Lid
Ivy - Four Song EP
Quixotic Records, 1992

I wrote recently about Beat Happening and how their appearance on the scene inspired hundreds of other lo-fi bands to do the DIY thing unshackled by "the rules" of the punk scene - we're still seeing the harvest and it only seems to get better. Lid was one of those flowers that bloomed for a short time in the early '90s and then died a quiet death. Their label, Quixotic Records was inspired by Unrest and Mark Robinson's Teen Beat Records and the label owners started, recorded and played in a number of bands including Airlines (Chicago music writer and Jersey zine-boy Jim Derogatis was their first drummer) and The Giant Mums. Lid was drummer Dave Roby (who later played with Wharton Tiers, yet another Branca alumni) and guitarist-songwriter Jim Quinlan. Once they got together, though, they realized they needed a bass and found Deanne Draeger.

If you're going to pick anything here for starters, I'd take the one track written by Draeger called "Bloomsday" but I may just be partial to unemotional non-distorted grunge sung by with a sexy female voice. I have no idea how this fits in with James Joyce -- I'm thinking its more about a song about two people meeting in a bar on Bloomsday and the inner voice in one of those people's mind and she considers going home with him. But, that could just be me. I also like "Ivy" next - a heartfelt piece that proves the lo-fo dictum, yet again, that a good hook can made with just a strummed electric guitar.

All tracks "free and legal" from the original label:

Ivy
Cage
Hit the Silk
Bloomsday

NOTES:

Quixotic Records put out handful of beautiful 7"s:
- Lid home page
- The story behind this EP
- Quixotic MP3 stash (including Airlines, Mums, Bugskull)
- Airlines Home page