Listen to The O'Brien System here.
Latest episode of The O’Brien System airs today on NTS2 from 12-1 PM PST (www.nts.live/shows/geologist). This installment features 1990’s DIY music made by Baltimore County teenagers pulled entirely from the “Towson-Glen Arm Freakouts” compilations on Nuns Like To Fence. As always I’ll post the full tracklist when the episode is archived for streaming.
I was at a 4yo’s bday party a couple weeks ago and recognized another dad from Bmore DIY shows over 20 years ago. He turned me onto these compilations and accompanying blog being run by Mike Apichella (currently playing as Human Host: https://humanhost.bandcamp.com) Mike was an early supporter of our pre-AC projects and actually the first person to tell me about Black Dice when he booked them to play in Baltimore in 1998 (he tried to hand me a flyer and convince me to go to the show, but I didn’t and regretted it when I saw BD in NYC 3 months later). We weren’t heavily immersed in this scene back then but we had good friends that were [...] and played a handful of shows over the years with artists from the TGA world. When our ideas were just starting to take root, it was inspiring and helpful to look to other teenagers in the Baltimore suburbs that were already doing their own thing as passionately as these people were.
With only an hour I focused on a certain side of things here, but I encourage you to check out all of the music when you have a chance. Each track of the compilation has extensive liner notes you can view at https://nunsliketofence.bandcamp.com/album/various-artists-towson-glen-arm-freakouts-1992-1999 and Mike has created an entire blog devoted to the TGA scene at https://towsonglenarmfreakouts.wordpress.com/ photo by Geologist (Mike Apichella playing with 6 O’Clock Alarm at The Loft 5/13/95 Baltimore, MD)
- WITHIN
I Walk Away - GLORIOUS FOURLANE
Cosmic Cat - SPASTIC CRACKER
Thistle - T.E.A.M.
Awe Shucks (Excerpt) - MIKE APICHELLA
The Last Day Of Summer - BIG HUGE FUCKING MACHINE
Engine #11 - HUBCAP
Shaft - LESBIAN CHICKEN MAGGOT BLASTERS
Green Men - THE SIX O’CLOCK ALARM
Ruby Menagerie - ELI JONES
Untitled Synthesizer Music - GLORIOUS FOURLANE
Oscillation Song - EVE PAGODA
Alan Thikk, Macho Capitalist Or Vanguard Of The Revolution? - MIKE APICHELLA
Space Bike - LESBIAN CHICKEN MAGGOT BLASTERS
Phaartesque - HUBCAP
Girls Smell Good - ELI JONES
Selling Glen Arm By The Pound (Part 5)