![]() Whether seemingly describing the heartless institutions like public schools or juvenile halls in "Evil Teen Facility Yard" or a damaged kid bent on revenging himself upon his entire high school graduating class in "Americana Schitzo", 9353 spoke to me in a way that was familiar and alien, serious and jokey, angry and melancholy. The rest of the songs on the album were even more catchy and unsettling. His lyrics were fantastic, simultaneously dark, depressing, and hilarious. He wasn't crazy - this was obviously an artistic choice, and one executed with skill and intent. Lots of singers have slightly different voices in each register, and frequently will use different sounds for very low and very high notes.īruce Miles Hellington, 9353's vocalist (then known as Bruce Merkle), sang like he had out-of-control multiple personality disorder. The singer seems to change voices every few words or notes. The lyrics are simultaneously self-explanatory and mysterious. But then suddenly the song cuts to a nervously strummed, almost funk guitar.Īnd then the singing starts. The record starts easily enough with a chiming guitar part and drum beat that could have easily been on an R.E.M. The other side of the tape had "We Are Absolutely Sure There's No God" by 9353.įront of "We Are Absolutely Sure There's No God" It's cool." One side of the tape had "Five Minutes", by Bonzo Goes To Washington, "La Di Da Di" and "The Show" by Slick Rick, and a few other things I can't recall. I remember, he said "Here, you might like this stuff. One of my classmates Greg Cullen gave me a tape one day. This was Langley High School, located almost literally in the CIA's backyard, in the mid-80s. I was a new kid at a new school and as usual, trying to make friends through music. It'll only increase your chances of being a fucked up kid What it's like to fall hard in the face of the yard I will always rock out exclusively to evil teen disco I don't know what I fought so hard to show I always rocked out exclusively to evil teen disco 9353 was an important band to me as a kid, for what they did, what they meant, and who they inspired. He scared me back in those days (the whole band did), and it was hard enough for me to even get to and in the clubs, much less approach the bands.īut I knew Vance through his music. I may have introduced myself to him at one of the shows I saw. The official cause of death is still pending, but the belief is his recent rotator cuff surgery, coupled with factors including high blood pressure and the toll a long, serious heroin problem in his past had taken on his health (clean for more than 6 years), led to a fatal blood clot. Most people will know him as the front man of The Factory. 9353: Famous Last Words Vance Bockis died on September 1, 2012. ![]()
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