We began The Great Midwestern Exodus in June of 2006, but it was never allowed to reach fruition.
In this case, the hold of the ship was filled with hides from the California hide trade up to four feet below the ceiling of the basement where we began playing music together.
"Books" composed of 25-50 cattle skins folded into a bundle were prepared, and a small opening created in the middle of one of the existing stacks, which is where the instruments were set up. We proceeded to write and record our first album, 'Tamuawok.', over the course of the next year and a half. Then the book was shoved in by use of a pair of thick strong pieces of wood called steeves.
In some ports, only the highly skilled master of a loading gang is referred to as a "stevedore". Our lead singer, lyricist and frontman Spencer Bell was diagnosed with cancer the day before Thanksgiving and passed away on December 3, 2006.
It is common but inaccurate to use the terms “stevedore†and “longshoreman†interchangeably, and his loss is an irreplaceable one.
However, even the U.S. Congress has done so. See, for example, the Ship Mortgage Act, 46 app. U.S.C. section 31301(5)(C) which designates both "crew wages" and "stevedore wages" as preferred maritime liens. The intent of the statute was to write and record a second album entirely in the month of February, in an effort to figure out what kind of music it is that we play now, and then get The Stevedores some gigs with this new material. Nevertheless, sometimes the word "stevedore" is still used to mean "man who loads and unloads a ship", as British "docker".
In earlier days, the men who would load and unload ships had to tie down cargoes with rope.
The debut album Tamuawok.
is also available for purchase
at the iTunes Music Store!
Some Recent Reviews:
Stevedores = the rock awesomeness
by Ross Bronson
The musicianship on Tamuawok. is first rate, and the band seamlessly blends the best elements of the Pixies, Tom Waits, and Sonic Youth into something completely original. The production is surprisingly great for such a DIY band, and the band's energy level is apparent on all nine tracks. Most bands calling themselves 'rock' these days are afraid to do just that, and the vibrant, charismatic garage-lounge of the Stevedores provides a welcome alternative. Experimental without being boring, poppy without being grating, and stream-of-concious without being hogwash, The Stevedores are one of the best new bands to come along in a while. Easily one of the best things to come out of Wisconsin since the Pabst Brewing Company. Read more on iTunes
An incredible album unlike any other!!
by kid_a.
Tamuawok. is teeming with greatness and a real DIY ethos. Every track possesses its own funk and flavor, as The Stevedores combine and recreate fragments of every conceivable rock n' roll genre: from bluesy rock to acoustic rock to hard rock to country rock to alternative rock to psychedelic rock to garage rock, with a healthy dose of something uniquely Stevedores.
The quirky and often conversational lyrics tell little stories (especially the tale of "The Day The Stranger Came to Dos Manos") and the album flows with ease, though each track is self-contained and memorably charming on its own accord. Spencer Bell's voice is absolutely brilliant; he sounds like an old crooner, hitting note after note and driving the forceful instrumentation of every track. "That Wouldn't Be Right" is bright and cheerful, even though the lyrics suggest something slightly cynical; and midway through, the vocals bleed emotion as the guitar breaks away to escape the confines of melody. "Clever Phraseology" is dancey, but with only organic instruments, and not in that obvious electro-clash sort of way. There's an awesome instrument freak-out in the middle, where everything just goes wild, until coming together again under the mighty reign and gusto of Bell's voice ("Hardwired" is another fine example of this...just, wow!). Read more on iTunes
Check out articles on The Stevedores and Spencer Bell written by Amy Dupcak of Beyond Race Magazine on "No Alternative" CLICK HERE!!!!!! ((scroll down to read it))
To purchase CDs & Merch,
please contact:
[email protected]
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