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Screwtape Y1.993K Anthemunanthem Press and Reviews
v1. 11/11/99
v2. 4/14/01
Screwtape Press
Few copies of Anthemunanthem found it's way into the hands of the press. I've recently (4/14/01) have added a few scanned articles from Kalamazoo press. Other articles were from music zines, and Axciom of choice reviewed it as recently as the year 2000. As it goes, here is what they had to say:
Overman fight with King Tammy
Just a sidebar print of Screwtape fighting King Tammy for a show announcement
Locals Like Screwtape
Just like any hayseed type press ("locals like Erma's pancakes") this one is inspired. This may have even been a high school paper.
Seriously silly
Shirley Clemens, who was an incredible advocate for Screwtape and for many of our peers, wrote this article. We (and everyone) were adversarial with Shirley, but always appreciated what she did.
Its not rock music
Well, actually it WAS rock music.
Western Herald reviews "Anthemunanthem"
Review from WMU's award-winning editorial staff.
News promo photo
A nice photo of the band announcing a show. My waist is probably a 30 here, as I was a skinny little dandy. Every one thinks big fat Jeff is nicer anyways.
The album:
Three Red Bicycles sets the tone for this album: estranging guitar work,
idiotic vocals and lyrics. Essentially comparable to The Cardiacs, but
without the melodiousness. The groovy bassplaying is the most melodic part
of this track. It all sounds quite rough, making for a punkish impression.
Stickinhole opens more moodily, but this moody part is alternated with the
dissonant rock side of this track. Lots of breaks in this track, hampering
the flow of the music. Lyrically this band has a tendency for the perverted.
All kinds of weird stories. The music on Disadvantage is again rather
dissonant with the music stopping and going, maybe somewhat in a kind of
groovy RIO style. Number 28 goes on in the same thundering, dissonnant style
with some bombastic vocal interludes, but also typical punk rock harmonies.
Pb is much quieter. The basswork is quite involved as is the guitar playing.
The vocal part is poppy, but with raunchy rhythm guitars in the back.
The more I listen to this album, the more the punkish aspect of the music
comes to the fore. The music is not straightforward though so maybe a
band like Victims Family with its jazzy approach to punk music may be a
good starting point. Law Of The Land is the funny story of Screwy, Dizzy
and Loopy duck. A schizoid approach to children's music. Spiderfarm is
one of the more succesful tracks. The roleplaying and the various vocal
styles, bring a little (really a little) order into chaos. The guitar playing
in the middle sounds good as well. In the Disadvantage Reprise the playing
is quite groovy (think Red Hot Chili Peppers).
Underneath is again a split track, with high vocals mixed with aggressive
punk vocals. The only track with the accent on melody, a consequence of
the rather nice spacey guitar playing.
The lyrics are usually ironic, somewhat perverted and sometimes hilarious.
Conclusion:
Not what is called "progressive" on this page, although the music contains
numerous breaks and various weird interludes. The music has that a typical
energy of punk and also the vocals are definitely in this style. Fans of
Victims Family and such may want to look this up.
-- Jurriaan Hage,
"Axciom of choice"
I can't tell how crazy theses guys are. It's a pretty funny bunch of band
photos here. Weird Music. Everything from crazy-ass, breakneck hardcore ( I
don't really know how else to describe that stuff) to theatrical pop with
harmonies and everything. They sure can play. What am I thinking? They must
be insane. This is on......(LH)
-- MaximumRockNRoll # 120
A fun party punk band. There is no good comparison but maybe is you like the really old Dead Milkmen stuff and ad a little Happy Flowers, and then add a lot of musicianship than this is what you would get. I like it, it's funny as fuck, plus its really cheap
-- Moo Cow
WHO'S EVER HEARD OF SCREWTAPE?
Here's something that we'd never heard of before and I doubt either
have you. They're called SCREWTAPE.
THE BAND: Jef Till-bass/vocals; Craig Verity-drums/vocals; Colin
Bradford-guitar/vocal
THE SOUND ACCORDING TO KARL: This is the sort of release that proves to be a
real bitch to review. It's like there's really not that much in the way of
reference points that can be dragged in to make the job easier. The
accompanying bio refers to Anthemunanthem as a "word music program" and the
music contained within as well as the liner notes makes it seem more
ambitious than you average rock'n'roll release.
There's a hell of a lot of technical ability inherent in the playing
and when it's expressed like it is here (lots of tempo changes, fucked up
timings, spoken bits - shock horror experimentation) usually I'm left bored &
disinterested but in the case of SCREWTAPE they carry it off without coming
across as a bunch of music school attendees who like to "jam man...."
There's a sense of dumbness & an ultra heavy guitar that maintains my
interest for the almost 30 mins that this CD goes for. The Screwtape bio
talks about the three members (guitar/bass/drums) forming a "musical
expression that would combine theatrical convention, technical prowess and
punk aggression into a grand cacophony of science, murder & love" - make of
that what you will but this disc came as quite a surprise to me and after a
couple of listens I'm liking this just fine.
THE SOUND ACCORDING TO BEN: The more I listed and louder I listen to this the
better it gets. This has really grown on me. I can find a few reference
points if that's necessary. The quirkiness and futurism ot The Nation Of
Ulysses & Beefeater, occasional timings of maybe Helmet and a cool pisstake
of Metallica 'One' style. The lyrics are great, reverse politics with the
heavy foot on the irony pedal. Strange stuff.
-- The Skills Of Defensive Driving
Imagine the BARENAKED LADIES doing thrash. That's about it here folks. Very
catchy thrash and it's even hardcore at times (NOMEANSNO in some areas),
lyrically these guys are a scream" (Herman Keypad's) Disadvantage or The Rape
of Baby Jessica" is a perfect example. I'm not sure if it's all tongue in
cheek or if they are having a good laugh at this genre. The tunes race along
at high speed, then suddenly stop for a jazz/blues hook or two. Do THE KIDS
IN THE HALL need a new soundtrack?
-- Skull Session #26
Interview from "The Flipside", a little college freebie
FS: Introduce yourselves, tell us what do you do for Screwtape and what does it do for you?
JEF: That's Craig Verity, he plays the drums and he hollers. Screwtape is a musical mechanism which twarts the blues in Craig's system.
COLIN:I'm the treble clefer for the band, no the guitar player. It's a crazy adventure in mayhem and chaos and beauty
CRAIG: Jef plays bass and talks, alot
JEF: It satisfies all aof my morbid curiosity and it also gives me a vent for my cowardly violence
FS: What do you think Screwtape does for its listeners?
JEF: It provides action-packed entertainment
CRAIG: Yep, an array of action-packed entertainments
COLIN: I would just say that we're an economic value for the dollar of action-packed per minute
JEF: Mos exciting and efficient arrangements
COLIN: It makes you feel like you're on drugs
JEF: It feels like a blowjob
FS: Where does Screwtape fit in Kalamazoo's "music scene"?
CRAIG: We could be on the tip of the icecube
JEF: In the most comfortable place it should
CRAIG: Fast-paced cricket
FS: Do you prefer plastic or steel dildos?
JEF: Plastic ones.
CRAIG: Plastic ones.
COLIN: Plastic, steel would be too cold. Usually those electronic ones come in plastic. More features.
FS: To whomever wrote "Underneath" on your CD, Underneath what or Underneath who?
JEF: Water.
FS: Could you give us a pitch for your CD?
JEF: It combines theatrical prowess, and punk angst into a grand cocophony of science, murder and love.
CRAIG: Its cool and it's cheap. It's only seven bucks.
COLIN: ...and its in enviornmentally safe packaging
FS: Give us a rundown on when and where Screwtape will be playing.
JEF: May 9 at Club Soda with Twitch and Table
CRAIG: Also sometime in late April.
Get the CD
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