04/04/04
Palm Sunday
The 23 Hour Day
The Inactivists wander into Ian Hlatky's home studio around 10 a.m. Ten hours later; they wander out having recorded the entire debut album in one day. 19 titles were recorded; including a couple of cover tunes that for legal reasons were not included in the original pressing of the LP.

Even back in the days of Please Please Me and Another Side Of Bob Dylan one-day albums were considered an anomaly. And with modern technology's abilities of digitally editing, quantizing, click tracks, pitch correction and infinite virtual tracks for overdubbing the need to record so quickly is gone. In fact it's a lot more work. But why did they do it so quickly? Are the Inactivists trying to catch the fire and energy of the legendary live performances? Or are they just cheap? No. Some of them are poor.

Besides, working quickly is the way the Inactivists like to work (if they have to work at all). While Matt Sumner (bass guitar) had known the other members for a while, the first time Jason Walton (sax), Chris Budin (drums), and Scot Livingston (guitar and ukulele) met was on Oct. 19th, 2003. In order to rehearse for their first show ... on Oct. 20th, 2003. In fact, the first time Victoria Lundy (theremin) met the rest of the band was on Oct. 22nd ... the date of their second show. And no they did not manage to have another rehearsal between gigs 1 and 2. You do kind of wonder how (or why) they were booking all these shows without the band actually existing yet.

But that's always been the Inactivists' modus operandi. Their first show included an hour's worth of original material, most of which was speedily written the week before. Matt gave Scot a CD of half a dozen instrumental demo ideas. Scot had to quickly come up with enough words to fill an entire show in just seven days.

Despite the rushed deadline, many of these songs grew to be considered among the Inactivists finest, including the philosophical Where Are All My Clothes?, the introspective All I Got, and the upbeat I Will Destroy You. The rest of their set was filled up with previously written material that The Inactivists put their unmistakable stamp on, like I Hate Myself (possibly selected because it has only 4 chords) and Punching Each Other. If you listen closely to the platter you hold in your hand, you will hear a dropped drumstick and not one but two broken strings. None of which stopped the songs in progress. A majority of the tracks were recorded in one take, and none of them took more than three. But don't be fooled. Just because an album was recorded quickly doesn't mean it wasn't done with a certain amount of professionalism, sophistication, and even care. Although the Inactivists' Self-Titled Debut doesn't seem like it.
.."right">-Dr. Marty Lowenstein, musicologist..

The Inactivists existed long before anyone joined the band. It took the invention of the internet to assemble the socially inept (and musically competent) human beings necessary to create the Inactivists. In fact, several shows having already been booked under the Inactivists moniker required the newly minted quintet to play their first two shows with only one rehearsal behind them. It went about as well as could be expected.

So who are these "people" that now inhabit the Inactivist world? There's Victoria Lundy, whose theremin playing provokes two very different responses in the audience. True aficionados of the instrument proclaim Vic to be one of the best theremin players in Denver. Most everybody else just wonders what the hell that thing is. Saxophonist and clarinet player, Todd Burba, does not like romantic candlelit dinners and long walks on the beach at sunset. He is, however, willing to endure them for the right price. Matt Sumner plays bass. In fact, he plays the bass very well, which is a good thing, since it makes the band sound better. Drummer Chris Budin's drum set keeps getting smaller and smaller. This makes it highly portable. It also makes Chris seem very tall. Chris Budin is, in reality, 5'4". Scot Livingston plays what would be considered very unremarkable guitar -- but since he plays it on the electric ukulele, it seems that much more impressive. He also sings lead vocals, which makes him as valuable to the band as the hood ornament is to the operation of an automobile.

Asked to describe their music, the Inactivists fail miserably. "Angry Lounge Nerd Rock" is often their glib reply. Instead, imagine the bastard love-child of Primus and Frank Zappa.

Once upon a time, in the land of Claxnor, lived an idealistic goatherd named Jahoprah. OBVIOUS Now Jahoprah was a smart ambitious young boy who had a yearning deep inside that he couldn’t name. You see, Jahoprah had lived his whole life without ever hearing a single note of music. Many moons ago, before he was even born, a dark fascist theocracy took over Claxnor, OMNIPOTENT outlawing all music. For the Council Of The Elders knew that if the people of the villages ever heard the magical mystical music, they would rise up against their oppressors!

Now, one day, Jahoprah was out in the fields, his when he heard the strangest noise – a noise that made the lad feel very strange and powerful. I FEEL SO TALL INSIDE Chasing after the strange sound, Jahoprah crawled into a strange cave that he never noticed before. Down inside he met an ancient gorilla named Koko, who spoke to him in sign language about how the people of the village took the music for granted until it was a simple matter for the government to banish it forever! KOKO SONG Jahoprah then he asked the old gorilla how he made these mystical tones. It was then that Koko gave Jahoprah the golden guitar. Even the old gorilla, who had lived for a million years, had never seen anyone play the golden guitar so beautifully – without ever having any lessons or even having heard music before. Koko knew that Jahoprah may be… the chosen one, who it had been prophesied would lead his people to freedom.

Jahoprah took the golden guitar with him home to his tiny village, where he played for his family the forbidden music. EVERYBODY NOW Soon all the people of the village came to hear. While most of the villagers were happy and dancing, some were scared and they notified the palace guards. Jahoprah tried to get away WANNABE DALE EARNHADT but soon he was captured.

Once captured, he was surprised to see that his old friend, Gaye, had been promoted to the rank of Major in the palace guards. Jahoprah tried explaining to his old friend what had happened, but Gaye had to explain to Jahoprah – and the outraged citizenry – the need for law and order in Claxnor UNITED WE STAND STILL and then took Jahoprah off to the jail.

The next day, Jahoprah was taken before the Council Of The Elders and tried for his crimes. The prosecutor, Jesucifer, tried to break Jahoprah’s spirits by insulting him and his music FUCK YOU, SINGER- SONGWRITER, but Jahoprah retaliated by exposing the Council for what they really are. BEARDED NUNS IN BONDAGE Outraged, the Council sentenced Jahoprah to a lifetime exile to the forbidden zone. However, when he reached the special Egg-Van that was going to transport him to his fate, Jahoprah found that someone had secreted his golden guitar inside. So even from deep within the barren wastelands of the forbidden zone, Jahoprah’s song HERE & NOW & THEN was able to be heard by the people of his village, many of whom missed the magic music of the golden guitar and felt guilty for the way they treated their young goatherd. A small group of them banded together to rescue the boy, but where unable to find the secret gateway between Claxnor and the forbidden zone. But then who should appear but Jahoprah’s old school chum, Gaye. Having resigned his post as major of the palace guard, he was able to tell the villagers about the horrible mistreatment at the hands of the Council of the Elders THE OCTOPI OCCUPY, and tell them about the hidden passageway into the forbidden zone. Once inside they were able to find him quickly, thanks to the golden guitar. And when they did, Jahoprah told the rescue party all about his idea of a perfect society THE ESPERANTO SAMBA – one where they music was free and people loved one another. Inspired by his words, the group of villagers insisted that Jahoprah lead their revolution against the council of the elders.

Upon reaching their fortress, Jahoprah played a single G demolished chord on his golden guitar and the formerly impenetrable walls came crashing down. Once inside, the villagers found a beautiful young girl who had been trapped in a tower THE WRONG GIRL. She told them that her named was the Princess Phontographer – and that before the evil council took over, she was the ruler of Claxnor. She also told Jahoprah that it was she who hid the golden guitar in the Egg-Van for Jahoprah. Phontographer was restored to her rightful place on the throne, where she instituted a policy of democracy, allowing all the citizens of Claxnor a say in their government OMNIPOTENT REPRISE.

Jahoprah and Fontagrapher fell madly in love, and walking down the aisle to a traditional Claxnorian folk-song THE URINE the two of them were wed by Koko, ruling over Claxnor and living happily ever after. A year later, Queen Phontographer gave birth to twins. Would these two fulfill the second half of the Prophecy?

The End.

Throughout the history of Western Music there have been songs written about every conceivable subject from being the walrus to telling us to go to Medved. But there is one subject that has been sorely overlooked -- the emotion of love. Pretty much the only love song that I can think of "Love Grows (Where my Rosemary Goes)" by Edison Lighthouse, and even that song is more about horticulture than love.
The Inactivists were somewhat surprised when they noticed this tremendous gap in the subject matter of popular music. So they decided to try and write some songs dissecting and examining this common and powerful feeling from every possible angle. Having never experienced this emotion which you human beings call love for themselves, the Inactivists did research, reading Wikipedia's entry on the subject. Before they knew it an entire album of quote-unquote"Love Songs" was written.

a split holiday themed EP with Babushka's NAUGHTY XXX-MAS

a collection of hits from members of the Denver Art Rock Collective, including selections from Yerkish, The Skivies, New Ancient Astronauts, Little Fyodor, Amphibious Jones, Prolly, and Action Friend.