Plasticland
Plasticland is an American Neo-Psychedelic and Garage rock (revival) band, formed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1980 with two members of Arousing Polaris, Glenn Rehse and John Frankovic.[1]
Several guitarists and drummers would rotate in and out of the band over time, but Glenn Rehse and John Frankovic have remained the core of the band. Dan Mullen was the second guitarist for most of the 1980s recordings and live appearances. Brian Ritchie, later of The Violent Femmes, played guitar briefly with the band on early recordings. Multiple singles, EPs, compilation appearances, studio and live albums appeared in the 1980s and early 1990s. Several compilation CDs chronicle the band's earlier years.
Color Appreciation (1984), their first album, was on the French Lolita label. Enigma Records in the US reissued the album in 1985, self-titling it, with track alterations and substitutions. Enigma subsidiary label Pink Dust released the next two albums, Wonder Wonderful Wonderland (1985) and Salon (1987). German label Repulsion issued their final studio album, Dapper Snappings in 1994, though it was recorded several years earlier. Two very different live albums were also released. You Need a Fairy Godmother (1989) and Confetti (1990) were both issued by Midnight Records. The former was recorded with Plasticland backing one of their musical heroes, Twink, legendary drummer of The Pretty Things and The Pink Fairies. Confetti consists of various live performances edited together.
The duo of Glenn Rehse and John Frankovic, with new bandmates, are still performing, recently opening for Blue Cheer in November, 2007. In January 2008 John Frankovic and Victor Demechei retired their services from the group. The group has been sustained by Glenn Rehse and new guitarist Leroy Buth (previously of the legendary milwaukee punk rock group The Lubricants).
Members
- Glenn Rehse — vocalist/guitarist/organist/lyricist
- John Frankovic — bassist
- Dan Mullen — guitarist
- Vic Demechei — drummer
- Brian Ritchie — guitarist (early years)
- Bob DuBlon — drummer (early years)
- Breck Burns — guitarist (early years)
- Rob McCuen — drummer (later years)
- Dave Raeck — Bassist (1998; 2007)
- Leroy Buth — guitarist (2006 - currently)
- Mike Koch — drummer (2009- currently)
- Andy Kaiser — bassist (2009 - currently)
Side projects
Both Glenn Rehse and John Frankovic have had various side projects, releasing multiple albums and singles. As The Fabulon Triptometer, Glenn Rehse released The Padded Lounge (1992) on Midnight Records with Bob DuBlon on drums. John Frankovic has multiple solo albums to his credit: Under the Water Lily (1993) on Midnight Records, Frank-O-Fest (1995) on Father Yod Records and in 2004 Brainticket Records released Space Zombie. As well, he has issued multiple singles with The Gothics and The Cake People. Both have produced albums for other artists, including Dimentia 13 and The Petals.
Discography
Albums
- Color Appreciation (Lolita) - (1984)
- Plasticland (Enigma) - (1985)
- Wonder Wonderful Wonderland (Pink Dust) - (1985)
- Salon (Pink Dust) - (1987)
- You Need a Fairy Godmother (Midnight) - (Live LP with Twink of Pretty Things/Pink Fairies fame) - (1989)
- Confetti (Midnight) - Live LP (1990)
- Dapper Snappings (Repulsion) - (1994)
EPs
- Vibrasonics From Plasticland (Scadillac) - (1981)
- Pop! Op Drops (Scadillac) - (1982)
- Let's Play Pollyanna (Repulsion) - 4-song CD - (1990)
Singles
- Mink Dress / Office Skills (Scadillac) - (1980)
- Color Appreciation / The Mushroom Hill (Scadillac) - (1981)
- Euphoric Trapdoor Shoes / Rattail Comb (Scadillac) - (1983)
- Magic Rocking Horse / Magic Rocking Horse (Lolita) - promo only - (1984)
- Flower Scene / In My Black and White (Midnight) - (1985)
- They Wore Sequined Masks / The Lady Is No Lady / Some Ghost Ship Lollipop (one sided hard vinyl test pressing) - (1986)
- Seize The Time / Iris Of The Waterfall (Polaris/Repulsion) - test pressing only - (1989)
- Let's Play Pollyanna / Enchanted Forestry (Repulsion) - 7" version - (1990)
- Let's Play Pollyanna / Radiant Fuzzbox Wig / Kaleidoscopic Glance (Repulsion) - 12" version - (1990)
Retrospectives
- Pop! Op Drops (bootleg /w. all 14 tracks from Scadillac 7"-es) - (lim. ed. of 100 #ed copies) - (19??) (10")
- Mink Dress and Other Cats (Timothy's Brain) - (1995) (CD)
- Plasticland (Hardknocks) - (2000) (CD)
- Make Yourself A Happening Machine: A Collection (Rykodisc) - (2006) (CD)
Compilation appearances
- Battle of the Garages, Vol. I (Voxx) - Office Skills (1981) (LP)
- The Rebel Kind (Sounds Interesting) - Elongations (1982) (LP/CD)
- 99th Floor#5 (Fanzine flexi) - Her Decay (1983) (7")
- High Muck (Didco Products) - The Glove (1983) (MC)
- Battle of the Garages, Vol. II (Voxx) - Sipping the Bitterness (1984) (LP)
- The Enigma Variations (Enigma) - Disengaged from the World (1985) (2LP/CD/MC)
- 89 FM Internacional (Young/RGE) - Disengaged from the World (1986) (LP/MC)
- Bucketfull of Brains#12 (Fanzine flexi) - They Wore Sequined Masks / The Lady Is No Lady / Some Ghost Ship Lollipop (1986) (7")
- Beyond the Wildwood - A Tribute to Syd Barrett (Imaginary) - Octopus (1987) (LP/CD)
- The Enigma Variations 2 (Enigma) - Go a Go-Go Time / Color Appreciation (1987) (both tracks on MC only)
- Music To Keep You Up All Night (Enigma) - Go a Go-Go Time (1987) (Promo only CD)
- The Enigma Compilation 1988 (Enigma) - Go a Go-Go Time (1988) (LP)
- Badger A-Go-Go (Atomic) - I'm Gonna Emphasize (1989) (LP/CD)
- Les Genies du Rock: New Psychedelic Sound (Editions Atlas) - Elongations (1993) (MC/MD/CD)
- Battle of the Garages, Part I (Voxx) - Office Skills (1993) (CD)
- Audio #7 (Magazine CD) - When You Get Subliminal (1995) (CD)
- The Repulsion Singles Box (Repulsion) - Let’s Play Pollyanna / Enchanted Forestry (1995?) (4 7”-es box set)
- Great Lost Brew Wave Album (Blackhole) - The Garden in Pain (1997) (CD)
- Head Sounds From The Bam-Caruso Waxworks#1 (RPM) - Alexander (2000) (CD)
- The Knights of Fuzz (PCMP) - In My Black & White (2000) (CD-ROM)
- History in 3 Chords (Splunge Communications) - Mink Dress (Arousing Polaris live in 1977) / Office Skills (2001) (2CD)
- Moonhead - Music From The Underground, Vol. 3 (Moonhead) - Radiant Fuzzbox Wing (2003) (CD)
- Children Of Nuggets (Rhino) - Mink Dress (2005) (4 CD Box Set + Booklet)
- Fuzztone's Illegitimate Spawn (Sin) - Ward 81 (2006) (2CD)
- The Knights of Fuzz (PCMP/Dionysus) - Color Appreciation (live 2001 video) / In My Black & White (audio) (2006) (DVD)
- Ansia de Color#20 (Fanzine CD) (Aishna) - Silk Purse of the Sewer (2007) (CD)
References
- Ira A. Robbins: The Trouser Press Record Guide / 4th edition (Collier Books) (1991), 503
- Timothy Gassen: The Knights Of Fuzz (Borderline Productions) (1996), 158f.
- Hugh MacLean & Vernon Joynson: An American Rock History - Part 5 (Borderline Productions) (2000), 274f.
- Diedrich Diederichsen: 2000 Schallplatten 1979-1999 (Hannibal) (2000), 119
- Jim DeRogatis: Turn On Your Mind: Four Decades Of Great Psychedelic Rock (Hal Leonhard) (2003), 367-373
- George Gimarc: Punk Diary 1970-1982 (Backbeat Books) (2005), 447f., 473
- Joachim Gaertner: They Could Have Been Bigger Than EMI / 2nd edition (Pure Pop For Now People) (2007), 280, 303, 408, 431