the history of fm by john y.

The following tale of debauchery is a true story…sort of. It’s quite long, so get yourself a beverage or a tasty snack first if you want. (back)

It starts like this…
John and Eliot meet in fifth grade because they both smoke cigarettes. Fast forward to 8th grade; they both like the Who and the Clash, Elvis Costello and I know I know it’s lame but…

...The Grateful Dead. They decide to become young rockers. It is decided Eliot will play bass, John will be a singer, and a third friend Mark will play guitar. But an overwhelming feeling of nakedness while singing spurs John to clothe himself with a guitar even though he is terrible at it. They jam from time to time but mostly just smoke pot and raise hell. As time moves on they leave the safe suburbs for separate colleges. Oh yes, they speak from time to time and make “road trips” to Dead shows and Rainbow Gatherings, but nothing more. (Just kidding about the Rainbow Gatherings.) John improves his guitar skills and becomes involved with a number of musical units in Buffalo where he goes to school and attracts quite a crowd. His drummer has a roommate Chris who does the door at his gigs…he is basically a drunken fool. Being one himself John immediately takes to him. Chris plays some good music for John here and there and John checks out his band one night. This guy Jason is singing in that band (this will be important later) John enjoys it. Then a defining moment for John…one day the acid wears off. In a flurry of action he tells his girlfriend to shave she doesn’t, they break up, he cuts his hair, puts his killer Jerry bootlegs up on E-Bay and heads for New York City where he goes to live on Eliot’s couch in the village and listen to VU’s “Loaded”over and over.. John starts to play with bands in NYC, one being 4x40 where he meets a drummer named Tyler who he met through Mark the guitarist from the fourth sentence. Chris has moved down as well and they all start to jam together, make 2 albums (which they never release) under the name furniture music, play about five gigs and disappear (way too Gen-X). What can you say? It was the internet boom! Jobs! Cars! Money! Women! But alas, the downturn in the economy ended the party for our boys. Now, enter Jason, the singer from the 12th sentence who convinces the troops to regroup and ATTACK! They have, they did, and they will. So go download and listen to these same men, whose sordid tale you now know. (Back)