Country Teasers

Country Teasers were an art punk band formed in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1993.

Frontman Ben Wallers also performs solo as The Rebel. He plays live shows with a Gameboy backing-track or accompanied by Country Teasers bassist Sophie Politowicz on drums.

Long-time members of Country Teasers include songwriter B.R. Wallers (vocals, guitar), Leighton Crook (drums), Robert McNeill (guitar, synth), Alastair MacKinven (guitar), Sophie Politowicz (bass guitar, drums). Original members of the band include playwright Simon Stephens (bass guitar), Alan Crichton (guitar), Eck King (drums), Lawrence Worthington (drums).

Background

Early Country Teasers albums were characterised by literate, scathingly satirical lyrics and discordant, repetitive sound – like William S. Burroughs leading Joy Division or The Fall through a setlist of art-damaged country and western songs.[1]

Later Teasers releases branched out to "abuse not only country & western but every other genre they can get their hands on, including rap, goth, punk, folk, disco, electronic, and noise,"[2] leading to comparisons with other home-recording deconstructionists like Royal Trux, Butthole Surfers and Ween.[3]

Frontman and songwriter Ben Wallers's lyrics have elicited comparisons to Jonathan Swift, Bill Hicks and Chris Morris,[4] provoking the audience with unorthodox standpoints and purposefully offensive vocabulary in order to force them to question their own opinions. In the words of a writer on the Drowned in Sound website, ""Evil country outfit" Country Teasers are led by the enigmatic singer/guitarist BR Wallers. Their discordant aural assault is filled out with bitingly ironic lyrics, poking fun at racism and sexism by inhabiting the minds of the losers that purvey these attitudes."[5] "Like moralistic ’80s punks Crass, the Country Teasers make their statement, but they use humor to do it, as opposed to histrionic art-house punk screech… They find your comfort zone and blissfully stomp all over it."[6]

The Teasers' live shows are infamously unpredictable fusions of alcohol-or-whatever-fueled unprofessionalism and high-concept performance art, or in the words of the New York Press: "Country Teasers does art better than Sonic Youth and drunkenness better than The Pogues—and doesn’t need art or liquor to be confrontational bastards."[7]

Country Teasers are often compared to The Fall, although as Static Party's Ryan W points out, "it's not in the chord structures or the Northern (UK) accent, it's in the feel they create akin to the early Fall records that a truly creative brain is battering against resistance (self or other) to create something meaningful to itself. If you get something from it as well... Art! Put on a CT record and read the Maakies comics, it's better than bread and chocolate."[8]

The song "No Limits" (a cover of Dutch eurodance duo 2 Unlimited) from 1998's Back to the Future album was featured in a 2018 Subway commercial.

Discography

Albums

Singles
  • "Anytime, Cowboy", (1995, Crypt Records)
    • "Anytime, Cowboy", with b-side "No.1 Man"
  • Split 7" with Penthouse, (1996, Butcher's Wig)
    • "Getaway"
  • The Scottish Single, (1996, Guided Missile)
    • "The Last Bridge of Spencer Smith", with b-side "Prettiest Slave on the Barge/Kenny Malcolm on Smack"
  • Secrets in Welsh (1996, Nana Records)
    • "Tough Luck on Jock", "Treble Life, Part 2", "Secrets in Welsh" and "Flares"
  • Against the Country Teasers! (1996, Guided Missile)
    • "After One Thing", "Bryson's the Baker", "Small Shark in Tiny Pool", "Adam Wakes Up", "Kenny Malcolm On Smack Left Prettiest Slave On The Right" and "Henry Krinkle's Theme"
  • Split 7" with Amnesiac Godz (2/3 Sebadoh), (1999, Guided Missile Records)
    • "Country Teasers", "Hairy Wine" and "Reynard the Fox"
  • "Laziness", (2004, Discos Alehop, hop 022)
    • "Raglan Top Of Lonsdale Grey", "Assfucksiation Initiated", "Laziness", "Ahoy There"

Videos
  • "Country Teasers" live at CasRock Edinburgh, (1994, barnend video)
  • "Various Artists" Transistor 1. Anytimecowboy. (video compilation released by Amendment Records (US) around 2001-2002)Features rare live footages from 1998-2001
  • "THIS FILM SHOULD NOT EXIST": 1995 tour with The Oblivians, a film by Gisella Albertini, Massimo Scocca, Nicolas Drolc, 2020, Les films Furax and Bo Fidelity Cineproduzioni.

Appearances
  • Guided Missile Recordings: A "Guided" Tour (1996, Guided Missile)
    • [tracks unknown]
  • Plan Boom (1996, What's That Noise Records)
    • "Black Eggs"
  • Maximum Beatbox (1996, Fidel Bastro (Hell No!)/Heinz Krämers Tanz Café)
    • "O1- Only My saviour" "O2 getaway"recorded live at Heinz Krämers Tanz Café 1995/96
  • Cheapo Crypt Sampler #2! (1997, Crypt Records)
    • "Black Change" and "Mosquito"
  • Crypt - Beat Generation (1997, Beat Generation no. 5)
    • "Black Change" and "Black Cloud Wandering"
  • Hits & Missiles" (1998, Guided Missile)
    • "Only Whittlin"
  • Opscene #6, (1999, Opscene Magazine)
    • "Hairy Wine"
  • Don't Tread On Me (1999, Butcher's Wig/Shellshock/Pinnacle)
    • "Getaway"
  • Flitwick Records Compilation (2002, Flitwick Records)
    • "Independent Mail Guardian (Success)"
  • La Legaña Sinfónica (2003, Discos Alehop!)
    • "Please Stop Fucking Each Other"
  • Hot Pinball Rock Vol. 2 (Multiball #22 CD with magazine) (2004, Extra Ball Records)
    • "Pinball Machine"
  • Babyhead (2004, S-S Records)
    • "I Like the Cock"
  • Static Disaster: The U.K. In The Red Records Sampler (2005, In The Red)
    • "Success"
  • Revolver USA Sampler Summer '06 (2006, Midheaven)
    • "Please Ban Music"

References
  1. Maerz, Jennifer. "The Easy Surrealists", The Stranger (January 8, 2004). Accessed March 12, 2007.
  2. "Country Teasers Live Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine", Universal Buzz (July 31, 1999). Accessed March 12, 2007.
  3. Brissey, Grant. "Grate Scots", The Stranger (May 16, 2006). Accessed March 12, 2007.
  4. Mellors, Nathaniel. "The Empire Strikes Back", Frieze Magazine (2006). Accessed March 12, 2007.
  5. "Country Teasers Archived 2006-11-14 at the Wayback Machine", Drowned in Sound (October 5, 2006). Accessed March 12, 2007.
  6. Davidson, Duncan Scott. "Schlock Tease: Country Teasers jab at the darker crannies of whiteness", San Francisco Bay Guardian. Accessed January 21, 2007.
  7. "Preview - Country Teasers live at Tonic Archived 2007-04-15 at the Wayback Machine", New York Press (June 15, 2006). Accessed January 21, 2007.
  8. "Country Teasers - Against", Static Party (August 29, 2006). Accessed March 12, 2007.
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