Caustic Resin

Longtime linchpins of the Boise, ID, indie scene, Caustic Resin were often lost in the shadow of the city's best-known exports, Built to Spill. Yet their roots dated back farther, and were also less connected to Seattle. Somewhat in contrast to the dominant sounds of the Northwest, Caustic Resin's music was a dark, druggy blend of heavy metal, psychedelia, and space rock. Headed by guitarist/vocalist Brett Netson, the band favored thick, slow-moving jams filled with torturous vocals and warped noise freak-outs, softened by the occasional quiet meditation or hint of blues. Most media attention focused on Caustic Resin's relationship with Built to Spill -- Netson was a frequent guest musician, and the two bands once combined for an EP release -- but they proved to be a venerable presence in their own right, sticking around for well over a decade. Caustic Resin were formed in Boise in 1988, and originally featured guitarist/singer Brett Netson (formerly of local punk outfit the Pugs), bassist Tom Romich Jr., and drummer Pat Perkins. They started out playing in heavy metal venues, but were soon gigging with another Boise-rooted band, Doug Martsch's pre-Built to Spill outfit Treepeople. By the early '90s, drummer James Dillion (aka James Manny) had replaced Perkins, giving the group its best-known lineup. In 1993, Netson moonlighted with the newly formed Built to Spill as their charter bass player, appearing on their debut album for C/Z, Ultimate Alternative Wavers. Helped by the exposure and Martsch's advocacy (he cited Caustic Resin as an influence on his own music), Caustic Resin signed with C/Z themselves and issued their official debut album, Body Love Body Hate, that year as well. Like Built to Spill, Caustic Resin subsequently moved over to Up Records. Their next...