Music Monday: Frank Zappa’s Midwestern Spawn

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.


Tin Huey
Before Obscurity: The Bushflow Tapes CD
Smog Veil

A reissue of art rock from the heart of the Midwest circa mid-1970s. Tin Huey were from Akron, Ohio, and share some of the more far-out music sensibilities that permeated not just the region (Pere Ubu, Devo), but the whole musically adventurous landscape of the 1970s. Bands like this, formed by competent if not downright talented musicians who strived to take the piss out of the music scene, lyrically and compositionally, seemed to exist in every town with a decent sized college. Cue the Gizmos from Bloomington, Indiana. Many of these bands of geeks got swept up (or lumped in) with punk rock when it hit. But most of didn’t even really fit the bill as outcast punks.

For Tin Huey, comparisons to Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart and, to a lesser degree, Soft Machine all fit the bill. Plenty of dizzying key changes and tempo shifts to keep things interesting. They’re playing with music. Good stuff, particularly those who can really get down with the wacky and witty side of Zappa or more generally with weirdo Midwest skronk rock. These recordings were made between 1978 and 1979, some live, some in the studio. A few members went on to form the more pedestrian, but popular, Waitresses, but don’t hold that against Tin Huey.

 

PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

payment methods

PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate