(Change tag to 'Fastbacks')

To many Seattleites, the Fastbacks ARE the "Seattle Scene." They've plugged away since 1979 without apparent regard for trends or fashion, continuously refining their special brand of punk/pop while never falling victim to monotony or self-parody. Songwriter Kurt Bloch still joy-rides his guitar through the best of the past four decades, while bassist Kim Warnick and guitarist Lulu Gargiulo sing with the kind of gutsy honesty that makes them feel like your oldest buddies. And yes, there's even a drummer.

(See, the Fastbacks' "drummer problem" is legendary. In the 17 years they've been together, the core of Kurt, Kim, and Lulu has held firm, while they've plowed through about 15 drummers. While Mike is arguably as integrated a drummer as they've ever had, even New Mansions has two tracks featuring Nate Johnson [ex-Flop, Fastbacks] and Jason Finn [of the Presidents of the USA] on drums.)

While the Fastbacks formed in 1979, "we only got good in 1989," Kim jokes. "We never set out to be a band for 17 years. It's kind of like a mistake that's kept going--but not a bad one. Kurt always says there isn't any way to quit this band."

Kurt himself offers a number of reasons for the band's longevity, and all of them come down to friendship, desire, and fun. Or, as he puts it, "there's nothing better than having an idea for a song take over your life." For those of us without our own ideas, there's nothing better than a fresh Fastbacks record in our hot little hands. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.