April 16–23, 1998
music issue|collectors
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photo: Adam Wallacavage |
Chesire Agusta
Drummer for Stinking Lizaveta, co-host of the Melvins Café
Background: Though Chesire Agusta is known these days as the percussive maelstrom that propels Stinking Lizaveta's jazz/punk/metal fusion, she first honed her ability to play distinctive time signatures with Dr. At Tree, a local band heavily influenced by West and South African music. Soon after Agusta joined Dr. At Tree in 1987, she started seeking out albums to help her rhythmic research. Her pursuit of African music has dropped off in recent years, but when she's on the road with Stinking Lizaveta, she often trades albums with the indie rock bands she meets.
How long she has been collecting: Since the early '80s.
The numbers: Approximately 300-400 records.
Her specialty: Soukous, township jive, high life music, punk rock and math rock.
The first records she ever bought: Mary Poppins soundtrack, Zorba the Greek soundtrack and Stravinsky's The Rites of Spring.
Most prized possession: Remmy Ongala's Songs for the Poor Man. ("He's got this 6/8 rhythm going on and a chorus of women who convey a godly joy.")
The best bargains: "When we're on the road we get a lot of records for free. The San Francisco Optimist International has a single, 'Dirty Skirt,' that's great post-Zappa, West Coast math rock. The album No-Fi by another San Francisco band, Molecules, is wild, crazy jazz meets math rock."
What she's looking for: Remmy Ongala's Songs for the Poor Man. ("I lent it to a friend of mine in '93 and I haven't seen it since.")
