Review Revue: Tse Tse Force - Scar of Youth`

Review Revue
10/17/2019
Levi Fuller

Welcome to Review Revue, where every Thursday I dig through the KEXP stacks to share DJ reviews and comments written on the covers of LPs (and occasionally CDs) in the ’80s and ’90s, when the station was called KCMU, the DJs were volunteers, and people shared their opinions on little white labels instead of the internet.


I'm beginning to think that for every artist from any scene who makes it even tangentially into the popular (or even semi-popular) consciousness, there are at least 100 whose names are almost entirely forgotten to history. Just kidding, I've known that for a long time. Tse Tse Force, as far as I can tell, is one such band with regard to the early '80s rock scene in Seattle. The internet knows almost nothing about them (beyond the fact of this EP's existence being noted in the ever-thorough discogs.org), and it doesn't seem like the members — Tim Brock, Heidi Sutter, Judy Schneps, and P.S.O'Neill — went on to other bands you might have heard of. But they were there, and they made music people dug, which is more than most of us can say.

I think I just figured something out, though. The drummer in this band (as mentioned below), was one Tim Brock. The only person I could find by that name associated with Seattle and music was this highly-regarded composer of music for silent films. I didn't feel as though I had any way of knowing if this was one and the same person (his bio certainly doesn't say anything about a band called Tse Tse Force), until I clicked on this YouTube video, with a very helpful photo of all four band members, and compared the Tim Brock photo to present-day Timothy Brock. Yep. Same guy. You heard it here first! If you happen to catch one of his performances in Italy next month, be sure to shout "Hooray for Tim Brock!"

Otherwise, this is one of those cases where one KCMU commenter knows more than anyone else in the existing internet literature I can find, so I'll just let them take it from here:

"Debut vinyl release by Seattle's own Tse-Tse Force. Pylonesque pop (vaguely) with cool vocal interplay between O'Neill & Schneps. Also featured is Tim Brock, who co-writes and plays drums. No 'Burgerland.' [I wonder if this was a live favorite, as this appears to be the band's only release.] Schneps & O'Neill also in Chains of Hell Orchestra. May I recommend: 'Scar of Youth'; 'Window to the Pavement.'"

"Hooray for Tim Brock!"

[Totally illegible comment.]

"Sounds a little like the Go-Go's."

 

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