CHAINSAW KITTENS Angel on the Range 1993

by request

 

 

Discogs 

 

 

 

Tracklist

1	Kick Kid
2	Angel On The Range
3	John Wayne Dream
4	Mary's Belated Wedding Song
5	Lazy Little Dove
6	Sgt. W****
7	Little Fishies

TYSON MEADE Motorcycle Childhood 1995

by request

 

Discogs 

 

 

Artist Biography by Steve May

As singer of Defenestration and the Chainsaw Kittens, Tyson Meade earned a reputation as one of the true individuals and in the alternative music scene of the late '80s and early '90s, his quirky, tuneful, two-octave warble and skewed lyrical styling resonating with listeners well beyond the decline of the genre and into the new millennium. Born in the north Oklahoma oil outpost of Bartlesville in 1962, Meade was weaned on the Beatles, Elvis, and the Supremes. Having fallen prey to the more dissonant sounds of punk, new wave, David Bowie, and T. Rex, Meade in the summer of 1980 bought a Gibson Marauder from his brother and formed the band that would become Defenestration with a group of local skaters. In 1984, with a loan from his mom, Meade financed the 400-dollar recording cost of the intense, darkly psychedelic Defenestration, which caused enough of a stir on the coasts to lead to a deal with indie Relativity. The tighter, slicker Dali Does Windows followed in 1987, but a subsequent power struggle with co-songwriter Todd Walker and a series of lineup changes lead to the dissolution of the band by the end of the following year.

Working at a Norman, OK, indie record shop, Meade got wind of a high-school group on the verge of kicking out its lead singer. Out of options, he followed up on the lead and the Chainsaw Kittens were born, the name a reference to the sound of the groups' lead guitar player and the members' young age. Following the 1990 issue of the dark, glammy "Mother (Of the Ancient Birth)," the Kittens released Violent Religion, which took the sounds of the single to their logical, androgynous conclusion, exploring homoerotic and religious themes in depth, featuring Meade in full drag on the back cover. The harder Flipped Out in Singapore and more varied, less consistent Angel on the Range EP arrived one year apart with different rhythm sections. With the recording of 1994's Atlantic-distributed Pop Heiress, the group finally had a budget and internal stability, but not soon after the album's release, Mammoth pulled its support. 1995 saw the band ink a deal with new Chicago indie Scratchie Records and the release of Meade's mostly acoustic solo album, Motorcycle Childhood, which represented the first of his works to deal openly with his homosexuality and rural Oklahoman upbringing. 1996's poppy, melancholy Candy for You EP marked a change of direction for the band, and Chainsaw Kittens, released in October of the same year, marked a somewhat poppier step in the same direction. With the restructuring of Scratchie, the band in 1999 moved to the new Four Alarm imprint, and in fall 2000 issued The All American, a straight pop album. By then, Meade was living in New York City, and planning another solo album. 

Tracklist

1	Aunt Ruby's Porch	3:13
2	Nude Man With A Horn	3:54
3	Clean Wreck	3:10
4	Interlood #1	1:52
5	Fragment Of You	4:21
6	Really Gone	2:10
7	Reverse Nelson-Inside Crotch	2:10
8	Our Liars' Lairs	4:14
9	Here She Is	1:24
10	Resonance	3:00
11	Off With You	2:47
12	Seastones	3:43
13	Interlood #2 (Space Stones)	2:15
14	Pleased Girlfriend's Remorse	3:39

CHAINSAW KITTENS Violent Religion 1990

by request

 

 

Discogs 

 

 

Tracklist 

1	Bloodstorm
2	Skinned Knees (Kitten Theme)
3	Boyfriend Song
4	Mother (Of The Ancient Birth)
5	I'm Waiting (Leeanne's Song)
6	Here At The End
7	Bliss (We're Small)
8	Feel Like A Drugstore
9	Savior Boyfriend Collides
10	Violent Religion
11	Death-Out At Party Central
12	She's Gone Mad

CHAINSAW KITTENS

Pop Heiress

1994

 

self titled

1996

by request

Discogs

Artist Biography by Ned Raggett

Arguably the best American band who never made it when alternative music suddenly became a huge proposition in the early '90s, the Chainsaw Kittens predated and outlasted that time with its own marvelous, energetic blend of glam-damaged energy, theatrical extremity, and punk rock basics. Fronted by Tyson Meade, former lead singer of Defenestration, the Oklahoma-based group came together in early 1989, shortly thereafter signing to the Mammoth label. Initially partnering on guitar with Mark Metzger but working thereafter with band stalwart Trent Bell, Meade and company released a debut, Violent Religion, to relatively little attention. However, the band built up a steady reputation through touring and appearing with a variety of up-and-coming bands, most notably the Smashing Pumpkins. The Kittens' sophomore release, 1992's Butch Vig-produced Flipped Out in Singapore, helped to heighten the group's profile and fan base further, while a follow-up EP in 1993, Angel on the Range, introduced what would finally be a stable rhythm section for the band, bassist Matt Johnson and drummer Eric Harmon. Mammoth's tie-up with Atlantic gave a boost to what should have been the band's breakthrough, 1994's Pop Heiress. The hoped-for smash didn't materialize, but the group kept on, issuing a self-titled album (also known as Oklahoma Speedway) in 1996 on Scratchie. The Kittens then took an extensive break while its members pursued other musical and personal work before returning in 2000 on 4 Alarm with The All-American. 


Pop Heiress

 Tracklist 

1	Sore On The Floor	3:12
2	Loneliest China Place	3:22
3	Pop Heiress Dies	3:47
4	Closet Song	2:37
5	Dive Into The Sea	5:54
6	Burn You Down	2:31
7	Ride Free	4:30
8	Silver Millionaire	2:53
9	Media Star Hymn	3:27
10	Soldier On My Shoulder	4:18
11	Justine Find Heaven	4:27
12	We're Like...	6:01

self titled

 Tracklist 

1	Dorothy's Last Fling
2	Heartcatchthump
3	Tongue Trick
4	King Monkey Smoke
5	Bones In My Teeth
6	Waltz Across Debris
7	Ballad Of Newsman 5
8	Mouthful Of Glass
9	The Leash
10	Bicyclehead
11	All (No Surprise)
12	Sounder
13	Mad Hatter's Blues
14	Speedway Oklahoma