Lost In Tyme Blog

Mike Gunn, Dunlavy, Linus Pauling Quartet, Grimm Experience - the Houston heavy psych scene of the 90s.
You can call Linus Pauling Quartet's music endless acid jamming, spaced-out improvisation, stoner rock, heavy psyche or whatever you like. But every time you listen to it, you can feel the heavy, buzzing guitar riffs, the trippy electric sound of the American heavy/psychedelic/we're-drinkin'-and-jammin' tradition.

Here is their 2nd LP - released in 550 copies

In band's own words:
Ramon Medina: I think we write what we do because we grew up near NASA, playing D&D, reading Tolkein, and smoking a lot of fucking dope! (from Nicholas L. Hall’s interview with the Linus Pauling Quartet at Houstoned Rocks)

When Michael Demmler and Eva Koehler of September Gurls listened to the live tracks that were intended as a demo, they suggest to the band that the raw tracks be released and a limited run 550 LP. The band agrees and within months, the LP4s untitled album (aka "the Alien LP") is released. Though fewer people were able to hear this recording, it presented a band that was hitting its stride. It would also mark the last recording of the LP4 MKI. Meanwhile, "Dartania" (from the same session) was released as the lead tracks on "Succour".

Song Commentary
Through Darkness and Distance - The entire session was fueled by beer and herb and this first track sets the mood with a Doors-like raga interplay between Ramon Medina and Clinton Heider punctuated with heavy Larry Liska powered crescendos.
Roll Out the Bong/Lewis Black is California- "Roll Out.." is a song dedicated to Scott Grimm (aka The Dunlavy) who, in his pot smoking days, preferred to smoke and stay in the apartment playing Nintendo and watching Animae to the dismay of more adventurous pot/acid heads. Ramon on Vocals and more histrionic dual guitars here."Lewis Black" name checks Lewis Black, The Poor Dumb Bastards, and Rusted Shut. In high school Lewis was also known as Louie Huge because of his large member. There was never any basis for this but since it was considered funny it stuck to Lewis' chagrin. Frustrated by the knuckleheaded low brow humor of his Houston freinds, Lewis moved to LA to start a career in porn. The Poor Dumb Bastards were at one point in time one of those great post-punk bands that should have been but never were. We no longer remember what Byron did with fried chicken to warrant these lyrics but it was surely both gross and more punk than you'll ever be. Lastly Rusted Shut's Don and Cybyll get named checked because goddamn it somebody had to. They were post-punk royalty for quite some time in Houston - reserving the honor of being banned from more clubs in Houston than any other band. Note: Lewis Black is California's introductory phone conversation is a complete accident. When trying out vocals on the 6-track recorder at home, Ramon actually got a call from Lewis Black and the conversation made in onto the tape. Later when mixing the track was found on a scratch track exactly as it appears between the two songs.
Dance of the Bugpeople - The only track of this demo to have received a proper studio release (Killing You With Rock), this hails as one of the quintesssential LP4 tracks. Drugs, Bugs, and Sci-Fi, what more do you want? Little did Clinton realize that this tome would stretch across 3 albums.
Improvise Now - As the title suggests: Drink! Smoke! Press Play! The first two items are the only excuse for such shameless use of bowed guitar by Ramon and such Piper at the Gates of Dawn like wanking by everyone involved. All joking aside, here is the band playing live and off-the-cuff producing results that are sonically rewarding for all.
Henry Floats - A short sweet intrumental dedicated to our good friend Henry Duys III, the long-time bassist from Peglegasus. Peglegasus was the kind of brilliant band that should have been bigger than it was, but as with many bands luck just doesn't smile upon talent and creativity. The release of their best album, "So much for King Tut", saw the label go bankrupt on the same day the album was to be released - c'est la vie.
(from Linus Pauling Quartet page on Worshipguitars)

This is from September Gurls label's page, which released this LP in 550 copies (of course it's as out-of-print as can be) and has also released several albums of Linus Pauling Quartet after this.
LP4 from Houston, Texas on this record are:
Stephen Finley (bass),
Clinton Heider (vocals, guitar),
Larry Liska (batterie),
Ramon Medina (guitar, bowed guitar, vocals).

All of them have more or less relation to the Mike Gunn (you can find their "Coduh" album here). The six tracks on this LP were recorded during the process of recording a song to submit to the Ptolemaic Terrascope's benefit CD Succour in December 95. After the tapes were filled, the beer was gone and the bong was cashed, the result was an amazing spontaneous intense string driven psych rock beast ready to be released even in this rough form. The exploding harmony at the beginning ends with the start of a heavy thundering hypnotic rock strike in Bevis Frond tradition, quoting Black Sabbath and peaking in a twin guitar solo battle. This is followed by a Big Black-esque guitar rumble and an invitation to a Beefheartian Dance of the Bug People. Side 2 consists of an over 20 min. long relaxed, mantra-like psych jam, full of subtle suspense, vibrations, outbursts, dissolving in the harmonious beauty of Henry Floats.

Linus Pauling Quartet are (very) active and have a new album out, take a look here.