In the Face of Coldness

Superstar Dan Theman In the Face of Coldness 45 (Scat, 1991)

Mostly known as a "crazy" pal of Guided by Voices, Superstar Dan Theman (AKA Supie T) is one of the more listenable outsider musicians. His fusion of scat singing, rock & roll, and poetry seems to have evolved more as an expression of his personality than some conscious attempt to be different. Theman's history (Vietnam vet with trouble adapting to a post-war world) certainly suggests this to be true. Like many an outsider, his work circulated on cassette among his friends, cassette culture fanatics, and those dedicated enough to outsider art that they actively pursued small run and homemade releases. Even then, stuff like this tends to remain a secret until someone pushes it to the surface. In 1991, Scat pressed 300 of this one, bringing it to the attention of the indie label crowd, those outside of Columbus, and me. If you haven't heard Supie T before, you are in for a treat.