But making it onto Saturday Night Live doesn’t always conclude in stardom – and it should be noted that Nirvana’s appearance on that show didn’t really affect the trajectory of the group’s career. Case in point, though, was a Long Beach, California based ensemble from the late seventies called Suburban Lawns who had a video featured on the late night show, but didn’t really make a go of it.
Springing from an art school background, the Southern California group didn’t incorporate the same influences as its punky neighbors in Los Angeles. Instead, the band opted for dance music to augment a sometimes aggressive approach to rock stuff. Often times, the group – comprising Su Tissue (Sue McLane) on vocals, Frankie Ennui (Richard Whitney) on guitar, John Gleur (John McBurney) as second guitarist, Vex Billingsgate (William Ranson) on bass and Chuck Roast (Charles Rodriguez) behind the drums – is compared to Devo or the Talking Heads, or both. It’s not an unfair contrast, but seems to mitigate some of the more traditional rock tropes that Suburban Lawns attempt to include.
Only issuing three releases over the duration of its career, the sound that Suburban Lawns worked with remained relatively steady over its discography. There was always that pervasive dance influence at least.
The group’s first single included “Gidget Goes to Hell,” which not only lampooned the group’s home town, but counted as one of the more aggressively toned efforts Suburban Lawns would issue. Mounting interest in the ensemble warranted a return to the studio a few years later and resulted in another EP entitled Baby. The five song effort moved Suburban Lawns closer to a dance sound as “Flavor Crystals” could have been Blondie doing a disco track. With Su Tissue’s vocals being rather consumable by underground as well as commercial standards, it’s a wonder as to how the band didn’t garner more attention.
With another few years between releases, Suburban Lawns ostensibly killed its own career. But in 1983, the group issued a self titled album. A few of the tracks that made it on to the disc ratcheted up the pace and sneer smeared across the band’s music. “Jam the Controls,” the disc’s closer, could have come from any number of other punk bands from the area. So it’s curious that Suburban Lawns toughened up its sound for this final release.
The group eventually splintered with folks working in various musical capacities elsewhere, but no one really making enough of a racket as to be noticed. It all seems kinda like a waste considering the concerted effort that Suburban Lawns made on its final release to move in more rock oriented direction. Whatever. Hunt it down. Some of the music’s worth it to be sure.