Country Teasers were an
art punk
Art punk is a subgenre of punk rock in which artists go beyond the genre's rudimentary garage rock and are considered more sophisticated than their peers. These groups still generated punk's aesthetic of being simple, offensive, and free-spirit ...
band formed in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1993.
Frontman
Ben Wallers also performs solo as The Rebel. He plays live shows with a Gameboy backing-track or accompanied by Country Teasers bassist Sophie Politowicz on drums.
Long-time members of Country Teasers include songwriter B.R. Wallers (vocals, guitar), Leighton Crook (drums), Robert McNeill (guitar, synth), Alastair MacKinven (guitar), Sophie Politowicz (bass guitar, drums). Original members of the band include playwright
Simon Stephens (bass guitar), Alan Crichton (guitar), Eck King (drums), Lawrence Worthington (drums).
Sometime member Richard Greenan (guitar) plays with the band. Sometimes
Background
Early Country Teasers albums were characterised by literate, scathingly satirical lyrics and discordant, repetitive sound – like
William S. Burroughs leading
Joy Division or
The Fall through a setlist of art-damaged country and western songs.
[Maerz, Jennifer.]
The Easy Surrealists
, ''The Stranger'' (January 8, 2004). Accessed March 12, 2007.
Later Teasers releases branched out to "abuse not only country and western but every other genre they can get their hands on, including rap, goth, punk, folk, disco, electronic, and noise,"
[Country Teasers Live]
", ''Universal Buzz'' (July 31, 1999). Accessed March 12, 2007. leading to comparisons with other home-recording deconstructionists like
Royal Trux,
Butthole Surfers
Butthole Surfers are an American rock band formed in San Antonio, Texas, by singer Gibby Haynes and guitarist Paul Leary in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but its core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer King Coffey has been ...
and
Ween.
[Brissey, Grant.]
Grate Scots
, ''The Stranger'' (May 16, 2006). Accessed March 12, 2007.
Frontman and songwriter
Ben Wallers's lyrics have elicited comparisons to
Jonathan Swift,
Bill Hicks and
Chris Morris,
[Mellors, Nathaniel.]
The Empire Strikes Back
, ''Frieze Magazine'' (2006). Accessed March 12, 2007. provoking the audience with unorthodox standpoints and purposefully offensive vocabulary in order to force them to question their own opinions. In the words of a writer on the ''Drowned in Sound'' website, ""Evil country outfit" Country Teasers are led by the enigmatic singer/guitarist BR Wallers. Their discordant aural assault is filled out with bitingly ironic lyrics, poking fun at racism and sexism by inhabiting the minds of the losers that purvey these attitudes."
[Country Teasers]
", ''Drowned in Sound'' (October 5, 2006). Accessed March 12, 2007. "Like moralistic ’80s punks Crass, the Country Teasers make their statement, but they use humor to do it, as opposed to histrionic art-house punk screech… They find your comfort zone and blissfully stomp all over it."
[Davidson, Duncan Scott.]
Schlock Tease: Country Teasers jab at the darker crannies of whiteness
, ''San Francisco Bay Guardian''. Accessed January 21, 2007.
The Teasers' live shows are infamously unpredictable fusions of alcohol-or-whatever-fueled unprofessionalism and high-concept performance art, or in the words of the New York Press: "Country Teasers does art better than Sonic Youth and drunkenness better than The Pogues—and doesn’t need art or liquor to be confrontational bastards."
[Preview - Country Teasers live at Tonic]
", ''New York Press'' (June 15, 2006). Accessed January 21, 2007.
Country Teasers are often compared to
The Fall, although as Static Party's Ryan W points out, "it's not in the chord structures or the Northern (UK) accent, it's in the feel they create akin to the early Fall records that a truly creative brain is battering against resistance (self or other) to create something meaningful to itself. If you get something from it as well... Art! Put on a CT record and read the
Maakies comics, it's better than bread and chocolate."
[Country Teasers - Against]
, ''Static Party'' (August 29, 2006). Accessed March 12, 2007.
Discography
Albums
*''
The Pastoral - Not Rustic - World of Their Greatest Hits
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' (1995,
Crypt Records
Crypt Records is an independent record label founded by American-born Tim Warren in 1983. The label has been headquartered variously in Hamburg, Germany and in several locations in the United States. Crypt is perhaps best known for issuing the ten- ...
)
*''
Satan Is Real Again, or Feeling Good About Bad Thoughts
''Satan Is Real Again, or Feeling Good About Bad Thoughts'', released in 1996, is the second album by Country Teasers.
Track listing
:''All songs written by B.R. Wallers except where noted''
Side one
#"The Wide-Open Beaver of Nashville" †...
'' (1996, Crypt Records)
*''
Back to the Future, or Brideshead Revisitted Revisitted
Country Teasers were an art punk band formed in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1993.
Frontman Ben Wallers also performs solo as The Rebel. He plays live shows with a Gameboy backing-track or accompanied by Country Teasers bassist Sophie Politowicz on drum ...
'' (1998,
Guided Missile
In military terminology, a missile is a guided airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight usually by a jet engine or rocket motor. Missiles are thus also called guided missiles or guided rockets (when a previously unguided rocket ...
)
*''
Destroy All Human Life
''Destroy All Human Life'' is a studio album by Country Teasers. It was recorded by Fred Baggs.
Critical reception
''Exclaim!'' wrote that the album "rides the fine line between melancholy and mediocrity." ''SF Weekly'' wrote that Country Teaser ...
'' (1999,
Fat Possum
In nutrition, biology, and chemistry, fat usually means any ester of fatty acids, or a mixture of such compounds, most commonly those that occur in living beings or in food.
The term often refers specifically to triglycerides (triple e ...
)
*''
Science Hat Artistic Cube Moral Nosebleed Empire'' (2002,
In the Red
In the Red may refer to:
* ''In the Red'' (novel), a novel by Mark Tavener
* ''In the Red'' (radio series), a 1995 BBC black comedy-crime drama series based on the novel
* ''In the Red'' (TV series), a 1998 BBC black comedy-crime drama series based ...
)
*''
Secret Weapon Revealed at Last, or Full Moon Empty Sportsbag
''Secret Weapon Revealed at Last'' is the fourth studio album by Country Teasers.
Finding it increasingly difficult for the entire band to congregate to perform or record, the album contains several older songs written between 1997 and 1998 a ...
'' (2003, In the Red)
*''
Live Album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
'' (2005, In the Red)
*''
The Empire Strikes Back'' (2006, In the Red)
*''
W.O.A.R./W.O.A.'' (split 12" with
Ezee Tiger
''W.O.A.R./W.O.A.'' is a split 12" record released on Portland, Oregon label Holy Mountain.
The a-side of the album features twelve short songs by Scottish art punk outfit The Country Teasers. Though the sleeve art, song format and titles are c ...
) (2008,
Holy Mountain Records)
Singles
*''"Anytime, Cowboy"'', (1995,
Crypt Records
Crypt Records is an independent record label founded by American-born Tim Warren in 1983. The label has been headquartered variously in Hamburg, Germany and in several locations in the United States. Crypt is perhaps best known for issuing the ten- ...
)
**''"Anytime, Cowboy", with b-side "No.1 Man"''
*Split 7" with Penthouse, (1996, Butcher's Wig)
**''"Getaway"''
*''The Scottish Single'', (1996,
Guided Missile
In military terminology, a missile is a guided airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight usually by a jet engine or rocket motor. Missiles are thus also called guided missiles or guided rockets (when a previously unguided rocket ...
)
**''"The Last Bridge of Spencer Smith", with b-side "Prettiest Slave on the Barge/Kenny Malcolm on Smack"''
*''Secrets in Welsh'' (1996, Nana Records)
**''"Tough Luck on Jock", "Treble Life, Part 2", "Secrets in Welsh" and "Flares"''
*''Against the Country Teasers!'' (1996,
Guided Missile
In military terminology, a missile is a guided airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight usually by a jet engine or rocket motor. Missiles are thus also called guided missiles or guided rockets (when a previously unguided rocket ...
)
**''"After One Thing", "Bryson's the Baker", "Small Shark in Tiny Pool", "Adam Wakes Up", "Kenny Malcolm On Smack Left Prettiest Slave On The Right" and "Henry Krinkle's Theme"''
*Split 7" with Amnesiac Godz (2/3
Sebadoh), (1999,
Guided Missile Records)
**''"Country Teasers", "Hairy Wine" and "Reynard the Fox"''
*''"Laziness"'', (2004
Discos Alehop hop 022)
**''"Raglan Top Of Lonsdale Grey", "Assfucksiation Initiated", "Laziness", "Ahoy There"''
Videos
*''"Country Teasers"'' live at CasRock Edinburgh, (1994,
barnend video)
*''"Various Artists"'' Transistor 1. Anytimecowboy. (video compilation released by Amendment Records (US) around 2001-2002)Features rare live footages from 1998-2001
* "THIS FILM SHOULD NOT EXIST": 1995 tour with The Oblivians, a film by Gisella Albertini, Massimo Scocca, Nicolas Drolc, 2020
Les films Furaxand Bo Fidelity Cineproduzioni.
Appearances
*''Guided Missile Recordings: A "Guided" Tour'' (1996, Guided Missile)
**''
racks unknown'
*''Plan Boom'' (1996, What's That Noise Records)
**''"Black Eggs"''
*''Maximum Beatbox'' (1996, Fidel Bastro (Hell No!)/Heinz Krämers Tanz Café)
**''"O1- Only My saviour" "O2 getaway"''recorded live at Heinz Krämers Tanz Café 1995/96
*''Cheapo Crypt Sampler #2!'' (1997,
Crypt Records
Crypt Records is an independent record label founded by American-born Tim Warren in 1983. The label has been headquartered variously in Hamburg, Germany and in several locations in the United States. Crypt is perhaps best known for issuing the ten- ...
)
**''"Black Change" and "Mosquito"''
*''Crypt - Beat Generation'' (1997, Beat Generation no. 5)
**''"Black Change" and "Black Cloud Wandering"''
*''Hits & Missiles'' (1998, Guided Missile)
**''"Only Whittlin"''
*''Opscene #6'', (1999, Opscene Magazine)
**''"Hairy Wine"''
*''Don't Tread On Me'' (1999, Butcher's Wig/Shellshock/Pinnacle)
**''"Getaway"''
*''Flitwick Records Compilation'' (2002
Flitwick Records
**''"Independent Mail Guardian (Success)"''
*''La Legaña Sinfónica'' (2003, Discos Alehop!)
**''"Please Stop Fucking Each Other"''
*''Hot Pinball Rock Vol. 2 (Multiball #22 CD with magazine)'' (2004, Extra Ball Records)
**''"Pinball Machine"''
*''Babyhead'' (2004, S-S Records)
**''"I Like the Cock"''
*''Static Disaster: The U.K. In The Red Records Sampler'' (2005, In The Red)
**''"Success"''
*''Revolver USA Sampler Summer '06'' (2006, Midheaven)
**''"Please Ban Music"''
References
{{Authority control
Fat Possum Records artists
Cowpunk musical groups
Musical groups established in 1993
Scottish punk rock groups
In the Red artists