The Indie Revolution

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Welcome to The Indie Revolution, where every day is Independent's Day! Each week we bring you the best independently released music of all genres from throughout the world, and this week's show features an interview with Simeon of Silver Apples.

From AllMusicGuide.com: Decades after their brief yet influential career first ground to a sudden and mysterious halt, the Silver Apples remain one of pop music's true enigmas: a surreal, almost unprecedented duo, their music explored interstellar drones and hums, pulsing rhythms and electronically-generated melodies years before similar ideas were adopted in the work of acolytes ranging from Suicide to Spacemen 3 to Laika. The Silver Apples formed in New York in 1967 and comprised percussionist Danny Taylor and lead vocalist Simeon, who played an instrument also dubbed the Simeon, which (according to notes on the duo's self-titled 1968 debut LP) consisted of "nine audio oscillators and eighty-six manual manual controls...The lead and rhythm oscillators are played with the hands, elbows and knees and the bass oscillators are played with the feet." Although the utterly uncommercial record -- an ingenious cacophony of beeps, buzzes and beats -- sold poorly, the Silver Apples resurfaced a year later with their sophomore effort, Contact, another far-flung outing which fared no better than its predecessor. After the record's release, the duo seemingly vanished into thin air, perhaps returning to the alien world from whence they purportedly came; however, in 1996 the Silver Apples mysteriously resurfaced, as Simeon and new partner Xian Hawkins released the single "Fractal Flow." American and European tours followed, and a year later a new LP, Beacon, was released to wide acclaim. The follow-up Decatur appeared in 1998, and was soon joined by A Lake of Teardrops (a collaboration with avowed fans Spectrum) as well as The Garden, the long-unreleased third and final effort from the original Simeon/Taylor partnership. However, on November 1, 1998, the Silver Apples' van crashed while returning from a New York gig; the accident left Simeon with a broken neck and spinal injuries.

From Wikipedia.com - Since the accident, Silver Apples' activity has diminished. Simeon spends his time making new music, recuperating, and boating on the Gulf of Mexico. Xian Hawkins has released three albums of solo material under the name Sybarite. Danny Taylor died on March 10, 2005 in Kingston, New York.
In September 2007 Simeon went on tour for the first time in years, performing as a solo version of the Silver Apples to much acclaim.

Playlist:

1) "Prove It" - Kimmie (CD single)

2) "Top of the World" - A-0ne (from the album Real Recognize Real)

3) "Oh Oh You" (radio edit) - Eryn Shewell (from the album Window Pane)

4) "Show Me To The River" - Amie Penwell (from the album King In A Temple)

5) "Program" - Silver Apples

6) "Lovefingers" - Silver Apples

7) "Oscillations" - Silver Apples

8) "I Don't Care What The People Say" - Silver Apples

9) "Cannonball Noodle" - Silever Apples

Check out Simeon on the web at www.silverapples.com. Check out "The Indie Revolution" on our 24 hour webstream at http://www.live365.com/stations/anrunlimited?site=live365, or visit our homepage at www.indierevolution.fm.