This is about Lemon Grass, a band that existed in Minneapolis, MN during the years 1990 – 1994, releasing 3 singles and a full-length CD album in that time. The band featured Andrew and Carrie Bell, who have been running the legendary Twin Town Guitars since 1997, which has grown into an amazing family-run shop, helping to empower aspiring musicians young and old.
Lemon Grass filled a unique niche in the indie scene as it was blooming in the early ’90s, by maintaining an almost defiantly non-grunge / art-rock / punk stance in their approach, which contained an air of familiarity in that way that you could never quite put your finger on, while not exactly sounding like anyone you might have thought you were hearing. Even while covering Joy Division, there was no trace of goth sentimentality or ironic pretense. These kids were definitely filtering whatever outside influences might be at work through their own filter, in the end simply sounding like themselves. A neat trick if you can pull it off, and that they did.
What follows are a couple of live recordings which Andrew Bell has graciously allowed me to record back in the day, and has generously allowed to be shared on Live Music Archive with other past, present and future fans.
Andrew Bell : Guitars & Vocals
Carrie Lucas : Tambourine & Vocals
Pat Cochrane : Drums
Chris McGreevy : Bass
Lemon Grass • 1991-12-04
Minneapolis, MN • 7th St. Entry
stereo [?] soundboard recording
duration (1:18:57)
[01] Jay Jay (02:40.28)
[02] It’s All Madness (03:20.56)
[03] One More Summer (06:17.06)
[04] Thunderheads (04:47.10)
[05] She’s Japanese (04:14.23)
[06] interim (00:19.37)
[07] Cathy’s Song (02:35.49)
[08] The Game (04:31.38)
[09] Wire (03:44.15)
[10] Love Courts Disaster (04:46.18)
[11] interim (00:14.40)
[12] Great Scott! (04:38.69)
[13] interim (00:24.13)
[14] Pinwheel
[15] Two To One (03:43.07)
[16] Life Sucks (04:53.53)
[17] Summer Rain (05:17.05)
[18] interim (00:19.57)
[19] Transmission [Joy Division] (08:10.06)
end of planned set – encore!
[20] Kill Me Quick (05:56.43)
[21] Planet Walker (03:17.41)
Lemon Grass were the headliners on this occasion, although I don’t recall who else was on the bill, sorry!
Transmission was intended to be the end of the set, but fortunately for all of us, the band managed to get a couple more songs in.
This is clearly a 1st-gen copy, as evidenced by the fade-out / fade-in near the end of Pinwheel – notes on the cassette indicate the song was cut in the middle. I reckon this means the band was given the original master.
Recorded / transferred / edited / tracked / tagged by: J.Free / Sonic Archives
Download or stream the show from Live Music Archive
Just to give you an idea what was going on in the world of music around this time….
On this date in 1991, the #1 song in the US was Black Or White by Michael Jackson.
The #1 song in the UK was Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me by George Michael & Elton John.
This was also the date of Country music mother and daughter act The Judds “farewell” concert at Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Lemon Grass • 1991-12-15
Minneapolis, MN • Uptown Bar & Grill
stereo [?] soundboard recording
duration (59:54)
[01] start (00:31.59)
[02] Wire (03:24.07)
[03] Life Sucks (04:17.39)
[04] One More Summer (06:03.10)
[05] She’s Japanese (03:54.21)
[06] Love Courts Disaster (04:44.61)
[07] The Game (04:15.06)
[08] Thunderheads (04:45.61)
[09] interim (00:29.39)
[10] Pinwheel (06:05.15)
[11] interim (00:12.36)
[12] Cathy’s Song (02:26.20)
[13] interim (01:45.44)
[14] Jay Jay (02:14.22)
[15] interim (00:10.16)
[16] interim (00:10.36)
[17] Great Scott! (04:35.51)
[18] It’s All Madness (03:12.68)
[19] interim (00:17.46)
[20] Transmission [Joy Division] (06:17.53)
Andrew Bell : Guitars & Vocals
Carrie Lucas : Tambourine & Vocals
Pat Cochrane : Drums
Chris McGreevy : Bass
Bill:
Dylan Hicks And The Three Pesos
Lemon Grass
Recorded / transferred / edited / tracked / tagged by: J.Free / Sonic Archives
Download or stream the show from Live Music Archive
I always say this (only because it’s true!), but it is well worth your time to track down any of the band’s releases:
A 1990 demo tape, three singles, and the full-length CD Transmission, have been spotted on the discogs site
Download or stream all sets by Lemon Grass from Live Music Archive
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