Pylon Chomp LP (Electric Denim Vinyl)

In the late 1970s, Athens, Georgia was buzzing with a raw but sophisticated music scene. Traditional southern rock had been the Georgia musical export for years before, but the turn of the decade began producing new sounds from bands like The B-52's, R.E.M. and alt rock luminaries Pylon.

Before they were a band, Pylon were art school students at the University of Georgia: four kids invigorated by big ideas about art and creativity and society. Pylon was less a band, however, and more of an art project, which meant they had very specific goals in mind as well as an expiration date. While their time together as a band was short lived (1979-1983), Pylon had a lasting influence on the history of rock and roll. Throughout their brief history, they were able to create influential work that would help foster the post-punk and art-rock scene of the early '80s. Artists like R.E.M., Gang of Four, Sonic Youth, Sleater-Kinney, Interpol, Deerhunter and many more claim inspiration from the band.

In 1980 the band released its first record, Gyrate, and began touring across the country in support of the release. The band would soon develop a following across the country and specifically in the bustling music scene in New York City. One of their earliest gigs was opening for the Gang of Four in the Big Apple. Following the critical acclaim of their debut release, Pylon went back into the studio. While in the studio they gleefully pulled their songs apart and put them back together in new shapes, revealing a band of self-proclaimed non-musicians who had transformed gradually but noticeably into real musicians. The resulting album, Chomp, was barely off the press when Pylon were booked to open a run of dates for a hot new Irish band called U2 (after previously playing two arena shows with them in the month leading to the album release). Most bands would have jumped at the opportunity, but Pylon were skeptical. At a critical point in the life of Pylon, they opted to become a cult band rather than stretch their defining philosophy too far.

"We fully intended Pylon to be an almost seasonal thing that we were gonna do for a minute and then get on with our lives," says Curtis Crowe, drummer for the band. "But it just never went away. It still doesn't go away. There's a new subterranean class of kids that are coming into this kind of music, and they're just now discovering Pylon. That blows my mind. We didn't see that coming."

New West Records is proud to partner with Pylon to reissue Chomp and Gyrate back into the masses. Beautifully remastered from the original audio sources and pressed on electric denim vinyl.

The textures are more complicated, but the music still feels efficient, with no wasted gestures in the songs or performances. The grooves are as potent as ever, with bassist Michael Lachowski and drummer Curtis Crowe anchoring this music with lean, funky rhythms that sound edgy while still filling the dance floor. The added production polish and instrumental niceties add atmosphere without weighing down the songs, and reinforce how tuneful the material is despite their clean surfaces.