Search - Unrest :: Isabel Bishop Ep

Insider indie pop ep that defined a sound & an era

Jeffrey Jotz | Rahway, NJ USA | 01/05/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In terms of indie rock, Washington, D.C. in the early 1990s was a busy place, and much of that activity can be credited to Mark Robinson's Teenbeat Records. Robinson was the frontman of Unrest, a band that began half-seriously at a beltway high school in the previous decade and morphed into a truly great avant-garde pop band that pushed the boundaries of an entire genre musically and in the area of graphic design.

This little EP is filled with alternate versions of Unrest songs, one ("Isabel") of which landed on the band's magificent 1992 full length release, Imperial f.f.r.r. and others than were pressed to 7" vinyl during those heady days. "Isabel" is a danceable and well-penned pop song and a tribute to painter Isabel Bishop. "Love to Know" and "Wednesday & Proud" are dreamy shoegazing tunes, while "Yes She is My Skinhead Girl" put Unrest on the radar of CMJ groupies with its singable lyrics that are, ironically, a no-no to the FCC. "Nation Writer" and "Wharton Hockey Club" show the band's more experimental side, making you wonder if Unrest was playing for your enjoyment or their own."

Unrest's best release

Adam Rickards | Las Vegas, NV United States | 10/11/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This seven song EP originally came out in early 1993, and I absolutely love it to death. In fact, I think that this is Unrest's best overall release (beating out "Imperial F.F.R.R." by just a notch).Starting with a new version of "Isabel," Unrest gels their musical vision perfectly throughout this album. Each song stands on its own, and proves that Unrest was one of the most inventive bands of the early '90s (as well as a favorite of mine). All of the tracks are good. The incessantly catchy rhythm of "Teenage Suicide" is followed by the lovely gem "Love to Know." The instrumental "Nation Writer" proves to me why Unrest was such an inventive band; they take a simple bass riff and turn it into a firey seven-minute jam which never runs thin. This song is perfect driving music.The real highlight of this collection is the slightly-explicit "Yes, She is My Skinhead Girl." The lyrics are absolutely hilarious, and are unlike any others that I've heard from this band. If memory serves me correctly, this song was originally released as a single on K Records back in 1991 (hence Calvin Johnson's production credit). I don't know if this song was recorded before Bridget Cross became their full-time bassist or not. Regardless, "Skinhead Girl" is a tune that is great fun to listen to. "Wednesday and Proud" provides a haunting atmosphere set against a slow, jazzy drumbeat. I think this is cool, and proof that Mark Robinson's was one of the best songwriters of the '90s. The misleading "Wharton Hockey Club" is not really a song at all, in fact, the track spends its full duration making strange noises that sound as if your stereo is skipping or something. I can only imagine the looks on people's faces when they played this on their stereo system only to think that the stereo was going bad. Pretty funny, I think. Unrest's joke on the listener. So in reality, there are only six songs, but it doesn't matter, since all of them are good. In conclusion, this is a great record by a great band. For all of those people that say that real rock and roll died in the '90s, I say you're dead wrong. This album is the proof."

Damn good band at their best

Adam Rickards | 08/12/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"this ep is a good example of unrest's musical stylings at it's best. especially the song isabel, these songs represent what american indie rock of the early nineties was supposed to be."