For Love Not Lisa --- two full-length albums (Merge, 1993, and Information Superdriveway, 1995)
- a compilation of b-sides and alternate takes (The Lost Elephant, 1999)
- and at least one EP in there somewhere.
Formed in Oklahoma City in the early '90s. Broke up soon after releasing Information Superdriveway.
Vastly overlooked, supremely underrated. They were a '90s band, to be sure, playing '90s music. They rode that wave of post-Nevermind grunge/alternative rock that infiltrated every college radio station and cassette mix tape between Seattle and DC, but their songmanship was extraordinary. Everything had to be as serious and as passionate as possible, and it came off (in these days before inherent irony ruined everything about loud music) completely sincere. More post-grunge than anything, the music stops and starts and climaxes and crescendos and, when given enough running time, wanders in and out of semi-lucid dream states.
If there's any wide-spread familiarity of the band at all it's from their appearance on the soundtrack to The Crow. In fact, "Slip Slide Melting" is playing in a bar in one of the scenes. But other than that, despite their dedicated following, FLNL was never given the promotion they needed and deserved.
Frontman Mike Lewis, bassist Clint McBay, and guitarist Miles went on to play in...
Puller- three full-length albums
- one live release (Live @ Tomfest, 1999)
- and a split EP with Roadside Monument (1997)
Until their final album Puller still benefited from Lewis' impassioned vocals and the plowing guitars that gave FLNL their signature sound. However, Puller songs were not laden with so much heavy atmosphere. Lyrically the songs still came from someplace angsty, but there's an unpinpointable lightness (or is it just maturity?) that serves as an almost unconscious undercurrent to the music.
...Except it's not so subtle in "#1 Fan". That song is just silly.
Puller never made it onto any cult movie soundtracks, but they've been on just about every Tooth & Nail compilation album produced between 1997 and 2000. Songs From the Penalty Box, anybody?
Puller's final album, What's Mine at Twilight (2001), saw the band reduced to a Mike Lewis/drummer Geoff Riley duo (although Miles makes a songwriting credit). This one lacks the punch and swagger of all other Lewis-related rock projects and is a Puller release in name only. It is still special in its own sort of way, mostly because it contains LOVE SONGS. I actually find it very accessible and spin it more than I do the other albums.
Anyway, following the demise of Puller, Mike Lewis released a solo album. I remember listening to one track from it and being very disappointed. But that was one listen to one song, and that was years ago. I'm more than willing to give the album a full chance, if I can ever find the dang thing.
Lewis went on to form Zambooie.com with Bruce Fitzhugh, a company devoted to merchandising shirts and stuff for bands (or something like that). Bill Power is involved now, and if you enjoyed Puller ten years ago you were probably also jamming to Blenderhead. Lewis and Power are actually doing very good things at the moment.
I've only seen Puller once. It was at Cornerstone '01. Stupidly I never took any pictures. The band was promoting WMaT, and rather than playing the softer intimate love songs they (a full live band, none of this wimpy duo stuff) blasted the rock, shooting energy through their instruments and bodies like this was the last show they were ever going to play, hitting up a few of their old favorites, engaging their sweaty audience, ensuring that no matter what they played or where they played it nobody would forget the time spent with Puller. I can only assume the same would have been said for any given FLNL performance.
For Love Not Lisa - Coming Into Focus
[also, the music video for this song is infinitely entertaining]
For Love Not Lisa - Lucifer For Now
Puller - Light In Eve's Time (Live @ Tomfest 99)
