Gently Down the Stream February 10, 1998

The formation of Come in 1990 was a happy time indeed. Wise rock lovers had long before learned that singer/guitarist Thalia Zedek could do no wrong, whether in her first band Dangerous Birds (whose 1980 single "Smile On Your Face" was a highlight of the Sub Pop 100 compilation), the amazing Uzi (whose sole release, 1985's Sleep Asylum EP, was reissued by Matador in 1993), or Live Skull, who she totally transformed upon joining them as lead vocalist for the Dusted (Homestead, 1987) and Positraction (Caroline, 1989) albums. Fellow guitarist Chris Brokaw had been the drummer for Codeine, whose Frigid Stars LP still ranks among Sub Pop's best.

Come's debut single "Car" b/w "Last Mistake" came out in 1991 as part of the Sub Pop Singles Club and sure enough, it was awesome. Desperate, dangerous, and truly majestic, qualities Come continue to expand upon as the years unfold. The rhythm section of Sean O'Brien (bass) and Arthur Johnson (drums) was mighty. Matador won the prize and released their debut album Eleven:Eleven in 1992.

While most people agree that the band has been steadily improving, Eleven:Eleven still holds a special place in many hearts. Indie guitar rock was all the rage at the time of its release, but for all the fire and passion some of those bands had, nothing could have prepared anyone for music so raw, yet so regal. In fact, some of the greatest guitar heroes of that time--J Mascis, Bob Mould, Kurt Cobain--publicly hailed Come as one of the most exciting new bands in years.

The second Come album, Don't Ask Don't Tell, was released in 1994 and built upon the intensity of Eleven:Eleven. Where that album was so much resignation and tension, Don't Ask Don't Tell offers a broader emotional and sonic palette, from the wild ride of "Mercury Falls" to the gorgeous, crystalline "German Song." A hallmark of Come's sound is Chris and Thalia's rejection of traditional lead and rhythm guitar roles; the Chicago Tribune's Greg Kot called them "telepathic," describing how "one minute they twist like snakes around each other, the next they rip and tear like crosscut saws." The way their sparring guitars combine precision with such heartfelt wailing is remarkable; the grand, cascading sheets of sound have no real precedent.

Following the release of Don't Ask Don't Tell, Sean and Arthur left amicably. Despite much speculation about Come's demise, Chris and Thalia continued touring with a number of people on bass and drums, eventually enlisting 11 outside musicians to record 1996's mini-LP Near Life Experience. Widely praised as their best record up to that point, it features Chris on lead vocals on two songs; its only fault is its meager 32 minutes. Subsequent touring included a keyboard player; soon Come took it further, mounting a tour best described as pared-down electric, with piano and no bass. Dubbed the "cabaret" tour, it made some people long for the rock, but turned many others on to the songs' intrinsic strength.

On to the present. With a ton of new songs harking back to the heavy, propulsive rock for which they are perhaps best-loved, Come set about recording their new album with a phenomenal new rhythm section. You may know bassist Winston Bramen from his band Fuzzy, as well as his all-around good-guyness in Boston and beyond; drummer Daniel Coughlin, on the other hand, seems to have come out of the blue and is quite simply one of the most powerful drummers playing today. Recent shows have been devastating, the crowds ecstatic over the return of Come The Powerhouse Rock Act.

Come's genius has not been overlooked by the press. A small sampling: Rolling Stone: "Music you won't soon forget." Option: "Impossibly original." Entertainment Weekly: "Captivating...enthralling." Musician: "A revelation." Spin: "Ferocious." NME: "Staggering." Request: "They make time stand still." Melody Maker: "Come really rock, with force, like hell, almost literally." Creem: "A confession you've got no business hearing." Rip: "Truly brilliant, bruising stuff." New York Times: "Come's music evokes those moments in rock's demonic journey when the seam is about to split."

Gently, Down The Stream is all of this and more, and their best yet. Thalia and Chris are playing with more passion and conviction than ever, and Winston and Daniel sound as though they've been in Come for years. Chris steps up again twice; his "Recidivist" is particularly moving. "Saints Around My Neck" is an epic on a par with the Wipers' "Youth Of America." The bright guitar of "New Coat" belies its pleading, angry sentiment. Other highlights include the meditative "March" and the lurching album opener "One Piece." Bring on the hyperbole.

The Boston Phoenix's Matt Ashare once said, "anger and beauty, hope and sadness, fear and transcendence--that's just some of the terrain that Come have covered in the course of an album, a song, or even just a riff." Indeed, even a section of a Come song speaks volumes. They are fearless, timeless, and classic.

Near Life Experience May 21, 1996

What happens when half a band decides to call it quits, but the other half isn't quite finished?

Near Life Experience is Come's new record, its third for Matador. The record marks a series of firsts for the Boston-based band, formed in 1990. It's the first to feature 11 different musicians, it's the first recording that guitarists/singers Chris Brokaw and Thalia Zedek have made since drummer Arthur Johnson and bassist Sean O'Brien left the group in the summer of 1995, and it's also the first to feature Chris's lead vocals on two cuts.

Featured musicians include Bundy Brown (ex-Tortoise, Gastr Del Sol) on bass, Mac McNeilly (Jesus Lizard) on drums, Tara Jane O'Neil (Retsin, Sonora Pine, ex-Rodan) on bass, Kevin Coutas (Sonora Pine, Rachels, ex-Rodan) on drums, plus old pals Andy Bryant and John McEntire engineering.

Near Life Experience represents a step onward and upward for the band. Its hallmarks are brevity and variety; the songs are shorter, the whole record is shorter, Chris sings, various instruments are brought into play... there's a lot more going on here than a simple lineup change. Out of considerable disarray, Come has fashioned for itself its most entertaining work to date.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell October 4, 1994

An establishment "journalist" once quoted Thalia Zedek (inaccurately, I think) as saying Come originally set out to play "pretty, but scary" music. Over the past 3 + years, this Boston-based quartet has managed to encompass far more extreme ends of the spectrum -- no other group we've heard has made rock music sound so harrowing and beautiful at once. That this is accomplished with a minimum of melodrama, yet an abundance of poise (i.e. do not challenge them to a staring match) just makes requisite comparisons even tougher to invent.

The second full-length from Come, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, was recorded throughout early 1994 at sites in Memphis, New York City and the bustling metropolis that is Stoughton, MA. Early attempts at recording at a Hoboken facility were aborted when the ghost of Lenny Kravitz appeared and insisted on "jamming" with the group (an exorcist could not be hired as this happened during Super Bowl weekend).

Thalia Zedek - vocals, guitar (also see Uzi)
Chris Brokaw - guitar, vocals
Arthur Johnson - drums
Sean O'Brien - bass

Wrong Side March 31, 1994

Good afternoon, welcome to the new Come EP. Three big songs for you, available right now on the Matador label in the 7" vinyl and CD formats. The first song is called "Wrong Side," and features three Come members singing at the same time. Those of you who can name all three will receive a dollar. The second song is called "Loin Of The Surf" and was written many years ago by the Swell Maps. Those of you who can determine exactly what is happening in the "bass-drums break" will also receive a dollar. The third song is called "S.V.K.," and those of you who can accurately transcribe this acronym will receive a dollar. This totals three dollars, or roughly the retail price of the 7" at your local record shop. The CD will cost more but don't come to us looking for any more dollars.

These three songs were recorded one day in November of 1993 at the world-famous Easley Studios in Memphis, TN, with the able assistance of Carl Plaster, Doug Easley and Davis McCain. Should your travels ever bring you through Memphis, we would encourage you to sing a song at Easley's, hurl a pipe bomb at the gates of Graceland, and stop by Payne's for a chopped shoulder sandwich. Tell them Come sent you. No dollar. Mind the ice.

11:11 December 1, 1992

Come makes music that leaves a stain.

Perhaps following the lead of one-time lover Rick Springfield in 1982, Thalia Zedek made the successful transition from daytime television to rock 'n' roll superstardom. Leaving the role of Audra on The Guiding Light to front the overnight pop sensation Dangerous Birds Uzi, whose debut release outsold the Go Go's that year. Thalia was on top of the world -- that is, until tragedy struck in 1983: the Dangerous Birds flew a final time when all its members save Thalia were struck down in the ill-fated Korean Airline disaster. The vocalist/guitarist sought refuge in New York's shadowy underground, lesbianism and drugs. "It was the darkest point of my life," she now says of the period during which she hijacked Andy Warhols brainchild, Live Skull, and developed her signature sneer and angry bluesy pipes.

Come makes music that comes out with a little soap and warm water.

Zedek was in Athens, Greece on a late eighties European tour with Live Skull when she met the two comely, red-Georgia-clay-blooded gentlemen who would one day compose Come's rhythm section. Sean O'Brien was stationed there as an anti terrorist tactician in the French Foreign Legion, which he joined to escape prosecution for killing a pair of stewardesses during his decadent days as bassist for the Stray Cats. (Sean's real name cannot be revealed to this day.) His friend, former Bar B Q Killer drummer Arthur Johnson, had left the States to avoid a paternity suit by Country & Western singer/older woman Tanya Tucker, and was supporting himself in the degrading world of international fashion modeling. Homesick for blues-based American rock-n-roll, they begged Thalia to jam with them. She did -- with pleasure. Come was in the air.

Come makes music to beat people up to.

Thalia had quit Live Skull and moved to Boston when she ran into her old high school sweetheart, dimpled hometown football hero, Chris Brokaw, who had forgone a promising career in professional sports to play guitar. The commercial success of this band, Pay the Man, had been equaled only by their longevity, but it was time to move on... with Come. He and Thalia went to Greece for a romantic getaway, and came back... with Come. Sean deserted the legion, and Arthur put down his portfolio for his drumsticks, and both returned to Boston with Chris and Thalia to make some of the very finest rock-n-roll we have. -- Shannon Hamann

Thalia Zedek - vocals, harmonica, guitar (also see Uzi)
Chris Brokaw - guitar, vocals
Arthur Johnson - drums, vogueing
Sean OBrien - bass, hurdy gurdy