I've always been infatuated with this band. They seemed to come out of nowhere, release a handful of great unique songs in '94, then fade away into obscurity. A total mystery band, and pretty much no info to be found about them aside from the fact that Nick Forte (Rorschach) and Danny Leo (Native Nod) were involved. Their sound is hard to describe, but chances are if you're into '90s bands like Native Nod, Moss Icon, Indian Summer etc, you'll love this. Although they sound nothing like any of those bands. They don't really sound like any band i can think of actually. Anyway, they were too short-lived (although Charles of Gern Blandsten/Rorschach says there's an unreleased RTS album sitting in his closet, which gives me chest pains), and totally overlooked. According to my ears, Radio To Saturn should have been huge. So here's all their released recordings, lovingly ripped from my vinyl by my good friend Mark. Enjoy.
Radio To Saturn: 1994 Collection
Like i said, there's absolutely no info that i can find on this band. The lineup, and who plays what is even a mystery. Here's the lineup as printed in the s/t 7" on Unskilled Labor Records.
Rhythm Guitar - Nick
Rhyming Guitar - Tom
Rhythmic Guitar - Andy
Rhythm - Danny
Tom Doesn't Sing
Recorded Summer 1994 by Chris Pierce and Radio To Saturn at The Lanes, Allston MA.
Unskilled Labor 001
Actual lineup according to Nick Forte (guitar/vocals):
Andy Reuland - guitar / vocals
Danny Leo - drums / vocals
Tom Marsh - guitar
Nick Forte - guitar / vocals
I know i hear a bass in there, so i'm not sure who played bass on these recordings.
I remember playing the song "Young Friends" (from the split with Van Pelt) for a co-worker back sometime in the mid '90s when the record had just come out, and he said it sounded like "punk for pre-schoolers". That always stuck with me. It fits the track perfectly.
So, if you've never heard Radio To Saturn before, do yourself a favor and check it out. Songs like "Piedmont", "Rumble Seat", and my personal favorite, "(She Likes The Part) About Wolves" are just classics of the genre. Whatever genre that is.
If anyone has any additional info on this band, please leave a comment.
I love that 7", but never heard the split. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteAndrew
Wow I didn't expect this one. I have both singles and I used to really like them, but I haven't listened to them since 94 I bet. I am going to give this another listen now.
ReplyDeletelooks interesting, I'll give this a try.
ReplyDeletevery very very cool music. it reminds me of Superchunk and Evergreen and maye Treepeople.
ReplyDeleteYeah, i guess i can hear the Superchunk and Evergreen. I've never heard Treepeople, but now i'll have to check into it.
ReplyDeleteHopefully people are checking this out. "(She Likes the Part) About Wolves" is one of my favorite songs of the '90s. So simple, but so catchy.
God i hope that unreleased LP surfaces!
Vin
You should be getting more info on this band soon. Members have been contacted.
ReplyDeleteNick Forte of RTS here. First off, it's nice to see this stuff posted here and thanks for all the positive comments. Radio To Saturn existed from 1994 through early 1997. Danny Leo and myself wanted to do a band that was not punk/hardcore and this is what we came up with. I remember we were really into the first Grifters album, Royal Trux and early Silver Jews recordings, to give it some context. Half the band lived in Boston, the other half in Providence. We played many shows around New England, some bands I can recall playing with: Unwound, Lightning Bolt, Excuse 17, Chisel and Rye Coalition. Sometimes the audience would be a people with Rorschach t-shirts and native nod patches standing in the front and they often looked pretty bummed after we played the first couple of songs. We did record about 2/3 of an LP that I view as our best material and like almost every other band I was in, we soon after broke up right when things were getting interesting. This material was remixed in 2003 for a possible release which never happened. I somehow don't seem to have these recordings any longer, but I'm trying to track them down.
ReplyDeleteNick Forte's the man! Besides being in the almighty RORSCHACH & RTS, he also played in ANTIEM, The post-punky COMPUTER COUGAR w/Charles Maggio & John Hiltz, the Prog/Shoegaze-like BEAUTIFUL SKIN. He's currently damaging eardrums w/ the "Power Electronics" outfit HELLS HILLS. Kudos!
ReplyDeleteNick, thanks for the info. If you do happen to track down the unreleased recordings, i hope you'll consider letting me post them on the blog (if you have no plans to release them in some format).
ReplyDeleteI had no idea you played in Antiem. I got the lineup info from Rich Trash, but you weren't mentioned. Maybe you didn't play on the ABC No Rio '91 comp track (Dog God)?
I have yet to check out Computer Cougar. I think it's about time.
Vin
any chance we could get full names for the rest of the band for bandtoband.com?
ReplyDeletedon't forget about Christmas Decorations, Nick Forte's project with Steve Silverstein from The Gazetteers.
Radio To Saturn line up:
ReplyDeleteAndy Reuland-guitar,vocals
Danny Leo- Guitar, vocals
Tom Marsh- Guitar
Nick Forte- guitar, vocals
Nick Forte here again,error on last post, Danny Leo played drums not guitar in Radio to Saturn.
ReplyDeleteSeems to be a lot of confusion about Antiem and I'm a bit fuzzy on it too. From what I can remember, Antiem was a short lived doom/sludge band in 1990 with Rich Trash and Melissa York on vocals, Me on either bass or guitar (i can't recall) and Pat and Janis from Citizen's Arrest on Drums and guitar respectively. I believe we played one show at ABC and practiced a few times. When the band recorded for that comp, I wasn't around so I believe Jon Hiltz played guitar in my place which is why I am not credited.
Nick, don't see anyone on bass duties in that RTS lineup. Who played bass?
ReplyDeleteGood eye, Radio to Saturn had no Bass player. 3 guitars and drums. Towards the end of the band Andy played bass on several newer songs. -Nick
ReplyDeleteDanny Leo made a great record after Radio to Saturn under the name The Holy Childhood. Andy Reuland played guitar on that album. Don't know what happened to the band.
ReplyDeleteHere's what's become of the holy childhood: www.wildfronts.com/lovetohappen
ReplyDeleteAs someone who owns one of the rare cassette copies of the unreleased album, I can attest to its awesome. It is true proof that RTS was one of the best bands in that RISD/Providence/Boston scene from that time.
ReplyDeleteOther facts.
Their first 7" was the first record cover/music screenprint design by Matt Brinkman (Fort Thunder & Mindslayer).
Andrew Reuland did play bass once on stage during their a show @ Fort Thunder.
They are name checked in Thee Hydrogen Terrors song "Radio to Saturn vs. Hackamore Brick".
Andrew now plays guitar in Les Savy Fav.
Thanks for the info. Any chance of maybe getting a rip of the cassette copy of the unreleased album? If so, please drop me an email.
ReplyDeleteEven if the band doesn't want this posted for whatever reason, i'd LOVE to get to hear it.
[Goddamn there's some good drum bits in these songs.]
ReplyDeleteI remember I bought the 7" on the same day I picked up a Velocity Girl 7", appropriately enough. I can't find either record now...
... just discovered this blog.
ReplyDeleteI think is brilliant. Thanks for posting all this awesome stuff.
No way! Radio to Saturn! Saw them in 94 in CT. and loved it. I hadn't thought about them in years until a friend who was also at that show brought them up in reference to the Rorschach reunion shows. "Hey, remember Radio to Saturn? Wonder what ever happened to those guys."
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I have these two records, but no turntable anymore. Thanks for posting. I hope those later recordings come out.
ReplyDeleteThey should release that album, just for the fun of it, I bet it could turn out a great hit if sounds just like these tracks. How many bands arrived in the 90's and then vanished, so many to count i guess.
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Any news about this band?
ReplyDeleteThey should release that album, just for the fun of it, I bet it could turn out a great hit if sounds just like these
ReplyDeleteIf anyone wants the vinyl, the Gern Blandsten store online has a few of the first 7". As pointed out above, it was the first record cover/music screenprint design by Matt Brinkman. And all hand screened by me and Danny. Haha!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.merchdirect.com/GernBlandstenRecords/Radio_To_Saturn?artist=521