The Dambuilders - A Young Persons Guide to Dambuilding (1989); Geek Lust (1991); Islington Pawn Tapes (1993)

Hawaii by way of Boston's violin-toting Dambuilders made a splash on the newly adopted American "alt-rock" scene in the mid-90s with their 1994 album, Encendedor, anchored by two moderate radio hits, "Smell," and "Shrine." Despite their blatant eccentricities, the Dambuilders, for a brief period anyway, crafted a bevy of wry but affecting songs that unfortunately didn't have much staying power with their fickle audience. Prior to the major release of Encendedor, it was known to little of their fans that the Dambuilders has a significant back catalog. In fact, the first three Dambuilders albums didn't see widespread distribution until the late '90s, just as their stature began to peter out.

The first of this little-known trifecta, A Young Person's Guide to Dambuilding, wasn't intended as an album per se, so much as a glorified collection of demos. Cutting their collective teeth on seventeen tracks (some frivolous bonus cuts included in that tally) the band resembled a less serious Gin Blossoms or Toad the Wet Sprocket. An album that can safely be relegated to the college rock strata of it's era, A Young Person's Guide... wasn't particularly representative of the Dambuilders soon-in-the-offing halcyon period, but Geek Lust, what many consider to be the group's formal debut, sets the ball in motion in a much bigger way.

By the time of Geek Lust's release, the Dambuilders had since relocated to Boston. Joan Wasser's violin maneuvers became more up-front, and bona fide hooks were truly emphasized. "Pop Song + Food," and "Mr. Insomnia," were two examples of this, and on "Fur" and "Arkansas" a grittier, not to mention a decidedly more crass tact was suddenly employed. Regarding the latter of those two tracks, The Dambuilders at the time were somehow inspired to write a song (or simply name a song) concerning every state in the US. I don't think they lasted long enough to attain that goal, but Geek Lust was the springboard for this practice. In fact, their follow-up (see below) boasted no less than four state monikered songs.

Islington would feature songs that were to appear on the Dambuilders Tough Guy Problem ep and on the aforementioned Encendeor. By now, the quartet was operating at full potential, branishing the robust, string-enhanced, full-bore indie rock they were to become synonymous with. Perhaps not the stuff of sheer genius, the Dambuilders often come damn near close here, and thankfully they reached the wider audience they were destine for. Future 'Builders efforts, specifically 1995's Ruby Red, and Against the Stars in '97, saw the band veering off significantly, but if anything can be said about the band, they never made the same record twice. You can read about the current activities of the Dambuilders' alumni here. All three of these albums were released on the German Cuacha Records label.

 

A Young Persons Guide to Dambuilding

01. God Wears Gl;asses

02. Kevin Keegan

03. Four Eyes

04. Love is All Around You

05. Radio is King

06. Rose Vitta

07. I'm a Bum

08. Joan

09. I Hate Weekends

10. She's Coming Down

11. The Night I Fell

12. Hibachi in the Rain

bonus tracks:

13. Splash

14. Swing the Cat

15. Letter

16. Appraoch the Horse, Sexually

17. Teenage Bum

 

Geek Lust
01. Yo Mamafish

02. Myron's Girlfriend

03. Mr. Insomnia

04. P.P. Man

05. Fur

06. Leather

07. The Lesser Poet

08. No Raum For You/Dakota, North

09. The Well Wishers

10. Pop Song = Food

11. Arkansas

12. ST 100/6 (Big Star cover) 

 

Islington Pawn Tapes

01. Copsucker

02. Lousiana

03. Heather

04. Idaho

05. Colin's Heros

06. Smell

07. Shrine

08. Candyguts

09. Dose

10. Montana

11. Pennsylvania 
 

A Young Persons Guide to Dambuilding: Hear

Geek Lust: Hear

Islington Pawn Tapes: Hear