Dumptruck

Dumptruck - The Long Ride................... by Kurt Hernon.................... The music business is, for better or for (more often) worse – a business, and the business of music has never been particularly kind to Seth Tiven. In fact, it seems it has been downright cruel. In the early 1980’s Tiven, along with fellow Connecticut native Kirk Swan, formed Dumptruck: a droning, dejected sounding, post-punk, guitar based pop band. Coming out of the era’s very productive Boston music scene with a set of well written, bleak demos, Dumptruck garnered some label interest with the simply titled d is for Dumptruck. Soon after, they signed on with an (Australian based) independent label called Big Time. It would be a tenuous and fateful marriage. Buoyed by the initial support of Big Time, Dumptruck went into the studio and produced their second critically acclaimed effort: Positively Dumptruck. The band quickly set out on an endless tour in support of the album and everything seemed to be going exceptionally well. Positively received good reviews. College radio embraced the band, their record was in stores, and interest grew. Both the label and the band were excited. Yet, time on the road began taking its toll. Relationships between band members began to deteriorate during the time spent touting Positively, and at tours end, first the bassist, and then, more significantly, co-founder Kirk Swan announced they were leaving the band. Dumptruck, it seemed, was done. But, as would become routine, Seth Tiven wouldn’t let his band go. Not like that. And certainly not as long as there was a contract with Big Time and the money to do a third album. So Tiven, picked up the pieces of his band, replaced Swan with another guitarist (Kevin Salem), found a bass player, and headed overseas to Wales to record with producer Hugh Jones (Echo and the Bunneymen, Ultra Vivid Scene, Modern English – “I Melt With You”). The result: A record titled for the country – the most sober and consistent Dumptruck recording to date. Critique for the album was, again, very positive, and some opinion existed that Dumptruck was a “next big thing” candidate. Returning home to begin promoting the new disc, Dumptruck caught rumor of some possible problems at their label: Big Time was said to be in serious financial trouble. It didn’t take long for Dumptruck to feel the impact of these rumors. Tour support checks started showing up late, and later, if they showed up at all. for the country, after good initial sales, seemed to be fast becoming one of those albums everyone seemed to have heard of, but could not find. Tiven and the band, under the weight of a collapsing label, continued the arduous touring, supporting themselves with their own capital. There wasn’t much of an option. If the band quit mid-tour, the money they had spent (their own) would never be reimbursed. The way things were going with Big Time, it was a safe bet that they would probably never see the cash anyway, but it was already spent so they might as well just keep going - against all hope. Driving a van that hardly drove anymore, Dumptruck hobbled into California. Things were not well. The band spent most of their time in a pissed-off mood – off and (particularly) on stage. Then they found out the band was for sale. Phonogram Records had noticed the acclaim and initial sales of for the country, and along with some other record labels, began vying for the services of Dumptruck. Big Time, floundering as it was, seemed thrilled at the prospect of cashing in on their share of Phonogram’s six figure offer and began negotiations with the larger label. There was, however, one minor detail. While in Los Angeles, Tiven was called into the Big Time offices (he had recently learned of the Phonogram deal himself). It was explained to him that a small contractual “detail” had been overlooked recently – Big Time had missed the date to pick up the option on Dumptruck – and that it would be simple, with Tiven’s help, to iron out this small misstep. Seth, seeing an opportunity to leave Big Time and move his band forward, said that he would have to “talk to the band”. More like, talk to his lawyer. Dumptruck’s lawyer confirmed for Tiven that Big Time’s “misstep” did indeed free the band from contractual obligation to the sinking label, and that they were free to pursue a relationship with Phonogram themselves. So they did. Big Time looked foolish. Negotiating a deal with another label for a band that wasn’t even under contract is a bad business move, not to mention embarrassing as hell. And it is made even worse when your business is dying. But, Big Time decided it was not going to die alone. They would take Dumptruck with them. Big Time Records filed a frivolous breech of (non-existent) contract suit and sued Dumptruck for five million dollars. 5 Million dollars! The lawsuit did what Big Time apparently wanted it to do: it gave Phonogram and other interested labels five million reasons to never speak to Dumptruck again. Drifting, Tiven and the band set out on the eternal tour. Three years of playing to pay legal bills, three years without recording, three years in which to slip out of the collective short-term memories of the public, and three years to wonder what the fuck they did to deserve this. Eventually, the Big Time suit was dismissed after the labels’ lawyers failed to appear at any of three hearings. Furthermore, Dumptruck won control over their master recordings and received a two hundred fifty thousand-dollar judgement for damages. It sounded good, but, as is the Dumptruck luck, the band only saw about a thousand dollars of their winnings, and to top it off, RCA records put a lien on the Dumptruck master tapes for money owed them by the now defunct Big Time Records. Having won nothing and lost nearly everything, Tiven and Dumptruck forged on with what was always most important – the music.This is the only place to really get to know Dumptruck. Seth Tiven and Kirk Swan started something special. Kirk moved on and Seth continued, creating something essential and brilliant. d is for Dumptruck swirled, ebbed, and flowed around concise song writing and a slightly subdued take on the guitar “jangle” of the day. Alternately sounding like Ian Curtis’ lost American cousins and a loose and unpretentious Television, Swan and Tiven split the song writing down the middle. d is for Dumptruck gels amazingly well considering the approach. Songs like “Things Go Wrong” and “Watch Her Fall” allude to the path Dumptruck would head down. Positively moves along quickly and strong. “Where the hell were you / when everything fell apart?” lets you know where the band is coming from, or at least half of the band. As Positively plays out you can hear the beginnings of a divergence in song writing. Again, the songs are half Tiven, half Swan, and the cohesion somehow remains in sound, but not in lyrical content. Still, Positively shines. The sweeping guitar sound of “Nine People” gives way to the lilting, chiming of “Autumn Light” (a song that is significant in defining the Dumptruck “sound”). The drama of “7 Steps (Up)” and the moodiness of “Winter” showcased the bands burgeoning diversity. Along the way Kirk Swan decided it was time to move on. Seth Tiven regrouped and took the reins on for the Country. It is the first Dumptruck recording that profits from the focus of a singular voice. Tiven penned each and every song on for the Country, and his vision and focus improve what was already a wonderful sound. Lacking the vicissitude of two songwriters the album becomes a sharp personal statement. for the Country presents us with a collection of introspective, disappointed, and fed up songs. Songs of "aloneness". Songs of dismay. A world where people hurt and hurt each other. In the end Tiven wants none of it. His “Island” is a place that he - and he alone - wants to be. “50 Miles”, “Friends” (“What are friends for anyway?”), “Brush Me Back” (“Brush me back / Tie my hands / Time for me to make a stand my friend”), and the titular “For The Country” (“Drifting on an ocean / Drifting on an ocean ‘til you die”), all carry the mood. for the Country is an amazing record: bleak and sometimes angry, but completely uplifting. Then, of course, there was silence. Dumptruck ran headlong into the well documented dead weight of a failing label. It would be eight years until any Dumptruck music saw the light of day. 1995, finally the 1991 recorded Days of Fear is released. Its sound is very different from its predecessor. The lyrics remain as bitterly personal, but Dumptruck is now a single guitar attack. Tiven took over all the guitar duties, and for the first time Dumptruck was using a variety of instrumentation to flesh out its sound. Violin, piano, organ, and mandolin all find their way into this collection of powerful songs. The grinding guitars of “Parasite” opens, letting you know Dumptruck is still alive and breathing. “Better of You” rolls with mandolin and sweet back porch vocals. And nothing goes down lightly on Days: “Bad Day”, “Pig Heart”, and “Already Dead” pretty much speak for themselves. “Days of Fear” and “Turn Away” take a beautiful dusty country stroll. Yet, on “Giving Up” (“I see things that make me sick / and I’m giving up on America”) Tiven seems to be at a bottom he doesn’t want to be at… not believing or trusting anything. “Days of Fear” sounds desperate and feels haunted, but what is most frightening is that these are not personal demons, they are demons of every day. The demons of a world we all live in, not just Seth Tiven. Riveting. Terminal (DevilInTheWoods) is 1999’s Dumptruck. It may be the best. The album is balanced and beautiful. (see this issues review here). Tiven has carried on in gorgeous fashion – adding a second guitar back into the mix along with wonderfully played keys (Ian McClagan and Michael Ramos), Terminal is melodic and sweet, loud and angry, raucous and genteel. It is quite simply a fine album. Dumptruck and Seth Tiven have been through just about all a band/musician can, yet events never sway the music. It is a testament to Tiven and all of his various band mates that Dumptruck has remained as vital and consistent as it has. Here’s hoping more people will discover what the lucky among us already know.