"A man's got to know his limitations."
As you probably know, these words were coarsely uttered by Clint Eastwood in his role as Dirty Harry, (inspector Harry Callahan) in 1973's "Magnum Force". Now I bring that iconic line up because as soon as I heard the sinewy pedal to the metal 1993 alt rock chomper "Lowlife" originally from Heatmiser's debut full length "Dead Air" I knew that my knowledge of the iconic group, comprised of Elliott Smith, Neil Gust, Tony Lash, and Brandt Peterson, was narrow, too narrow and that just regurgitating press notes (like 95% of music blogs) is lame and rubs me the wrong way.
So what to do? Something I never do. Share the complete Press Release. This amazing release, "The Music of Heatmiser", a brand new, 29-song compilation of previously unheard recordings that drops October 6th via Third Man Records is a must have for anyone who appreciates the touchstones of indie rock / post punk, grunge and punk and how they interconnect with the myriad of impactful artists in all genres like a sonic Jacob's Ladder.
So what to do? Something I never do. Share the complete Press Release. This amazing release, "The Music of Heatmiser", a brand new, 29-song compilation of previously unheard recordings that drops October 6th via Third Man Records is a must have for anyone who appreciates the touchstones of indie rock / post punk, grunge and punk and how they interconnect with the myriad of impactful artists in all genres like a sonic Jacob's Ladder.
Read on and get excited. I know I am.
-Robb Donker Curtius
PRESS RELEASE
Today, legendary 90s indie rock group Heatmiser — comprised of Elliott Smith, Neil Gust, Tony Lash, and Brandt Peterson — have announced The Music of Heatmiser, a new, 29-song compilation of previously unheard recordings, out October 6th via Third Man Records. Alongside this announcement, the band have shared a version of “Lowlife” from their 1992 demo cassette along with a live video filmed during a 1993 performance in Fort Collins, CO.
Gust shares, “Tony found a bunch of forgotten recordings and started mixing them and sending them to me. We were struck by the freewheeling energy of the band; you could hear how much fun we were having. In 1992 we could barely afford the studio so it all had to be done really fast. When we put the cassette together, we wanted it to start like a punch in the face. That’s ‘Lowlife.’”
The track, formally released in 1993 on Heatmiser’s debut full length Dead Air, comes from the band’s initial demo set, “The Music of Heatmiser,” recorded in the summer of 1992 in Portland, OR and sold at local record shops and shows to build hype for the upstart group. It’s guitar rock, full-blast, through 100 watt Marshall half stacks — which might shock those only familiar with Smith’s whispered, delicate solo work — when grunge was ascendant in the Pacific Northwest and the Portland scene was exploding. Fast, tight, loud, fun.
The legend of Heatmiser began when Neil Gust and Elliott Smith arrived in Portland together in the summer of 1991 to start a new band with drummer/producer Tony Lash. Within a year they added bassist Brandt Peterson on bass, and began playing across the West Coast while demoing dozens of songs for their first LP. Across their brief but essential career, the sound of the band rapidly evolved, but this is Heatmiser right out of the gate. New, energetic, excited, moving quickly through styles, totally broke and making it work in whatever way possible.
Until now, these recordings were available only to the lucky few who were able to attend these early shows. Now, the original set of 6 songs, along with 23 demos, live tracks, rare versions and never before released songs, will be available on vinyl and streaming for the first time through this extraordinary release.
"The Music of Heatmiser" Tracklist:
1. Lowlife (‘92 Cassette)
2. Bottle Rocket (‘92 Cassette)
3. Buick (‘92 Cassette)
4. Just A Little Prick (‘92 Cassette)
5. Dirt (‘92 Cassette)
6. Mightier Than You (‘92 Cassette)
7. Can’t Be Touched (Cavity Search Single)
8. Wake (Cavity Search Single)
9. Stray (Cavity Search Single)
10. Dead Air (Demo)
11. Sands Hotel (Demo)
12. Mock Up (Demo)
13. Cannibal (Demo)
14. Candyland (Demo)
15. Still (Demo)
16. Man Camp
17. Laying Low
18. Bloody Knuckles
19. Father Song
20. Glamourine
21. Meatline
22. Revolution
23. Black Out (Live On KBOO)
24. Bottle Rocket (Live On KBOO)
25. Dirt (Live On KBOO)
26. Still (Live On KBOO)
27. Candyland (Live On KBOO)
28. Don’t Look Down (Live On KBOO)
29. Lowlife (Live On KBOO)
+ + +
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM
https://open.spotify.com/artist/59IPo3F7aZifhZtHnoGHbo
https://www.instagram.com/heatmiser_archv/
https://themusicofheatmiser.bandcamp.com/album/the-music-of-heatmiser
The Portland, OR, band Heatmiser was best known for launching the career of singer/songwriter Elliott Smith, but other members of the group went on to have successful music careers long after Heatmiser's demise. Singer/songwriter/guitarist Neil Gust went on to form the pop/rock band No. 2, while bassist Sam Coomes formed the popular indie pop duo Quasi with his then-wife, Sleater-Kinney drummer Janet Weiss. Drummer Tony Lash, who produced some of Heatmiser's material, went on to do production work with a variety of artists, including the Dandy Warhols, Death Cab for Cutie, and the Minders. Heatmiser was well-known in the northwest rock scene of the early '90s, but despite Smith's burgeoning solo career, the band never achieved more than a cult following. Smith shared songwriting duties with fellow guitarist/vocalist Neil Gust, whom he met while both were attending Hampshire College, and their contrasts in styles made Heatmiser's records compelling but incohesive. Gust's songs were typically darker and harsher than Smith's melodic folk-rock contributions. The fact that Heatmiser toiled in relative obscurity during their active years and has remained unknown to the masses despite Smith's popularity is puzzling to say the least. Heatmiser formed in Portland, OR, in 1992, a time in which labels large and small were scarfing up all the unsigned talent they could in hopes of finding the next Nirvana or Pearl Jam. Sub Pop records had signed several decidedly non-grungy Portland bands, such as the Spinanes, Pond, and Hazel, but Heatmiser somehow escaped Sub Pop's grasp. The band released its debut album, Dead Air, on Frontier Records in 1993. A second album, Cop and Speeder, appeared on Frontier in 1994 as did a five-song EP entitled Yellow No. 5. By 1996, Smith had released two critically acclaimed solo albums and it was becoming clear that Heatmiser was not his first priority. The Tony Lash-produced Mic City Sons was released in October of that year by the independent label Caroline. Hailed by critics as the best Heatmiser record yet, Mic City Sons unfortunately was released as the band was in the process of breaking up. Thus, despite all the makings of a breakthrough effort, Heatmiser was grinding to a halt and would never record as a group again. Smith reported in an interview in 1997 that Heatmiser had signed a contract with Virgin, but an album never materialized. The bandmembers have maintained working professional relationships, appearing on each others' various projects in some capacity. Quasi toured with Elliott Smith in 1997, and both Smith and Coomes contributed to Gust's No. 2 album, which was released in 1999. ~ Scott Sepich, Rovi
Heatmiser, Never before heard tracks, "Lowlife" ('93 cassette), Elliot Smith, Neil Gust, Tony Lash, Brandt Peterson, 29 song compilation, 90's alt rock, post punk, punk, "The Music of Heatmiser",
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