It was the summer of 96′ when Garbage dominated alternative radio and MTV with Buzz-track and music video of “Stupid Girl.” Featured on the band’s self-titled debut, it was composed around a bassline and a drum sample from The Clash‘s 1980 hit “Train in Vain.” With a lyrical context of female empowerment, and Se7en-inspired warehouse video that took only 4-hours to shoot- Garbage would earn a permanent place in the 90s alternative scene punctuated with two Grammy nods.
Fast forward 17 years, 5 albums, countless live shows, and one hiatus later, the members of Garbage remain prolific.
Drummer Butch Vig has produced albums and tracks by Green Day, Foo Fighters, and Muse, while singer Shirley Manson recorded a solo album and made her professional acting debut as a series regular on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. The band is supporting their 5th studio release, Not Your Kind of People, released last Spring and reached #13 on the Billboard 200. This recent performance at Philly’s Electric Factory found the band inspired and still clearly enjoying tour life. Admittedly, we weren’t too familiar with the newer material, but the band put together a solid blend of classic and fresh tracks that spanned their now 20-year career.
LA’s IO Echo offered up a refreshing spin on dark synth as the co-ed duo continue to support their debut album, Ministry of Love, which was released earlier this year on Iamsound Records. Combining 80’s synth and drum sounds with Asian instrumentation and even indie guitar, the limited amount of studio material has not taken anything from the duo’s presence in grunge goth circles. Trent Reznor hand-picked the duo to open for Nine Inch Nails‘ final performance. IO Echo also composed the score for the Harmony Korine and James Franco film, Rebel. The mellow grooves captured the full attention of a crowd anxiously awaiting the headliner. Not an easy task.
Photos by BTS’s Senior Photographer, Dante Torrieri (Useless Rebel Imaging)
IO Echo
Garbage
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