The Make-Up - Biography
Over the course of two decades and three bands Ian Svenonius has become one of underground rock’s biggest gadflies. In the early 1990s his band Nation of Ulysses combined fractured hardcore punk with a theatrical image and a cartoonish socio-political ideology specializing in anti-capitalist, anti-American rants to become one of DC’s most important post-punk bands. After that group dissolved Svenonius and two other Nation of Ulysses members formed the Make-Up. The group would exist for five years and release a clutch of singles, studio and live albums, and a film. It would also add a funky groove to Svenonius’ plan (or joke of a plan, at times its hard to tell) to dismantle American culture from the inside out.
In 1995 Svenonius recruited fellow former Nation of Ulysses members Steve Gamboa (drums) and James Canty (guitar) along with former Frumpies bassist Michelle Mae to form the Make-Up. The band broke out of the gates with a fully formed aesthetic. Merging elements of psychedelic soul, classic ‘60s garage rock, post-punk, and a dash of Prince, the quartet named this new sound “Gospel Yeh-Yeh.” Svenonius furthered his agenda of anti-capitalism, claiming that Gospel Yeh-Yeh was a “liberation theology” aiming to bring the band and audience together in some kind of pseudo-socialist bond aimed at destroying the consumer culture of modern pop music. If all that sounds a little heavy-handed, it is. The group’s fashion-forward, hyper self-aware image coupled with Svenonius’s exaggerated and surreal propaganda speak hints that all of this is for show, if not for parody. Regardless of this, it’s lucky that the band’s music is an all-out addictive blend of queasy, dirty soul and punk energy, carried by Svenonius’s urgent high-pitched shriek of a voice.
The first year of the group’s existence brought a spate of 7” singles, including a split with Slant 6 and another with the Meta-Matics, released on labels like K Records and Time Bomb as well as the group’s own Black Gemini imprint. In ’96 the Make-Up teamed with Dischord to release its first full-length, Destination: Love — Live! at Cold Rice. Falsely touted as a live release the album was actually recorded in the studio with Fugazi’s Guy Picciotto. The group added crowd noise, applause and a fake MC, referencing the soul revival albums of the ‘60s. These songs might as well have been recorded live as the record is all about raw power, sweat, and blistering naked energy. On tracks like “Here Comes the Judge,” “We Can’t Be Contained,” and “R U a Believer, Pt. 2” the group lays out its mixture of soul and garage punk with serious ferocity.
The band kept an active touring schedule and its shows quickly achieved a reputation for spontaneous crowd participation and frenetic performances by the group. Amid the seemingly endless landslide of 7” singles, the Make-Up released two more full-lengths in 1997. After Dark is a stunning live recording of a show in London and Sound Verite is the group’s second studio album. The latter was produced by Calvin Johnson for K Records and he keeps the sound rough and ready, perfectly capturing the band’s eager, spontaneous vibe. Tracks like “If They Come in the Morning” and “Have U Got the New Look” are infectious slices of dirty R&B and punky soul. 1997 also saw the band star in James Schneider’s highly fictionalized tour documentary Blue is Beautiful.
1998 saw the band move back to Dischord for the release of its third studio album, In Mass Mind. Working with producers Neil Haggerty and Jennifer Herrema of Royal Trux, the record has a warmer, fuller sound than previous outings. The band fleshes things out as well, digging deep and turning up eerie, churning R&B on tracks like “Do You Like Gospel Music,” “Time Machine,” and “Get Caught Up in the Rapture” and kicking out the jams with “Drop the Needle” and “Joy of Sound.” Overall this might be the band’s most satisfying studio record.
It’s arguable that the Make-Up has always been a singles band, releasing many of its best songs on the 7” format. 1997 through 1999 brought a ton of singles for labels like K, Dischord, Southern Records, All City, and Slowdime. ‘99’s singles compilation I Want Some collects almost all of the band’s rarities. It’s a travel through the development of the group and a supremely enjoyable listen. From funky to harrowing, druggy to lucid, dark to blissful, tracks like “Born on the Floor,” “Every Baby Cries the Same,” the infamous “Free Arthur Lee,” and “Untouchable Sound” capture every great thing about this band. I Want Some marks a great entry point.
1999 also brought the group’s final studio record, Save Yourself. Produced by Fugazi’s Brendan Canty and released on K, these nine tracks are a fitting swan song for the group. Featuring guest spots by Canty, Ted Leo, and Fred Erskine, the tracks here show a growth in the Make-Up’s song writing abilities and sonic range.
After subsequent tours and adding fifth member Alex Minoff on guitar, the Make-Up called it quits in 2000. Svenonius, Mae, and Minoff went on to form Weird War and James Canty joined Ted Leo’s band. Posthumous Make-Up releases include 2006’s live album Untouchable Sound and a collection of live performances, music videos, and the Blue is Beautiful tour movie titled In Film/On Video released on Dischord.