storm and stress

ian williams (don caballero) - electric guitar
kevin shea - free drums, bells, shells and a chain
eric ehm - electric bass



Under Thunder & Fluorescent Lights
(TG203 LP/CD)




Release Date: 17th January 2000

Jim O'Rourke recorded this
at Electrical Audio, Chicago
in June and July of 1999.
This is the second record from Chicago/New York band Storm and Stress.

It is again a trio of guitar, bass and drums. Ian Williams (Don Caballero) plays the electric guitar. No effects or overdubs were used, with the guitar just going into a bass amp. Kevin Shea plays the free drums, bells, shells and a chain. Erich Ehm plays the electric bass. He used a volume pedal, noise gate pedal and distortion pedal for the effected sounds. Guest drummer Jim Black shares the drum spot with Kevin Shea on track three. As with the first record, there is a guest appearance from Micah Gaugh, providing stand-up bass and drum accompaniment on track six.

The press-release for the last album wondered if the band might be cheating by holding its cards close to its chest, purposefully obscuring its designs. We wanted to prove with this record that we can lay the plans out as well as the next person. You can only play the secret for so long. A secret never told ceases to be. It just dies. It's a bass guitar! It's a singer! And what does this do for the wise melody from the first record, the one that sounds like it's considering all it's options at once, but sometimes falls into paralysis? Once it makes up its mind and settles on something, the sound of possibility disappears. Yup, like a bee stinging even though that means its own end. Its sayonara wants those little soldiers jump over the trench and run into no-man's land, the song. Tragic, but you know, soldiers must die so the nation can live. However, as battle plans go, this record is no nation builder. It's a modest script for something pretty, something entertaining, popular with the kids. Still kind of tragic. (The scene fades and a collage of Vietnam War protesters and television sitcoms fill the screen as the credits roll).