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The Mulchmen
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About
The Mulchmen, a Dayton, Ohio-based rock trio that began playing their own brand of KAPOWEE instrumental landlocked surf music back in 1995. Featuring Nick Kizirnis, Brian Hogarth and Gregg Spence, the band had a successful run of playing and recording during the latter part of the decade, before suspending work after the passing of drummer Gregg Spence.
The Mulchmen reformed and resumed active playing and recording in 2019 with the band's old friend and musical compatriot Jim Macpherson (The Breeders, Guided By Voice, Real Lulu) taking over on drums. The Mulchmen have opened for Dick Dale, Man or Astroman?, Ronnie Dawson, The Exotics, Los Straitjackets, The Breeders, Deke Dickerson, Bill Kirchen, Frankie Camaro and Dave Alvin, and their music has been used in numerous television and video productions over the years.
Recordings
"Live Mulch"
The Mulchmen's triumphant return to the live stage is documented in this recording of the band's rippin', Marshall-amp fueled headlining performance at the 2019 Dayton Music Fest. Featuring the debut of Jim Macpherson on the drum throne with the band, the band tear through 14 of their classics from their catalog to an enthusiastic audience excited at the return to the stage of these Dayton rock stalwarts.
Order Your Copy Here
"Greetings From Planet Stupider"
The Mulchmen's second full-length release from Big Beef Records picks up where the band's "Louder Than Dirt, Thicker Than Mud!" left off. The ethereal theremin that kicks off the album's opening track "Delta Velocity" sets the tone for a record that takes off into some unexpected territory. "Greetings From Planet Stupider" features some of the Mulchmen's most hard-rocking, musically diverse, along with most dark and moody wordless endeavors in their catalog.
"Covered With Mulch"
The Mulchmen's cassette-only release featuring cover versions of various instro/surf favorites along with an entire side of Link Wray classics. Rooted Magazine of Austin, Texas called these recordings "some of the finest Link Wray cover tunes ever made, deftly conjuring up Link's instro-rockabilly style... Get this before it's gone!" Proceeds from the sale of the cassette went to the Tim Taylor Memorial Fund, in support of the family and their efforts to honor Tim after his untimely passing.
"Louder Than Dirt, Thicker Than Mud!"
The Mulchmen's highly-acclaimed first full-length album. Featuring crowd favorites like "Frank" and "Flippin' Out" as well as the broody, theremin-laced "Sci-Fi Voodoo" and the humorously rocking "Rumble 3000".
"A richly textured album that vaults onto the short list of instrumental albums that remain listenable and distinct from beginning to end." - Scratch Magazine
"Highly Recommended" - Gajoob
"Rock Don't Run, Vol. 2"
The Mulchmen feature two original numbers, "Big Nasty" and "Under The Gun" on "Rock Don't Run Vol. 2" from Spinout Records. A great surf compilation also featuring Los Straitjackets, The Exotics, The Kaisers, Four Piece Suit, The Halibuts, The Neanderthals, Laika and the Cosmonauts, The Penetrators, The Panasonics, Simon & the Bar Sinisters and the Vibro Champs!
"All The News That's Fit To Surf"
The band's debut release on Luna Music's recordhead label, this four song 7" EP features the rapid-fire guitar/drum attack of "Six Gun", followed by the classic surf stomp sounds of "Slater's Surf". The B-side changes everything with the mysterious twang and moody vibrato of "Little Nasty" and wraps it up with the free-for-all "Spyder-Man".
The Mulchmen also appeared on the SimonSeng compilation "The Music of Ohio", which featured "Spyder-Man" from their "All the News That's Fit to Surf"7" EP on recordhead records, as well as their cover of "Shake Some Evil" on the Deep Eddy Records' Shadowy Men tribute compilation "Better Than The Average Weekend: A Tribute To Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet"
"I'll never figure out how such a seemingly limited genre like instrumental surf can sound so fresh and exciting, especially in the inspired hands of Dayton's Mulchmen. They touch all the familiar bases from the Laika-ish spy surf of Little Nasty to the buzzsawing, double espresso-driven, finger-gouging Dick Dale-isms of Nick Kizirnis on Six Gun. And they make you believe they personally invented the style behind a Burger King dumpster about six weeks ago (instead of going to class)."
- MAGNET
“Big Beef Records has some prime cuts coming from their studios on this rainbow-colored outing. You can't quantify it as surf yet the influence is echoing in the distance. This is instrumental rock. How do you stick a group like this in a particular genre? You just can't. Tabbed as surf-rock, they prove time and again that it's a very narrow description of their diverse sound. Their range is too far into the distant galaxies of instrumental wanderings to be categorized. This is a really good example of how to use your talent and explore and experiment with music. It's much easier to do when you don't have to sing a note. Let the music do the talkin'.
It speaks loud and clear and it works.”
- MUZIKMAN
"The Mulchmen truly have something for everyone…They can rock out like Link Wray, add Brit Invasion touches to the next song, and throw in Middle Eastern flourishes on the next. You need their records.
- INK 19
"The Mulchmen are a 3-piece that play an unpretentious slab of surf rock guitar instrumental music that is most often fast-paced and a whole load of fun. The band manages to make each song on "Louder Than Dirt...." distinct and the energy is unmistakably vibrant. "Bonfire Serenade" lets you catch your breath with an exceptional melody that could last forever for all I care (great song). "Rumble 3000" brings out a Theremin (I think) as the solo instrument (it works!) and, in case you're not convinced, a song title like "A Man With No Reverb Is No Man At All" proves there is no escape. Highly recommended."
- GAJOOB
"The Mulchmen surf from the top of a compost heap of rock history that penetrates the stratosphere. Solid throughout, The Mulchmen's peat-genius is at its most pungent in tracks like the ominous, andante surf of Backscratcher....Put it all together and you have an instro-rock band that owes as much to Link Wray and Duane Eddy as they do to Dick Dale....Compared to prior releases, Greetings From Planet Stupider is an excellent synthesis of The Mulchmen's fertile blend
- OUTSIGHT
"Dayton, Ohio's Mulchmen have scored once again with their newest disc. Equal parts surf, Link Wray, Ventures, spy music and all out instro rock 'n' roll with a Theremin chaser, this trio's second album isn't just more of the same. It actually improves on their predecessor with punchier tunes, punchier production and Nick Kizirnis' guitar at its tastiest yet. Songs like "Lowdown," "Ripchord" and "Backscratcher" show that the band can rock out with the best of 'em, while "Shadow Walk" and "Go Go Boot Camp" demonstrate their capabilities with slower, moodier tunes. Either way, jump on this joyride to Planet Stupider at your earliest possible convenience."
- NOISES FROM THE GARAGE
"Ohio's Mulchmen combine the soul of pre-surf instrumentals and R&B-flavored heavy guitar grooves on the group's full-length LP...The sound of "Louder Than Dirt..." wanders between modern rock to surf with style that's heavy with distorted twang. I say MMM...Good!"
- ROOTED MAGAZINE
"[Covered With Mulch] A tribute album to musical influences and celebrating the life of Tim Taylor, a friend of the band. Side one is surf music, from the most obscure waves on the most mysterious beaches. Several cuts come from Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet. The reverb is set just right and the guitar twists and twangs true. It's solidly played and at just the right tempo, not too fast, not too frantic, just cool. Side two salutes fuzz-twang guitar master Link Wray and once again they do justice to the influence. This album is well worth having, it's cooler than most anything you'll hear anytime soon, so pick up on it."
- Kevin Slick (GAJOOB)
"[Louder Than Dirt, Thicker Than Mud!]...An excellent addition to anyone's surf/instrumental library... It will be interesting to see where the band takes this genre."
- @MUSIC (BACKBEAT ONLINE)
