Shannon Corr- drums, Matthew Solberg- bass, Ryon Gesink- vocal, Richard Marshall- guitar
2004-2005: Chris Baldassari- drums, Bill Skieresz- bass, Ryon Gesink- vocal, Richard Marshall- guitar
Influences
Soppy dishrags. Hunter S. Thompson. World War I. J.G. Ballard. Shellac. the atomic bomb. Rapeman. The Jesus Lizard. the religions of various dinosaurian cults. Scratch Acid. Butthole Surfers. dogs. COWS. The Fall. Alice Donut. Yog-Sothoth. Melvins. Sonic Youth. Crash Worship. Big Black. Drive Like Jehu. Stooges. Dead Kennedys. Laughing Hyenas. Matt's hair. Heroine Sheiks. That one guy with messed up hair who's always yelling shit on the corner of Polk and Geary. Public Image Limited. Fugazi. Sonic Youth. SWANS. SLINT. Nomeansno. Easy Action. Mule. Killdozer. Don Caballero. B-17 bomber crews. Bob Dylan up to about 1967. Lubricated Goat. Impressive influence lists. 400 Blows. Thai food. Bottles and Skulls. KARP. Hawaiian BBQ. Big Business. Flipper. Unsane. Guts. Boredoms. Ruins. John Zorn's Naked City. Babes In Toyland. Hiroshima (I hope there's not a band named after this...)The Birthday Party. Enemy Mine. Burmese. Lightning Bolt. Cormac McCarthy. Pink and Brown. The Coachwhips. Bad Brains. Shakespeare. Oakland liquor stores. The Dead Sea. Old Time Relijun. Suicide. DMBQ. Doo Rag. Bob Log III. suck
The Turks began in two places simultaneously in 2004. One was at a party in San Francisco; the other was in Bill Skieresz's living room in San Rafael, California. The party story first: singer Ryon Gesink overheard (former Alice Donut guitarist) Richard Marshall mention a whole slew of bands from the early nineties: Helmet, Unsane, Butthole Surfers, Cows, Laughing Hyenas, Tar, etc. Intrigued, he joined the conversation and the two exchanged numbers. Around this time a San Rafael rhythm section consisting of bassist Bill Skieresz and drummer Chris Baldassari placed an online ad searching for "Iggy's progeny". Ryon answered the ad and the four met and jammed. TURKS WERE BORN!! Pretty soon tunes were falling out of their ass. Marshall's tough songwriting skills, crushing riffs and needling leads along with Gesink's bestial howling, together with Skieresz's charging basslines and Baldassari's primal, physical drumming combined to create some seriously dangerous, intriguing music. After playing a heap of shows around the Bay Area including a few How To Destroy The Universe Festivals, a wake for Hunter S. Thompson, the East Bay Rats (motorcycle club) Fight Party and a mess of club and warehouse dates, they recorded with producer/engineer Alex Newport (of Fudge Tunnel fame/infamy). The tracks posted here are from those sessions.
Over time, that union dissolved as these things sometimes do. Baldassari and Skeiresz went on to form the noise combo Hvorslev. A talented stranger by the name of Shannon Corr with a strong pedigree (Sons of Oswald, Greenlight the Bombers), a photography addiction and a shiny new drumkit contacted Ryon and Richard and they tried him out. Turns out he can bash with the best of them, and he very nearly wound up drumming for Helmet in there somewhere, but ended up a Turk instead. The new Turks were on their way, except it took them something like 14 auditions before they found the magic bassist they needed. We were after somebody technically proficient with a brutal, mechanically ferocious sound, and we finally found it in Matthew Solberg.
All four members pursue ambitious creative endeavors outside the Turks- Solberg handles guitar duties in the innovative instrumental group From Monument to Masses. Shannon Corr is well known as perhaps Northern California's best music photographer, as well as bashing skins in Sons of Oswald. Marshall vamps as Jimmy Rage in SF's best Led Zeppelin cover band Heavy Hindenburg, and often performs solo as well. Gesink is deeply embedded in the Bay Area's industrial fire art scene, having created various large scale kinetic flamethrowing machines and sculptures over the past decade.
The rest is fairly recent history...we've had an exciting time with the new lineup- the new songs are going off in some dynamic, geometrically violent directions and the lyrics have followed suit. Songs about the Mexican drug wars ("Oaxaca"), the destruction of an Iraqi city by American forces ("Fallujah"), and a trip back to Nazi occupied Normandy to witness a young boy's mental breakdown/breakthrough ("The Atlantic Wall") are the beginning of a new sonic chapter for the Turks. The first proper album is just about in the can thanks to the excellent engineering of Kurt Schlegel down at Lucky Cat Studios. We'll be unleashing it upon you as soon as is humanly possible, hopefully along with a spring '09 West Coast tour.
We've had a great time playing with a slew of interesting talent from near and far, including the 400 Blows, Killdozer, Triclops, Savage Republic, Hank IV, the Extra Action Marching Band, Silian Rail, the Family Curse, and too many others to mention.
Massive thanks to everyone who's come out to the shows and all the great bands we've been fortunate enough to share stages with! Onward & upward!
Matthew, this is Yates, I met you at el Rio this weekend-- just wanted to say you guys totally rocked my face. Allow us to return the favor this Friday, if you're around-- vinyl release & tour kickoff, ~10pm...
Thanks for the cd Richard!! It rules....been listening to it every day since I got it...or just about every day!! Are you going to see that band MAYYORS tonight at The Hemlock Tavern. Marlong Magas from that Skin Graft Records band from the 90s "Lake of Dracula" is fronting them. sounds very similar to L.O.D. I just put up a link of when they played at SXSW earlier this year. Anyways, GREAT set this last weekend!! Totally impressed!!! You guys have gotten way tighter, louder, and stronger as a band....great to see that!!! Keep up the good work!! And can't wait to see you guys play again soon!!
One Mom at a time eh? Well this is your band Mom speaking, and youd better play a show soon or I am going to tell your Father! Now get to practice and book a damned show! Oh, by the way, there are some cookies in the oven when your finished with your rock homework, ie: your new album. Love, Mom
Saturday, October 18, 8pm to midnight at the Space Gallery 1114 Polk St, SF www. spacegallerysf. com
FREE! Enjoy tasty snacks, the dirty beats of DJ Shrimp, enticing belly dancing, lads in lederhosen... and a whole lotta stripes... while you help us celebrate the completion of our 2009 calendar!
Online Now!
