FLOWER Concrete Sky (1987 - 1990) 1994

by request

 

Pre-Versus

Discogs

 

 

Artist Biography

by Mark Deming

A post-punk band from New York City, Flower would become better known after they broke up than they were during their 1986-1990 lifespan. The group's music was strong, guitar-based indie rock with a noisy attack balanced against melodic structures that showed a firm grasp of pop hooks. Flower's two original albums -- appearing in full on the 1994 collection Concrete Sky -- were well reviewed but went largely unnoticed until several former members went on to form the considerably more successful band Versus, leading fans to look back to the group's precursor. After reuniting in 2018, Flower returned with a third album, 2020's None Is (But Once Was).

The initial lineup of Flower featured Richard Baluyut on guitar, Ian James on bass and vocals, Yosh Najita on keyboards, and Rob Hale on drums. They formed their own B Records label to release their first EP, a three-song vinyl 12" titled Crash. The band played regularly in New York City and became part of the same noisy underground scene that had birthed Sonic Youth and Swans. Yosh Najita and Rob Hale would both leave the group, with Andrew Bordwin taking over on drums, and rather than finding a new keyboard player, they doubled down on guitars with the addition of Ed Baluyut, Richard's brother. This edition of Flower struck a deal with the independent Bear Records imprint to release their first full-length album, 1988's Concrete. Reviews were positive but sales were small, and their second LP, 1990's Hologram Sky, was initially released only in Germany on the Semaphore label. After Hologram Sky came out, Ian James left Flower, and Fontaine Toups came aboard as their bass player. Toups' tenure in Flower was short, as they split up by year's end.

Richard Baluyut had been mapping out plans for his next band during the final months of Flower, and the first lineup of Versus featured three of the four members of Flower -- Richard Baluyut, Ed Baluyut, and Fontaine Toups -- with original drummer Rob Hale returning to replace Bordwin. Versus would enjoy a degree of success in the independent music community that Flower did not, and by 1994, enough Versus fans had become interested in Flower that Simple Machines issued Concrete Sky, a collection that featured both albums in full as well as a bonus track from a European sampler that had never been available in the United States. The band reunited to play a few dates to celebrate the compilation's release. Meanwhile, Ian James had joined the band Cell, who were signed to Geffen Records by part-time A&R man Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, and they went on to release two albums for the label, 1993's Slo*Blo and 1994's Living Room. After the breakup of Cell, James formed another group, French, who also featured former Flower drummer Andrew Bordwin.

In 2018, Richard Baluyut, Ed Baluyut, Ian James, and Andrew Bordwin reunited to play some shows as Flower, and the following year, they brought out a new single, "Names" b/w "Talk," which coincided with them touring as an opening act for Sebadoh. In July 2020, Ernest Jenning Record Co. issued None Is (But Once Was), a full-length album featuring ten fresh original songs.

 

 

Tracklist

Hologram Sky LP
1		Beauty Pt. II	3:26
2		Torch Song	4:24
3		Hologram Sky	4:11
4		Dazed	4:23
5		Memorial Day	4:25
6		Christmas Lights	2:52
7		All In Doubt	4:14
8		Vertigo	5:11
		Concrete LP
9		Christine Had A Dream	4:43
10		Empty Head	2:38
11		Ohio	4:45
12		Magick	4:35
13		Angel	3:37
14		Spiral	3:32
15		Million Feet Tall	3:46
16		Sliders	3:21
17		You Should Be Blind	3:13
18		Stop Time	6:18
		From 'Sorority Sampler' Compilation
19		Concrete	5:35