I've got new wave on the brain yet again, as an interview with the director (Andrew Horn) of the new Klaus Nomi biopic (The Nomi Song) recently took place in the WFMU studio on Pseu Braun's show last week (click to hear the entire show, which includes many Nomi tunes along with other new wave weirdness).
My second collision with new wave came last night during Brian Turner's show, when he played "Happy Funeral", a cool song by Kitchen and the Plastic Spoons. Thinking I could gather info on this band to share with my fellow bloggers, I searched the internet far and wide for details. No dice, man. All I found was this list of their releases (and a few mentions in various European DJ playlists):
Kitchen and the Plastic Spoons
Happy Funeral 7" (1980, Kitchoons Plastics)
Icecream To God 7" (1981, Flexi Castor)
Feeling mighty unfulfilled, I performed a search on another great new wave-ish band, Dow Jones and the Industrials. This venture, my friends, proved fruitful. Dig the song "Ladies With Appliances" (as swiped from an old archive of Mike Lupica's show).
Hailing from West Lafayette, Indiana near the Purdue campus, Dow Jones was only around for a few years ('79-'81, methinks). Members included Greg Horn, Chris Clark (aka Dow Jones), Brad Garton (aka Mr. Science), and Tim North. Interestingly, Mr. Science, who released a song of his own on the Red Snerts comp (1981 on Gulcher Records, reissued a few years ago) is now head of the computer music department at Columbia University. At this moment, I felt like a true stalker. But I can't suppress the thought of extracting this man from academia to relive his youth for the benefit of FMU listeners...
Gizmos member Dale Lawrence describes the Dow Jones stage act in a Nuvo article from 2003:
The band’s crowded stage-set included several mannequins (snagged from Clark’s father’s clothing store), a TV set permanently tuned to static and “the Dude”: a life-size stand-up of a debonair young gentleman in suit and tie, enjoying a cigarette. They also had a live secretary seated to one side of the stage at a desk, typing away throughout the show.
And if that's not enough, you can listen to another excellent song, "Can't Stand the Midwest" by Dow Jones, as played on Bill Zurat's show a while back. Incidentally, the Gizmos wrote a reply to this song entitled "The Midwest Can Be Allright."
For good measure, here's a link to hear "Warm Leatherette" by The Normal (aka Daniel Miller, founder of Mute Records) from 1978.
End transmission.
Interesting comment on the Computer Science professor. I pulled together a list of punks with PhDs here.
Another fellow is planning on writing a longer article on the PhD contingent.
Posted by: Webster Hubble Telescope | February 10, 2005 at 01:22 AM
I was on The Fall's message board and I made an inquiry about Kitchen and the Plastic Spoons.
Here's the response that I got-
http://invisionfree.com/forums/thefall/index.php?showtopic=5071&st=0&#entry2566491
Posted by: Ladybugz44 | February 11, 2005 at 10:52 AM
Some more information about Kitchen and The Plastic Spoons:
The group formed in Stockholm, Sweden around 1978/9 and were briefly called Gdansk before settling on Kitchen etc. The members were:
Anne - vocals
Iggo - Synthesizer
Helena - Synthesizer
Jackie - Bass
Back - Drums
Later on Patrik was added on guitar. Anne left around 1982 and the group used a number of vocalists untli disbanding around 1984/5. Apart from the singles mentioned above they appeared on a number of compilations and several tracks from an unreleased album are rumoured to exist.
Posted by: MrSuspend | November 01, 2005 at 07:16 PM
Hi
Don't know anything bout your show but I found the band Kithcen & the plastic spoons on your site and that your asked for some info. I happened to be the drummer of the band or used to be as we haven't existed since 1981. We was formed in spring -80 more or less by an accident but we found our sound at once. Two girls and three boys mixing syntezisers with bass and drums in Stockholm Sweden.
We actual will meet next week to discuss a record release or a website with download service and photos etc.
Thank you very much for your interest. We're exited.
Best Regards
Mats Wigerdal
Stockholm
Sweden
Posted by: Mats Wigerdal | November 02, 2005 at 06:14 PM
Mats, what members of the band formed "Apa" after Kitchen?
I saw Kitchen at a gig at Bryggaregården in Västerås in 1980 I think. Great gig! I talked to afterwards, quite stunned.
If you release anything from back then, like the flexi, I will definitely buy it, especially from ITMS.
Mikael
Göteborg
Posted by: Mikael | December 01, 2005 at 08:52 PM
Mats Wigerdal:
We are doing a site called www.swedishpunk.com which is supposed to be like a database over swedish punkbands used by foreign people with a interest in swedish punk.
I've been thinking of including Kitchen & tps to the bands but I'm not sure if u were a punkband!? I have your "Funeral"-ep and think it is very cool. Chips Kiesby of Sator once told me that you called yourself a punkband back then. But if u should be included I really would need some more information about the band! So Mats, please, if u read this.. send me an e-mail. Also check out our site and see what u think of it.. thanx in advance.. /Johan www.swedishpunk.com
Posted by: Johan | January 04, 2006 at 04:22 AM
Hi Michael
Thanks for your question and glad to hear you saw us back then, few did. I remember the gig very well. I was our first outside Stockholm and I think it was a time when we were at our best.
There is a recording from that night that a friend did. He forget the idea of stereo so its just in one channel. There are plans to relese a CD with our studio material together with live stuff. Were working on it at this moment.
Regarding Apa Kithen wasnt involved but some friends were. It was people who worked at the Opera in Stockholm. Apa is an shortening of Aldrig P Arbetet. Among other there was Jonas Jonasson (Bob Hund) and Jukka Rassila (Red Checker) playing in the band.
Glad to serve you
Mats Wigerdal
Posted by: Mats | January 12, 2006 at 07:18 AM
HeY U aLL KiTcheN;muSic lovERs!
S¤¤n weRe up & JuMping in Zer inTernEte...kEEp C¤¤l!...
Posted by: iggo | February 15, 2006 at 05:09 PM
Well, I am a copy editor for Drop Dead magazine and the next issue will include an interview with Mats ¨Back¨ Wigerdal of Kitchen and The Plastic Spoons ... it's very informative. So, pick up a copy of the next issue of DDM, which will be available soon.
-- bob d.
www.dropdeadmagazine.com
Posted by: bob d. | March 05, 2007 at 05:15 PM
HOLY SHIT.
From the ashes of a small blog post, KITCHEN ROSE FROM THE DEAD.
I think that if you hadn't posted this blog, they wouldn't have come back. THANKS WFMU!
Posted by: heidi | May 05, 2007 at 06:12 PM
Order the Kitchen CD NOW...Released May 14th!!
It took 27 years but it's finally time!
"Best Off", Kitchen and The Plastic Spoons' 20 track CD, contains almost all studio tracks ever recorded including never before released material. In addition all nine live tracks feature songs never released or even bootlegged.
Posted by: 1660 | May 16, 2007 at 05:02 AM
Do you have a link for the kitchens 'happy funeral'? If so there would be a happy boy here in the states. Thanks
Posted by: jaysin | June 10, 2008 at 09:27 AM
Here´s our Myspacelink:
myspace.com/kitchenandtheplasticspoons
Luv Kitchen
Posted by: iggo | June 28, 2008 at 05:29 AM