Slum Party
From The Secret History of the Cedar Valley
Contents |
History
A trio from Des Moines whose cheerful simple tunes could melt the heart of even the hardest of hardcore punks. Though they only played a small number of shows in Cedar Falls, they were beloved by those that heard them. Their rare self-released cassette tapes were passed around by many and often played until they wore out.
Brad Roth had a high sweet voice and played an amplified acoustic guitar. His singing was moving without being emotional or overwrought. It was simple and clear, with a soft quality which was endearing and comforting. Dawn Urich provided effervescent bass lines which always seemed to be gliding below the surface of the song--keeping time yet also filling out the layers of harmony with melodic elaboration.
In 1987, Slum Party changed its name to The Big Picture. This change was minor--no band members changed and their setlist included many Slum Party songs. They released one cassette under this name entitled Keep Your Eyes Moving. The only difference from the earlier Slum Party cassette was that Brad played an overdriven electric guitar on 2-3 of the songs rather than his signature clean acoustic sound.
Band Members
- Brad Roth - Vocals, Guitar
- Dawn Urich - Bass, Vocals
- Lonnie Urich - Drums
Discography
 Self Released Cassette 1986 |
 Released as The Big Picture Self Released Cassette 1987 |
