Obscure Band of the Week #1: Are Eugenius?

Summer is here once again, bringing its usual assortment of goodies: heat, beach trips, heat, snowcones, heat, and summer blockbuster movies. It seems like there are dozens of superhero movies coming out or set to arrive this summer, so with this on my mind, it only seemed appropriate to make my inaugural post about Captain America.

Wait, isn't this a music blog? Sure it is. I'm talking about the band Captain America. Rather than an all-American, commie-fighting superhero, this is a 90s Scottish indie band. A sort of "jangle supergroup", this band featured superheroes (former members) from the Vaselines, Teenage Fanclub, and BMX Bandits, all three of which were at one time famously championed by Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. You may be more familiar with several Vaselines covers that Nirvana performed over their abbreviated career.

Naturally, as you may imagine, Marvel Comics was less than thrilled over the group's name choice. After the release of the EP Flame On (getting their superheroes crossed up?) under the Captain America name, they decided on the new name Eugenius, presumably after the frontman, former Vaselines singer Eugene Kelly. They would release several EPs and two albums, the second of which was released on legendary British indie label Creation Records, before disbanding in 1995.

All in all, this is a fun band to listen to, combining the jangly, shimmering pop melodies of Teenage Fanclub with a slightly grungier, indie rock edge. If you're not hearing it, think what would happen if it ever stopped raining in the Pacific Northwest: Seattle under a sunshiny sky, with smiling teenagers wearing brightly colored flannel, trading their dirtiest distortion pedals for Byrds-esque harmonies. Unfortunately, they were not grunge enough for fans of the rest of the scene, and they failed to catch on. Lucky for us, I discovered this obscure little site the other day called Youtube. Unlike Eugenius, I really think this could catch on.



This is a wonderful live version of "Flame On," the title track from their first EP. If I remember correctly, I think this was from a tour date that they did with Nirvana, but don't quote me on that. Though the visuals are obviously dated, the music still sounds great. Cut your hair and cheer up.

Download the EP version of "Flame On" here.