14!

Popdefect are one of the few bands I can compare to Field Trip (see earlier post) and Shudder To Think and say that Popdefect makes them look like rock stars. I can truly say i am alone in all the people that i know who buy records that I own something by Popdefect. This is a travesty in the highest order.

Formed in the late 70's in Washington state, Popdefect put out their own records as Heart Murmur Records. They have about ten or so singles a few EPs (one of which is my favorite format the 10" record!) and a couple LPs. I own almost all of them and they got better and better as time passed. Their live record features Nick Scott their drummer playing a kiddie drum set with a 16" bass drum...and they still pull off sounding terrific.

At the tail end of their career they were on Flipside records (of Flipside magazine) right before that punk establishment went away. At this point Popdefect had become a very original quirky punk band with a pop edge. I really don't know how to accurately describe them other than that. They were a trio that had strong musicianship at each instrument. The Bass and drumming are varied and tight (usually) but what intrigued me ever since seeing them play at the Euclid tavern (opening for the awful Cows) was the guitar playing of singer/guitarist Al Anderson. Understand this, I am not a musician, i don't know much about the technical side of the music i love - I just know what i like. But I have yet to see a guitar player play like Al Anderson. First of all he plays a Gretsch...


I don't know how rare that is in general but it is rare for the kinds of bands I go see - it looks like a large string instrument from an orchestra rather than just a guitar. I guess it may be more common for rockabilly or country music. But it was not only the kind of guitar that was cool, but the way he played it. Using his top hand to aggressively stress certain moments - grabbing the strings and raking down on them. Playing above the part of the guitar called the "nut" (I had to look this up) which I think you can hear in this crazy song called The Moth and in the first few notes in many of their songs, they had a cool habit of having quiet guitar intros to lots of their songs.

They also gave away stickers like they were on fire, and made little photocopied books with their releases that were goofy and made buying their records that much more interesting.

I saw them again when I lived in Baltimore and was their back up place to stay, although that didn't turn out to be necessary.

I just ordered their limited edition farewell album from an Amazon collectible dealer because this post is making me bummed that they no longer exist, like so much of the music i love.... they called it quits in 1999 or 2000.

Here is my favorite song by them... Without . Live, this song turns into about a minute and forty seconds of pure aural mayhem that rivals any song ending in the history of music - I felt like jumping into the drum set with the guys in band...