Arson Garden

Members
April Combs, Michael Mann, Joby Barnett, Clark Starr, James Combs
About

 

Arson Garden was a band from Bloomington, Indiana, that made arty, aggressive, melodic rock music from 1987-1994. April Combs was their charismatic singer, whose wit and distinctive voice helped win the band a reputation as a live act not to be missed. April’s brother James Combs played guitar and wrote much of the music. Joby Barnett was AG’s singular, inventive drummer, whose work complimented the imaginative bass playing of Clark Starr. Michael Mann brought a pallette of catchy guitar hooks and feedback landscapes to round out the group’s sound.

 

Arson Garden released 3 albums, an EP, two singles, and a cassette during their 7 years together. Produced by Indianapolis’ Paul Mahern at Hit City, their eponymous 1988 cassette attracted the attention of producer Albert Garzon (10,000 Maniacs), who signed Arson Garden to his Brooklyn-based Community 3 Records. Garzon and engineer Tom Herbers produced the band’s debut album "Under Towers" during one hectic week at Prince’s Paisley Park Studio in Minnesota in late 1989.

When the album was released in early 1990, the group found themselves the subject of rave reviews (the Chicago Reader called them "perhaps the only art rock band in North America that matters"), in the upper reaches of the CMJ charts, on MTV’s 120 Minutes, and touring extensively throughout the US and Europe. While in Europe, legendary English dj John Peel invited Arson Garden to perform a Peel Session for his BBC Radio 1 show, three tracks from which ended up on the band’s second album, "Wisteria" (1991).

"Wisteria" (Vertabrae), produced by Tom Herbers in Minneapolis’ Creation Studios in 10 days (recording sessions started at midnight and ended at 8am due to budget constraints), brought the band’s sound into further focus, with bracing guitars, wilder rhythms, more intricate arrangements, provocative lyrics, and emotionally charged performances from April.

More college radio play and touring ensued, including an invitation to play the 1992 Lollapalooza Festival and extensive dates throughout the US. An appearance at the CMJ festival in NYC in October 1992, got the band noticed by Priority/American Empire Records, a new label formed by former Atlantic Records Marketing VP Joe Grillo, which led to the group’s signing to the label.

Arson Garden’s third album "The Belle Stomp" was recorded at Pachyderm Studios (Nirvana, PJ Harvey) in Minnesota, again with Tom Herbers behind the boards. With the luxury of a month to record, the band delved into ambitious terrain. From 1 minute micro-songs to long ambitious rhythmic explorations to quiet acoustic numbers to aggressive pop, Arson Garden explored the widest reaches of its sound yet, with the hope that they would finally break out of the college scene and find a wider audience.

But it was not to be... with the financial collapse of their third record label shortly after the release of "The Belle Stomp", the group decided to call it quits, leaving in their wake an impressive recorded output and a history of sold out live shows.

Arson Garden reunited for a tribute show to their old haunt, the legendary Second Story club in Bloomington, in September, 2006. More shows may come.

 

Albums

The Bluebird 07/30/1987

14 songs

Lost
2:55
Unknown Song
1:48
Unknown Song
4:20
Worlds And Worlds
2:32
Armistice
2:37
Mistakes
2:29
Sore Sing Regret
3:42
Show Intro
0:26
The Face Of Resistance
3:29
Unknown Song
2:35
The Sways
3:35
Sealed
3:02
Once Then Twice Removed
3:24
Not Long Before
2:48

Jakes 07/30/1990

17 songs

Virtue Made Out Of Sticks
3:02
Lash
3:46
Unknown Song
3:24
Cold
4:34
It Will Soon Be Over
3:47
Mistakes
2:20
Under Towers
3:59
Solitariat
3:38
Show Intro
0:22
The Face Of Resistance
3:27
Truer Words Were Never Spoken
4:02
Heat From A Radiated House
3:51
Metro
2:37
Two Sisters
4:49
Kathy's In Deep
3:54
Not Long Before
2:53
Side B Start
0:09

Under Towers

11 songs

Track 01 Two Sisters (Love Is1 Two Sisters (Love Is All Around Them)
3:39
Track 02 Lash2 Lash
3:21
Track 03 Not Long Before3 Not Long Before
2:29
Track 04 Under Towers4 Under Towers
3:23
Track 05 Heat From A Radiated5 Heat From A Radiated House
3:19
Track 06 Solitariat6 Solitariat
3:31
Track 07 The Sways7 The Sways
3:03
Track 08 Once Then Twice Remov8 Once Then Twice Removed
3:09
Track 09 Truer Words Were Neve9 Truer Words Were Never Spoken
2:58
Track 10 Face Of Resistance10 Face Of Resistance
2:57
Track 11 Armistice11 Armistice
2:25

Wisteria

11 songs

1 Of 2 Minds
4:35
2 She Reconsidered
3:37
3 Impossible Space
3:38
4 Goes Out Kicking
2:39
5 Bird In The House
4:08
6 It Will Soon Be Over
3:47
7 This Chemical Draws
4:14
8 Cold
4:22
9 Prerogative
4:14
10 Pact
4:07
11 Kathy's In Deep
3:54

The Belle Stomp

13 songs

Track 01 Risk In This1 Risk In This
1:30
2 Transcendental
3:14
Track 03 Mind Talking3 Mind Talking
3:09
Track 04 Lazy4 Lazy
4:15
Track 05 Hard Bitten5 Hard Bitten
3:40
Track 06 Pretty Solvent6 Pretty Solvent
3:11
Track 07 Please Let's Sleep7 Please Let's Sleep
3:38
Track 08 Different Level Of Al8 Different Level Of Alright
3:41
Track 09 Secret Self9 Secret Self
3:34
Track 10 The Pick Up10 The Pick Up
1:35
Track 11 Baby's In A Black Tre11 Baby's In A Black Tree
4:28
Track 12 Pull Of A Speeding Tr12 Pull Of A Speeding Train
2:36
Track 13 Mystified13 Mystified
18:02

Decade Club 10/17/1990

10 songs

Cold
4:29
Unknown Song
2:26
It Will Soon Be Over
3:53
The Sways
3:09
The Face Of Resistance
3:13
Impossible Space
3:36
Truer Words Were Never Spoken
3:31
Armistice
2:35
Trem Two
3:57
Kathy's In Deep (Partial)
0:25

Drink A Drink Of You plus 3

4 songs

Track 01 Drink A Drink Of You1 Drink A Drink Of You
3:38
Track 02 She Reconsidered2 She Reconsidered
3:38
Track 03 Two Sisters [Live]3 Two Sisters [Live]
4:07
Track 04 Trem Two [Live]4 Trem Two [Live]
3:54

Collins LLC IU Bloomington 09/15/1990

19 songs

Virtue Made Out Of Sticks
2:58
Trem Two
5:01
Lash
3:33
Friction
4:36
Cold
5:05
Kathy's In Deep
4:10
It Will Soon Be Over
4:13
Unknown Song
3:04
Under Towers
3:35
Truer Words Were Never Spoken
3:33
The Face Of Resistance
3:04
Show Intro
1:11
Armisitce
2:23
Metro
2:49
Unknown Song
4:26
Heat From A Radiated House
3:56
Two Sisters
4:30
Not Long Before
2:34
Side B Start
0:19

Second Story 09/14/1990

20 songs

Virtue Made Out Of Sticks
3:11
Heat From A Radiated House
4:34
Under Towers
3:32
Unknown Song
3:00
Friction
5:03
Two Sisters
4:11
Armistice
3:15
Truer Words Were Never Spoken
3:23
Show Intro
1:04
Unknown Song
4:16
Kathy's In Deep
4:00
Unknown Song
3:26
The Face Of Resistance
3:47
Unknown Song
4:22
Cold
4:29
Metro
2:45
Trem Two
4:43
Lash
3:34
Not Long Before
3:03
Side B Start
0:06

1988 Cassette

11 songs

1 Armistice
2:24
2 Not Long Before
2:29
3 Sealed
2:48
4 Once then Twice Removed
3:00
5 The Sways
3:05
6 Mistakes
2:15
7 As Close As Neck
2:10
8 The Face of Resistance
3:00
9 Worlds and Worlds
2:16
10 Sore Sing Regret
3:21
11 Lost
2:45

Arson Garden at Tiptinas

12 songs

Intro
The Face of Resistance
Virtue Made Out of Sticks
Mistakes
Not Long Before
Friction
Armistice
Lash
Two Sisters
Heat From a Radiated House
Under Towers
It Will Soon Be Over