Scene Artifact: It Came From Nowhere….

Double 7” Compilation
76.2% Records (1996)

Track Listing:
Side A: Blueprint – Jesse
Side B: Gomez – Painful
Side C: Celindine – Starry Eyes
Side D: The Linoleum Experiment - Lakadaisical

Of all the places to find a scene artifact, the singles bin is my favorite. While, admittedly, there are probably greater hidden treasures to be found in a used tape bin (if such a thing existed), the threshold of love that goes into the production of an actual record is notable. So, like always, while my compatriots lingered idly for nearly half their stay at Sound Exchange, I scoured the sleeves until I located this little gem.

There is a big gap in my knowledge of Houston’s indie music (which, back then, might still have been called Alternative®) as I wasn’t living here (except for a few months) between 1994 and 2000. Accordingly, It Came From Nowhere… was a great score for me. Think of it like this – for me, almost everything between de Schmog’s Fairytale and Sad Like Crazy’s Love Songs to Death doesn’t exist. No Westbury Squares. No Jessica Six. Only the occasional Pain Teens.

I had heard of Blueprint before, but I had never actually heard them or knew who the members were. I asked Roy Mata, who, thought I was making fun of him. Turns out, he was a member for a while, along with Gilbert Alfaro of Spain Colored Orange. Everyone else was described as ‘a bunch of dudes you don’t know.’ Fair Enough.

Jesse is the perfect lead off for this comp, not just because its sound immediately takes me back to the days of sun dresses and ‘zines, but because the earnestness of the songwriting and pervades the entire artifact. Pop-rock from the time when it still seemed like guitars might finally take over the world again; website addresses that still had tildes; street addresses for more information. Love it.

Gomez, (not Gomez) on the other hand, I am familiar with. I am not sure what the Houston connection is (enlighten me, please), but for a while I had their full length with the Danzig-referencing cover. Gomez always reminded me a little bit of Mudhoney, not musically mind you, but in their attempts to be silly. In this Fugazi-plicator, the lyrics are constantly claiming impending suicide. But, like other Gomez tracks, I can’t quite figure out if they are being bitchy or whimsical. If anything, it informs me that my own suicide-related jokes are prolly not very funny at all.

Starry Eyes is the highlight of this collection. Jangly slack-rock that had figured out it was ok to wear a little heart on the sleeves, but with guitars still a little big from the time when many of us may have Preferred an Astronaut. Upon mentioning Celindine (which apparently featured current Boys and Girls Clubber Damon Automatik), more than one person stated definitively that their first demo tape was one of the best Houston recordings of the era and set about trying to locate it. Anyone out there have a copy?

The Linoleum Experiment, a band whose name could only come from the 90s, closes out the comp with an acoustic pop romp. I’d imagine that Thane Matcek (Sad Like Crazy / All Transistor / Thane Matcek and His Band) will be the person most embarrassed by discussion of this release. The music (which uses the same chord progression as a song I wrote a few years before this about changing a girl’s car tire) is fine, but the lyrics are really, well, high school (like lyrics about changing a girl’s car tire, for example). I really don’t want to say anything unkind here, because it’s kinda sweet in a way, all that doting pre-emo emo. I guess Clinton is a metaphor for the entire 90’s for me – everyone gets a aw-shucks pass when critical insight might be warranted or even helpful.

Don’t think that’s fair? Here then, you try and be critic. Last night I came across recordings of Lemonzinger, the Austin pop trio I was in when It Came From Nowhere… was released. Me on bass. Adorable. Do your worst.

(the following comments were made about this post when it was originally made)

Nice find!
That Celindine demo is a classic, let me know if you really want a copy.

Posted by: Mark at August 19, 2005 11:21 PM

Fantastic. Glad you came across this.

Posted by: Joellee at August 20, 2005 12:46 PM

I supplied the picture that was used for that album cover, may even still have it around somewhere. I found it at the Greenbriar Kinko's near a station that was used to make color-laser blowups of photographs, and I can't remember whether it was in the trash or still in the printer tray. I was pretty preoccupied at the time, trying to doctor mine and my friends' ID's so we could drink at a bar (didn't work), but I remember thinking that finding a blown up graduation picture of a hirsute teenaged cowboy, complete with unibrow and braces, and decked out in lime-green cowboy shirt, black hat and neck-ker-tie, was just about the funniest thing that could have happened to me sober.

Posted by: Nathan at August 24, 2005 12:53 AM

Mark - I do really want a copy of the Celindine demo. How can I get that from you?

Nathan - Amazing.

Posted by: ryan at August 24, 2005 12:21 PM

Holy crap. That's awesome! I remember that! Mark, at the time I wondered why you were using that pic for the cover, but I guess it works, it does really stand out. Hahaha

Posted by: Josh at August 24, 2005 05:26 PM

Ryan -

Email me mark@ojet.com and I'll get a copy out to you.

Posted by: Mark at August 27, 2005 03:06 PM

this is trey pool, i was in the celindine thing. i live in austin now but i can make a cd of the celindine demos if anyone would still care to get one.

Posted by: trey at October 18, 2005 09:25 PM