Divining Rods, Chris Newman Experiment, Lost Acolytes, and Serpentone are no longer active

Okay, so the Cramps made their greatest records with no dang bass player – they didn’t need one! Boo Frog operates on a similar premise, I think. There’s so much great guitar here it takes awhile before the listener even notices there’s a rhythm instrument that’s usually there that ain’t. I haven’t even said a word about the songs – if these were JUST Chris Newman songs, it’d be a great album. But add Erika Meyer’s songwriting, guitar playing & singing into the equation – AND Paul Vega’s drumming (and great carny/Suicide/Jim-Carroll-esque vox on “Mind Bender”), and we’ve got a truly excellent album here. Erika’s “Anabasis” could be a riot grrrl outtake from 1994 (I hope the band doesn’t edit THIS part of the review out – I mean it as a compliment!), and then “Jake the Alligator Man”, complete with theremin from engineer deluxe Mike Lastra, is a psychedelic masterpiece that would fit in between the Seeds & the Lollipop Shoppe on a 60s mixtape. Seems like Erika sings a lot about dead people… and hey! Do I know “Bad Pam?” Newman has been making music for Portland & beyond for the last 30 years now, and will hopefully continue for 30 more – this record proves that his best work isn’t behind him yet. He’s been on a writing/recording/playing-live rampage the last 4 or 5 years, and this newest band of his, Boo Frog, raises the ante further. Glad to know you guys, and glad to keep seeing you live.

There’s a video from the session this album came from at Smegma that’s pretty cool – more contributions from renaissance man Mike Lastra – check it out

Boo Frog/Better Than the Rest, Skullman Records CD 84502-40389-3, 2010.re

Boo Frog is a 2-guitar + drums psychedelic-swamp-rock n’ roll trio from Portland, Oregon, featuring the dual vocal, guitar, and song-writing of Chris Newman (of the legendary Napalm Beach) & Erika Meyer (Serpentone). Paul Vega (Wadsworth, Subarachnoid Space, Diesto) drums and sings backup, and sometimes lead, vocals.

Formed in April 2009, Boo Frog released their first, self-titled album October 2010. Their second album,” Better Than The Rest,” was released April 2010.

Band: Boo Frog
Genre: Rock & Roll / Trash Rock / Garage Rock / Swamp Rock
Influences: Cramps, Seeds, Gun Club, Stooges, Sonic Youth
Albums: Boo Frog October 2009
Better Than The Rest April 2010
Members: Chris Newman, Erika Meyer, Paul Vega
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/boofrogrock
Contact: boofrog (at) skullmanrecords.com (or use the Skullman Records contact form).

BOO FROG art by Chris Newman

Paul Vega, Erika Meyer, Chris Newman

• CDBaby.com/cd/boofrog2
• Sonic Recollections

Or in Portland:

• Sonic Recollections
• Music Millennium
• Zeno Oddites

Napalm Beach - Fire Air and Water - 1990

Fire Air and Water was recorded in Düsseldorf, Germany during Napalm Beach’s first European tour, November 1989, at Peter Krick’s Skyline Studios. The band had just returned from Berlin, where the Wall was coming down. This album features Chris Newman on guitar, keys, vocals; Sam Henry on drums and keys; Dave Dillinger, bass and is available on amazon.com

Chris Newman - Volunteer - 1994

Note: This discography, compiled by Eric N. Danielson, covers all releases by Chris Newman on all record labels including (but not limited to) Skullman.

1. The Untouchables, Live at the Long Goodbye in 1980 (unreleased).
2. Napalm Beach, self-titled E.P. (1981), Park Avenue Records. (test pressing only)
3. Various, Trap Sampler vinyl LP (1981), Trap Records. (Napalm Beach has three songs on this compilation, featuring the original Untouchables line up.)
4. Napalm Beach, Live at the Met cassette (1983), Trap Records.
5. Napalm Beach, Rock & Roll Hell cassette (1983), Trap Records.
6. Napalm Beach, Pugsley cassette (1984), self-released.
7. Snow Bud and the Flower People, self-titled (1986), self-released cassette.
8. Napalm Beach, Teen Dream cassette (1985), Here After/Imperial.
9. Napalm Beach, Teen Dream vinyl LP (1986), Here After/Imperial.
10. Chris Newman, Moving To And Fro cassette (1986), self-released cassette recorded in 1985.
11. Snow Bud and the Flower People, Vegetable Matter (1986), self-released cassette.
12. Various, Bands That Will Make Money (1986), cassette compilation released by Seattle radio station KCMU. Napalm Beach had one track called “Monster.”
13. Napalm Beach,Moving To And Fro vinyl LP (1988), Loves Simple Dreams (Berlin, Germany).
14. Napalm Beach, Liquid Love vinyl LP/CD/cassette (1988), Flying Heart
15. Napalm Beach, Fire Air and Water LP/CD/cassette (1990), Flying Heart Records (U.S.)/Satyricon Records (Düsseldorf, Germany).
16. Various, Satyricon… the Album vinyl LP (1990)
17. Various, Howl 11 7″ 45 (1991), Howl magazine. Napalm Beach had one song on this compilation put out by German magazine Howl, “Just One Day,” which previously appeared on the 1984 Pugsley cassette. Note: Mudhoney appeared on Howl 3 in 1989 with their song “Need.”
18. Various, Ptolemaic Terrascope, Vol. 2, No. 1, Sept. 1990. Napalm Beach had one song, “Pugsley,” included on a 7″ flexi disc insert in this British music magazine.
19. Napalm Beach, Thunder Lizard vinyl LP/CD (1991), Satyricon (Düsseldorf, Germany)
20. Napalm Beach, Rumblin’ Thunder: Raw and Alive Over Germany vinyl LP (1991), Dreamhunter (Germany).
21. Snow Bud and the Flower People, Green Thing CD (1991) Flying Heart Records.
22. Snow Bud and the Flower People, “Amsterdam” b/w “Pot Tattoo,” High Times magazine, 1991.
23. Various, A Tribute to Johnny Thunders double vinyl 7″ 45 (1991), Tim Kerr Records. Napalm Beach performs the New York Dolls’ “Chatterbox.”
24. Napalm Beach, Last Big Heartache/Summertime Again vinyl 7″ 45 (1992), Tim Kerr Records.
25. Various, Eight Songs for Greg Sage and The Wipers double vinyl 7″ 45 (1992), Tim Kerr. Napalm Beach performs the Wipers’ “Potential Suicide.”
26. Snow Bud and the Flower People, Ripped Van Stinkle CD (1992), Tim Kerr.
27. Napalm Beach, Curiosities CD (1992), Satyricon (Germany); (1993) Tim Kerr Records (U.S.). The German CD included 5 additional live tracks not included on the U.S. version.
28. Various, Fourteen Songs for Greg Sage and The Wipers CD (1993), Tim Kerr. Napalm Beach performs the Wipers’ “Potential Suicide.”
29. Snow Bud and the Flower People, “Killer Bud” b/w “Third Shelf” 7″ 45, August 1993 Sub Pop single of the month [SP 219].
30. Napalm Beach, “My Master Calls,” 7″ 45 flexidisc insert in Flipside magazine, b/w a track by Poison Idea (1993).
31. Oblivion Seekers, Spirit of America CD (1993) Tim Kerr Records. (Chris played lead guitar on this record by another Portland band.)
32. Chris Newman, Volunteer CD (1994), Flying Heart Records.
33. Napalm Beach, In My Tree CD (1994), CM/Shinola (U.S.); (1995) Dreamhunter (Germany).
34. Chris Newman solo acoustic album credited to Snow Bud, Stoned and Alone CD (1996),CM/Shinola.
35. Various Kurt and Courtney (1997) film soundtrack. Napalm Beach cover of the Wipers, “Potential Suicide.”
36. Various, A Taste of the Blue Rose (1998), Flying Heart Records. Chris Newman has one song, “Sorry for Myself,” on this blues compilation. This was his last recording before fleeing to San Francisco at the end of that year.
37. Snow Bud and the Flower People, Biggest Hits CD (1999), Flying Heart Records. (Compilation of tracks from the first two cassettes self-released in 1985 and 1986.)
38. Various, The History of Portland Punk Vol. I (2000), Zeno Records.
39. Snow Bud and the Flower People, Holy Smoke CD (2002), Melliferous.
40. Napalm Beach, Rock & Roll Hell CD (2004), Zeno Records. (Includes tracks from the 1983 Live at the Met cassette.)
41. Chris Newman, Tarp Town Years CD (2004), Flying Heart Records.
42. Divining Rods, Love Letter to the Dead CD (2006).
43. Divining Rods, Songs in the Key of H CD (2007)
44. Snow Bud and the Flower People, Live at Geezerfest, CD (2007). (Recorded live at the Crocodile Café in Seattle on August 25, 2007.)
45. Chris Newman Experiment, La Rose Noire CD (2008)
46. Napalm Beach, Live CD (2008) (aka “Kill For My Bitch”)
47. Lost Acolytes, Chasing Heaven unreleased CD.
48. Napalm Beach, Moving To And Fro CD (2009), Skullman Records. Transfer from the German vinyl, but arranged in the original manner.
49. Boo Frog, Boo Frog (2009), Skullman Records.
50. Boo Frog, Better Than the Rest CD (2010), Skullman Records.

Erika Meyer Discography

1. Various Artists, Your Mama Rocks Rock Mama Films Benefit CD (2006). Features Portland, Oregon female-fronted acts.
2. Serpentone, Spiraling CD (2007) self-released.
3. Boo Frog, Boo Frog (2009), Skullman Records.
4. Boo Frog, Better Than the Rest CD (2010), Skullman Records.

As far back as Napalm Beach’s 1984 Pugsley, when Chris self-released his early works, he labeled them as “Skullman Music” with the dream that one day he would start his own publishing company under that name. Meanwhile, Chris continued to work with small independent labels to record and release music, much of it notoriously difficult for even avid fans to find. In 2009 Skullman Records was finally established as an official business, with the goal of gathering and distributing this catalog.

Since Spring of 2009 we have recorded and released two albums (Boo Frog’s BOO FROG and BETTER THAN THE REST), and re-released, or digitally released, several Napalm Beach albums (Movin’ To And Fro, Curiosities, Rock & Roll Hell, Teen Dream) which had been out of print, as well as a couple of Snow Bud and the Flower People albums. We sell mostly through CD Baby, or on a case by case basis through this website. Our goal is to get the music into the world, and to provide for the musicians behind it.

Goals

Our goals are as follows:

• to record, release, promote, and distribute new works
• to locate lost masters, and explore options for re-releasing classic albums by Napalm Beach, Snow Bud and the Flower People.
• to clarify, and when necessary, rectify issues around publishing and payments
• to make our catalog available for other uses, such as television, movies, radio.

Associated acts:

• Untouchables
• Napalm Beach
• Snow Bud and the Flower People
• Divining Rods
• Chris Newman Experiment
• Lost Acolytes
• Boo Frog