paul: drums, singin’

The Coolest Place on Earth

Joe: electric guitars, acoustic guitar, harmonica

Dave: bass

Paul: drums, that crazy train thing

The Hamelburg Polka

Joe: electric guitar

Dave: bass

Paul: drums

Basic tracks recorded at Third Ear Recording in Minneapolis, on December 29 & 30, 1999. Additional recording & mixing done at the same joint in between paychecks, mood swings and world events over the next couple years.

Produced by Tom Herbers & Carp 18

Mixing, mastering and aluminum can recycling by Tom Herbers.

Thanks to Mark Downey at Nerve Center for getting the CDs made.

Art & design by Joe Fahey; photos by Nik Wogstad, Paul Schmitt, Steve Hendrickson, Joe Fahey, Kathy Fahey, Colleen Fahey, Selph Tymer & a few of unknown origin.

Many thanks to family & friends. Also, a special thanks to anybody who has ever taken the time to ask about the band ... or maybe they never ask and the subject of Carp 18 comes up anyway. That's cool too.

All songs published by Rough Fish Music BMI © 2006. Dreamhouse written and belted out by Paul Schmitt, the rest written and crooned by Joe Fahey. The Hamelburg Polka is based on a traditional Bavarian folk song and rearranged by Carp 18.

Rough Fish Records

P.O. Box 21568

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55421

(763)-574-2277

joefahey@carp18.com

www.carp18.com

www.myspace.com/carp18

www.myspace.com/joefaheymusic

Have a good one.

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