Miners Of Banal, The

AX99

Label: ReR/SLAG AX99 Country: UK

"Some years back Bill Gilonis (The Work, The Lowest Notes, Hail etc.) teamed up with B.O.A. administrator, Trixa Arnold, to write and record songs which would mostly praise the lords of Aqua-Vita (alcohol). Filling out their band of Smirnoff-swilling miscreants was Ilya Komarov (bassist for the Estonian band, Ne Zhedali) and none other than armchair anarchist, crown prince of avant-garde Pop, Rob Murphy, AKA "Bing Selfish".

Whilst the group hoped that their songs would become instant "hits" with those who quaff down lots of booze (ie: the whole of Rock music's target market, ages 17 thru 35), they hadn't accounted for a change in public attitude towards basic health and hygene issues, which caused record company executive, Chris Cutler, some alarm. Always monitoring the merits of demographics and pie-chart predictions, Cutler feared the album would not meet sales requirements. Straightening his tie as he exited his Rolls, and in-between puffs on a 13-inch Romeo and Juliet, the legendary money-maker made the band aware, in no uncertain terms, that their music was "as unkempt and as messy as yourselves".

But, although he feared the master tapes of Miners Of Banal were lacking in two areas (form and content), he nonetheless agreed to issue the disk on a limited basis to "test the murky waters". Hence the disk's original issue fell off of the map rather quickly. As it's nowadays hip and cool again to play messy, unkempt music in the avant-rock vein of L. Voag, The Work, Unrest Work & Play and Orchestra Murphy, we've decided that the world is probably now finally dirty enough for The Miners of Banal, and we're happy to re-distribute this (almost) legendary album."-Recommended Records