Pylon
LABEL: DFA Records
To describe Pylon as ahead of their time is somewhat misleading, because it implies that there was ever a moment when music finally caught up with them. The architects of a sound unlike any of their Athens, Georgia contemporaries, and the inspiration for numerous post-punk imitators, Pylon still sound not quite like anything before or since. The B-52s and R.E.M. have both gone on record as stating that Pylon are one of the country's best bands. That's a remarkable legacy for a band that formed more than thirty years ago with the sole intention of playing one show, getting a review in the now defunct New York Rocker, and self-imploding.
All four members of Pylon were art students at the University of Georgia in Athens. Guitarist Randall Bewley and bass guitarist Michael Lachowski began playing music and attempting to form a band in 1978. They practiced in a studio in downtown Athens which Lachowski rented from Curtis Crowe, upstairs from the current location of the Grill on College Avenue. The room was lit by a single 40-watt light bulb, so the band referred to it as the "40 Watt Club." Crowe soon joined the band as a drummer. On February 14, 1979, the three held auditions for a singer. Vanessa Briscoe (now Vanessa Briscoe Hay) was chosen.
Pylon played their first live show at a party on March 9, 1979. Members of The B-52's attended Pylon's third show. Fred Schneider and Kate Pierson of the B-52's were particularly supportive and helped promote Pylon's music in New York City. From 1980 to 1983 Pylon released two critically acclaimed LPs and toured parts of the U.S., Canada, and the UK, playing with the B-52's, Gang of Four, Mission of Burma, Love Tractor, R.E.M., the Talking Heads, and U2. Pylon was the opening act for the first part of U2's first U.S. tour. Crazy/M-Train charted at #61 for Club play singles in 1982 according to Billboard Magazine entry in All Music Guide. At that time the members of Pylon were beginning to feel that playing together was becoming less fun and more like a business. They decided to break up the band in 1983.
Since 1989, the band has reunited, retired, and reunited again for various reasons including notable tours and music festivals. Pylon still performs intermittently and have had two of their albums, Gyrate and Chomp, re-released by DFA records in 2007 and 2009, respectively, with the latter containing extra tracks.
Sadly, guitarist Randall Bewley died February 25, 2009, two days after suffering a heart attack while driving his van.
LINKS
Pylon on Myspace
Official Pylon Website
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PYLON 'BEEP' from Dan Aguar on Vimeo.
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