Tuxedomoon

It is a little-known fact that Tuxedomoon is in fact the Residents in disguise (or out of disguise, if you prefer).  

rileydog22 wrote: It is a little-known fact that Tuxedomoon is in fact the Residents in disguise (or out of disguise, if you prefer).

I find that easy to believe, I got to meet some of the Residents in the early 80s and I got the impression that a lot of the Ralph bands shared some of the same musicians.

I always thought the first couple Residents records sounded a lot like Fred Frith was involved, any info on that?

I know he is credited as a guest on the commercial album, but a lot of 3rd Reich n Roll sounds a lot like Frith.

Oh really no big deal at all. I was working for a very creative metal works business in SF and my boss was one of those early 80s Nor Cal "new wave" mover shakers like the Simpson's character Hank Scorpio and he knew lots of various avant-garde types and apparently he knew some guys in the Residents and they wanted creative window bars for a 2 story flat close to where the Bay Bridge starts in SF.

The only funny part was when I walked in their place I pointed at some big sensi buds in the kitchen and accidentally knocked them on the floor ala Woody Allen and my boss rushed to pick them back up.

Anyway I got to talk to one or maybe two of them and they were really shy nice unassuming guys, very humble. They gave me a bunch of Ralph releases that weren't selling well because things were starting to head downhill for them at that point.

Anyway, I have often wondered if Frith was on those first records, it sure sounds like he is.

No masks or any kind of "look" at all, by SF standards I would say they looked like total nerds or "squares".
He (they?, I think the other guy was a Resident) were totally unpretentious, especially by CA rock star standards.

I didn't catch any names at the time as far as I remember, but I have heard from another friend who had mutual friends of theirs that by the early to mid-80s the band was down to two of the four early members, a synth kybdst and a vocalist.

As far as the original band goes those names may be right, the name Homer sounds familiar in particular.

I still wonder about my Frith theory, it seems their music changed a lot after the first couple albums. It sure sounds to me like someone left the band after the first 3 or 4 albums.

Interesting, yeah I think Homer is the vocalist.
Anyway, maybe it isn't Frith on those early records after all, I just hear some similarities in the way rhythms will collide in a collage like fashion and then morph into each other.
I always thought 3rd Reich n Roll really stood out compared to the rest of their output.

Edited by Easy Money - December 08 2007 at 00:17

Could The Residents be responsible for the first Death Metal vocals on their version of the Stones Satisfaction?

 I should say that Tuxedomoon is one of my favourite band ever, and it was a great pleasure for me haring them live after so many years. And much of his sound could fit well between punk-jaz and the NY downtown scene of the 80 and, later on with their unique new-wavw sound, their theatre works (The Ghost Sonata, one of his greatest records, is like a modern chamber worksuperb in delicacy). Very avantgardists in other records, tehy deserve a place in the site.

hm im listening to more of their stuff on myspace...and now i'm in danger of spending a lot of money. 

my meager tuxedomoon collection (of 1 cd) is going to undergo a large expansion.

rileydog22 wrote: I'm bringing Tuxedomoon up with the RIO team, as I believe they have what it takes to be included on this site.