The Wipers -
The Wipers are the band who can be said to have invented 90's Seattle Rock in 1970's
Unfortunately, despite namechecks by individuals like Kurt Cobain and Thurston Moore, The Wipers still remain a band floating on the edge of obscurity. Even though Greg Sage is the very model of what indie music listeners look for in their "heroes" (more on that later), you would be hard-pressed to find someone under the age of thirty-five who has even heard of the band, let alone understands their impact on punk/post-punk/indie rock music in this day and age.
It seems a trifle unjust, really. Despite Greg Sage being one of the most sincere artists ever to record, never having done ANYTHING even remotely resembling "selling out", having battled through ugly legal situations to reclaim his "children" (his early albums) from indifference and ignorance at the hands of larger music distributors, and making excellent music for over twenty years, the man still languishes in somewhat-obscurity. And even though he probably likes it that way (he has, after all, always remained true to the artistic vision set out from the beginning, and avoided any actions that might bring him more mainstream success), none of us can help but wish that The Wipers would finally get the credit they deserve.
But...I'll stop rambling. All you really need to know is that these guys ROCKED.
If you want to check out the band more completely than the random mp3's down below, or grab the first three albums (come in a nifty-as-hell Boxed Set available for $17.00 if you get it from them directly), head on over to their official site at Zenorecords. Yes, the band is THAT DIY: they actually run their own official site, without external interference. XD
The Wipers - Over the Edge
The Wipers - Mystery
The Wipers - Doom Town
The Wipers - D-7
The Wipers - The Lonely One
And this one can be found on their "Best Of" album.
The Wipers - Better Off Dead
3 comments:
Let me put it this way;
because Greg didn't sell out to the record company mafia, he probably made so much great music over such a long time.
I understand the feeling of wanting to share music you think is great with many others.
But those who listen to Sage and the Wipers appreciate him and his band for the music, and not for him being a so called rockstar or because he's a hype.
Jan
Re: to the above...
Exactly. XD
Good to see more appreciation for them out there...my faith in humankind has been restored. XD
~Ju^6
Look...Greg Sage had a few opportunities to become very famous via Kurt Cobain asking him to tour with Nirvana-but he turned em' down-didn't wanna be a "rock star." So, he's pretty much orchestrated himself away from being popular by decisions he himself has made. That being said, The Wipers are truly one of the greats. I have been a diehard Wipers /Greg Sage fanboy since 1985, the year I turned 15. I was growing up in Portland and he quickly became a sort of idol of mine, his music could be readily heard on local radio, and anybody who was anybody in Portland knew how major his talent was. We all looked at him in awe, that guitar playing-but, as you've stated, there were not nearly enough of us. The only time I ever saw The Wipers was in 1986 and there were about 100 people there-in Portland! So, yeah-he's always been under the radar. Probably always will. Why? Because his music is just too honest for the masses to stomach. It contains not one ounce of artifice or pose or fakery. The guy is true blue and his music still gives me chills.
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