Superchunk

十年前，加州大學(xué)城悄悄出走了幾個年青人，幾個年輕的背影消失在熙熙攘攘的人群當(dāng)中，沒人留意他們，但日后他們卻成為了這座小城最引以為豪的英雄——Superchunk(超級大塊兒頭)。
 
如果將Pavement(人行道)比喻成九十年代Indie Rock（獨(dú)立搖滾）的新教父，那么對于Superchunk最恰如其分的比喻就是九十年代獨(dú)立搖滾不沉的旗艦，這兩支樂隊集中體現(xiàn)了獨(dú)立搖滾的全部精髓——獨(dú)立、自信、非商業(yè)化及超群的搖滾天賦。
 
Superchunk八九年成立于大學(xué)城，由Mac McCaughan(主唱兼吉他手)，Laura Ballance(貝司)，Jack Mccook(主音吉他)，Chuck Garrison(鼓手)組成。九零年，Superchunk推出了獨(dú)立制作的單曲“Slack Mother[內(nèi)容被過濾，請注意論壇文明]er”，這絕對稱得上是九十年代獨(dú)立搖滾最為重要的事件之一，“Slack Mother[內(nèi)容被過濾，請注意論壇文明]er”神話般成功的意義，不僅僅在于它獲得了“獨(dú)立搖滾國歌”的美譽(yù)，更為重要的是它使獨(dú)立搖滾樂隊獲得了空前的榮譽(yù)，大唱片公司也開始真正認(rèn)真地審視這支地下世界的搖滾軍團(tuán)。Superchunk并沒有被各種令人垂涎欲滴的待遇所迷惑，盡管大公司豐富規(guī)范的商業(yè)運(yùn)作經(jīng)驗和巨大的財力可以使他們更快地獲得成功，但這有悖于獨(dú)立搖滾的精神，他們同時也不愿受人擺布，這一點(diǎn)他們絕對比一些急功近利的樂隊要明智。Superchunk堅定的態(tài)度在一定程度上阻礙了樂隊的發(fā)展，但這使他們更加充滿斗志，一切為了真正的獨(dú)立。
 
說起Superchunk就必須要談?wù)勊麄兠碌莫?dú)立唱片公司——Merge。八九年，主唱Mac和貝司laura創(chuàng)建了該公司，當(dāng)時這只是一個非常不起眼的小公司，十年后的今天，Merge已發(fā)展成為了旗下?lián)碛蠱agnetic Fields(磁性地帶)、Seaweed(海藻)、Neutral Milk Hotel(中立牛奶旅館)、East River Pipe(東部河流管道)等一大批地下樂隊的著名獨(dú)立唱片公司，公司良好的運(yùn)營及Superchunk出眾的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)才能使Superchunk成為了獨(dú)立搖滾混編艦隊當(dāng)之無愧的旗艦，Mac今天頗為感慨地說：“我們十年中最大的成就就是這家公司，盡管它沒有使我們成為爆發(fā)戶，但是它帶給我們成功的喜悅是不能用金錢衡量的，在這里，我們可以盡情享受自由的歡愉，這難道還不夠嗎？”Merge公司的作品保持了搖滾藝人鮮明的個性，讓他們得以盡情地發(fā)揮，這是在商業(yè)唱片公司幾乎是不可想實現(xiàn)的，Merge最大的魅力正是在此。九七年，更加成熟的Superchunk憑借專輯《Indoor Living》(室內(nèi)生活)向商業(yè)排行榜發(fā)起挑戰(zhàn)，盡管專輯保持了一貫的高水準(zhǔn)，但是Superchunk不討好的尖銳個性決定了它的命運(yùn)，Mac對此評價說：“我們或許不能像Weezer、Green Day、The Offspring、Everclear那樣走出地下取得商業(yè)成功，但我們還是向世人證明了我們的生活方式，獨(dú)立搖滾經(jīng)過多年的努力也已被作為一種搖滾風(fēng)格，無論將來如何，至少還有龐大的校園搖滾一族支持我們。”九九年發(fā)行的《Come Pick Me Up》(將我?guī)ё?證明了Superchunk的實力，專輯在各校園徘行榜穩(wěn)居前十位，這是一張融入大量管樂的流行朋克風(fēng)格專輯，它不像Superchunk早先作品那樣具有攻擊性，但是更加沉重，作品嚴(yán)重兩極分化，部分作品毛邊十足，強(qiáng)烈的Lo-Fi效果簡直就像未被處理過的小樣，另一方面，有的作品又非常講究，編排嚴(yán)謹(jǐn)，Mac獨(dú)具個性的中性假聲也為這張專輯添色不少，這的確是一張異常出色的專輯，近年來獨(dú)立搖滾最漂亮的一次出擊。
 
Superchunk存在的意義已遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)超出了單一的音樂范疇，他們更代表了一種堅定的生活方式，一種理想。一切為了真正的自由與獨(dú)立，Superchunk——獨(dú)立搖滾不沉的旗艦!
 
 
Perhaps no band was more emblematic of the true spirit of American indie rock during the 1990s than Superchunk, the pride of Chapel Hill, NC. Following the D.I.Y. ethic to the letter, the group operated solely by their own rules, ignoring all passing trends by sticking to their trademark sound — typified by the buzzing guitars and high, impassioned vocals of frontman Mac McCaughan — and rejecting all major-label advances in favor of the unlimited freedom afforded by owning their own company, the highly successful Merge Records. Although Superchunks resistance to the overtures of the music industry may have deprived them of the wider audience their work clearly deserved, perhaps their greatest legacy remains their unwavering dedication to the indie tradition, a model which all up-and-coming bands should strive to emulate.
 
Superchunk was formed in the college town of Chapel Hill in 1989 by singer/guitarist McCaughan, bassist Laura Ballance, drummer Chuck Garrison, and guitarist Jack McCook. Initially dubbed merely Chunk — the Super prefix was later added to avoid confusion with a similarly named New York City avant-jazz band — the groups debut single, What Do I, was soon issued on Merge, a label jointly run by McCaughan and Ballance. The follow-up was 1990s epochal Slack Motherfucker, MacCaughans blistering tirade against a lazy Kinkos co-worker; the single was immediately hailed on both sides of the Atlantic as one of the definitive indie anthems of the era; and with the subsequent release of their self-titled debut LP, Superchunk was widely celebrated among the most promising young bands in America.
 
As the success of acts like Nirvana and Pearl Jam made their hometown of Seattle the early-90s music scene du jour, label heads scrambled to locate the next alternative rock hotbed; Chapel Hill became the consensus choice, and Superchunk was tapped as the Next Big Thing. The quartet — which had subsequently exchanged McCook for guitarist Jim Wilbur — soon found themselves in the middle of a major-label bidding war, but they defiantly stuck to their guns, remaining on Merge for their brilliant 1991 sophomore effort No Pocky for Kitty, recorded by Steve Albini and distributed by Matador. A singles collection, Tossing Seeds, followed in 1992, and a year later Superchunk — now with new drummer Jon Wurster — returned with the superb On the Mouth, highlighted by the singles Mower and The Question Is How Fast.
 
In addition to Superchunks relentless tour itinerary and prolific recording schedule, McCaughan released the 1994 LP I Hope Your Heart Is Not Brittle, the first full-length release from his side project Portastatic. Even as media attention shifted elsewhere, Superchunk forged ahead, following the release of 1994s Foolish with Incidental Music, a second compilation of singles, B-sides, compilation tracks, and other assorted offerings. 1995s Heres Where the Strings Come In heralded a subtle refinement of their core sound, and was supported by a tour on the second stage at that summers Lollapalooza festival; the first single and video, the surging Hyper Enough, was even a minor hit. A brief hiatus preceded the release of the 1996 EP The Laughter Guns; the full-length Indoor Living appeared the next year, and Superchunk returned again in 1999 with Come Pick Me Up. Ten years on, Superchunk remained as prolific as ever with thier eighth full length, Come Pick Me Up, arriving in 2001. Their third collection of singles, a two CD set titled Cup of Sand, followed in 2003.