Transona Five began playing together in 1994 and were most active in the late ‘90s through the early ‘00s.
We were incredibly lucky to be part of the somewhat underground music scene in Denton, Dallas and Fort Worth with bands like Comet, Mazinga Phaser, The Theater Fire, My Friend the Atom, Lift to Experience, Stumptone, Light Bright Highway, The Reds, Cave Dweller, Centromatic, The Baptist Generals, Go Metric USA, Gropius, and other Texans: American Analog Set, Windsor for the Derby, Sixteen Deluxe, Furry Things, You Will Know Us…, Schrasj, Black Lipstick and more.
But even before this we were listening to music that was inspiring us to pick up our own guitars. This is a brief sampling of some of that music.
Chris (guitar & vocals)
1. Mike Oldfield "Tubular Bells": The root of my minimal leanings. My brother bought had this when I was young, though I listened to it more than he did. Some of the patterning we did in Transona Five reminds me of Oldfield’s most popular work.
2. Flash and the Pan "Lights in the Night": I can remember the exact moment I heard this on George Gimarc’s Rock and Roll Alternative radio show when I was 15. More minimal stuff that had no small influence on the music I would make with T5.
3. Cowboy Junkies "Sweet Jane": Not only a Velvet Underground cover, but a close sibling sonically to our song "Nick."
4. Stereolab "Jenny Ondioline": When I fell head over heals for droning guitars.
Rachel (guitar & farfisa)
I’m focusing on music that influenced me or had some major impact in regard to the time period I played with Transona Five (um, so, yeah, I joined T5 when I was 17 if that says anything!). Missing from this list: ‘80s goth, no wave, the Bad Seeds and Neubauten!
1. 13th Floor Elevators “Livin’ On”
2. Spiritualized “Symphony Space”
3. Kraftwerk “Radioland”
4. Bedhead “Bedside Table”
Scott (bass)
Some of my favorite music has much in common with roller coasters: slow beginnings building to grand soaring heights that can make your head spin and sometimes even that slight bit of fear that the whole thing might just fall apart at any moment, but you still run to get back in line for another listen (or ride).
1. Phoenix (Knoebels Elyburg, PA) - Not the biggest or the fastest but keeps me smiling and laughing all the way (like a finely-crafted Fishboy tune “IMAVOLCANO”)
2. Boulder Dash (Lake Compounce Bristol, CT) - Careening with completely out of control feelings through the trees. (“No Motor” by Transona Five - and coincidentally we played at “Trees” nightclub in Dallas at least once)
3. Fury 325 (Carowinds Charlotte, NC) - Where else can you get so high (325 feet) and travel 95 mph across state lines? (makes me think of always-on-tour Jeff Rosenstock “You, in Weird Cities”)
4. Maverick (Cedar Point Sandusky, OH) - Launched right into a low down groove thing. (like the funkiest Galactic tune “Cineramascope”)
We were incredibly lucky to be part of the somewhat underground music scene in Denton, Dallas and Fort Worth with bands like Comet, Mazinga Phaser, The Theater Fire, My Friend the Atom, Lift to Experience, Stumptone, Light Bright Highway, The Reds, Cave Dweller, Centromatic, The Baptist Generals, Go Metric USA, Gropius, and other Texans: American Analog Set, Windsor for the Derby, Sixteen Deluxe, Furry Things, You Will Know Us…, Schrasj, Black Lipstick and more.
But even before this we were listening to music that was inspiring us to pick up our own guitars. This is a brief sampling of some of that music.
Chris (guitar & vocals)
1. Mike Oldfield "Tubular Bells": The root of my minimal leanings. My brother bought had this when I was young, though I listened to it more than he did. Some of the patterning we did in Transona Five reminds me of Oldfield’s most popular work.
2. Flash and the Pan "Lights in the Night": I can remember the exact moment I heard this on George Gimarc’s Rock and Roll Alternative radio show when I was 15. More minimal stuff that had no small influence on the music I would make with T5.
3. Cowboy Junkies "Sweet Jane": Not only a Velvet Underground cover, but a close sibling sonically to our song "Nick."
4. Stereolab "Jenny Ondioline": When I fell head over heals for droning guitars.
Rachel (guitar & farfisa)
I’m focusing on music that influenced me or had some major impact in regard to the time period I played with Transona Five (um, so, yeah, I joined T5 when I was 17 if that says anything!). Missing from this list: ‘80s goth, no wave, the Bad Seeds and Neubauten!
1. 13th Floor Elevators “Livin’ On”
2. Spiritualized “Symphony Space”
3. Kraftwerk “Radioland”
4. Bedhead “Bedside Table”
Scott (bass)
Some of my favorite music has much in common with roller coasters: slow beginnings building to grand soaring heights that can make your head spin and sometimes even that slight bit of fear that the whole thing might just fall apart at any moment, but you still run to get back in line for another listen (or ride).
1. Phoenix (Knoebels Elyburg, PA) - Not the biggest or the fastest but keeps me smiling and laughing all the way (like a finely-crafted Fishboy tune “IMAVOLCANO”)
2. Boulder Dash (Lake Compounce Bristol, CT) - Careening with completely out of control feelings through the trees. (“No Motor” by Transona Five - and coincidentally we played at “Trees” nightclub in Dallas at least once)
3. Fury 325 (Carowinds Charlotte, NC) - Where else can you get so high (325 feet) and travel 95 mph across state lines? (makes me think of always-on-tour Jeff Rosenstock “You, in Weird Cities”)
4. Maverick (Cedar Point Sandusky, OH) - Launched right into a low down groove thing. (like the funkiest Galactic tune “Cineramascope”)
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