AntAcidAudio
Biography
Altamont
Dale Crover - Guitar, Bass, Vocals & Drums
Dan Southwick - Bass, Guitar & Drums
Joey Osbourne - Drums
Sasha Popovich - Drums & Tambourine
Toshi Kasai - Organ & Rhodes
Altamont is the brainchild of Dale Crover, drummer of the Melvins. The name, familiar to those who know of the ill-fated Rolling Stones concert at the Altamont speedway, came about when Crover & co. began practicing on Haight Street and saw Hippie hangovers still roaming the spot synonymous with the birth of the peacenik movement. “I thought the name symbolized the death of the hippie movement. Also, we just like the Stones,” deadpans Dale. Having come together in the mid-90’s in San Francisco, Dale explains the reason for the alternate outlet, “I had just bought my dream guitar, a ‘57 Les Paul Goldtop”, says Dale. “It cost me good money, so I figured I’d better put it to good use.” Dale recruited his friends Dan Southwick on bass, and Joey Osbourne (Acid King) on drums. “Dan and I had previously been roommates, we used to play and write songs together. We were really into the Stooges, ZZ Top, and Neil Young. Joey was a local drummer we knew. His drum style is so spastic, he’s like an autistic Keith Moon.”
The trio released an early EP and two LPs on Frank Kozik’s Mansruin Records before the label’s ultimate demise. Eventually Dale moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and between the obstacle of distance and Dale’s work with the Melvins, Altamont went quiet for many years. “I didn’t want to give up Altamont. We wrote songs and played shows when we could. When we finally had enough songs to record, I spoke with Greg Werckman from AntAcidAudio (sister label to Ipecac Recordings) about releasing it.” The end result: The Monkees’ Uncle produced by the Deaf Nephews (Dale Crover, Toshi Kasai) and engineered by Toshi Kasai (Tool, Melvins) with the addition of Sasha Popovich (Butcher, Mother Tongue) on drums and Toshi on Organ and Fender Rhodes. Musical influences are all over on this record, from the Kinks to Eno. There’s even a cover of “In A Better World” by legendary L.A. punks, The Screamers.
So why name the record The Monkees’ Uncle? Dale explains, “My first rock record was the first Monkees’ record. I loved that record and still do. I was at the super market with my mom and I saw an Elvis record. He looked like the Monkees, but I could tell he was older. I figured that he must have been the Monkees’ Uncle. The title track is my answer to garage rock. I wanted to have this real long drum intro. When the song finally kicks in it's less than a minute long.”
While Dale Crover is a highly regarded drummer you still might find it odd that four out of the five performers on this record are credited with drums. Dale ends the interview with this tidbit, “I wish Toshi had been able to play drums on the record but he's the only one who could push play and record at the same time.”
Release date: Nov. 1, 2005