Flat Duo Jets
Flat Duo Jets | |
---|---|
North Carolina , U.S. | |
Genres | |
Years active | 1983–1999 |
Labels | Norton Records Third Man Records |
Past members | Dexter Romweber Chris "Crow" Smith Tone Mayer Crash LaResh Derek Huston Alan MacEwen |
Flat Duo Jets was an American
History
Flat Duo Jets formed in Carrboro, North Carolina in 1983.[1][5] Their original line-up was Dexter Romweber on guitar and Chris “Crow” Smith on drums—both were seventeen years old at the time.[1][6] Romweber and Smith met in fifth grade; by junior high school they had founded a band called The Remains which lasted for a year.[2]
Romweber and Smith organized Flat Duo Jets in 1984 when they were in high school.
The group practiced in "The Moz” or The Mausoleum, their nickname for the garage located behind the Romweber house.
Flat Duo Jets played in the Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina area, as well as in Athens, Georgia.[7] Both their music and Romweber's stage presence attracted the attention of audiences.[7] About Romweber, one critic noted, "His face contorted and his eyes rolled back in his head. He frothed, jogged in place and swung his body as if temporarily freed from gravity. People thought he was possessed…"[7] Another noted they sounded like "an edgy blend of blues, jazz, surf, and Sun Studio's white thrash."[10]
The band decided to relocate to
Flat Duo Jets were called "musical carpetbaggers" because they were not from Athens; many believe they moved to Georgia to be in the film.[13] Regardless, Spin magazine noted, "Dexter wasn't technically a local, but they put him in Athens, Ga. Inside/Out anyway. He stampeded across a rickety frat house stage, gutting his Silvertone for bastard rockabilly licks against Crow's intemperate rhythm...His reckless performances made the rest of the Athens music scene—R.E.M., the B-52's, Pylon—seem pale."[14] The band eventually toured the United States in support of the documentary, along with BBQ Killers and Kilkenny Cats.[11]
Back in North Carolina, Tone Mayer joined the band on stand-up bass in 1988.
In early September 1988, the band signed with Dog Gone Records, an independent label co-owned by Jefferson Holt, former manager of R.E.M.[17] The contract was for three albums for Romweber, with an option for five more if Dog Gone decided to distribute the recordings.[17] It was announced that the band would be in the studio in October 1988, working on an album to be released in February 1989.[17] In February 1990, the band played at CBGB in New York City.[11]
Recorded in the late 1980s, their 1990 LP, Flat Duo Jets, was recorded direct to two tracks, with no overdubs, in a garage with producer Mark Bingham.[5][14] It included two original songs and twelve covers from the 1950s and 1960s.[14] They celebrated the release of the album on September 9, 1989, at the Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill, along with Romweber's sister's band Snatches of Pink who were also releasing a new album with Dog Gone Records.[18] However, the Flat Duo Jets actual release and distribution was delayed by internal issues at Dog Gone Records.[11] One reviewer noted, "The 14 tracks sizzle like a backwoods bonfire, Dex, Crow, and Tone playing with spontaneity and inspired abandon throughout. …Flat Duo Jets makes every early Stray Cats sound like the polished work of a few silly poseurs."[11]
In 1990, Romweber gave up drinking, women, and drugs to focus on making the band a success.[14] That year, Flat Duo Jets opened for The Cramps on the three-month Stay Sick tour of the United States.[19][7][2][20] Romweber recalls, "Well, it was a long tour for us. It was a lot of work, you know, playing like six nights a week, 55 minutes sets in big halls and hitting about every major city in the U.S. There was no time to think, you know, just get up and go. It was a lot of work."[2] On July 13, 1990, the band made "a career-making" appearance on Late Night with David Letterman, where they performed a cover of Benny Joy's "Wild Wild Lover."[7][5] However, Mayer left the group in 1990.[2]
Their second LP, 1991's Go Go Harlem Baby, was produced by Jim Dickinson at Easley McCain Recording in Memphis, Tennessee.[4] In 1994, the band toured with The Reverend Horton Heat.[20] Crash LaResh replaced Crow on drums, on and off, starting in 1995.[7] The band toured in Europe for ten days in 1996.[2] In 1998, they again toured with The Reverend Horton Heat.[20]
In the late 1990s, Flat Duo Jets signed a major label contract with Outpost Records, a now-defunct imprint of Geffen Records.[21][13] Scott Litt agreed to work with the band at the suggestion of R.E.M.'s Peter Buck.[21] The result was 1998's Lucky Eye, produced by both Litt and Chris Stamey, which demonstrated a markedly different approach from their previous lo-fi efforts.[2][21] The album featured a more polished sound for the band, with some tracks accompanied by string arrangements.[21] Tom Maxwell and Ken Mosher of the Squirrel Nut Zippers played horns on some tracks.[22]
The band was disappointed by poor album sales, and Dexter and Crow went separate ways shortly after the release of Lucky Eye.[2] Dexter maintains that the primary reason for the split was embezzlement of the band's proceeds on the part of Crow, though Crow disputes this.[citation needed] It has also been said that the band was "plagued by naiveté and drug-usage."[16] Romweber acknowledges, "I think that when I was young I was pretty naive to the pitfalls of being in the business… In being a touring band, it's not the easiest thing often. You know, many things can break down either in yourself or with other people or both simultaneously. So for myself, I had struggles I was working to overcome. And then for "Crow he had struggles that he was working to overcome…. But the dynamics in the band were already breaking down."[16] Either way, 1999 the band called it quits in 1999.[7][4]
The documentary Dexter Romweber: Two Headed Cow was released in 2006. It included footage of Flat Duo Jets playing while on tour in 1986 or 1987[16] Two Headed Cow was made by Tony Gayton, who also directed Athens, GA: Inside/Out in 1987.[12] He started making the film twenty years earlier but ran short on funding.[12]
In 2008, a live soundtrack to Two Headed Cow was released.[1] In 2011, Jack White reissued Go Go Harlem Baby on Third Man Records.[3] In 2011, Daniel 13, the label run by former R.E.M. manager Jefferson Holt, released Flat Duo Jets' Wild Wild Love, a boxset that included their self-titled 1990 album, the Inside Out EP, their David Letterman performance, the Athens, GA.: Inside/Out performances, and outtakes.[23][24][9] The boxset also included a 78-page booklet depicting early concert fliers, photos, and history by David Menconi, music critic for The News and Observer.[9]
Post-breakup bands
After Flat Duo Jets, Mayer joined The Chicken Wire Gang, also known as Good Old Chicken Wire Gang Boys Band Brothers.[8] Smith released their debut solo album, Songs for Emeline, in 2006.[25]
Romweber pursued a solo career, touring with
Reunion
In 2016, Romweber and LaResh released the Our Night at the Great Jones as the
In 2016, Dex & Crash booked a tour in
In 2017, Romweber was offered a gig with The Reverend Horton Heat, but only if he would perform using the Flat Duo Jets name.[9] That same year, he booked a few other shows under the band's name, but he was the only original member performing.[28][24][9]
Activism
In April 1986, the Flat Duo Jets played in a benefit for the North Carolina Radioactive Waste Watch.[6]
Impact
When writing about Flat Duo Jets, music critic David Menconi said, "Their biggest fans have always been other musicians."[9]
In 2013, the
Flat Duo Jets also influenced The Black Keys, Neko Case, and Exene Cervenka of X.[7][33][12] Cervenka says, "He [Romweber] is classic, timeless, transcendent, pure. He has a talent few people will ever have." Chan Marshall of Cat Power chose a Sears Silvertone for her first guitar because Romweber played that model.[12]
Members
- Dexter Romweber, guitar
- Chris "Crow" Smith, drums
- Griz "Tone" Mayer, stand-up bass (1988–1990)
- Crash LaFresh, drums (1995–1999)
- Eric Peterson, electric guitar (studio and touring band, 1998)[21]
- Aaron Oliva, stand-up bass (touring band, 1998)[21]
Discography
EP and 7"
- In Stereo (1985, Dolphin Records)[7]
- "I'll Have A Merry Christmas Without You"/ "Caravan" 7" (1994, Norton Records)[34]
- Dexmas 7" (1996, Permanent Records)
- Jet Set 7" (1996, Norton Records)[35]
LP
- Flat Duo Jets (1990, Dog Gone Records)[36]
- Go Go Harlem Baby (1991, Sky Records; 2011, Third Man Records)[2][31]
- Safari (1993, Norton Records)[37]
- White Trees (1993, Sky Records)[2]
- Introducing the Flat Duo Jets (1995, Norton Records)[38]
- Red Tango (1996, Norton Records)[39]
- Wild Blue Yonder (1998, Norton Records)[36]
- Lucky Eye (1998, Outpost Records)[2]
- Two Headed Cow (2008, Chicken Ranch Records)[1]
- Wild Wild Love (2017, Daniel 13)[23]
With other artists
- Gene Maltais & the Flat Duo Jets – "Voodoo Woman"/"Little Girl" (1994, Norton Records)[40]
Other media
Television
- I.R.S. Records Presents The Cutting Edge (1985, MTV)[1]
- 120 Minutes (1990, MTV)[3]
- Late Night with David Letterman (1990, NBC)[7]
Film
- Athens, GA: Inside Out (1986)[3]
- Dexter Romweber: Two Headed Cow (2006)[7]
- It Might Get Loud (2009)[30]
Video
- "Wild, Wild Lover" (1990)[3]
- "Radioactive Man" (1993)[3]
- "Dark Night" (2016, The Furious Sessions)[27]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Gerweck, Sam (July 19, 2019). "Rock Sculptors: Dex Romweber and the Power of the Rock and Roll Duo". Come Hear North Carolina. North Carolina Arts Council. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Arndt, Jeff (September 2001). "Dexter Romweber: Beyond the Flat Duo Jets". Perfect Sound Forever. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Flat Duo Jets". The Masquerade. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
- ^ ISBN 9781627883795– via Google Books.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Flat Duo Jets' Legendary Debut To Get Box Set Reissue". Glide Magazine. April 13, 2017. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
- ^ Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Gilbreath, Aaron (December 14, 2018). "All the Requisite Billies". Oxford American. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
- ^ a b c d Barrett, Matt. "The Golden Age of North Carolina Music". North Carolina Travels. Retrieved 2022-06-11.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Dex Romweber Revisits The Early Days Of Flat Duo Jets On Wild Wild Love". Strange Carolina. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
- ^ Brown, Farnum (December 1990). "As Nasty as they Want to Be". Mother Jones Magazine. 15 (7): 61 – via Google Books.
- ^ Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e Sullivan, James (2011-11-22). "Rockabilly Hero Dexter Romweber Honored by Jack White, Exene Cervenka in New Doc". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
- ^ ISBN 9781891241697. Retrieved June 10, 2022 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c d Schoen, Karen (April 1990). "Hellfire". Spin. 6 (1): 13 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Flat Duo Jets: Wild Wild Love". American Songwriter. 2017-10-17. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
- ^ a b c d e Pressman, Joshua (2009-04-11). "LAist Interview: Dexter Romweber of the Flat Duo Jets". LAist. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
- ^ Newspapers.com.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ Trucks, Rob (April 28, 2004), "White Blood Sells - The Fiery Half of the Flat Duo Jets, Dexter Romweber Broke in the Next Generation of Garage-Rocking Duos", City Paper (Baltimore, MD)
- ^ a b c "Flat Duo Jets Concert & Tour History | Concert Archives". www.concertarchives.org. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
- ^ a b c d e f Morris, Chris (September 5, 1998). "Flat Duo Jets Fly a Route". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 36. pp. 22 and 110 – via Google Books.
- ^ Lien, James (November 1998). "Flat Duo Jets - Lucky Eye". CMJ New Music Monthly (63): 43 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b Murphy, Dylan (2017-10-26). "Flat Duo Jets: Wild Wild Love, PopMatters". PopMatters. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
- ^ a b Pearis, Bill (August 23, 2017). "Flat Duo Jets releasing early material retrospective, touring with The Blasters". Brooklyn Vegan. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
- ^ "Chris "Crow" Smith Albums and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2022-06-11.
- ^ a b "Dex Romweber & Crash LaResh - "Our Night At The Great Jones" LP". Jett Plastic Recordings. Retrieved 2022-06-11.
- ^ a b c "Flat Duo Jets – Dark Night". The Furious Sessions. 2016-07-29. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
- ^ "Past Flat Duo Jets Tour Dates and Concerts From This Year". Jambase.com. Retrieved 2020-03-09.
- ISBN 0-87930-805-2.
- ^ a b Arndt, Jeff (September 2001). "Dexter Romweber: Beyond the Flat Duo Jets". Perfect Sound Forever.
- ^ a b "Go Go Harlem Baby". Third Man Store. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
- ^ "Flat, White and Said All Over". CMJ New Music Monthly. 113: 6. June 2003 – via Google Books.
- ^ Belanger, Ashley (June 10, 2014). "Iconic Flat Duo Jets guitarist wouldn't choose to play in duos". Orlando Weekly. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
- ^ "Flat Duo Jets - I'll Have a Merry Christmas without You / Caravan". Norton Records. Retrieved 2022-06-11.
- ^ "Flat Duo Jets - Jet Set". Norton Records. Retrieved 2022-06-11.
- ^ a b "Flat Duo Jets Albums and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
- ^ Young, Jon; Robbins, Ira. "Flat Duo Jets". Trouser Press. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
- ^ "Flat Duo Jets - Introducing the Flat Duo Jets LP". Norton Records. Retrieved 2022-06-11.
- ^ "Flat Duo Jets - Red Tango LP". Norton Records. Retrieved 2022-06-11.
- ^ "Gene Maltais & the Flat Duo Jets - Voodoo Woman/Little Girl". Norton Records. Retrieved 2022-06-11.
External Links
- Flat Duo Jets discography at Discogs
- Flat Duo Jets at IMDb