Forget Not The Middle Son: Chris Leo's The Van Pelt!

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http://www.epitonic.com/art/artists/thevanpelt/stealingfromourfavoritethieves_cover250.jpg

I prefer the talky, nasal tone of this Chris Leo character, specifically in the Van Pelt, to his older brother, Ted. Anyone else have fond memories of this GernBlandsten-core group?

Is essay-as-song Shame On You the precursor to James Murphy's Losing My Edge?

His Steppe Is My Prairie is great, too - the line about "wipe your hands on the company seams" gets me, for some reason.

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Monday, 25 July 2005 17:43 (twenty years ago)

Hugh Grant-esque Facial Features

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Monday, 25 July 2005 17:47 (twenty years ago)

I always liked Chris Leo as well - I saw him play with a post-Van Pelt group that at the time was called "Sparrow" (though that name seems taken by Jason Zumpano's group), and they were pretty excellent (this was 2001 in Jersey City, opening for Ted). Not sure what ever became of them, but they were great.

I liked the Holy Childhood, too. (I think that was Danny Leo, the youngest leo).

I was told that all of them played a few shows together around the same time as The Leo-Tards, which I would have loved to see.

― Nostalgic for the Pre-Conservative Hendrie (Bent Over at the Arclight), Monday, 25 July 2005 17:49 (twenty years ago)

I'm mainly about The Lapse, whose two albums feature perhaps my favourite lyrics ever by anybody, but Sultans of Sentiment by TVP is cool. Chris is currently playing in a pretty good Scottish band caled Pro Forma who me and my pals put on a few weeks back. Nice guy. Although there are people who will tell you different

― DJ Mencap0))), Monday, 25 July 2005 17:54 (twenty years ago)

weirdly wasa talking about him with a friend just two days ago. never heard the lapse but heard good things.

― hstencil (hstencil), Monday, 25 July 2005 17:56 (twenty years ago)

According to a Florida State University article, he has a book out, tours as a singer-songerwriter (attempting to re-claim that title), and will play guitar with some Scots in a band called Pro Forma.

Did you ever hear Native Nod? I remember their name being tossed around a lot a couple of years ago when I paid attention to music like that, but I never got around to picking up anything by them, probably because the only records were 1-sided 7"s covered with canvas and silk-screened or something...

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Monday, 25 July 2005 17:56 (twenty years ago)

Oooh, DJ Mencap, didn't see the Pro Forma mention - what're they like?

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Monday, 25 July 2005 17:57 (twenty years ago)

the van pelt = one of the best jersey bands ever.

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Monday, 25 July 2005 17:59 (twenty years ago)

1. Is this the Pro-Forma that counts one of the members of Franz Ferdinand as a past member?

2. Is that person really dead on the cover of Stealing From Our Favourite Thieves?

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Monday, 25 July 2005 18:03 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, Paul Thomson who put out their new single on his New! Recods label. The stuff they've done recently (I think they're still yet to record with Chris) is kinda like A Certain Ratio but cleaner; the stuff before that had a New Order with a side of Krautrock type air to it

― DJ Mencap0))), Monday, 25 July 2005 18:08 (twenty years ago)

Then we must all hope that there will be some Chris Leo-influenced "talky songs."

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Monday, 25 July 2005 18:10 (twenty years ago)

Does anyone have any Chris Leo fight stories? I've heard word of a knife dust-up with some guy from Texas Is The Reason.

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Monday, 25 July 2005 19:12 (twenty years ago)

The Lapse Buffet from Heaven Ain't Happenin'

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Monday, 25 July 2005 19:24 (twenty years ago)

Chris Leo's got a new(ish) 7" on Pretty Activity Records (my friend Ben's label), credited to "Vague Angels" but it's just him I think, doing talky stuff. I haven't heard it but I saw him live a little while ago. He was playing without a microphone and my drunk friend kept trying to move the mic closer to him so we could hear better. Sadly no fight ensued.

― Evan Kindley (goodoldneon), Monday, 25 July 2005 19:26 (twenty years ago)

mp3 download here!

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Monday, 25 July 2005 19:27 (twenty years ago)

Was there an uncomfortable period where his eyes flashed and you thought that perhaps, just perhaps, this little drunken gesture had momentarily sparked the flames of his volatile youth?

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Monday, 25 July 2005 19:28 (twenty years ago)

http://members.fortunecity.de/bengurionx/van_pelt/van_pelt_03.jpg

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Monday, 25 July 2005 19:33 (twenty years ago)

Oh fuck.

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Monday, 25 July 2005 19:33 (twenty years ago)

Native Nod ='s bass player of the Pharmacists and this guy:

http://www.mesh-key.com/

who's We Acediests project is way cool and produced by James Murphy. NJ punk bros.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Monday, 25 July 2005 19:34 (twenty years ago)

Chris Leo, A Humble Man Making Sense of a World Strange & Difficult About Him, Loathed By Ryan Schreiber

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Monday, 25 July 2005 21:28 (twenty years ago)

It's The Shambolic Chris Leo Chat Transcript!

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Monday, 25 July 2005 21:38 (twenty years ago)

True story: After leaving the office yesterday and returning home, I went through a stack of old mail on the bookshelf, probably left over from old roommates, and found a Chris Leo/Vague Angels postcard! Creepy!

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 15:39 (twenty years ago)

COP THE NEW SHIT!!

CHRIS LEO NOVEL: fifthplanetpress.com

it is fucking amazing!!!!!!!!!!!! vague angels truth loved is on par with his best work.

seacrest OUT

― faggymikecelizic.blogspot.com, Tuesday, 26 July 2005 18:05 (twenty years ago)

I hope it is filled with the bitter, post-relationship musings that I'm expecting!

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 18:16 (twenty years ago)

Short of some personal vendetta that's zero to do with the record, I'm absolutely mystified how Ryan wossname could interpret Leo's lyrics like that

― DJ Mencap0))), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 19:42 (twenty years ago)

If you play it backwards, there are certain points where the phrase "I'd like a slice of deep-dish nerd pizza, with Schreiber's face on it!" becomes slightly audible.

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 19:46 (twenty years ago)

In many years hence, critics and historians will regard this flare-up between Ryan Schreiber and Mr. Chris Leo as paramount to the tumultuous relationship between Lou Reed and Lester Bangs.

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Tuesday, 26 July 2005 20:53 (twenty years ago)

Leo-mania!

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 16:05 (twenty years ago)

let us not forget danny leo, whom a friend of mine referred to once as "the lesser leo".

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 16:19 (twenty years ago)

I'd never think of forgetting him! He can piggyback on the fame of his eldest brother and the reputation of the middle one. I've never heard The Holy Childhood before - worth it, decent?

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 17:22 (twenty years ago)

that same friend deemed the holy childhood "unlistenable" but its OK.

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 17:24 (twenty years ago)

"The Mediocre Leo"

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Sunday, 31 July 2005 01:10 (twenty years ago)

The first Holy Childhood record has some awesome songs on it. Miighty Flashlighty, fractured Wilcoy stuff. When I last saw them though (2002?), they were on some major Contortions kick. Wonky saxes and the like.

― Nostalgic for the Pre-Conservative Hendrie (Bent Over at the Arclight), Sunday, 31 July 2005 03:33 (twenty years ago)

There's a female Leo, too, you know. A FeLeo. Amy I think.

― Nostalgic for the Pre-Conservative Hendrie (Bent Over at the Arclight), Sunday, 31 July 2005 03:34 (twenty years ago)

yeah, i thought the first HC record was decent.

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Sunday, 31 July 2005 13:56 (twenty years ago)

I like the Contortions, though - that sounds intriguing. Wilco, ehhh, not so much

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Monday, 1 August 2005 18:17 (twenty years ago)

eight years pass...

What is Chris Leo up to these days?
I've been playing Sultans of Sentiment a bunch (after realizing I loaned my vinyl out a decade ago and never got it back, then discovered it's a pretty penny on Discogs)
What a great album.

I saw The Holy Childhood in their later incarnation and they were great, but I don't think they ever recorded that stuff.

― Walter Galt, Friday, 17 January 2014 11:48 (twelve years ago)

three months pass...

BTW the "lost" Van Pelt album which was recorded in 1997 but just released on Record Store Day is on Spotify now.

I get worked up about "Sultans of Sentiment" the way a bunch of people get about "Spiderland" on that Slint thread!

― Walter Galt, Thursday, 15 May 2014 10:17 (eleven years ago)

would buy this for a competitive price but can only find one UK outlet selling it, for just under £20. not down w/ that for a bunch of demos

sold my long-way-off-mint copy of 'Sultans' for £25 the other week mind you

― From Tha Crouuuch To Da Palacios (DJ Mencap), Thursday, 15 May 2014 13:06 (eleven years ago)

two years pass...

The Van Pelt reissuing both albums (song streams + archival live footage)

I love Sultans of Sentiment but never found a copy, this makes me happy

― Dinsdale, Wednesday, 8 March 2017 19:17 (eight years ago)

six years pass...

there's a new LP, i'm enjoying it.

― Hmmmmm (jamiesummerz), Wednesday, 22 March 2023 16:12 (two years ago)

oh wow

― na (NA), Wednesday, 22 March 2023 19:41 (two years ago)

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