Is it The Muffs? No, it's The Muffs

“We do not have to visit a madhouse to find disordered minds; our planet is the mental institution of the universe.”― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I was just in Mendocino on a father/daughter weekend. She was sleeping in, so I went to one of the main coffee spots, The Waiting Room, to caffeinate up. I walked into the wood-lined café, hearing music that sounded like Tinariwen, the Malian group—but a song I had never heard before. I asked the barista after ordering my coffee, “Is this Tinariwen?” She had already started loading the ground coffee into the portafilter, turned around and looked at me expressionless as if drugged saying, “No, this is Tinariwen.” I paused to think about her answer....did I hear her wrong? Did she just assume I had no idea what I was talking about? Did I hear her wrong? A few moments later, as the expresso machine was dripping that needed blackish-brown lava into a baby blue cup, she looked back at me, once again lacking any kind of emotion, “Oh, you said Tinariwen didn't you.” I said yes (beat, beat) that I thought maybe there was another band of the same name for a minute. And then I realized my response made no sense at all…

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This past week Omnivore Records reissued the first Muffs record on 2LP remastered vinyl,¹ including demos that vocalist Kim Shattuck made back prior to that record being made. The Muffs first record was the precursor to the next wave of pop punk that would soon take over the US Billboard charts; the record was a few years before its time, with a harder edge than what was to come, framing Kim’s brilliant melodic sensibilities with the crunch of huge, fuzzed out guitars.

The album’s main engineer, Brian Kehew, celebrated the release by posting a video of studio outtakes², video footage that I had no idea existed, that I forgot was even recorded, which included a very very young version of myself, co-producing the record with my then musical partner-in-crime Rob Cavallo.

I was 23 when we made the record and was in the studio for the first-time playing role as producer (co-producing with Rob). We co-signed the band after recording demos with them at Sound City studios, days after Nirvana had rerecorded their first album for Geffen, their soon-to-be breakout hit Nevermind. The demos were good enough to convince the WB brass to sign them, and good enough to bring along with us to the studio as the beginnings of the album.

For me, the exciting aspect of the Muffs was the tension between their vintage punk sound and the undeniable Kinksy/Beach Boys melodies. Going into the session, Rob and I were looking to dial-in the greatest crunchy guitar sound possible while also highlighting Kim’s songwriting. With Brian as engineer, with a very young Jerry Finn as second engineer for much of it (who would go on to be one of the most sought after producers during the punk rock charting spree that was to come), we achieved the audio power we were looking for, which you can witness in the recently posted video: those guitars were rocket ships, and every strum was a blast off.

Myself and Kim

The video focuses on the guitar overdub sessions for Kim and the Muffs rhythm guitarist Melanie Vammen (both past bandmates in The Pandoras). I am told by Brian there are two other videos coming showcasing the basic tracking sessions with Ronnie Barnett (bass) and Chris Crass (drums) and even a guest appearance by Korla Pandit (and Jon Spencer?). What I love most about the video is how it shows the crazed camaraderie and silly youthful hijinks that was plentiful during much of the recording session. I had forgotten these videos were taken…these memories were lost in the back of thousands of others deep in the recesses of my brain.

Making records can be hard. The Muffs record, my first production while I was still pretty young, was one of the most difficult of my career. Kim and I and the rest of the band clashed around the vision for many of the recordings, and to be honest: I was not mature enough of a producer to understand the battleground. As she discusses in the liner notes of this 2LP reissue, she never wanted the opening song, Lucky Guy, to be the version we cut while making the demos: she liked a newer version better. She never forgave any of us that the demo version made the record and clashed over mixes and sequences, often feeling alone against the rest of the people in the studio. Kim wanted the band to be a democracy, but she wanted control. The result of our tribulations was an amazing record, which I have been listening to on this new vinyl release, with incredible melodic songs with snarl and tare. But what happens so often when the music is excellent and the band chemistry is explosive (just read the bios of many favorite bands that broke up after their finest recordings): the record making process damaged many of the relationships involved. It ended with a band coming apart: Melanie and Chris would be gone within a year and my relationship was Kim fractured; we didn’t really talk for decades after.

Melanie and Kim doing overdubs

I signed the Muffs soon after I moved to Los Angeles, and we became all close friends during the time leading up to making the record. A lot of music listening at Ronnie’s flat, a lot of hanging and drinking at Raji’s, checking out the bands who played there, surrounded by the likes of White Flag frontman (and cop?) Bill Bartell (Brian is co-directing a documentary about him currently), Falling James of the Leaving Trains, Long Gone John of Sympathy for the Record Industry, Cake, a writer for Maximum Rock n Roll, O from Olive Lawn, and a bunch of other beautiful weirdos that made up the current underground Los Angeles punk scene. Through Melanie I met her husband and fellow vinyl enthusiast Larry Hardy. He had just released the first few singles from his fledging label In The Red Records, that was to become one of the labels who championed then very underground modern garage rock movement. He introduced me to all of the plethora of Southern California record shops, during the nineties when people were dumping their vinyl for CDs (making the LPs dirt cheap treasures). The scene I was invited into was joyous, perfect. It was like living in one of those Dave Markey Lovedolls films I had watched all through college. Perfect for a music junky fresh out of college.

Except for my relationship with Larry, everything else came crashing down post-finishing of the first record, especially following a record release that did not go as hoped, where the band did not take-off, temporarily imploding without any real traction on radio (Damn, do I wish the record label would had sent Everywhere I Go and Baby Go Round to the alternative radio stations. To me they are still huge pop hits). The band would regroup and continue to make great records, I would go on with my career at Warner Brothers, with some major lessons learned about band dynamics and record making that made me a better A&R person and producer going forward.

Which brings us back to the reissue of the Muffs record on Omnivore. Music is the food of love. Music is a pickaxe to old memories obscured by brain avalanches. This newest incarnation sounds amazing…better than any of the mastered versions of the past (and there were a few, none of which we thought were ever stunning). It comes alive with this vinyl pressing: the guitars ever crunchier, the power of the band in full display.

Kim and I were able to reconnect and make peace at a Muffs show at the Brick and Mortar in San Francisco a few years ago, before she was stricken by ALS (she passed away wayyyyy too young in 2019). I am back in somewhat regular touch with Ronnie and Melanie, with Ronnie moving nearer to me, in Sacramento, next month giving us more of an opportunity to hang out. The vinyl release along with the video Brain posted gave my memory the gift of those great times we had, reminded me of the joy we had making a killer record that still sounds completely fresh today, a record that spawned (respawned?) a sound that would take over the world.

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It's Baaaaack: 'Poltergeist' House Listed For First Time In 45 Years

“For some film buffs, the dated but immaculately cared-for interior is the charm. It's entirely recognizable from scenes in the film right down to the white-tiled kitchen counter where little 5-year-old Carol Anne (famously played by Heather Michele O'Rourke) and her mother see kitchen chairs defying gravity thanks to malevolent spirits.”

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Jonathan Lethem on Graffiti As Visual and Written Expression

Great read. “Graffti inserts itself like the blade of a knife between creation and destruction, between publicity and furtiveness, between word and image, cartoon, icon, and hieroglyph.”

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The Case of the Missing Chacmools

An especially long and completely compelling article about Carlos Castaneda and his bonkers life (which I did not know) including “chacmools”—willing slaves—who disappeared after his death. A wonderful look on how he became one of the most read authors of his day, the lies he dreamed up to achieve it all and the cult he created out of his fame and success.

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William Basinski announces new album (hear an excerpt), expands fall tour

I am looking forward to Basinski’s upcoming performance at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco as well as this upcoming record (the excerpt found in this article sounds incredible). I think that Basinski is one of the greatest creators of droney, mind healing music on this planet…

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Robert Crumb : 'Comics are hard work for very little reward.'

“He is one of the most celebrated artists of the American underground comics of the 1970s. Now settled in the south of France, Robert Crumb spends his days in relative peace — or almost, as he is tortured by the demons of artistic creation. An exclusive encounter with the artist, whose unique work is featured in the landmark exhibition « Bande dessinée, 1964 - 2024 ».” (…happy 81st birthday tomorrow!!!!) (check out The Confessions of Robert Crumb to celebrate)

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Keeping Ustad Vilayat Khan’s musical style alive

Yesterday marked sitar master Ustad Vilayat Khan’s 100th birthday. His playing, his music…is just sublime. His legacy incudes helping bring sitar music to the world, evolving it through what is called the “gayaki ang” technique…making the sitar sing like a human voice. Check out a video of Khan at 16 years of age here. Even then he displayed such a mastery and depth to the playing of his instrument. Listen to some of more extended ragas here.

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Testimonial

By: Rita Dove

Back when the earth was new
and heaven just a whisper,
back when the names of things
hadn't had time to stick;

back when the smallest breezes
melted summer into autumn,
when all the poplars quivered
sweetly in rank and file . . .

the world called, and I answered.
Each glance ignited to a gaze.
I caught my breath and called that life,
swooned between spoonfuls of lemon sorbet.

I was pirouette and flourish,
I was filigree and flame.
How could I count my blessings
when I didn't know their names?

Back when everything was still to come,
luck leaked out everywhere.
I gave my promise to the world,
and the world followed me here.

Painting by Shyama Golden

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHARLIE PARKER!!!!!

1. See comments below.

2. Since the initial publishing of this post, Brian posted a video of the basic tracking….including the crazy Chris Crass rocking it and the always on the beat Ronnie Barnett, whose head bobbing a remember so well….