Solution Unknown

Solution Unknown Stats

Solution Unknown logo

Record Labels:

Self Destruct

Started By:

everyone but Todd

Based In:

Louisville

Largest show:

600? people

First show:

March 15, 1986

Last show:

w/ Naked Raygun, August 1987

Reunion show:

May 25, 1988

Number of Members:

5

One of the greatest hardcore bands that this city ever saw, Solution Unknown spawned what are arguably the most influential Louisville bands of the 90s... Slint and Kinghorse. Taken from the Atskoo discography is the following:

ATSKOO.
As poignant as it was in 1986, as all-encompassing as any word ever uttered by humanity, it is the one word that can sum up the Solution Unknown era in, well, one word. Throughout the following quasi-biography, we will come to know all that is, was, and continues to be a by-product of Solution Unknown. Few people in the Louisville scene from the mid-'80s on have emerged unscathed from the omnipresence of SU, its members, or its legacy. Finish the journey below and you'll see what I mean.

MEAGER BEGINNINGS
Back in late February 1986, what we now know as Solution Unknown began to take its first formative steps toward becoming a punk rock juggernaut. The boys, sans Todd (see the Todd section below), matter-of-factly wondered aloud to each other if they could put a band together in a two-week period that would A)be as good as (or at least comparable to) the in-town bands playing at the time, and B)serve as an outlet for the incessant inside jokes that ruled the group's lives. Happily, SU turned out to satisfy both wishes.

The first show (Charlie's Pizzeria, 15-Mar-86) was, if anything, an experience to behold. From Irv Ross singing along to "Where Were You In '82?" (included here as Track 30) to the absolute asinine spectacle of "Typing" (track 31), SU was well recieved and, little did everyone know, the joke was already on them. You see, "Typing" was created to see if all the hardcores in the front row skanking would actually pump a fist in the air and repeatedly yell "typing" at the top of their lungs. "I've got the straight edge!"? Sure. "Nobody cares!"? Of course. But "Typing!"? Well, um... uh, hmmm. Turned out to be big fun at live shows, though.

Don't think that it was all about embarassing John Q. Public, though. As validationg of SU's ability to laugh at itself, listen to track 32 from a pre-first show practice. Yes, that's Bart at whom the snicker is directed.

ONWARD UNKNOWN SOLDIERS
After playing a few shows in the spring of 1986, SU decided to take the next step on their path: recording and putting out a 7". At the time, many great Louisville bands (for example Malignant Growth, Maurice, and Mr. Big) had never put out a record of their own, but SU felt the need to take the plunge. Track 17-25 herein became the "Taken For Granted" EP, named after a fanzine that Eric Schmidt never finished. Not unlike another famous Louisville rocker, they loved it overseas, recieving airtime in the U.K. (including the John Peel Show) and most of Europe. One devoted listener wrote from Czechoslovakia (one country at the time) that he could not send money for the record, but he could trade vodka. Tempting, but SU passed. Back home, the EP made Tim Yohannon's top ten list. He instantly became SU's favorite MRnR staffer. Tracks 26-27 are outtakes from the "TIG" session and are previously unreleased.

Later that summer, SU had its first encounter with a significant future lyrical theme - Karen Miller. Pajo was dating one of her friends, and the guys began to hang out with her from time to time. Eric was completely taken with the young lady and didn't think about much else for some time. One thing SU did think about was...

TODD
Shortly after the "Taken for Granted" session, SU underwent a series of changes. For one, Maurice had broken up, leaving SU as the sole musical vehicle of Mike Bucayu and David Pajo. Given this, SU became less of a fun side project and more of a legitimate force that would have to be reckonded with. As the boys became more intent one making SU the real deal, they decided that the sound needed to be thicker, meatier, and crunchier. After taking inventory of the available guitarists in the scene, SU decided to bring in Todd Brashear, heretofore the bass player for Anti-Youth (the first pure Ballard HS punk rock band to see the light of day on Bardstown Road). Todd brought tightness and responsibility to the SU mix, and the resultant recipe was four-star cuisine. By Septemeber 1986, SU had assimilated Todd and was playing out again, ready to rock. The "TIG" songs never sounded better, and the new material (all of which would show up on the "Karen" LP) was already flowing. It was the start of something big.

FALL AND WINTER OF WONDER
Throughout Fall 1986 and Winter 96/97, SU was playing often with a revolving door of local bands, including The Uninvited, Spot, Anti-Youth, Violents of the Sun, Peacemonger, Crisis, Big Deal, AYCD, and London Snow. The crowning achievement, however, was most likely the infamous Ballard HS show on 05-Dec-86. Through Todd's efforts (he was an exemplary Ballard student at the time), SU was granted the opportunity to play for 30 minutes during a DJ break at a mixer. Keep in mind that, at the time, a huge crowd for a local band was around 150 people, and a rough count of the mixer attendance was in the 600+ range. The band introduction, as well as classic snippets, are included herein as tracks 1, 14, and 16.

D.C. AND THE ALBUM
Along about February 1987, Solution Unknown began to catch the recording bug yet again. After preliminary discussion among the band, the decision was made to go to Inner Ear Studios, the veritable punk rock Mecca frequented by the likes of Minor Threat and many other seminal bands. To provide Don Zientara with a glimpse into the band's sound, SU recorded a practice demo (represented here by track 29) and a 4-tracked demo (4-tracked version of "You're right", complete with different guitar solo, included herein at track 28) to precede their arrival. The road trip began 03-Apr-87 and over the next 7 days, SU experienced quite a bit. They drove through the WV mountains during and right after a freak April blizzard. Everyone learned Kent's peace sign. They survived the "Why don't you come down here? I asked you to!" incident. They saw Dag Nasty and Kingface at the 9:30 Club. Oh yeah, they also recorded the "Karen" LP, which most consider to be the defining recording of SU and is included herein as tracks 1-13. The LP showcases the power and crunch that many remember as the signature SU sound.

THE END
In hindsight, it definitely appears that SU began the chaotic decent into disbanding early in Summer 1987. After writing 17 songs in less than a year, SU only wrote 2 songs after returning from DC: "Need over self" the only SU song never recorded (a live version is included here at track 34); and "Burn" (track 15), recorded for the "Louisville Sluggers" compilation but never performed live. As the summer wore on, a number of factors were creating turmoil within the band. For one, the band was becoming less fun and more of a job, manifesting in creative differences and straining friendships among the band members. Also, Todd was going away to school and Pajo had formed Slint, which was gaining momentum in its own right. By the end of August, SU had played the Swiss Hall show with Fading Out and their "last" show with Naked Raygun at the Jokey Club. The thrill was gone and so was SU.

On 25-May-88, SU played a reunion show with Dag Nasty and Spot, from which a live version of "Dirty Wash Rag" (track 33) is included here.

THE CONTINUING SAGA
After the breakup of SU, their affect on the scene did not disappear. Pajo and Todd went on to have success with Slint. Mike B was a charter member of the real Kinghorse. Eric was in the Hardy Perennials (with Todd), Human Noodle Dance (with Mike B.), Awesome Thomas, and Dybbuk. In addition to these exploites, Mike B. was instrumental in the scene through his Self Destruct record label, and Pajo sat with or joined many local bands such as King Kong, Bush League, and the Palace Brothers.

1996
Todd Brashear is an audio engineer at DG Systems. He is married and has 2 cats and a dog. Mike Bucayu owns and operates Blue Moon, a record store in the Holiday Manor shopping center. Kent Chappelle is in the landscaping business. David Pajo is a member of Tortise and has recently relocated to Chicago, IL. Eric Schmidt is a certified public accountant with a Big 6 firm.

Through this CD, may they all live forever. Aaaaaaaaatskooooooo. - Howie Gano