Sunday, February 05, 2006
The Motards - s/t
The Motards s/t 7" (Motards, 1994)
Steering away from the less known and hard to find, this time we are gonna focus on a record that is impossible to ignore. The Motards self released debut is the 7" that finally "broke" low-fi. While others (The Mummies, Supercharger, The Gories, The Oblivions...hell, Link Wray) had been doing low fi punk recording before the Motards, it was this Texas five piece that made THE low fi record. Yes, you could argue that there are better low fi 7"s (I can count a few by the Oblivions and at least one Teengenerate), but this was the 7" that started to make people think of low fi as something other than a raw, dirty, and/or technically inept recording. It was the first record I heard where all the sludge and fuzz and shit melded to perfection. And it influenced a hell of a lot of bands, recordists, and labels. Low fi as a movement? As a lifestyle? Hell, why not.
I remember when I first heard this record. I had mailed out a stack of Los Huevos's second 7"s to bands and labels that I thought might dig it. I included a note asking them to trade me their record if they liked what they got from me. One person responded. Dave Head from the Motards sent me their first. I went home and put the record on and was floored. Here was a band that tapped into the sound that I was trying to get. From the opening fuzz filled riff to the last thud, I knew I knew this band. This record became the record that I measured others, including the ones I made and released.
The band was from Austin, Texas. They kicked around for a year or so and then record and released this 7". I wasn't the only one who went ga ga over it and, soon, they were mobbed with request by labels. They ended up putting out nearly a half dozen 7"s and a few LPs. To my ears, this one and the King of Blues 7" are their high points. They broke up toward the late 90s.
So here you go, a cut from one of the most important 7"s of the 1990s. - Scott S.
// posted by W/S @ 3:01 PM 
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The Motards played some of the greatest shows I ever had the pleasure of seeing. I saw them several times in the D/FW area. I even dragged my wife to one of their shows on Valentine's Day. Needless to say, I had a lot of fun and she is still a bit miffed. They were a great band live, sadly it never really came across on vinyl.
# posted by 
: 5:59 PM
: 5:59 PM
Most think I'm a nut, or fanboy to say the least, but I still stand by choice of "favorite band" status to the mighty 'Tards. This was one of the first records I stared at as it played, then promptly replayed over and over. They indeed had 'the perfect sound'.
"...one of the most important 7"s of the 1990s" Great call.
"...one of the most important 7"s of the 1990s" Great call.
# posted by : 9:05 PM
: 9:05 PM
I agree...this EP was one of the watershed releases of the 90s. It knocked my socks off when I heard it first, and it still sounds great. The band's other releases are all good stuff, but nothing touches their debut.
# posted by : 8:39 AM
: 8:39 AM
All I really remember about the Motards (besides liking them a whole lot) is that they gained a special sense of credibiity for having a girl in the band. I don't think they ever made it out to NYC for shows, sadly. Can anyone prove me wrong?
# posted by : 8:12 AM
: 8:12 AM
Mike,
they definitely didn't make it out to NYC. They had an east coast tour planned with a show at CB's, but it fell through for some reason.
-chris
they definitely didn't make it out to NYC. They had an east coast tour planned with a show at CB's, but it fell through for some reason.
-chris
# posted by : 4:31 PM
: 4:31 PM
they did make it to japan though! All expenses paid trip, too. Dave Head is a great guy and my business partner, and I've always feel extra-humble every time I remember how good the Motards were. Their debut LP was defintely one of the best albums of the 90s, too.
# posted by : 9:51 PM
: 9:51 PM 
I remember they were pretty hyped up at one point by a lot of people I knew at the time. I saw them play at the Purple Onion, and I remember wondering what all the fuss was about. Maybe I'll have to dig this out and listen to it again.
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# posted by : 6:09 PM
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