Thanks to Wikipedia I was able to track down the exact date of my first exposure to GvsB. It was June 1st, 1996 at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C t the HFStival. The HFStival was an annual concert put on by legendary alternative radio station WHFS. While the main stage featured Foo Fighters, Goldfinger, Cracker and Everclear GvsB were relegated to the 2nd stage outside of RFK. I am not sure why I ended up at the 2nd stage because bands like Gravity Kills, Jimmie’s Chicken Shack and my future PD at FNX were scheduled there. My pal Larry and I must have been wandering around or we were ignoring Jewel on the main stage. I am not too sure how far into GvsB’s set it was when we showed up but I was immediately drawn to them for one reason: DOUBLE BASS! One of my favorite bands of the time (and even now) was Ned’s Atomic Dustbin who also used to bassists. This certainly bought GvsB some time to get me more interested in them.
I eventually went out and picked up 
House of GvsB and popped it in my cd player. It did not leave for weeks. The combination of the double bass attack, danceable yet cool beats and the smokey, whiskey-cured voice of front-man Scott McCloud was right up my alley. I stand by my assertion that it is “cool” music to make out to. McCloud’s voice is aural sex in my opinion. I wish I had a voice that awesome. AND his name is McCloud! He sounds like he is from Highlander! Please enjoy my 3 favorite songs from GvsB.
Crash 17 (X-Rated Car) The first 25 seconds illustrate my aforementioned point about McCloud’s voice and then the double bass kicks in and it makes me want to wreck shit.
Park Avenue This was the single from the band’s major label debut on Geffen. For one reason or another the fans weren’t too into and those who didn’t know the band didn’t care to pick up the disc. Fine with me as it meant I still had them to myself.
Kicking The Lights After leaving Geffen GvsB ended up putting out their last record on Jade Tree. I say last but the band started touring again last year. While no new material is planned you can get all wet to McCloud’s voice with his current project Paramount Styles, a kind of acoustic GvsB.
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[…] The year was 1991 and I was finishing up my freshman year. Though I was impatient for the physical manifestations of puberty, checking in the mirror for armpit hair every time I exited the shower, the emotional changes had begun and I my taste in music was changing. Up to this point I was listening strictly to Top 40 and MTV hits. Then I found 120 Minutes, Alternative Nation and WHFS. Ned’s was one of the first bands that I became a fan of in my new-found musical maturity, based mostly on the video for “Grey Cell Green”. Can you guess what drew me to the band? Yup, the DOUBLE BASS attack! […]