Cheer Accident

[moecurlythanu]

Just ordered the new one. Sounding good.

[hotandserious]

Nice quick interview with Jeff and Sacha Mullin that sheds some light on the creation of the album: ventsmagazine.com/2018/05/24/premiere-cheer-accident-release-new-single-im-just-afraid/ In particular, it was being considered as a solo album of Jeff's before Thymme's delightful assertion that if it wasn't going to sound like a C-A album, it definitely should be one.

I came here to post this too, but you beat me to it! Baribrotzer called this (about some of "Fades" starting out as a JL solo album) way back on April 2nd!

[hotandserious]

While I'm what rcarlberg would define as an absolutt horribel vinyl-hipster (and especially now that I've got a beard, although it's more of a kinda mountain-man affair), I won't be purchasing much more vinyl from the US. Simply too expensive to get through customs from there. I'll might be lucky as hell to find it popping up at one of the usual retailers here in Oslo, but it'll still be costly due to imports.

Guess I'll have to stick with the ol' upcoming Skin Graft CD-R when I get moneys. It's exceptionally disconcerting how they're not sufficiently avant, though - 'cause it's all in the degrees and extent! Where on the scale of the avant does it bant? Will it varrant a comparison to Adam Ant?

Hi Guys - Proper Distribution in the UK should be carrying "Fades" on vinyl and CD - and it goes through all of Redeye Distribution's worldwide distribution partners. The trouble is - that it's hard to get distros to even bother to bring things in unless it's guaranteed to move a lot of units. Definitely request it at your local shops - they should be able to get it. For good European mail-order - Mandai Distribution in Belgium ordered a bunch direct from SGraft and they will have them in soon:
http://www.mandai.be

And at SKiN GRAFT, we're happy to ship it anywhere - but postage prices are what they are unfortunately. If you don't care about a download coming with the album, it is cheapest through our non-bandcamp store (link below).

Mark
-----------------------------------------------------
CHEER-ACCIDENT "Fades" LP/CD/Ult-Ed/Digital
— out now from SKiN GRAFT Records:
-----------------------------------------------------
News: http://www.skingraftrecords.com/news_desk.html
Bandcamp Store: http://skingraftrecords.bandcamp.com
Store Link: http://www.skingraftrecords.com/shop.html

[Baribrotzer]

I came here to post this too, but you beat me to it! Baribrotzer called this (about some of "Fades" starting out as a JL solo album) way back on April 2nd!

It was only a guess, and based on no more than the album's credits - which show that just Jeff and Thymme from the band were involved, and that they used several guest vocalists.

[ergalthema]

Just signed up for this forum to chime in about my love for Cheer-Accident. I was a teen in the 90s studying music while listening to Zappa, Yes, Zorn, Mr. Bungle, various jazz/prog/fusion, world music, alternative/grunge/metal, etc. But I had never heard of Cheer-Accident until they came to my local art-music dive bar in 2014 (on a whim - I almost didn't even go!). Suddenly, everything I enjoyed about music was happening with this obscure band. They had chops, humor, mystery, and passion, and I never knew what was coming next. After the show, I remember complaining to Thymme how disappointed I was with the world that I had not heard of them before then. My main hobby is researching music, and yet my favorite band had been around for decades unbeknownst to me.

As I began to (obsessively) explore their discography, I found that they seemed to have limitless creativity; approaching music from surprising angles; in and outside the box. They are probably the most creative, artistic project I have ever encountered. I mean, there have been many great bands, but few that truly exist outside a genre (I'll conceed that RIO is possibly a vague enough umbrella for them). And, unlike oustiders like Beefheart, they aren't even consistent in their own world. I do not consider them "outsider music" any more than I would consider Zappa as such. However, Cheer-Ax does have a certain passion that I typically associate with outsider music - a purity, or humility, or honesty... something special that's hard to define.

They are obviously highly-skilled at performing and composing. They could just show off the whole time and fit more easily into the prog scene. But they are on another path that challenges nearly every preconception of music, and I'm grateful to have at least discovered them in time to follow along from this point (they are as much "in their prime" as ever).

I generally avoid recurring payments, but I would highly recommend that anyone who likes their music sign up for their subscription service. There is a new track every month which is just as good as anything they release on an album. Some of my favorite Cheer-Ax songs are only available in the subscription. They also post old videos which gives even more insight into the antics of their past.

Anyway, I was glad to find this appreciation (mostly) thread. I wanted to contribute and follow along. Cheers!

[Steve F.]

^^^^^

Nice story. Thanks for sharing. NOT so dis-similar to what Amelie said about what the band meant to her on the SessionsFrom Studio A broadcast.

[Baribrotzer]

However, Cheer-Ax does have a certain passion that I typically associate with outsider music - a purity, or humility, or honesty... something special that's hard to define.

That's a really good way of putting it. I've described them as having a "home-made" quality, but that's an aural description, whereas yours is more about capturing their emotional resonance. And, while I've only seen a little of the Chicago experimental rock scene, I have a feeling that CA may be the heart and soul of it - not the most successful band, certainly, but the one who sets the example of being musically honest and true to yourself.

[Scrotum Scissor]

while I've only seen a little of the Chicago experimental rock scene, I have a feeling that they may be the heart and soul of it - not the most successful band, certainly, but the one who sets the example of being musically honest and true to yourself.

The only other 'bonafide' Chicago-scene bands to reach anywhere near the level of abstract quality and identity C-A are displaying, would be (to my ears) very assorted parts of Gastr del Sol and Tortoise. And even then they'd be a long stretch off the acute brilliance of C-A. IMHO, of course. I think it speaks a lot how fluxes of other musicians appear to admire the band; Kihlstedt, Frykdahl, O'Rourke, Conn, Weasel Walter - even a capacity like Jeb Bishop.


^ And fine post there, Ergalthema.

[Zappathustra]

Just signed up for this forum to chime in about my love for Cheer-Accident. I was a teen in the 90s studying music while listening to Zappa, Yes, Zorn, Mr. Bungle, various jazz/prog/fusion, world music, alternative/grunge/metal, etc. But I had never heard of Cheer-Accident until they came to my local art-music dive bar in 2014 (on a whim - I almost didn't even go!). Suddenly, everything I enjoyed about music was happening with this obscure band. They had chops, humor, mystery, and passion, and I never knew what was coming next. After the show, I remember complaining to Thymme how disappointed I was with the world that I had not heard of them before then. My main hobby is researching music, and yet my favorite band had been around for decades unbeknownst to me.

As I began to (obsessively) explore their discography, I found that they seemed to have limitless creativity; approaching music from surprising angles; in and outside the box. They are probably the most creative, artistic project I have ever encountered. I mean, there have been many great bands, but few that truly exist outside a genre (I'll conceed that RIO is possibly a vague enough umbrella for them). And, unlike oustiders like Beefheart, they aren't even consistent in their own world. I do not consider them "outsider music" any more than I would consider Zappa as such. However, Cheer-Ax does have a certain passion that I typically associate with outsider music - a purity, or humility, or honesty... something special that's hard to define.

They are obviously highly-skilled at performing and composing. They could just show off the whole time and fit more easily into the prog scene. But they are on another path that challenges nearly every preconception of music, and I'm grateful to have at least discovered them in time to follow along from this point (they are as much "in their prime" as ever).

I generally avoid recurring payments, but I would highly recommend that anyone who likes their music sign up for their subscription service. There is a new track every month which is just as good as anything they release on an album. Some of my favorite Cheer-Ax songs are only available in the subscription. They also post old videos which gives even more insight into the antics of their past.

Anyway, I was glad to find this appreciation (mostly) thread. I wanted to contribute and follow along. Cheers!

This is just great. I love how contagious enthusiasm for music can be. Cheers to you!

[Baribrotzer]

The only other 'bonafide' Chicago-scene bands to reach anywhere near the level of abstract quality and identity C-A are displaying, would be (to my ears) very assorted parts of Gastr del Sol and Tortoise. And even then they'd be a long stretch off the acute brilliance of C-A. IMHO, of course. I think it speaks a lot how fluxes of other musicians appear to admire the band; Kihlstedt, Frykdahl, O'Rourke, Conn, Weasel Walter - even a capacity like Jeb Bishop.

It's not really their musical quality and originality I'm speaking of, though, not exactly. It's the way they do what they love and what they hear, not what plays best in their local "scene", and how they seem only peripherally aware of any kind of trends. The Chicago band I was actually thinking of was The Dead Rider, Todd Rittmann's own project - which plays three or four fairly diverse kinds of music, most of them quite a bit more conventional than C-A, and plays all of them because Todd loves all of them and doesn't see any reason he should need to choose just one.

[aith01]

Just signed up for this forum to chime in about my love for Cheer-Accident. I was a teen in the 90s studying music while listening to Zappa, Yes, Zorn, Mr. Bungle, various jazz/prog/fusion, world music, alternative/grunge/metal, etc. But I had never heard of Cheer-Accident until they came to my local art-music dive bar in 2014 (on a whim - I almost didn't even go!). Suddenly, everything I enjoyed about music was happening with this obscure band. They had chops, humor, mystery, and passion, and I never knew what was coming next. After the show, I remember complaining to Thymme how disappointed I was with the world that I had not heard of them before then. My main hobby is researching music, and yet my favorite band had been around for decades unbeknownst to me.

As I began to (obsessively) explore their discography, I found that they seemed to have limitless creativity; approaching music from surprising angles; in and outside the box. They are probably the most creative, artistic project I have ever encountered. I mean, there have been many great bands, but few that truly exist outside a genre (I'll conceed that RIO is possibly a vague enough umbrella for them). And, unlike oustiders like Beefheart, they aren't even consistent in their own world. I do not consider them "outsider music" any more than I would consider Zappa as such. However, Cheer-Ax does have a certain passion that I typically associate with outsider music - a purity, or humility, or honesty... something special that's hard to define.

They are obviously highly-skilled at performing and composing. They could just show off the whole time and fit more easily into the prog scene. But they are on another path that challenges nearly every preconception of music, and I'm grateful to have at least discovered them in time to follow along from this point (they are as much "in their prime" as ever).

I generally avoid recurring payments, but I would highly recommend that anyone who likes their music sign up for their subscription service. There is a new track every month which is just as good as anything they release on an album. Some of my favorite Cheer-Ax songs are only available in the subscription. They also post old videos which gives even more insight into the antics of their past.

Anyway, I was glad to find this appreciation (mostly) thread. I wanted to contribute and follow along. Cheers!

Welcome! And thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[Kcrimso]

Just listened the new album for the first time. Really really promising!

[hotandserious]

Here is a review from It Djents:
http://www.itdjents.com/reviews-2/re...ccident-fades/

"Cheer-Accident are a Chicago based alternative rock band with more than 3 decades of track experience giving audiences a more inventive musical experience. They have earned a respected legacy accordingly, yet there are several among us, like myself, who only had the privilege of hearing them for the first time just a few months ago. Therefore I see no harm in respectfully putting their lengthy (and trust me, it really is lengthy) discography to one side and treating this album as a first introduction to the band…"

[Scrotum Scissor]

"[…] there are several among us, like myself, who only had the privilege of hearing them for the first time just a few months ago. Therefore I see no harm in respectfully putting their lengthy (and trust me, it really is lengthy) discography to one side and treating this album as a first introduction to the band…"

The only way to go about them, AFAIC.

Instead of that dude mentioned earlier who couldn't get to grips with how an alleged 'prog' band somehow strangely omitted all those usual traits purportedly inherent to the genre.

[Baribrotzer]

The only way to go about them, AFAIC.

I don't know about that. Everyone keeps talking about how C-A have no distinct musical style, how their music varies from pop to prog to jazz to metal to punk, often on the same album and sometimes even within the same song, how their only rule is that they have no rules. And I don't think so. Their music refuses to stay in any single defined genre, but it does have strong and definite stylistic traits holding it together at a more fundamental level, down in the musical nuts and bolts - distinct and individual ways of writing melodies, of moving chords, of connecting one section to the next. Those remain consistent even when the external style doesn't. And since Jeff and Thymme have worked together for decades, each has picked up traits from the other and they've forged a common compositional vocabulary, developed on their instruments together, and always sound like themselves. Even across stylistic boundaries of the sort that matter to some other bands, and matter a lot to most music reviewers.

Instead of that dude mentioned earlier who couldn't get to grips with how an alleged 'prog' band somehow strangely omitted all those usual traits purportedly inherent to the genre.

Does it really surprise you, after all this time, that some metalheads may be more open-minded than some prog fans?

[Scrotum Scissor]

Does it really surprise you, after all this time, that some metalheads may be more open-minded than some prog fans?

I never uttered a reflex of surprise, John. Most "prog" fans are squarer than most metalheads, although there are approx. 50 times more around of the latter.

But you're right about that seemingly kinda innate core vocabulary/formula of C-A, of course. Which is one of the reasons, I think, why their recent (well, these past 15 years) output has arguably been more stylistically coherent than the more in-yr-face "contrarian rebel" material of earlier releases; they have, ghastly be it may, somehow "matured" away from the nonchalant. At least that's the overall impression I'm left with. And yet they're still wildly disparate and eclectic in given contexts; A tune like "Drag You Down", for instance (the opening on No Ifs/Dogs), might appear straightforward to the uninitiated ear, but the fact remains that it's a literal web of crossing patterns in chordal harmony and rhythm, leaving a challenge in feel as the crew still lets loose as though the formalities weren't there at all. And this sort of "natural chemistry" appears to permeat most anything they deliver these days.

[Baribrotzer]

Which is one of the reasons, I think, why their recent (well, these past 15 years) output has arguably been more stylistically coherent than the more in-yr-face "contrarian rebel" material of earlier releases; they have, ghastly be it may, somehow "matured" away from the nonchalant. At least that's the overall impression I'm left with.

It may be that their earlier output often had some sort of musical "meta" decisions going on - perhaps, "We're gonna be incredibly heavy on this one", or, "We're gonna be real pop on this one", or "We're gonna do three-chord garage-rock on this one". Whereas now, they don't get any more "meta" than, "We're gonna sound like us on this one." And for them, "sound like us", covers an awful lot of ground.

Also, nonchalant has been driven into the ground by Pavement and their legions upon legions of imitators, in the way ironic got driven into the ground by everybody, his brother, and his little dog too. It ceased to have any point other than making a band sound like yet another imitator: "Aw, man, I'm bored with this song, I'm not gonna finish it, I'm just gonna go out and smoke some weed and let the whole tune fizzle out and fall apart, that'll be real cool." And I suppose someone could say that such an attitude amounts to adding the subliminal creation of an image to their artistic palette: the myth that Steve and Scott (of Pavement) are so blase that they're over their own musical talent, and don't see their own music as particularly interesting, important, or anything other than a way for them to temporarily stave off boredom. But I don't buy that.

And I think C-A dropped that whole concept, of seeming to not take your music seriously enough to do it as well as you can, when it became first a hip pose, and then a cliche. No, they don't work obsessively, perfectionistically on polishing their compositions, their performances, or their recordings. They've always been more about first-class inspiration than nose-to-the-grindstone followup, always been a bit rough and a bit ragged, and that's a part of their sound. But they don't see that as a flaw, it's just who they are. And I think they take their music seriously, even if they don't do that quite the same way almost anybody else would.

[Zappathustra]

... Therefore I see no harm in respectfully putting their lengthy (and trust me, it really is lengthy) discography to one side and treating this album as a first introduction to the band…"

But sure, why not, this could very well be a debut. It sounds this fresh, and indifferent to what has come before it.

Which is ridiculous, when you think that these guys have been putting out music for 30 years. Ridiculously glorious.

I don't know if it is the Libersher composing, or the idea of collaborating with different people. But this comes as something totally new, and yet unmistakably Cheer-Accident. It is a statement of complete domination over whatever is happening around. Quality will prevail.

This is already my favorite LP for 2018. I would love to see anything that could challenge its dominance, but that would be almost a hybris - punishable.

[Phlakaton]

But sure, why not, this could very well be a debut. It sounds this fresh, and indifferent to what has come before it.

Which is ridiculous, when you think that these guys have been putting out music for 30 years. Ridiculously glorious.

I don't know if it is the Libersher composing, or the idea of collaborating with different people. But this comes as something totally new, and yet unmistakably Cheer-Accident. It is a statement of complete domination over whatever is happening around. Quality will prevail.

This is already my favorite LP for 2018. I would love to see anything that could challenge its dominance, but that would be almost a hybris - punishable.

You could put out Sever Roots- Tree Dies as a whole new thing right now - and I'd be impressed as hell. Wouldnt sound dated or old at all to me.

[Zappathustra]

You could put out Sever Roots- Tree Dies as a whole new thing right now - and I'd be impressed as hell. Wouldnt sound dated or old at all to me.

That's the opposite argument, yet suggests the same thing.

This is just sick...

[Phlakaton]

That's the opposite argument, yet suggests the same thing.

This is just sick...

After I posted I read it and thought that... haha. What??? lol

[hotandserious]

Here is another glowing review - this one from The Organ UK.


ORGAN THING: Cheer Accident’s new album Fades is a beautifully refreshing thing, a glorious Organ Thing of The Day…
review by seanworrall

You do know we only bother to review the really good albums, the cream of the new releases, we don’t cover the average, we don’t bother with most things that come our way these days, life is too short…

ALBUM REVIEW: Cheer Accident – Fades (Skin Graft Records) – The new Cheer Accident album opens in a surprisingly refreshing, rather uplifting, and without giving up a single inch of the progressiveness you’d expect from the defiantly challenging Chicago band, delightfully easy to listen to. Done is like drinking perfectly chilled water from the finest wild spring, those rocks might be sharp and edgy but that water flows so well over them A new album from Cheer Accident is always something to be excited about, something to anticipate, they’ve always been predictably unpredictable, always very obviously no one other than Cheer Accident, they’ve always been a band with a need to challenge themselves as much as they need to challenge their audience. Cheer Accident are not a band to hit on a formula and then just safely repeat the exercise again and again and by now they really should have failed at least once, surely be now they should have tripped themselves up? No, they just do it again again, they just do it, they do that thing, that “it”, that magical thing that only the very very best bands can do. This is what art really sounds like, this is awkwardly good art rock, fluidly difficult progressiveness, this is painterly, this is the sound of real artists at work, this is the real deal.

The Mind-Body Experience is very Cardiacs in a Beatles flavoured Genesis kind of way, The Mind-Body Experience is glorious, Monsters on the other hand is menacing, Fripp would be proud of it, Monsters is the edgy side of Cheer Accident, the one that doesn’t want you to be too comfortable for too long, the one that fucks with minds, that laughs at you, that laughs with you. You see Cheer Accident are a million miles away from one of those 70’s flavoured pastiches, they’re two million miles away from those dreadful bands with think they’re playing prog rock now, this is far too real to be anywhere near that tedium, and this, as we said of Star Period Star a few days back (and could easily have said about the new Piniol album as well), this is proper. Last But No Lost is laced with Philip Glass, with classic Genesis, with lots of things without ever obviously sounding like anything or anyone else other than Cheer Accident This once again is a prog as flip album, this is right up there with anything truly progressive from back then and those laughing monsters damn well know it It would be very easy to just gush over every track on this album, the standard is there throughout, the challenge, the shifts, the colours, every one a master piece and the fact that there are different vocalists adds so much when is could so easily have distracted (additional vocalists include Sacha Mullin of Lovely Little Girls fame and Carla Kihlstedt from the excellent of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum). Art Land is pure Hammill in the most positive of forward-looking ways (and you know Peter Hammill helped kick off Punk Rock back in 75 right?). This is an essential album, this is now, this is right here right now, this is 2018, and nothing about this new Cheer Accident is the least bit backward looking, the sound is very now, the production spot on, the desire and adventure is beautiful, House of Douse just pecks at you – no more touching my mouse – House of Douse is just about the best thing I’ve heard in ages, Do I is just excellent Kraut pop and an excellent conclusion that leads you round to the start and the pin-point Kraut and that aforementioned must-have-more refreshment of Done.

They’ve been around since 1981, Cheer Accident have always been good, they’ve always been challenging, always rewarding, they’ve never been that predictable, we hear tales of all kinds of live experiments over there in the US, there’s a vast back catalogue now (I just returned to the first album we encountered, 1990’s Dumb Ask, initially released over here in the UK on Neat Records, the legendary Newcastle heavy metal label, the label made a right mess of the pressing, it still sounds damn good though). And here in 2018 Fades is just a brilliant album, I really couldn’t give two hoots if the over the top nature of this review bothers you, as I keep saying around here, art excites and if I can’t gush at something as good as this then really what is the point? Fades might well be the best Cheer Accident album ever, too early to say, it is right up there though, it is a good as anything the band have done and hey, the details are there via the Bandcamp, you don’t need my words, go explore (sw) .

[Baribrotzer]

Here is another glowing review - this one from The Organ UK....

.....Fades might well be the best Cheer Accident album ever, too early to say, it is right up there though, it is a good as anything the band have done and hey, the details are there via the Bandcamp, you don’t need my words, go explore (sw) .

Wow, man!

SW likes them!

They must be Prog!

How soon is his remix of "Camp 'O Physique" coming out?

[hotandserious]

Wow, man!

SW likes them!

They must be Prog!

How soon is his remix of "Camp 'O Physique" coming out?

Sean at the Organ really is the best. He also reviewed the new Star Period Star album recently.

Here's what Jon over at Exposé Online had to say:
http://expose.org/index.php/articles...t-fades-2.html

[Baribrotzer]

After seeing them, something occurred to me: You could describe them as "psychedelic", in the same sense that Tim Smith always made a point of rejecting the "prog" or "New Wave" labels, and called Cardiacs a "psychedelic" band. Not so much old-style psych as a music evolved from it, and full of the same anything-goes creativity.