folly

Pronounced as a guttural scream, with “AAIIEE” being the approximate phonetic spelling. Folly is their second full-length album, a proud follow-up their delightful 2012 tribute to the 1962 World’s Fair, See You In Seattle. That album was so good it made my top ten for the year. This one is even mo’ better. Folly is a pure and delicious Pacific Northwest gumbo, with an eclectic offerings ranging from barn-recorded smash-rockers like “Keep Clam” (a tribute to “Old Seattle” icon Ivar Haglund) to the dreamy psyche-jazz-prog of the epic, wandering title tune. However, there is no song stranger than the opener “The Sportsman” a psychotic angling tale with a monster fish inside a grain silo. Not now. Not ever. So beautiful. This song made me love this band. AAIIEE – See You In SeattleAAIIEE started in 1981, but I had never heard of them until I saw a Facebook invite for their show with the short-lived Gum at Darrell’s. Didn’t go, said wot is AAIIEE and ended up buying See You in Seattle within minutes. I thought it was just great. Who else could deliver a song that has an opening line “I want to ride in the Bubbleator” with such conviction? No one – that’s who! Plus, it sounded great in my car. So why hadn’t I (and most of you) heard of these guys if they been around for one million years? Dunno. So, let’s do the history lesson: Jeff “Lar” Larson and Johnny Vinyl, veterans of early Seattle punk bands team up with jazzbo Craig Flory and drummer David Shumate to form AAIIEE, a genre-defying band who loved Pere Ubu (doesn’t everyone?), the Ramones, Sparks and everything in between. AAIIEE debuted in 1981 at a gig with Seattle legends the Fastbacks and the U-men. AAIIEE saw zero problem with using cellos, clarinets and saxophones while playing to hardcore punks. AAIIEE’s refusal to fit any mold allowed them to play with a plethora of bands. That however, along with their casual approach to most matters, made it difficult to find a rabid following and they remain obscure (That will absolutely change with this new album).AAIIEE That version of the band went down the tubes by the mid 80s (though they somehow managed to release a 7” EP in 1990). Flory and Shumate were replaced by a second guitarist the affable Greg Stumph and precision drummer Brent Petty. Newly inspired, AAIIEE performed at innumerable dive bars, pizza joints and Ivar tributes plus appeared on a numerable fine comps. Then, See You In Seattle. Now, a mere five years later, Folly. BOOYAH!

1. The Sportsman
2. Keep Clam
3. Pink Moon
4. Crosseyed Captain
5. Last Temptation of Lar
6. Look at the Door
7. Feng Shui
8. Hüsker’s Guiding Who
9. Phloom
10. Here Come the Ducks
11. Mystify Me
12. Folly

Jeff “Lar” Larson – Vocals, Bass, Keyboards, Guitar
Johnny Vinyl – Guitar, Keyboards, Stylophone, Vocals on “Phloom”
Greg Stumph – Guitar, Keyboards
Brent Petty – Drums

Special Guests:
Craig Flory – Clarinet on “Folly”, Guitar on “The Sportsman”
Rob Morgan – Electric Kazoo on “Here Come The Ducks”

Recorded by Johnny Vinyl at Shakey’s Doghouse, Vinyl Manor and The Big Building
Mastered by Tom Dyer at TDS

Cover Painting by Rob Morgan – facebook.com/2kaat Photos: Trish Ueda, Alison Dahmen, Ann Fittante

Inner Sleeve Drawing: Jim Blanchard
Cover Design: Tom Dyer

Tracks 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12: Music ℗ Larson, Petty, Stumph,Vinyl (+ Flory on 12)
1, 5, 9, 10: Music ℗ Flory, Larson, Shumate,Vinyl
All Lyrics ℗ Larson, except Vinyl ℗ on 9 & 10
“Pink Moon” Music and Lyrics by Nick Drake ℗ Warlock Music, LTD.

Special Thanks to Steve & Shannon Headrick, Garth Brandenberg, Annabella Kirby, Lee Lumsden, Tom Dyer, Brian Foss, Mike Davidson

© 2017 Green Monkey Records

aaiiee on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aaiieetheband/

aaiiee website: http://www.aaiiee.com/

Contact aaiiee: aaiieetheband@gmail.com

See You In Seattle

Aaiiee was formed in 1981 (shortly after Ronald Reagan took office) by Jeff Larson and Johnny Vinyl, who had previously performed together in the punk-pop band The Missing Link and the punk Cleavage (with Duff McKagan). Johnny also played with Radios (1979) and can be heard with The Macs on the “Seattle Syndrome I” compilation. Eventually aaiiee recruited drummer Dave Shumate, who along with Scott Dittman and Al & Kurt Bloch made up the Cheaters, fixtures of the late ‘70s Seattle punk club The Bird. Soon after Dave joined, aaiiee discovered Craig Flory, who had been toiling in eastside cover bands and jazz fusion groups. Aaiiee debuted at the UCT Hall in the summer of 1981 on a bill with the Fastbacks and U-Men (also their first gig). Initially, the name of the band consisted of a symbol (see above) and a pronunciation closely approximating a guttural scream. The name of the band confounded the press, who attempted phonetic spellings (Aieee…, Eeeegh, reHerrr, Unheiii!, EEEE) and descriptive names (No Name, and That Band that Uses a Symbol for Their Name). The name prompted one journalist to declare, “I will NOT draw that stupid symbol.” It should be noted that the band chose a symbol as their name long before Prince tried the same thing. Had he consulted with them first, they would have warned him of the commercial limitations of such a moniker. aaiiee 1990Aaiiee’s early shows were usually with local punk bands, sharing the stage with Silly Killers, Fastbacks, U-Men, The Living, 3 Swimmers, Children of Kellogg, Gary Wilson, and more. Those who attended these shows were sometimes confused and even angered by music that went beyond “guitar, bass & drums.” Craig often alternated between cello, flute, clarinet, saxophone, and synthesizer in one set. Local publication The Rocket described their early songs as “hyperkinetic circus music” and “jaunty mini-marches.” The current lineup of aaiiee is Jeff Larson, Johnny Vinyl, Brent Petty and Greg Stumph. Brent took over the drum throne in 1991 after Dave left to attend school in California. He had previously played in Sway (with Kim Warnick), Nood Hood Bood & the Tiles, and reportedly taught U-Men drummer Charlie Ryan how to play his instrument. GregGreg Stumph is “the new guy,” having joined aaiiee in 1992. (Craig Flory had taken leave, being in high demand for paying gigs.) Greg was added on second guitar after the band had performed as a three-piece for a while. He had previously played in The Crows, co-founded by former U-Men John Bigley and Charlie Ryan. Contact info: www.aaiiee.com aaiieetheband@gmail.com aaiiee on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aaiieetheband/

1. Monorail
2. Bubbleator
3. The World Of Tomorrow
4. Space Needle USA
5. U.S. Science Pavilion
6. Johnny Vinyl Went To The World’s Fair When He Was 3
7. Boris S Wort
8. Gayway
9. Northwest Trek
10. Dingwall & Spillhaus
11. Polar Star Intro (Universal Love)
12. Polar Star Of Love
13. Come To The Fair

After over 30 years together, the band “aaiiee” is finally releasing their first full-length CD. Despite decades of habitual laziness, procrastination, and long periods of inactivity, this herculean labor of love is now complete!

“See You In Seattle” is aaiiee’s proud and thematically rich paean to “Century 21”—otherwise known as the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. Additional “old Seattle” references (Boris S. Wort, Jones’ Fantastic Museum) complement this epic undertaking.

“See You in Seattle” presents twelve fun & finely wrought tributes to this halcyon era. We hope you enjoy the ride!