Splitting the Difference # 32 - Corduroy/The Meices (1994, Volta)

Neither of these Bay Area denizens from the past decade are rookies to Wilfully Obscure, but if they're new to you, here's an excellent little slab 'o wax to road test 'em for yourself. Corduroy were profiled here last October, or more specifically their Lisp ep and Dead End Memory Lane anthology. Led by the raspy-as-all-get-out Wade Driver (formally of cowpunks The Hickoids), Corduroy cultivated a colossal amount of feedback and minor chord mayhem, fully on par with SST-era Dino Jr. Both of their selections here can also be found on the aforementioned Dead End Memory Lane CD, but this single features a different version of "Just My Way," perhaps the bands signature song.

Career-wise, The Meices were ten-fold more illustrious than their mates on the flipside, due in no small part to holding down a major label recording contract during the mid '90s. The pile-driving pop-punk trio from 'Frisco didn't quite make the inroads they should have, but I suppose they didn't have the "cute" factor going for them, unlike another more cuddly power trio from their neck of the woods that need not be named. "Sister," appearing here in demo form was rechristened as "The Big Shitburger" for inclusion on their London Records debut, Tastes Like Chicken. A really convenient, radio-friendly marketing decision right there. That tasty little nugget is followed up by a live rendering of A Flock of Seagulls' "I Ran." You can hear a smattering of early Meices singles, made available from this very blog.

 

Corduroy

01. Just My Way

02. Sump 'n Good

 

The Meices

01. Sister (demo)

02. I Ran (live)

 

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