The Van Pelt‘s Stealing From Our Favorite Thieves (1996) and Sultans Of Sentiment (1997), in hindsight, provided a number of significant indie-rock mile markers. The band was led by Ted’s brother, Chris Leo; Stealing recorded by Alap Momin (ex-Dälek); bassist Toko Yasuda went back and forth between TVP and Blonde Redhead after that record; and both albums saw the light of day via cult label Gern Blandsten. After being out of print since the turn of the century, the original tapes have been mined for reissue treatment by Spain’s La Castanya, allowing listeners to trace the band from its gorgeously melodic and incendiary, post-hardcore beginnings a la the Jazz June and Texas Is The Reason to a more subdued, Slint-like bent with Leo’s increasingly spoken-word vocal style by the time the last notes ring out on Sultans. Leo will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week.
Leo: Once upon a time (like ’90 or ’91) there was a dance club that opened on the outskirts of Newark’s Portuguese neighborhood, and it called itself Don Quixote’s. It leaned goth and new wave, and hence soon enough every druid and magical warlord living in their parents’ basements in the burbs also felt the calling. Don Quixote’s became QXT’s, and it has remained the best most honest remnant of late Cold War partying this side of the Danube for more than 25 years now. It’s the kind of dance floor that doesn’t wait to be filled to be happening; all it takes is one lone dancer stomping away to Skinny Puppy and the night is lit.
