Indie Rock Pedalsteel

Matt Steindl · Post by **Matt Steindl** » 10 Feb 2003 7:52 pm

Cris, I love Poi Dog Pondering! Did you do any live work w/ them, or just studio?

I always get sad thinking about them, because they had a few brilliant albums, but kinda fell off the map. I know they are still huge in the midwest.

Craig Stock · Post by **Craig Stock** » 10 Feb 2003 8:19 pm

Some of the guys from Poi Dog Pondering play in Brian Wilson's Band, and I think they have been working on a new album, if I recall correctly.

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Regards, Craig

Del Rangel · Post by **Del Rangel** » 10 Feb 2003 11:17 pm

PedalsteelTransmission

Johan Jansen · Post by **Johan Jansen** » 11 Feb 2003 6:10 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Lets start a list of "Indie Rock" bands that use steel:
1.Mendoza Line
2.Japancakes
3.Brite Eyes
4.Kay
5.Calexico
6.The Doodars (available in forum cataloge)
7.Elk City
8.Luke Vibert (Stop the panic cd)

Lets see how many outside the box bands we can come up with !

Bob
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
How about 'The Secret Combination?'

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Click on the pic!

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 11 Feb 2003 8:25 am

Tandy or the Silos, with multi instrumentalist Drew Glackin on lap steel

Greg Simmons · Post by **Greg Simmons** » 11 Feb 2003 9:06 am

Mojave 3 has had some nice steel stuff on some of their recordings - not exactly rock though.

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Greg Simmons
Custodian of the Official Sho~Bud Pedal Steel Guitar Website

[This message was edited by Greg Simmons on 11 February 2003 at 09:06 AM.]

Gerald Menke · Post by **Gerald Menke** » 11 Feb 2003 9:34 am

Cool thread, I play steel for a number of the bands that Bob doesn't play for here in New York, one of them is Downriver, instrumental ambient music from Brooklyn...just guitar, bass, drums and steel guitar. We're playing with Tandy this Thursday at Southpaw in Park Slope Brooklyn, please come on down if you can and watch me grow a few new gray hairs (they insist on having me sit front and center) I like Greg Liesz, Bruce Kaphan and our very own Bob Hoffnar, hopefully some of their magic will come through in my playing. Would love to see any of you there. We will play at around 10 PM. Southpaw is at 125 5th Ave, just a short walk from the Atlantic Ave train station.

We are as indie as hell, let me tell you. Independent of any record deal, press, giant fan base, money, but not a devotion to music, I'll tell you that.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 11 Feb 2003 10:55 am

Paul Lacques in Double Naught Spy Car. Click the picture below.
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</center>

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9), Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6), Roland Handsonic

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 11 Feb 2003 12:22 pm

00 Spycar!
anyone who names a cut after Lili St Cyr is ok in my book....

Matt Steindl · Post by **Matt Steindl** » 11 Feb 2003 1:53 pm

OK DVA, enlighten me. Who is Lili St. Cyr? Im guessing either an astro-physicist or a porn star!

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Mattman in "The Big Sleazy"-:
S-10 Dekley, Suitcase Fender Rhodes, B-bender Les Paul

Chris Bauer · Post by **Chris Bauer** » 11 Feb 2003 5:15 pm

Matt,

PDP were/are an interesting bunch. I played on their original EP and then the demos that they used when they got their deal on Columbia. After that, they had me come in to do some overdubs on one of the Columbia albums. I never got to play with them live but always wished I'd been able to.

Their membership was ever-changing and, by the time they moved from Austin to Chicago, I think only one of the original members was in the band. Their lyrics were often a bit slack, it seemed to me, but I always loved the tracks they developed.

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 11 Feb 2003 6:31 pm

Lili St Cyr was a contemporary of Bettie Page and better known in her day- blonde bombshell Pin-up/Burlesque Queen of the 50's with legs for days....

http://www.vivavavoom.com/girls/lili/main.html

Todd Pertll · Post by **Todd Pertll** » 12 Feb 2003 3:03 pm

Ward Williams you are the poster child of an element that pedal steel could do without. I know your kind. You are a guitar player who probably had one to many drinks one night and decided to sit behind your buddy's steel that still happened to be on the band stand. After a quick lesson on how to turn a I chord into a IV chord you set out to purchase a student steel. You take a few real lessons, and BOOM, you now consider yourself a "Steel" player. Then you get a membership to the forum, and now all of the sudden you start wasting bandwidth by popping off about how you "hate country music".
Well, let me tell you something chief, there is a lot of history in the steel guitar, and you would be doing yourself a favor to learn a little bit before you start "reinventing the wheel" and taking the steel in what you think are new directions.

Matt Steindl · Post by **Matt Steindl** » 12 Feb 2003 3:31 pm

Todd, without personally knowing Ward or you, I have to give you a quote about beginers vs. professionals(or traditionalists)

"Remember, the Titanic was built by professionals and Noah was a beginer when it came to boat building"

I'm not sure many here will agree w/ Ward about "Hating" new country music. But ya gotta admit that your previous statement was just as ballsy and oppinionated.

I'm surprised it took so long for this thread to get nasty!

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Mattman in "The Big Sleazy"-:
S-10 Dekley, Suitcase Fender Rhodes, B-bender Les Paul

Del Rangel · Post by **Del Rangel** » 12 Feb 2003 4:32 pm

We would all do well to remember that steel guitar did not originate with country music as well as be happy about its adoption by anyone interested without getting involved in internecine warfare about its purported proper use. Comments like this are mean and just in poor taste. Instead of encouraging we excoriate. What is wrong with us? Oh yeah, NCS sucks![This message was edited by Del Rangel on 12 February 2003 at 04:33 PM.]

Ward Williams · Post by **Ward Williams** » 13 Feb 2003 11:28 am

My Dearest Todd, (if that is your real name)

I'll have you know that I am not trying to take the pedal steel in any new direction but up baby! I am well aware of all of the history behing this instrument, and I know that there is nothing that I am going to do or try that hasn't been done or tried by someone else at some point in time. Steel guitar's been around for a long, long time, and still most of the general public don't even know what it is. That's what I would like to change. I just want to create awareness. That's all. I take steel guitar very seriously, and I really know how to play. I can play country, rock, jazz, I'll even play rap on my steel(which is not a beginner guitar by the way) I don't care.
I think you just might be bitter, or maybe you're afraid. Yea, that's it. You're scared that I'm gonna start stealing gigs from you(pun inteanded). Everything has it's place buddy. And yes, that includes country music. I respect that, but if you feel you have something to prove, then bring it on.
I challenge you to a "steel-off" my friend! Just name the place and time.

Steve Pierce. You ROCK too brotha!

I'm out,

Ward

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 13 Feb 2003 11:39 am

Let's cool off the flames here, folks. There's no need to be throwing insults at people we've never met.

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<img align=left src="http://b0b.com/coolb0b2.gif" border="0"> Bobby Lee
-b0b- quasar@b0b.com 
-System Administrator

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 13 Feb 2003 12:51 pm

I, for one, WELCOME your enthusiasm, Ward. And I welcome you to the Forum and apologize for some who may not get the highest scores in 'Works and Plays Well With Others' on their report cards. Your skin will thicken and your filter will learn which to ignore.

If we limit growth of our instrument by its roots we're asking for extinction. It is a PHENOMENAL instrument with potential that has yet to be REALIZED, much less TAPPED.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 13 Feb 2003 1:00 pm

Todd and Ward, you're both listed as being from Dallas. I've been playing in and around the DFW MetroPlex for over 20 years and have never heard of either of you. I'm off this weekend, so please let me know where you're playing. I'd like to come hear you.

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Jim Smith jimsmith94@attbi.com
-=Dekley D-12 10&12=-
-=Fessenden D-12 (coming soon)=-
Stereo Steel rig w/Boss GX-700
IVL SteelRider w/JV-880

Buck Dilly · Post by **Buck Dilly** » 13 Feb 2003 1:02 pm

Jon Rauhaus play a very unusual steel on: "The man in the Moon" by Sleepwalker. THis great album is on Hayden's Ferry Records, and sports steel, bass, drums and vocals. It is not a steel album however but a 'music' album. NO flashy licks but some wonderful sonic washes, sounds, and melodies. Jon plays more traditionally with Nico Case (who is not very traditional at all) on Bloodshot records. He has a newer album that is more in the vein of a 'steel album' but I much prefer "The Man in the Moon". There are several used copies available on amazon.com. This is an album I have recommended to every one, not just steelers. It is a gem.

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Steels and Guitars. Emmons PP, Nationals, Dan-O's, ES 340, Tube Amps only! "Blue Sparks From Hell", "Kings in Disguise".

Greg Simmons · Post by **Greg Simmons** » 13 Feb 2003 1:39 pm

Buck, thanks for mentioning Jon Rauhouse - I like his work with Neko Case and the "Sleepwalker" is kinda neat.

I've got his latest "Steel Guitar Air Show" on Bloodshot Records and like it a lot

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Greg Simmons
Custodian of the Official Sho~Bud Pedal Steel Guitar Website

P Gleespen · Post by **P Gleespen** » 13 Feb 2003 1:52 pm

This indie rock stuff is coming out on a Boston based indie later this month. The band's called "Placer"...
http://www.dopamine-records.com/images/placer_thehighway.mp3
http://www.dopamine-records.com/images/circles.mp3

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 13 Feb 2003 3:42 pm

I listened to both of these cuts, and sorry to say, I didn't hear anything that couldn't be done very easily by a slide guitarist or an amateur lap steel player. In fact, if I hadn't known in advance that there was steel on them, I would never have guessed it. I can't see this advancing the popularity of steel guitar, or is it just me?

Bobby Snell · Post by **Bobby Snell** » 13 Feb 2003 7:40 pm

Yeah, Jim, it's just you. Why don't you and Todd start a thread about how Joe Wright playing House of the Rising Sun through a (b)uzztone is "real good rock."

No smilie on this one.

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 14 Feb 2003 1:02 am

I almost forgot. last year I did a van tour playing steel for Kyle Fischer of Rainer Maria and Mike Kinsella. Also I have been playing with Hem but I don't really think of them as "indie".

Pat, Sounds great to me. As long as you are in Cleveland you might check out a band called Aloha. I think they are based out of Cleveland. Great players.

Bob