To start off the new year I have a very unknown group called Urban Verbs, hailing from Washington D.C., the murder capital of the world (during the late 80's and early 90's) and home to bands such as Minor Threat and Fugazi. Urban Verbs formed in the late 70's and were the first band from D.C. to play at the now defunct CBGB in New York City.Members of the group were Roddy Frantz (vocals), Robin Rose (synths), Robert Goldstein (guitar), Danny Frankel (drums and percussion) and Linda France (bass).
It's a shame that Warner Bros. didn't take too kindly with the album Early Damage (1981). Spooky sounding synths, ray gun sound effects, brooding guitars, tribal drumming and droning vocals weren't marketable material to those knuckleheads. The family connection with Talking Heads (Roddy Frantz is the brother of TH's drummer Chris Frantz) didn't help either, thus the band disintegrated.
Details:
Urban Verbs - Early Damage - LP (1981), U.S.A.
Side 1:
1. When The Dance Is Over
2. Jar My Blood
3. Acceleration
4. Early Damage
5. Promise
Side 2:
6. For Your Eyes Only
7. Business And The Rational Mind
8. In The Heat
9. Terminal Bar
Review
More Information:
Unofficial Myspace
Discography
Greetings! Just discovered your site while looking for 'Early Damage' by Urban Verbs - as I have been doing weekly since June!! Yours is the first active link I have seen in all that time; you have made me a very happy man! I have always liked Urban Verbs because they [along with Pere Ubu] used synthesizers the way they should be used in rock: a newly developed instrument making new sounds. Many thanks for the chance to listen to it again.
ReplyDelete-Brian
Hello Brian! Thanks for the kind words! I'm glad to see another Urban Verbs fan around here.
ReplyDeleteYes yes yes. I was really surprised when I hear Urban Verbs. I've lived in Washington DC for more than a decade, and I go to Robin Rose's art shows and lectures. He said to me on FB that he thinks they were musically unique. Yet speaking for them now, I wouldn't stop there - I'd also say excellent, rare, obscure, special, beautiful, classic...
ReplyDelete