Medicine Band – The Whitehouse Band Reunion
After a hiatus of 18 years, Medicine has reunited to make a new album, titled To the Happy
Few. The band, which featured Shannon Lee and Brad Laner, formed in 1990 and released its
debut album, The Mechanical Forces of Love, in 2003. The upcoming album is set for release
on August 6. Reissue label Captured Tracks has already embarked on an extensive reissue
campaign for Medicine.
Sotos
Sotos, the drummer of the Medicine Band, has a complicated relationship with the Whitehouse
band. In the mid-eighties, the band was supported by Slayer, but despite the heavy metal
influence, they had more in common with thrash metal. Although they have been out of the
band for a while, they have not lost their fervor for making noise. In fact, they are due to
release a new album in late 2008, which Sotos has declared is their best work yet.
Sotos was once arrested for obscenity, but was later found guilty and served a suspended
sentence. He had originally been arrested for zine production and a subsequent kiddie-porn
zine. Sotos has been associated with the Whitehouse band since the early eighties but left in
2002, citing a “noticeable change in lifestyle attitudes”.
After joining Whitehouse, Bennett starts a new project with his friend Philip Best. Best also
records with the band. This group’s sixth studio album, ‘New Britain, is released in July 1983.
Sotos disbands his other band, Iphar, and focuses on the Whitehouse band. The album is
released in small quantities and is very popular. In the same year, Whitehouse plays its first
live show.
Although Sotos left the Whitehouse band in 2001, Bennett remains involved in the group. His
song lyrics appear to be directed at his former bandmate Peter Sotos. The song refers to
Sotos as an “ignorant goatish greybeard cunt”. He also references a malfunctioning machine
operated by lunatics in a song about a malfunctioning machine. While Sotos’s lyrics may not
be understandable for a new listener, the music is highly entertaining and memorable.
Stapleton
Stapleton, Medicine Band is a rock and roll group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The group
is composed of members of the American folk-rock scene, with roots in Native American
traditions. In addition to Stapleton, the band includes members of Ascension, the Whitehouse
Come Org and the Konstruktivists. Stapleton and Medicine have toured the world extensively.
Their music is characterized by a mixture of psychedelia, realism, and hypnotic dance.
The group’s members are diverse, with some of the members having multiple careers. They
began as a side project to guitarist William Bennett of Essential Logic. After a few singles, the
project evolved into Whitehouse. The band’s members were fed up with techno-pop and New
Wave. Eventually, they reached their goal of creating an electronic maelstrom that leaves
audiences breathless and ecstatic.
Since the group’s inception, the members have remained busy, including a stint with Jon
Wayne and the Steeldrivers. However, their first album was a huge hit, and it’s still a major
accomplishment. The band’s first new album in 18 years, “To the Happy Few,” is due on
August 6 via Captured Tracks. The band has previously embarked on a multi-year reissue
campaign.
After a hiatus of two years, the band reactivates in September 1987. This time, the band
records an album at Steve Albini’s studio in Chicago. Sotos later becomes friends with
Stapleton. The album, “Thank Your Lucky Stars,” was released in July 1990. Whitehouse also
began work on the band’s fourth and final album, “Twice is Not Enough.”
Come Organisation
The Whitehouse/Come Organisation book contains many documents about the group, from
early interviews to press releases, rare photos, and lyrics. It also contains articles on
esoterica. The Whitehouse book is a must-have for fans of this band. It is also very difficult to
find and is extremely useful. Read on to find out more about this band and what you can do to
support their work. After all, their music isn’t all that different from many of today’s popular
bands.
In September 1987, the band reactivates and starts recording another album in Chicago at
Steve Albini’s studio. The band becomes friends with Albini, and the resultant album is entitled
“Thank Your Lucky Stars”. In July, the band plays its first live show. The following year, they
begin work on their next album, Twice is Not Enough. It is not known when they will release it,
but they will be releasing the album in 2008.
In the mid-80s, Whitehouse took a hiatus, and many of their albums went out of print. Many
came to be collector’s items. However, Bennett went on to form his own record label, called
Susan Lawly, and has continued to run it. Since then, he has reissued many of the band’s
albums in enhanced CD format, including “Paradise.” The band has released ten albums,
including the latest, Racket, which came out earlier this year.
Twice is not Enough
The band releases its debut album, Twice is not Enough, in January 1992. The group also
releases “Just Like a Cunt” in 1996. In 1998, the band releases their 15th studio album,
Mummy & Daddy, which is released in April 2000. That same year, William Bennett takes a fall
from the stage in Belfast and is taken to hospital with broken ribs. The band cancels all of its
live actions for the remainder of the year and decides to focus on writing lyrics and doing
production. This decision is not a surprise considering how the album has become a classic, a
best seller.
The album is also a departure from the group’s usual style of music. Whitehouse has been
around for over a decade and has released 10 albums, and this latest release is their most
experimental. Although this isn’t the perfect starting point for newcomers, the album is one of
the top-tier albums of this era. Its unique style is also what separates it from many other noise
bands.
The band has released multiple albums and other merchandise, including t-shirts, posters, and
videos. Many of their live actions have also been released on DVD. However, Whitehouse have
not yet released a book. Their biography is available as The Whitehouse/Come Organisation
File, published by Aes-Nihil Books. However, fans of the band may not be familiar with their
history.
Halo
For years, medicine has been the darling of dream-pop circles. Their eponymous album is
beloved by musicians, but the band has only been marginally recognized outside of their own
industry. To that end, Home Everywhere is a solid attempt from this veteran L.A. band, though
it could use a few cuts. Here are four things to keep in mind before deciding whether Medicine
is the band for you.
The group Whitehouse began in 1980. The band’s name is a reference to the British
pornographic magazine of the same name. The group has had many members over the years,
and its original lineup includes members as young as fourteen-year-old Philip Best. They
remained a band until 1996, when producer Steve Albini joined, putting out several albums.
The band’s sound was influenced by the music of Alvin Lucier, Robert Ashley, and the Marquis
de Sade.
Racket
The racket of medicine band by Whitehouse is an inconsistent album that hints at new
developments in the field of world music. While it does contain a number of tawdry and striking
percussive polyrhythms, Racket doesn’t contain the high noise quotient or jackhammer beats
that make other albums so memorable. It is, however, a solid listen and has some excellent
moments.
The music of the Whitehouse band is arguably the most esoteric and savage of all types of
music. Their lyrics explore subjects as varied as Nazi genocide, sexual violence, and the
history of science. But the band’s sound is not to be isolated from its context, and they have
become celebrated as innovators among a new generation of noise artists. Though their back
catalogue is reissued in deluxe vinyl editions, their modus operandi is unchanged. This ethos
has led to some highly regarded works from this group, including the acclaimed “Black Sun”
and other cult albums.
The band’s latest album, Racket, was released in 2007. However, the band’s career was put on
hold after William Bennett fell on stage during a concert in Belfast in September and broke his
ribs. Following this, Bennett announces he will not be singing on the band’s upcoming albums.
Instead, he’ll focus on writing and producing his music. But the resulting silence of the band’s
followers is hard to ignore.
