50 MILLION - "3/14/05" - CDR - 2005

   I know I say this a lot about different bands, but 50 MILLION really is one of my all time top favorite bands. I'm still baffled by how they made it out of the 1990's Mission punk scene alive with most of their major organs still intact.
   50 MILLION is a core group of two brothers named Wade and Shell who have been playing music together for...uh..a really long fucking time. Wade used to play in a band called CORDUROY back in the 90's and he asked Shell to play 2nd guitar in the band. Before it could ever happen, the band broke up and the two brothers set out to continue writing songs together. A lot of the early recordings are beautifully fucked up, heartbroken pop songs recorded on 4 track. Sometimes they sent each other unfinished songs through the mail between San Francisco and San Marcos, Texas...and the other brother would finish it. They ranged from the aforementioned pop to experimental noise to soundscapes to audio dramas to loud metallish dirges. Along the way, they picked up friends to round out their sound and put out a handful of 7"'s and a couple of albums. They even formed a one-off band with HICKEY and recorded each other's songs (found here) They went on tour with a shotgun, drugs and machetes, but still somehow managed to come home in one piece even though they had a habit of getting into fights everywhere they went.In the early '00's, they recorded a double LP tentatively titled "The Song Remains Insane", which is still unreleased. A record label (which shall remain unnamed) said they would put it out if the band would shave off the "noisier" parts and just leave the pop songs. The band refused and the recordings are probably still lingering around somewhere in the Mission District. I've heard a lot of it. It's really good. Someone should put it out.
   This CDR is 4 quick songs recorded on a 4 track in 2005 and it includes the completely unfuckwithable pop song "Sunday to Monday". On this release, they stick mostly to the pop side of things. Even though the two brothers live about as far apart from each other as two people can while still living in the same country, they are still, somehow, a band in some form. Apparently, they just recorded some new material with their dad (Wade Driver), who is a professional square dance caller. I can't wait to hear it.

                                     50 MILLION!!

Updated September 2014