Spineless: 1992-1995

December 22, 2007

This is an entry about Music with 2 comments

The end of 2007 approaches, and it finds me more nostalgic than usual. I will use that opportunity to write a little bit about one of my favorite bands and a little bit about Bard College in the mid 90s.

Spineless was the best band at the quaint, expensive jewel of a school in upstate New York. I discovered them while studying to get my door-opening degree in Literary Criticism. Most of the campus population preferred the Nick Zinner-fueled Challenge of the Future ensemble or even the good-time hoedown vibe of Uncle Jesse. But I am a Yes fan, so there was no denying Spineless’ precise and nerdy sounds were the ones I wanted to obsess over. How could I forget the first time I saw them play?! Outdoors, in the middle of the Saturday, at some art opening (Spineless as a whole didn’t seem to like the sun and while playing a form of art rock [I guess], didn’t seem all that interested in formal displays of art¹). Their guitar player avoided all of the obvious sonic cliches of the time and instead played very dry and very precise, steering clear of landing on majors and minors and instead knocked out these little knotty jazz-inspired bits. It blew my mind. Also, I was a little bit high.

Some things about Spineless: First, they were all incredibly sexy, like every good band needs to be. Drummer Sebastian would later play shirtless and totally buff in Trans Am, but before that, he graced the Audio Co-op (which was both practice space and long-term storage) with his genius. It goes without saying that Sebastian could play like a drum machine. Matt, with his wild mop of hair and sinewy arms, was the steamroller of the band. His bass style was, to my ears, inspired by Clint Connelly but he also could rock the main lines like Graham Maby. And oh! how Steve played some of the finest rock guitar I have ever, ever heard in my life. Some thirteen years later, even with all the Breadwinners and Don Cabs that have come and gone, his style and tone haunts me. His bone-dry but massive amp settings showed a restraint and sophistication not usually heard from such a young player who also had a tender enough heart to major in poetry. He was also extremely defiant in a James Joyce seminar which we both took. A god.

Not the Spineless we seek. In a perfect world, there would be that much Spineless material out there for watching and listening

The only release they put out was a Bard student-affiliated 7″ featuring “Primer” which is too long at 6 minutes, “Mouse Detective”, which is their tightest composition out of the three and contains their sound in a nutshell, and “Crappy Park” which I think got turned into some song that Seb played with a later band. But why no “Gymkata”? Or “Assbutter”?! I can’t say because those songs are classic and the world needed a Spineless EP, not a 7″.

The recording is most likely technically perfect, having been recorded by resident studio maestro Don Gunn, but lacks a certain devastating quality I know they had. I have been listening to these three songs since I borrowed a USB turntable and deemed that 7″ The Thing I Must Hear First.

2008: Year of the Spineless reunion tour, I hope.