9353 Appreciation Thread

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I am currently revisiting 9353's We are Absolutely Sure There is No God (in the reissued form that is Make Your Last Days Loud Days) and I cannot believe that I am the only person who foldly remembers this strange, warped, accesibly anti-pop, completely dated (in a good way - I imagine myself playing text-based games on a Tandy while it plays) group.

What ever happened to these fuckers? I saw a few of them interviewed in that Obsessed documentary that Sony gave out when they signed Wino's group in the early '90s. Other than that...

(I did a search and found drummer Dan Joseph's website. He is a dulcimer-dabbler these days, apparently...)

― Brian O'Neill (NYCNative), Friday, 13 January 2006 11:54 (twenty years ago)

never heard 'em nor heard of em. Allmusic lists their disks, but with absolutely no info on the band. Interestingly enough, though, (discovered through a web search) many music-related businesses have phone numbers that end in 9353, including Diskmakers, a place where one can get one's own project "pressed" if that is still the word in these cd-r days.

― J Arthur Rank (Quin Tillian), Friday, 13 January 2006 15:11 (twenty years ago)

As a kid growing up in D.C., many older local bands would speak reverently of them, but I never heard a single song, that I know of... where should one start?

― Mugged Outside the Jabberjaw, 1993 (Bent Over at the Arclight), Friday, 13 January 2006 15:18 (twenty years ago)

from what i remember, what happened to them = drug problems i.e. heroin. you can read about them in that "dance of days" book and they are also in the "banned in d.c." photo book. i never got to hear them because their records were hard to find.

also: http://batmite.sloppybits.com/9353/index.shtml

― HAKKEBOFFER (eman), Friday, 13 January 2006 15:38 (twenty years ago)

I've got both the CD reissues on Adult Swim (which I guess are impossible to find now.) I got introduced to them by a former DC resident. One of the great unsung bands of the 80s definitely.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 13 January 2006 15:52 (twenty years ago)

Ooh I forgot I also have a live tape of one of their shows which is definitely amusing. They start playing "She's Lost Control" like 5 or 6 times (never quite getting to the vocals) and then basically quit. Apparently this was a running theme of their shows although rumor has it that they once finished the song (apparently on the anniversary of Curtis' death they had a complete Curtis sound-a-like come onstage and perform the song in its entirity--note: this story may be complete bullshit.) There are some amusing stories about where the name/numbers 9353 came from, but I can't quite remember how they went.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 13 January 2006 16:33 (twenty years ago)

I always thought of them in connection with No Trend - another DC weird art band.

"Famous Last Words" was/is 9353's signature tune, a cross between Joy Division and Flipper: It's OK/It's not loaded/I'm a good driver/Don't worry honey. Every time I play this song in DJ sets, people come up to me and say they haven't heard it in years.

― mike a, Friday, 13 January 2006 16:40 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, weird band with great promise. We Are Absolutely Sure There is No God aka Make Your Last Days Loud is a good place to start for the curious. Check out "American Schizo", "Bastard", "Spooky Room".

Dueling basso / falsetto voices over uppity new wave pop-jangle, almost like a more rockin' My Dad Is Dead. Deadpan satirical lyrics with a dark edge. "I want to humiliate you / the best way I know how / I want to humiliate you / and tell you pretty things / I've been a bastard all my life / I am a bastard asshole"

I ended up with pre-release tape copies of Overdoses At Your Mother's House and another album when Ugly American interviewed them in the early 90s. I'll have to dig those tapes and the interview out.

The LP, which I think I still have a copy of, got great distribution in 1985, I used to see it all over the place. I don't think it sold much, though.
http://wsriley.com/music/VinylPics/slides/9353-%20We%20Are%20Absolutely%20Sure%20There%20Is%20No%20God.jpg

― Edward III (edward iii), Friday, 13 January 2006 16:58 (twenty years ago)

Thanks for the link, HAKKEBOFFER. Oddly enough, I've never seen a photo of the band before.

― Edward III (edward iii), Friday, 13 January 2006 17:07 (twenty years ago)

Coincidentally, someone I know has an mp3 of their big hit up over at his mp3-ish blog.

http://spanghew.blogspot.com/2005/12/my-hypothetical-ipods-idea-of-good.html

― dlp9001, Saturday, 14 January 2006 01:09 (twenty years ago)

Oh, and a while ago somone on SLSK had a pretty big chunk of their stuff available. A track called 20th Century Sex Plague from a somewhat mysterious release called Insult To Injury, Magically Delicious is definitely worth hearing.

― dlp9001, Saturday, 14 January 2006 01:18 (twenty years ago)

I went in search of the singer about a year and half ago. I managed to contact a few relatives, one of them by mistake thinking it was him. Apparently he disowned his family long ago, they all knew nothing of his whereabouts. What a disappointment. I wasn't trying to harass him or even interview him I was just trying to get a certain CD.

― Tomato Voyeur (Bimble...), Saturday, 14 January 2006 11:57 (twenty years ago)

I don't think Bruce Merkle the singer is too hard to locate. At least a couple years ago he and his dogs left DC but still stayed in touch with his friends.

9353 were a great band, and I think every decent city had a band like them in the early '80s. Dancing Cigarettes come to mind, definitely.

From Trouser Press:

9353 (Buy CDs by this artist)
To Whom It May Consume (R + B) 1984
We Are Absolutely Sure There Is No God (Fountain of Youth) 1985

With hardcore just as stagnant in Washington DC as it was everywhere else in 1984, the appearance of 9353 came as quite a jolt. Although the band wasn't first-rate — Jason Carmer's delay-driven guitar serves as only a decorative ornament, and the rhythm section is rarely more than competent — To Whom It May Consume is surprisingly good, psychotic punk psychedelia (with a twist of good-humored evil) highlighted by Bruce Merkle's astounding vocal range, which can shift from a deep drawl to a convincing Ethel Merman warble in a flash.

We Are Absolutely Sure There Is No God was released at the end of 1985, after the short-lived band's breakup. Merkle continues to display his bag of tricks, never once treating any of his many voices with seriousness or respect. The album does not contain as many memorable songs as the first, but try "American Schizo," "Evil Teen Facility Yard" and "Who Does What and Why."
[Ian McCaleb]

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Saturday, 14 January 2006 23:55 (twenty years ago)

Ugly American #10 ran a 9353 interview w/ Merkle just prior to the release of Insult To Injury, Magically Delicious in '95. He says Insult... was written/recorded in one month's time in March of '94, and it sounds as though it didn't feature the original members Jason & Vance. Of the latter he says "...his true loyalties lie in sickness. He does not know where I live. I will not tell him." Yowza!

Regarding the reissues, he says that "Criminal Twins Amnesia" is the only "new" bonus track. The unreleased tracks were remixed for the reissues, but the original LP tracks were not. The interview, which was conducted via mail, is interrupted briefly when Bruce is evicted from his apartment by the police.

Michael Dean has 5 mp3s from Overdoses At Your Mother's House at his site, http://www.kittyfeet.com/new.htm (his site is one big long page, so search on 9353). If you want a perfect representation of 9353's twist-the-knife power, download "10 Witches"... "The thought of men and women truly makes me sick / It's a role-playing game that's never gonna quit / Divorce, reform / Reform, divorce / We used to be such nice children"

― Edward III (edward iii), Monday, 16 January 2006 21:26 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

Wow... I can't believe all these years on I'm reading this thread! I used to go to ALL the 9353 gigs in DC in the mid 80's when they were about. Obessively. I live in the UK now and bizarrely, Bruce Merkle tracked me down through a friend called me a few years ago - to say I was surprised is an understatement! I still have all their albums, on vinyl and CD! In fact, I listened to one last night while I was blitzing the living room. Took me waaaaaaaaayyyyy back!

― Cindy Castle, Monday, 13 March 2006 09:32 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

9353 were a breath of fresh kooky air amongst d.c. hardcore. They were original for the era and scene they were involved in. If you don't know their music, give it a listen. Shame they never made it out of d.c. I attended a lot of their shows, very worth it.
World peace, love and justice.

― Melaney Holman, Saturday, 22 April 2006 04:44 (twenty years ago)

two months pass...

I was lucky to see 9353 several times in the late 80’s. They were Very Strange, especially Bruce Merkles facial expressions.

― Bart May (bartmay@adelphia.net), Sunday, 25 June 2006 13:31 (nineteen years ago)

Ah I see you found the thread! I wish I'd seen those facial expressions. They really are a band with no equal. There simply isn't anyone else in the world like them.

― Vampire Business (Bimble...), Sunday, 25 June 2006 16:49 (nineteen years ago)

two months pass...

I remember hearing that The Spooky Room (at the top of the stairs) was upstairs at dc space.

Say, anybody got any info on Rick & Mike & Bill?

― Spork Toast (sporktoast), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 06:30 (nineteen years ago)

That "Famous Last Words" track is definitely great. Wish someone would put together a reissue. And let me state one more time in this thread that someone MUST reissue the Vile Cherubs stuff, for god's sake. Troubleman should get on all of this, or somebody.

― Tiki Theater Xymposium (Bent Over at the Arclight), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 09:25 (nineteen years ago)

I found them very underwhelming at the time.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 11:54 (nineteen years ago)

(Sorry, I guess since this is an appreciation thread, I should stay off it then.)

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 11:54 (nineteen years ago)

what do people who like 9353 think of the early unrest albums? any other notable similar (dissimilar) bands around dc at this time?

― consigliere (consigliere), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 12:55 (nineteen years ago)

You can listen to them on MySpace:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=91848714

― David St. Hubbins (David St. Hubbins), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 13:18 (nineteen years ago)

eleven months pass...

Did anyone attend the reunion show this weekend in DC?

― NYCNative, Monday, 10 September 2007 10:27 (eighteen years ago)

!?!?!

― Alex in SF, Monday, 10 September 2007 13:59 (eighteen years ago)

i noticed that in the 9:30 Club ad. weird

― am0n, Monday, 10 September 2007 14:36 (eighteen years ago)

That was their 2nd recent reunion show there (they had previously played at the dc space anniversary reunion show). They have a myspace site also.

― curmudgeon, Monday, 10 September 2007 17:53 (eighteen years ago)

Holy Bejesus!! Are you kidding me? Like reunited right NOW? Christ almighty god, that is thrilling. Thanks for the news.

― Bimble, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 03:20 (eighteen years ago)

http://intangiblearts.blogspot.com/2007/09/return-of-9353.html

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 13:03 (eighteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

"Redneck Funhole"!

"NANANANANANANAANANNAA game over you fucked it up/"

This reunion just gives me goosebumps UNDER my skin, I mean it. If I could fly back home to see them, just once, all my life would be complete.

― Bimble, Saturday, 29 September 2007 03:56 (eighteen years ago)

three years pass...

Found a great interview with Bruce, the singer, here:

http://thepopulation.wordpress.com/2009/04/03/bruce-miles-hellington-of-9353-whats-this-for/

― NYCNative, Friday, 21 January 2011 09:08 (fifteen years ago)

one year passes...

Ha, was just looking at that separately after listening to "Spooky Room" for the first time and wondering what their deal was...

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 8 February 2012 03:49 (fourteen years ago)

In my own little way, I helped out Ned with something.

― Loud guitars shit all over "Bette Davis Eyes" (NYCNative), Wednesday, 8 February 2012 07:19 (fourteen years ago)

six months pass...

RIP Vance Bockis, member of 9353, Factory and others. Saw it mentioned on Facebook but no other details

― curmudgeon, Sunday, 2 September 2012 14:41 (thirteen years ago)

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2012/09/04/vance-bockis-d-c-punk-rocker-dies-at-age-50/#more-78620

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 4 September 2012 14:37 (thirteen years ago)

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