In the D.I.Y. tradition of Ween or Guided by Voices, this lo-fi indie rock album takes you with a wink from the shimmering signature song, "Nuclear Forehead," to the explosive rock of "Spontaneous Human Combustion," to the furious 'n' funny "Traffic Jam."

16 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Modern Rock, POP: Quirky



Details:
It was May 1987 when Dave Gershman and Mick Ruzich, in their final year of college, entered the home recording den of friend Rick Miller to lay down the tracks for their debut album, "What It Is!!" With over 20 original songs in hand, Dave and Mick, collectively known as Nuclear Forehead, recorded the tracks over a 3-day period. With lyrics co-written by the duo, music written and played by Dave, and most lead vocals handily handled by Mick, the limited cassette-only release received an enthusiastic response from friends and acquaintances alike. "Spontaneous Human Combustion" and "I wanna get to towwwwn" (from "Traffic Jam") were among the favorites. Following graduation, however, the two went their separate ways, and "What It Is!!" was out of print, in the hands of only a lucky few (and whoever those folks may have chosen to dub it for). How many copies of that cassette may now be out there is impossible to say. What IS possible to say, though, is that "What It Is!!" is back, pared down to 14 songs, remastered on CD in all its 4-track, lo-fi glory to be heard and enjoyed anew. And "the Forehead" sound as relevant and fresh now as they did then, given the lo-fi explosion of the '90s that has impacted so much of indie rock since. "What It Is!!" is homegrown and what indie rock is all about.