Rachel Carns (born August 13, 1969) is an American
musician
A musician is someone who Composer, composes, Conducting, conducts, or Performing arts#Performers, performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general Terminology, term used to designate a person who fol ...
,
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and def ...
,
artist
An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating the work of art. The most common usage (in both everyday speech and academic discourse) refers to a practitioner in the visual arts o ...
and
performer
The performing arts are The arts, arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art ob ...
living in
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington. It had a population of 55,605 at the 2020 census, making it the state of Washington's 23rd-most populous city. Olympia is the county seat of Thurston County, and the central city ...
,
U.S.
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...
Raised in small-town
Wisconsin
Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
, she went on to study
painting
Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...
and
drawing
Drawing is a Visual arts, visual art that uses an instrument to mark paper or another two-dimensional surface, or a digital representation of such. Traditionally, the instruments used to make a drawing include pencils, crayons, and ink pens, some ...
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, where she completed her B.F.A. in 1991. Carns began her career as drummer for Kicking Giant, later collaborating with several bands, including
The Need
The Need is an American queercore band formed by the singer and drummer Rachel Carns and the guitarist Radio Sloan in Portland, Oregon, in the mid-1990s.
After issuing a series of seven-inches on labels including Kill Rock Stars and Outpunk, ...
. She is a celebrated
graphic designer
A graphic designer is a practitioner who follows the discipline of graphic design, either within companies or organizations or independently. They are professionals in design and visual communication, with their primary focus on transforming ...
, working under the name System Lux, and plays
drums
The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...
and percussion with experimental performance art group Cloud Eye Control.
Kicking Giant
Carns' first band was Kicking Giant with fellow Cooper Union student Tae Won Yu, with whom she played drums and sang from 1990–1995. Their first show was in the storefront window of a
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
junk shop; Carns stood up and played just one
drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a ...
, a
floor tom
A floor tom or low tom is a double-headed tom-tom drum which usually stands on the floor on three legs. However, they can also be attached to a cymbal stand with a drum clamp, or supported by a rim mount. It is a cylindrical drum without snare ...
. Kicking Giant played around
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
and the northeast with bands like
Codeine
Codeine is an opiate and prodrug of morphine mainly used to treat pain, coughing, and diarrhea. It is also commonly used as a recreational drug. It is found naturally in the sap of the opium poppy, ''Papaver somniferum''. It is typically use ...
, Uncle Wiggly, and fellow "love-rockers" Sleepyhead; Carns continued to expand her stand-up kit, building around the central floor tom, anchor to Yu's whirling
guitar
The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
and bedrock of their unique sound. Live, their largely
improvised
Improvisation, often shortened to improv, is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. The origin of the word itself is in the Latin "improvisus", which literally means un-foreseen. Improvis ...
mash of
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
,
free jazz
Free jazz, or free form in the early to mid-1970s, is a style of avant-garde jazz or an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventi ...
, sugar-candy
pop
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Pop music, a musical genre
Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop! (British group), a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Album ...
, and pure
poetry
Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...
meant that Kicking Giant never played the same set, or even the same song, twice. Photographer
Robert Frank
Robert Frank (November 9, 1924 – September 9, 2019) was a Swiss American photographer and documentary filmmaker. His most notable work, the 1958 book titled ''The Americans'', earned Frank comparisons to a modern-day de Tocqueville for his ...
filmed some live Kicking Giant shows; Carns later appeared in his film ''
Last Supper
Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, ''The Last Supper (Leonardo), The Last Supper'' (1495-1498). Mural, tempera on gesso, pitch and mastic ...
'' (1992) along with
Taylor Mead
Taylor Mead (December 31, 1924 – May 8, 2013) was an American writer, actor and performer. Mead appeared in several of Andy Warhol's underground films filmed at Warhol's Factory, including ''Tarzan and Jane Regained... Sort of'' (1963) and '' T ...
, Zohra Lampert, and ''Chemical Imbalance'' magazine's Mike McGonigal. While in New York, Kicking Giant recorded songs on Yu's 4-track and released a number of homemade cassettes (including songs recorded with Kramer); circulating bootlegs soon garnered the band a fierce cult following, particularly in
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
and
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. Through the underground
fanzine
A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleas ...
network, Yu became penpals with
Liz Phair
Elizabeth Clark Phair (born April 17, 1967) is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Phair was raised primarily in the Chicago area. After graduating from Oberlin College in 1990, she attempted to sta ...
and members of
Bratmobile
Bratmobile is an American punk band from Olympia, Washington, formed in 1991. They are known for being one of the first-generation "riot grrrl" bands. The band was influenced by several eclectic musical styles, including elements of pop, surf ...
, trading tapes and letters and zines and introducing the band to
Riot Grrrl
Riot grrrl is an underground feminist punk movement that began during the early 1990s within the United States in Olympia, Washington, and the greater Pacific Northwest, and has expanded to at least 26 other countries. A subcultural movement ...
, a movement that merged
Do It Yourself
"Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, wikt:modification, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals ...
culture and
feminism
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...
. In the summer of 1991 Kicking Giant played the
International Pop Underground Convention
The International Pop Underground Convention (or IPU) was a 1991 punk and alternative rock music festival in Olympia, Washington. The six-day convention centered on a series of performances at the Capitol Theater. Throughout August 20–25, 1 ...
in Olympia with bands like
Bikini Kill
Bikini Kill is an American punk rock band formed in Olympia, Washington, in October 1990. The group originally consisted of singer and songwriter Kathleen Hanna, guitarist Billy Karren, bassist Kathi Wilcox, and drummer Tobi Vail.
The band pio ...
,
Beat Happening
Beat Happening was an American indie pop band formed in Olympia, Washington, in 1982. Calvin Johnson, Heather Lewis, and Bret Lunsford have been the band's continual members. Beat Happening were early leaders in the American indie pop and lo-f ...
,
Fugazi
Fugazi (; ) is an American post-hardcore band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They were noted for their style-transc ...
Unwound
Unwound () is an American post-hardcore band formed in 1988 in Tumwater and Olympia, Washington. It presently consists of vocalist-guitarist Justin Trosper, bassist Jared Warren, drummer Sara Lund, and guitarist Scott Seckington.
Originally ...
, and
Jad Fair
Jadwin B. Fair (born June 9, 1954) is an American singer, guitarist, graphic artist, and founding member of lo-fi alternative rock group Half Japanese.
Biography
Fair was born in Coldwater, Michigan. In 1974, he and his brother David formed the ...
. The energy of the northwest punk scene was infectious, and both members were ready to leave New York; the duo parted ways temporarily in 1992 when Yu moved to Olympia and Carns to
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
In DC, Carns briefly joined
Slant 6
Slant 6 was an American punk rock trio based in Washington, D.C. affiliated with early riot grrrl.
Slant 6 consisted of Christina Billotte (electric guitar and vocals), Myra Power (electric bass guitar and vocals), and Marge Marshall (drum se ...
as drummer; in fall 1992 they toured the US with
The Nation of Ulysses
The Nation of Ulysses was an American punk rock band from Washington, D.C., formed in spring 1988 with four members. Originally known as simply Ulysses, the first mark of the group consisted of Ian Svenonius on vocals and trumpet, Steve Kroner ...
, including a stopover in Olympia. She recorded only one song with the band ("Alien Movie Star") before moving to Olympia to rejoin Yu and Kicking Giant. During the next three years she also performed and recorded with Sue P. Fox, The Fakes, The Pet Stains, and in the notorious three-drummer line-up of Witchypoo. In the meantime, Kicking Giant released another full-length
album
An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
Versus
Versus (Latin, 'against') may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Versus'' (2000 film), a Japanese zombie film
* ''Versus'' (2016 film), a Russian sports drama film
* ''Versus'' (2019 film), a French thriller film
* Versus (TV channel), form ...
, and later with
Team Dresch
Team Dresch is an American punk rock band originally formed in 1993 in Olympia, Washington.
History
In 1993, Donna Dresch formed Team Dresch with herself playing guitar and bass, Jody Bleyle on guitar and vocals, Kaia Wilson on guitar and voc ...
and the
Free to Fight
Free to Fight is a project consisting of a 1995 double album and booklet, and a single later released by Candy Ass Records.
The release is subtitled "an interactive self-defense project." The theme of the project is self-defense for women, and i ...
tour. Around this time, Carns was interviewed for '' She's Real, Worse Than Queer'', a seminal documentary film about the mid-1990s
queer
''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...
punk subculture. She was also filmed by G. B. Jones for a new film, ''The Lollipop Generation'', released April 3, 2008.
The Need
In 1995, Carns moved to
Portland, Oregon
Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...
to play keyboards with the all-queer all-girl CeBe Barnes Band. Pioneers in the next wave of
Queercore
Queercore (or homocore) is a cultural/social movement that began in the mid-1980s as an offshoot of the punk subculture and a music genre that comes from punk rock. It is distinguished by its discontent with society in general, and specifically ...
, they toured the west coast with
Sleater-Kinney
Sleater-Kinney ( ) is an American rock band that formed in Olympia, Washington, in 1994. The band's lineup features Corin Tucker (vocals and guitar) and Carrie Brownstein (guitar and vocals), following the departure of longtime member Janet We ...
, playing the Santa Barbara Girls Convention. After the band's demise in 1996, Carns continued playing drums and keyboards with CeBe singer and future filmmaker
Miranda July
Miranda July (born Miranda Jennifer Grossinger; February 15, 1974) is an American film director, screenwriter, actress and author. Her body of work includes film, fiction, monologue, digital presentations and live performance art.
She wrote, di ...
and guitarist Shannon Tragedy (later known as
Radio Sloan
Radio Sloan is a musician from Olympia, Washington.
They are best known as a guitarist for The Need, the band they formed with Rachel Carns. In 2022, they formeSky Lionswith longtime friend and vocalist, Outer Stace. Releasing their first album ...
); they named the new line-up
The Need
The Need is an American queercore band formed by the singer and drummer Rachel Carns and the guitarist Radio Sloan in Portland, Oregon, in the mid-1990s.
After issuing a series of seven-inches on labels including Kill Rock Stars and Outpunk, ...
. They toured down the coast to play the Dirtybird Queercore Festival in
San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
, but July soon left to pursue solo endeavors and The Need (1996–2001) continued as a duo.
Carns and Sloan returned to Olympia where they joined forces with
Donna Dresch
Donna Dresch is an American punk rock musician, perhaps best known as founder, guitarist and bass guitarist of Team Dresch.
Dresch has been actively involved in the queercore scene since the 1980s, as the creator of the fanzine ''Chainsaw'' and ...
's Queercore label Chainsaw Records. The Need's unsettling brand of
cyborg
A cyborg (, a portmanteau of ''cybernetics, cybernetic'' and ''organism'') is a being with both Organic matter, organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.deconstructive
art rock
Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that generally reflects a challenging or avant-garde approach to rock, or which makes use of modernist, experimental, or unconventional elements. Art rock aspires to elevate rock from entertainment to an ar ...
(and Carns' distinctive artwork) both set them apart and ensured their versatility; they played shows at venues such as DUMBA with such diverse acts as Glass Candy,
Tribe 8
Tribe 8 was a lesbian punk rock band from San Francisco, considered one of the first queercore groups. The band took their name from the practice of tribadism, with "tribe eight" being a play on the word ''tribade'', a sexual practice sometimes ...
,
Fugazi
Fugazi (; ) is an American post-hardcore band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They were noted for their style-transc ...
Le Tigre
Le Tigre (, ; French for "The Tiger") is an American art punk and riot grrrl band formed by Kathleen Hanna (of Bikini Kill), Johanna Fateman and Sadie Benning in 1998 in New York City. Benning left in 2000 and was replaced by JD Samson. ...
,
BS 2000
BS 2000 (also known as Beat Science 2000) was an American rock and hip hop group formed by Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (member of Beastie Boys) and Amery "AWOL" Smith (drummer for Suicidal Tendencies and touring drummer for Beastie Boys) featuring ...
, and
Blonde Redhead
Blonde Redhead is an American alternative rock band composed of Kazu Makino (vocals, keyboards, rhythm guitar) and identical twin brothers Simone (drums, keyboards) and Amedeo Pace (lead guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals) that formed in New York ...
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Wood
* Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
and sampler. During this period Carns played drums with The Sub-Debs and later with The Spells. Carns and Sloan both briefly joined Mocket, then Two Ton Boa. With singer
Nomy Lamm
Naomi Elizabeth "Nomy" Lamm (born September 1, 1975) is an American singer-songwriter and political activist. Lamm has described herself as a "bad ass, fat ass, Jew, dyke amputee." Her left foot was amputated at age three, to be fitted with a l ...
garage
A garage is a covered structure built for the purpose of parking, storing, protecting, maintaining, and/or repairing vehicles. Specific applications include:
*Garage (residential), a building or part of a building for storing one or more vehicl ...
-
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
drag king
Drag kings have historically been mostly female performance artists who dress in masculine drag and personify male gender stereotypes as part of an individual or group routine. As documented in the 2003 ''Journal of Homosexuality,'' in more r ...
band called The Teenage Ho-Dads. They also dreamt up the collaborative project KaraNEEDoke, where Carns and Sloan and a rotating cast of players formed a live
karaoke
is a type of interactive entertainment system usually offered in nightclubs and bars, where people sing along to pre-recorded accompaniment using a microphone.
Its musical content is an instrumental rendition of a well-known popular song. I ...
band for guest singers. This sense of community involvement, DIY spirit, and willingness to experiment led to the creation of The Transfused, a full-length
rock opera
A rock opera is a collection of rock music songs with lyrics that relate to a common story. Rock operas are typically released as concept albums and are not scripted for acting, which distinguishes them from operas, although several have been ad ...
, written with librettist Nomy Lamm. Twelve months in the making, with an original score by Carns and Sloan, a cast of 25, a full backing band, $40,000 in
grassroots fundraising In politics, grassroots fundraising is a fundraising method that involves mobilizing local communities to support a specific fundraising goal or campaign. It has been utilized by American presidential candidates like Howard Dean, Barack Obama, Ron ...
, months of rehearsals, and literally hundreds of volunteers, The Transfused sold out its two-week run at Olympia's Capitol Theater in summer 2000. The first-ever
Ladyfest
Ladyfest is a community-based, not-for-profit global music and arts festival for feminist and women artists. Individual Ladyfests differ, but usually feature a combination of bands, musical groups, performance artists, authors, spoken word an ...
took place in Olympia a month later; Carns organized and emceed the punk cabaret-style Dude-Looks-Like-A-Lady
drag show
A drag show is a form of entertainment performed by drag (entertainment), drag artists impersonating men or women, typically in a bar or nightclub as a burlesque-style, adult-themed nightclub event.
The modern drag show originated in the speake ...
. Soon after, Sloan relocated to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
; The Need added a new bass player, Dvin Kirakosian, and for a while Carns spent alternate months in Olympia and LA. Their final album, prophetically titled The Need Is Dead, had been released in 2000; the band broke up within a year.
The King Cobra/TWIN
In the meantime, Carns collaborated with future bandmate Kwo (later known as Ghost) to write an original score for the punk
performance art
Performance art is an artwork or art exhibition created through actions executed by the artist or other participants. It may be witnessed live or through documentation, spontaneously developed or written, and is traditionally presented to a pu ...
cabaret Dr. Frockrocket's Vivifying (Re-Animatronic) Menagerie And Medicine Show. Carns played organ and Kwo played guitar; they were joined in the pit by Jeri Lynn Beard (drums) and Nora Danielson (violin). The show, starring
Jody Bleyle
Team Dresch is an American punk rock band originally formed in 1993 in Olympia, Washington.
History
In 1993, Donna Dresch formed Team Dresch with herself playing guitar and bass, Jody Bleyle on guitar and vocals, Kaia Wilson on guitar and v ...
, Bridget Irish, Tara Jepsen, Beth Lisick,
Nomy Lamm
Naomi Elizabeth "Nomy" Lamm (born September 1, 1975) is an American singer-songwriter and political activist. Lamm has described herself as a "bad ass, fat ass, Jew, dyke amputee." Her left foot was amputated at age three, to be fitted with a l ...
, Inga Muscio, Beth Stinson, and Spider, toured the west coast and was featured at Boston's 2001 Out On the Edge queer theater festival.
After Frockrocket, Carns returned to the drums and headset mic, and she and Ghost continued to write and perform under the name The King Cobra. One of their earliest shows was at the first-ever Homo A Go Go festival in Olympia in 2002; the duo went on to play west coast shows with bands like Young People,
The Gossip
Gossip (or the Gossip) is an American indie rock band from Searcy, Arkansas, formed in 1999. For most of their career, the band has consisted of singer Beth Ditto, multi-instrumentalist Nathan "Brace Paine" Howdeshell, and drummer Hannah Blil ...
, and V For Vendetta. Soon after,
Tara Jane O'Neil
Tara Jane O'Neil (born November 22, 1972) (surname sometimes written as "ONeil"; sometimes credited as TJO) is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, audio recording engineer, and visual artist based out of Los Angeles, California, Unite ...
joined on bass; as a trio, The King Cobra released an EP on Troubleman Unlimited, and toured the west coast with
Erase Errata
Erase Errata was a band from San Francisco, California.
History
Erase Errata formed in Oakland, California, in 1999, and quickly earned national attention after the release of their first eponymous 7-inch single, and via tours with electro- rio ...
and
Shoplifting
Shoplifting (also known as shop theft, shop fraud, retail theft, or retail fraud) is the theft of goods from a retail establishment during business hours. The terms ''shoplifting'' and ''shoplifter'' are not usually defined in law, and genera ...
, east coast with The Quails, and the U.S. with
Tracy + the Plastics
Tracy, Tracey, or Tracie may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Tracy (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname, also encompassing spelling variations
Places United States
* Tracy, C ...
. In 2004, TJO moved to Portland and The King Cobra became a duo once more. They self-released a 3" mini-CD and continued touring extensively, playing shows with Wikkid, The Planet The, Lezzies On X, Experimental Dental School, and
Thrones
A throne is a seat of state for a potentate or dignitary.
Throne, Thrones or The Throne may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* The Throne (group), collaboration pseudonym for rappers Jay Z and Kanye West (as on Drake's "Pop Style")
* Thron ...
, among others. In mid-2006 The King Cobra changed their band name to TWIN.
Cloud Eye Control
In 2009, Transfused alumni
Anna Oxygen
Anna Jordan Huff is an American multi-media artist, composer, producer and singer-songwriter best known by her stage name Anna Oxygen. After starting her music career as a member of the Space Ballerinas, a synth-pop group then based in Olympia, ...
commissioned Carns and ex-bandmate Radio Sloan to compose an overture for ''Under Polaris'', a multimedia performance art piece by experimental theater group Cloud Eye Control, and eventually to join the live band, with Carns playing
electronic drums
Electronic drums are a modern electronic musical instrument, primarily designed to serve as an alternative to an acoustic drum kit. Electronic drums consist of an electronic sound module which produces the synthesized or sampled percussion sound ...
,
glockenspiel
The glockenspiel ( ; or , : bells and : play) or bells is a percussion instrument consisting of pitched aluminum or steel bars arranged in a Musical keyboard, keyboard layout. This makes the glockenspiel a type of metallophone, similar to the v ...
,
doumbek
The goblet drum (also chalice drum, tarabuka, tarabaki, darbuka, darabuka, derbake, debuka, doumbek, dumbec, dumbeg, dumbelek, toumperleki, tumbak, or zerbaghali; / Romanized: ) is a single-head membranophone with a goblet-shaped body. It is ...
, and
conga
The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest ...
. Under Polaris sold out a five-day run at
REDCAT
Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theater (REDCAT) is an interdisciplinary contemporary arts center for innovative visual, performing and media arts in downtown Los Angeles, California, located inside the Walt Disney Concert Hall complex. Named for ...
in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, and was featured at the 2009 National Performers Network conference in
Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...
. In 2010 the show will travel to the Exit Festival in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, and the Fusebox Festival in
Austin, Texas
Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...
.
Magic Kombucha
In 2006, Carns began homebrewing
kombucha
Kombucha (also tea mushroom, tea fungus, or Manchurian mushroom when referring to the Microbiological culture, culture; Latin name ''Medusomyces gisevii'') is a fermented beverage, fermented, effervescent, Sweetened beverage, sweetened black ...
using Olympia's
artesian well
An artesian well is a well that brings groundwater to the surface without pumping because it is under pressure within a body of rock or sediment known as an aquifer. When trapped water in an aquifer is surrounded by layers of Permeability (ea ...
water. Friends and houseguests loved it, and in 2007 she began bottling commercially under the name Magic Kombucha, and is selling wholesale to local restaurants and stores.
lesbian
A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexu ...
.
Discography
With Kicking Giant
Singles
*She's Real 7-inch (
K Records
K Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington, founded in 1982. Artists on the label included early releases by Beck, Modest Mouse and Built to Spill. The record label has been called "key to the development of independent mu ...
, 1994)
Albums
*''Boyfriend/Girlfriend'' cassette (Loose Leaf, 1990)
*''Secret Teenage Summer'' cassette (Loose Leaf, 1991]
*''Present'' cassette (Loose Leaf, 1992)
*''Hotbox'' cassette split w/ Long Hind Legs (Punk In My Vitamins, ''1993'')
*''Halo'' cassette/CD (Spartadisc, 1993)
*''Alien i.D.'' CD/LP (
K Records
K Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington, founded in 1982. Artists on the label included early releases by Beck, Modest Mouse and Built to Spill. The record label has been called "key to the development of independent mu ...
Homestead Records
Homestead Records was a Long Island, New York–based sublabel of music distributor Dutch East India Trading that operated from 1983 to 1996. While the record label was renowned for releasing work of artists such as Sonic Youth, Big Black, a ...
, 1991) -- "Songbird"
*''Chinny-Chin-Chin: 4 Bands from New York City'' CD (
Shimmy Disc
Shimmy-Disc is a New York City–based independent record label founded in 1987 by Mark Kramer. Before it was sold to the Knitting Factory, artists like Bongwater, Daniel Johnston, Low, Fly Ashtray, Galaxie 500, King Missile, Boredoms, Ruins, W ...
, 1991) -- "Love Child", "House Dress", "I Don't Mind", White Babies", "That Summer Feeling", "Oh Yeah"
*''Kill Rock Stars'' CD/LP (
Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in February 1991 by Slim Moon and Tinuviel Sampson, and based in both Olympia, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, but it was orig ...
, 1991) -- "Make You Come"
*''
International Pop Underground Convention
The International Pop Underground Convention (or IPU) was a 1991 punk and alternative rock music festival in Olympia, Washington. The six-day convention centered on a series of performances at the Capitol Theater. Throughout August 20–25, 1 ...
'' CD/LP (
K Records
K Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington, founded in 1982. Artists on the label included early releases by Beck, Modest Mouse and Built to Spill. The record label has been called "key to the development of independent mu ...
, 1994) -- "This Sex"
*''Throw'' CD/LP (
Yoyo Recordings
Yoyo A Go Go, usually abbreviated to Yoyo and often typeset in various ways, was an independent music Music festival, festival in Olympia, Washington, first held in 1994 and followed by successor festivals in 1997, 1999, and 2001. Five- and six- ...
, 1992) -- "Fuck The Rules"
*''Julep'' CD/LP (Yoyo Recordings, 1993) -- "Lucky"
*''Yo Yo A Go Go 94'' CD/LP (Yoyo Recordings, 1994) -- "Blonde's Blonde"
*''Half Cocked'' soundtrack LP (
Matador
A bullfighter or matador () is a performer in the activity of bullfighting. ''Torero'' () or ''toureiro'' (), both from Latin ''taurarius'', are the Spanish and Portuguese words for bullfighter, and describe all the performers in the activ ...
, 1994) -- "Satellite"
*''Project Echo'' CD/LP (
K Records
K Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington, founded in 1982. Artists on the label included early releases by Beck, Modest Mouse and Built to Spill. The record label has been called "key to the development of independent mu ...
, 1995) -- "She's Real"
*''Ear of the Dragon'' CD (Fortune 4, 1995) -- "Live It For Yourself"
Newark, New Jersey
Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...
, 1991)
With The Need
Singles
*''The Need'' 7-inch (
Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in February 1991 by Slim Moon and Tinuviel Sampson, and based in both Olympia, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, but it was orig ...
, 1997)
*''Jacky O'Lantern'' 7-inch (
Outpunk
Outpunk enjoys the distinction of being the first record label entirely devoted to queer punk bands.
The label was run out of San Francisco and began as an extension of Matt Wobensmith's fanzine, ''Outpunk''. ''Outpunk'' ran for seven issues, fro ...
Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in February 1991 by Slim Moon and Tinuviel Sampson, and based in both Olympia, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, but it was orig ...
, 1998)
Albums
*''The Need'' s/t CD (
Chainsaw
A chainsaw (or chain saw) is a portable handheld power saw, power saw that cuts with a set of teeth attached to a rotating chain driven along a guide bar.
Modern chainsaws are typically gasoline or electric and are used in activities such as t ...
, 1997)
*''The Need with Joe Preston and DJ Zena'' 10-inch (
Up Records
Up Records was a Seattle based independent record label founded in 1994 by Chris Takino and Rich Jensen. Some of the label's best-known artists were Duster (band), Duster, 764-HERO, Built to Spill, Modest Mouse, Quasi (band), Quasi and Tad (band ...
, 1998)
*''The Need Is Dead'' (
Chainsaw
A chainsaw (or chain saw) is a portable handheld power saw, power saw that cuts with a set of teeth attached to a rotating chain driven along a guide bar.
Modern chainsaws are typically gasoline or electric and are used in activities such as t ...
, 2000)
*''The Transfused''—The Need with Nomy Lamm CD (Yoyo Recordings, 2000)
Compilations
*''Destination'' compilation (Ross Records, 1996) -- "Sam"
*''Yoyo A Go Go 97'' LP/CD (
Yoyo Recordings
Yoyo A Go Go, usually abbreviated to Yoyo and often typeset in various ways, was an independent music Music festival, festival in Olympia, Washington, first held in 1994 and followed by successor festivals in 1997, 1999, and 2001. Five- and six- ...
, 1998) -- "Crown" (live)
*''La Foresta Della Morte'' soundtrack CD (Toyo Records, 1999) -- "Talk Potty"
*''New Women's Music Sampler'' CD ( Mr. Lady Records, 1999) -- "Girl Flavour Gum"
*''Homocore Minneapolis: Live And Loud'' CD (Lefty Records, 1999) -- "Vaselina", "Crown", "Majesty" (live)
*''Projector'' LP (Yoyo Recordings, 1999) -- "American Woman"
*''Yoyo A Go Go 99'' LP/CD (Yoyo Recordings, 2000) -- "Dark Sally" (live)
*''Group'' (motion picture soundtrack) CD (Yoyo Recordings/Wovie, 2000) -- "Mona Tinsley", "2-Story Girl"
*''Charm'' (motion picture soundtrack) CD ( 5 Rue Christine, 2000) -- "Jolly Roger"
*''Up Next'' CD (Up Records, 2000) -- "Talk Potty"
*''The Structure of Scientific Misconceptions/The System of Scientific Misconstructions'' CD (Toyo Records, 2001) -- "Resurrection", "The Green Manalishi With The Two Pronged Crown"
*''Home Alive Compilation Vol. 2: Flying Side Kick'' CD (Broken Rekids, 2001) -- "Frayed Ends Of Sanity"
*''Random Slice of Life from Fort Thunder – Some Bands Who Played at'' CD (Contact Records, 2001) -- "2-Story Girl"
With The King Cobra
Singles
*''Roi!'' 3" mini CD (Yr Highness, 2004)
Albums
*''The King Cobra 8-song Punkass CD'' CD (Yr Highness, 2003)
*''The King Cobra'' s/t EP (Troubleman Unlimited, 2004)
Compilations
*''Tracks And Fields'' (
Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in February 1991 by Slim Moon and Tinuviel Sampson, and based in both Olympia, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, but it was orig ...
Slant 6
Slant 6 was an American punk rock trio based in Washington, D.C. affiliated with early riot grrrl.
Slant 6 consisted of Christina Billotte (electric guitar and vocals), Myra Power (electric bass guitar and vocals), and Marge Marshall (drum se ...
-- "Alien Movie Star" ''Julep'' compilation CD/LP (
Yoyo Recordings
Yoyo A Go Go, usually abbreviated to Yoyo and often typeset in various ways, was an independent music Music festival, festival in Olympia, Washington, first held in 1994 and followed by successor festivals in 1997, 1999, and 2001. Five- and six- ...
, 1993) ''drums, vocals''
*Nikki and Rachel -- "No More" ''Julep'' compilation CD/LP (Yoyo Recordings, 1993) ''drums''
*Sue P. Fox: ''Light A Match, Spark A Life'' cassette (
Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in February 1991 by Slim Moon and Tinuviel Sampson, and based in both Olympia, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, but it was orig ...
, 1993) ''drums''
*Sue P. Fox: ''Light Matches, Spark Lives'' CD (
Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in February 1991 by Slim Moon and Tinuviel Sampson, and based in both Olympia, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, but it was orig ...
, 1994) ''drums''
*Sue P. Fox -- "Killing Your Clone Is Still Murder" ''
Free to Fight
Free to Fight is a project consisting of a 1995 double album and booklet, and a single later released by Candy Ass Records.
The release is subtitled "an interactive self-defense project." The theme of the project is self-defense for women, and i ...
'' CD (
Candy Ass
''Candy Ass'' is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter and lead vocalist of American Music Club, Mark Eitzel. It was released on October 3, 2005, by Cooking Vinyl.
Critical reception
''Candy Ass'' was met with "mixed or average ...
/
Chainsaw
A chainsaw (or chain saw) is a portable handheld power saw, power saw that cuts with a set of teeth attached to a rotating chain driven along a guide bar.
Modern chainsaws are typically gasoline or electric and are used in activities such as t ...
Chainsaw
A chainsaw (or chain saw) is a portable handheld power saw, power saw that cuts with a set of teeth attached to a rotating chain driven along a guide bar.
Modern chainsaws are typically gasoline or electric and are used in activities such as t ...
, 1994) ''drums, vocals''
*CeBe Barnes Band -- "You Use Me For Fashion" b/w "She's A Winner" 7-inch (Horsekitty, 1995)
*Miranda July with The Need: ''Margie Ruskie Stops Time'' 7-inch (
Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in February 1991 by Slim Moon and Tinuviel Sampson, and based in both Olympia, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, but it was orig ...
, 1997) ''drums''
*
Miranda July
Miranda July (born Miranda Jennifer Grossinger; February 15, 1974) is an American film director, screenwriter, actress and author. Her body of work includes film, fiction, monologue, digital presentations and live performance art.
She wrote, di ...
: ''10 Million Hours A Mile'' CD (
Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in February 1991 by Slim Moon and Tinuviel Sampson, and based in both Olympia, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, but it was orig ...
, 1997) -- "How's My Driving?" ''drums''
*Sue P. Fox: ''Mailorder Freak Singles Club'' 7-inch (
Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in February 1991 by Slim Moon and Tinuviel Sampson, and based in both Olympia, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, but it was orig ...
K Records
K Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington, founded in 1982. Artists on the label included early releases by Beck, Modest Mouse and Built to Spill. The record label has been called "key to the development of independent mu ...
Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in February 1991 by Slim Moon and Tinuviel Sampson, and based in both Olympia, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, but it was orig ...
, 1998) ''drums, vocals''
*The Spells (unreleased, 1999) ''drums''
*''Two Ton Boa'' s/t EP (
Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in February 1991 by Slim Moon and Tinuviel Sampson, and based in both Olympia, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, but it was orig ...
Tracy + the Plastics
Tracy, Tracey, or Tracie may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Tracy (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname, also encompassing spelling variations
Places United States
* Tracy, C ...
: ''Culture For Pigeon'' (Troubleman Unlimited, 2005) ''sampled drums''
*Scream Club: ''Don't Bite Your Sister'' (Tiny Sensational, 2004) ''sampled drums''
Films
*''The Last Supper'' (dir.
Robert Frank
Robert Frank (November 9, 1924 – September 9, 2019) was a Swiss American photographer and documentary filmmaker. His most notable work, the 1958 book titled ''The Americans'', earned Frank comparisons to a modern-day de Tocqueville for his ...
Lucy Thane
Lucy Thane (born 1967) is a British documentary filmmaker, event producer and performer, living in Folkestone. Her films include ''It Changed My Life: Bikini Kill in the UK'' (1993) and ''She's Real (Worse than Queer)'' (1997).
Early life and edu ...
Ladyfest
Ladyfest is a community-based, not-for-profit global music and arts festival for feminist and women artists. Individual Ladyfests differ, but usually feature a combination of bands, musical groups, performance artists, authors, spoken word an ...