{"id":8534,"date":"2014-06-05T07:42:21","date_gmt":"2014-06-05T11:42:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/topics\/?p=8534"},"modified":"2014-06-05T18:39:04","modified_gmt":"2014-06-05T22:39:04","slug":"the-story-of-muler-the-band","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/topics\/2014\/06\/the-story-of-muler-the-band\/","title":{"rendered":"The Slow Grind: the Story of Muler."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Muler.<\/a>
\nThe following is a guest post submitted by Brad Lewis<\/a>.
\nSubmit your story today<\/a>.<\/i><\/small><\/p>\n

Rochester has long been home to a vibrant and diverse music scene. Original music has always had room to find an audience here, a luxury most cities cannot claim, but we support our own. Even in the pre-punk days local bands like The Invictas \"external<\/a>, Soul Brothers Six \"external<\/a> and Duke Jupiter \"external<\/a> were able to make a name on a national level. But beyond those lucky few lie the stories of dozens of bands who achieved their own form of greatness. With an array of clubs and bars encouraging original voices there has never been a lack of up-and-comers (and should-have-made-its) hitting the stage on any given night.<\/p>\n

A little over twenty years ago David Baumgartner, Sean Leahy, Will Veeder and Kris Durso joined those ranks as Muler \"external<\/a>. During their two decade career, Muler has embodied everything that makes this scene unique. They were just four guys who made loud tuneful rock and roll in the least pretentious way possible…<\/p>\n

\"Rochester<\/a>
\nMuler\u2019s first rehearsal was above Arena\u2019s flower shop on East Avenue sometime in 1993 with Durso on guitar, Veeder on bass, Leahy behind the drums and Baumgartner singing. Any other specifics have been lost to time. Former motivations and plans are nothing but hazy memories these days. Perhaps the only agreed upon fact is lack of a connection to the local scene.<\/p>\n

Muler grew not out of an urge to be another Rochester band, but rather the kind of band they wanted to see. The initial inspiration grew from the mix tapes Baumgartner made for Leahy during their college days. As the music director of his college radio station, Dave had access to a wealth of indie rock, a collection he felt compelled to share with his childhood friend.<\/p>\n

Having never been in bands before, or being particularly well versed in playing music, neither really know what convinced them to put a band together. Dave considers seeing Buffalo Tom \"external<\/a> in 1991 as a particular influence. Says Baumgartner: \u201cit always bugged me that bands couldn\u2019t wear like khakis and a polo shirt and just rip it up and bang shit out and sweat like other bands did.\u201d <\/p>\n

In the pre-grunge days rock and roll had a uniform, an embarrassing combination of big hair, tight pants, fringe and god knows what else. Like the punks of the generation before, the bloated monster of show business kept rock and roll at an alienating distance. But Buffalo Tom was different. \u201cThey looked like my friends, they looked like regular fucking guys and they just rocked. We can do that! And they didn\u2019t seem like great musicians and I knew a couple chords and I just saw he was playing G\u2019s and C\u2019s and D\u2019s and just playing fast and super loud.\u201d<\/p>\n

After convincing guitarist Kris Durso to join them while at a Dinosaur Jr \"external<\/a> show (who in turn brought Will Veeder into the fold) Muler was became a reality. Not that those early practices were any indication of a band that would last over 20 years. \u201cDave knew maybe 2-3 chords. I didn\u2019t know what the fuck I was doing. Durso actually played at the first practice. When he put a lead over our bullshit we were like, \u2018WHAT THE FUCK\u2019\u201d says Leahy.<\/p>\n

\"Muler,<\/a>
\nThe passion and work ethic\u2014in those early days the band would practice upwards of 3-4 times a week\u2014allowed them to quickly gel. Although Dave and Sean had not played with anyone before, that early focus and intensity got the band playing in front of people fairly quickly. Early nondescript gigs playing to various girlfriends, friends, band members, and the occasional bystander are now largely forgotten. The band that grew out of that youthful rock and roll idealism first came to be at (now defunct) local spaces Abyss and Friends and Players.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sound
\njust like Superchunk…
\nif that\u2019s your thing\u201d<\/h3>\n

It is those kinds of local spaces that have allowed original music to flourish in Rochester. After the DIY boom of the post-punk era there has been a wealth of venues that support the unique rock and roll voices we have to offer. Spaces like Scorgies \"external<\/a>, Milestones \"external<\/a>, Jazzberry\u2019s \"external<\/a>, Friends & Players, Abyss and Wonderland may be distant memories; but the legacy of the rooms is the vibrant scene we take for granted today.<\/p>\n

Fortunate for Muler, they came around at a time when a complete and total lack of musical experience was not necessarily a deterrent to getting on stage.<\/p>\n

Not long after forming Muler booked a demo session with a dance DJ named Maestro in order to introduce themselves to the larger clubs like Abyss. Baumgartner remembers Maestro: \u201che had jheri curl, like Deion Sanders. Looked like a first wave rapper; track suit, big glasses. He looked like Kurtis Blow.\u201d <\/p>\n

Maestro was surprisingly hands off allowing the band to present themselves as they were. Those sessions never saw the light of day, but they did function as a avenue to larger shows. Veeder remembers how that tape got them onstage at Abyss by simply stopping in on the right day. Fortunately a slow business day and a friendly bartender gave the fledging band their first break into the nascent local scene. Veeder remembers \u201cthere were like 2 people in the bar. Bartender put the tape on and this old lushy blonde was like \u2018I like this stuff.\u2019\u201d The band jokes about how barely-coherent day-drunks have been their audience ever since. <\/p>\n

Current member Jona Toll was at that early show. \u201cI was working at Abyss at the time… I remember [Muler] had the best flyer because it had Ernie and Bert on it. I didn\u2019t know who the hell they were but I saw that flyer and I was like I\u2019m showing up.\u201d<\/p>\n

But it was the legendary Friends & Players where Muler finally began to get noticed and fall in with other bands. The influence of Friends & Players cannot be understated when it comes to the wave of underground local music in the 90s. Something resembling a relatively unified local scene was able to grow because a place like this basically just allowed anyone to play. <\/p>\n

Baumgartner remembers Friends & Players \u201cwas just a neighborhood bar. Like a serious drinking bar… to bring 20 kids into that place and start ordering beers? They thought we killed it, to bring in 20-30 people.\u201d It wasn\u2019t a particularly nice place, but it was the kind of bar where you could see original local music every weekend. Beyond the confidence boost that comes with being able to have a steady space to play, it was at Friends & Players where Muler was introduced to bands such as The Thunder Gods \"external<\/a>, Koo Koo Boy \"external<\/a>, Dog\u2019s Life \"external<\/a> and Nod \"external<\/a> (a friendship that would be memorialized on the 1998 Carbon Records single Here Comes Nod<\/i>). <\/p>\n

\"Muler:<\/a>
\nIn 1994 Muler began to record and release music in earnest starting with the Share An Apple<\/i> single on long defunct local label Gamma Ray…<\/p>\n[audio:https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/audio\/muler-share-an-apple.mp3|autostart=no]\n

If nothing else the record served as an introduction to local label owner, and future Muler bassist, Joe Tunis. At the time Tunis was publishing local music zine Suck<\/i>. Tunis remembers the single being the first time anyone sent him anything for review, a decision that set off a twenty year relationship. After advising on a self-released split single with long gone locals Lift, Tunis released the Thrush<\/i> single on his new Carbon Records \"external<\/a> label.<\/p>\n

\"Muler<\/a>
\nTunis recalls the compulsion to release Muler\u2019s music then and now: \u201cthey dropped off a single, it was the Share An Apple<\/i> single, we were running a zine at the time [Suck], it was the first time anyone sent us anything. So with Muler and with Hinkley \"external<\/a>, I don\u2019t do a very good job. The label has niche… and it\u2019s not indie rock. Indie rock is a pain in the ass to get out there and get it listened to because there is so much. The problem is when I hear the stuff and they give it to me and they\u2019re not going to do anything else with it, I kinda have to put it out. I\u2019m sort of compelled to put it out and it\u2019s not because I think I owe them… this is so good it\u2019s got to get put out somehow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite his self proclaimed \u201clow expectations,\u201d the Thrush<\/i> single was able to bring notice to the band. Recorded at Studio Red \"external<\/a> in Philadelphia (chosen because personal favorite albums by bands like Versus \"external<\/a> and Helium \"external<\/a> were recorded there) the songs had the crucial mix of studio sheen and the ragged glory of the live performance. <\/p>\n

However, it was a chance meeting with John Szuch that really got things moving. Described by the band as a \u201ctrust fund kid,\u201d Szuch was in the process of launching Deep Elm Records \"external<\/a>. He and the band crossed paths after a non-descript show in New York. Although he was there for another band, Szuch was sufficiently impressed enough to hand Durso his business card that night.<\/p>\n

Veeder remembers the unimpressed Durso saying something sarcastic, shoving the card in his wallet, only remembering to call several days later. That card led to the release of the On The Rug<\/i> b\/w Slowpoke<\/i> single \u2013 Deep Elm\u2019s first non-compilation. More importantly that release led to a review in Magnet \"external<\/a> and increased visibility in NYC.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile an English label called Dedicated\u2014newly flush with money after the unexpected success of Spiritualized \"external<\/a>, and Beth Orton \"external<\/a> stateside\u2014had hired young hipsters to scour the rock and roll underground looking for American bands to sign. Fate converged at a sparsely attended gig at the Continental, a club in the St. Mark\u2019s neighborhood in Manhattan. One of the young scouts happened to be in attendance and was impressed enough to bring the money men to watch another show.<\/p>\n

Although the band had been making increasingly sophisticated singles on larger labels, the break came down to pure luck, one night they just happened to play in front of the right set of ears.<\/p>\n

For the second time,
\nMuler\u2019s powerful live show
\ndirectly led to
\na record deal…<\/h3>\n

This time Dedicated came knocking with an open wallet, \u201ccarte blanche\u201d as Baumgartner tells it. Unfortunately band and Szuch had already discussed the possibility of a full length \u2013 negotiations that made the band nervous. \u201cHe was a bulldog. Really smart, knew business.\u201d But Dedicated offered an opportunity that could not be ignored. Soon enough they signed the contract and got to work.<\/p>\n

Again they called on Red, but this time he came to them. Dave remembers the sessions: \u201cRed brought his stuff up here. He had a U-Haul filled with everything. Set up across from East High, there was a studio there. They bought us new equipment and everything. We recorded for a month.\u201d <\/p>\n

At first the album was heavily supported: ads, posters and even their own branded condoms. Dedicated\u2019s promotional reach had some effect as current guitarist Nick Walter remembers walking into Sounds (a Manhattan record store) and seeing the displays. Although already a fan, this was how he found out about the full length. Attempting to keep the momentum going, Muler began to demo a second LP. But like The Turtles and Big Star before them, the system went off the rails before they were able to make a mark. <\/p>\n

\"Muler:<\/a>
\nAbout six weeks after the release of their debut major label album, The State Of Play \"external<\/a>, Dedicated went bankrupt. With no promotional support, and the CD becoming suddenly unavailable, Muler began to run out of options.
\nIt was around this time Muler experienced their first major line-up change with Jona joining on bass and Will moving over to guitar. Although the possibility of a second album was lost, this line-up quickly recorded the Here Comes Nod<\/i> single and MotelBibleSchool<\/i> EP were for Carbon. In spite of both records being as good as anything that got them signed to Dedicated, their moment had passed.<\/p>\n

Professionally their hopes had been dashed, but that era of the band did something The Beach Boys, Alice Cooper, Iggy Pop and Little Richard couldn\u2019t. They played the single best show I have ever seen.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoly Shit,
\nthere are bands in town
\nthat are just as good
\nas bands
\nI\u2019m listening to!\u201d<\/h3>\n

In March of 1999, I, along with current guitarist Nick Walter, made the trek out to Bug Jar to catch Muler and Hilkka \"external<\/a>, a long (personally) beloved local math-rock outfit. Think Shellac \"external<\/a>, only more streamlined and not filled with hate. At least outwardly so. Justly forgotten Boston area pop band Gigolo Aunts were scheduled to headline, but bailed due to the weather. Time has fogged the memory of the bulk of the show, but I have images. I remember Dave tackling Jona, both falling out the back door of the club into a snow bank and not missing a note. I remember someone, maybe Durso, running into his amplifier and just crumbling to the ground. I remember the antics, but I mostly remember a band putting everything they had into a show for less than 20 people. In 15 years I never forgot that show and tell the story whenever I can. The band seems a little uncomfortable with my adulation. Admittedly my enthusiasm can be a bit much \u2013 but I know what I saw. <\/p>\n

\u201cI hope moving furniture isn\u2019t our rock and roll legacy\u201d<\/h3>\n

Despite the quality of the later Carbon recordings, MotelBibleSchool<\/i> in particular is as good as anything that came out of this town, Muler began to fall apart. Seven years of hard living and professional heartbreak was more than they could handle. In 2000 the band simply ran out of gas. Today they can\u2019t agree on who first wanted to stop, they just know they weren\u2019t surprised.<\/p>\n

\"Muler.<\/a>
\n\u201cWe lived large for a lot of years. It was tiring. Steam gets let out.\u201d Sean says this with more than a tinge of regret while Dave and Will look at the floor.<\/p>\n

Things did not go exactly as planned, but they know it wasn\u2019t for a lack of trying. What happened was never fully in their control. They did what they did and they did it as good as anyone. But sometimes that hurts more than knowing your blew your chance on drugs, women and stupidity. At least that is changeable behavior. Muler got crushed by the unfeeling gears of the music business. They never stood a chance.<\/p>\n

After the breakup, Will and Sean formed the country-ish Hinkley, releasing several CDs through Carbon, a catalog that runs the gamut from very to unbelievably good. Jonah continued with 5 Watt Bulb \"external<\/a> while Dave started Birdcircuit \"external<\/a>, an unabashedly pop band with two legitimately great albums to their name. Durso moved down south and recently published a young adult novel called Isaac\u2019s Will \"external<\/a>. Within a couple years Sean left music entirely to focus on real life, quickly having three children, and Muler became another local music footnote; one of the bands who were able to get something out nationally during the alternative rock feeding frenzy of the mid to late 90s. But eventually Sean was itching to get back behind the drums.<\/p>\n

\"Muler:<\/a>
\nIn 2010 Muler reformed with Dan Smith, guitarist from Birdcircuit, and Joe Tunis (Hilkka, Tumul \"external<\/a>, Tuurd \"external<\/a>, Speedqueen, Crush The Junta \"external<\/a> and many others) on bass. In 2011 the long wished for second album, Hope You Found A Home<\/i> was finally released on Carbon Records. But after all this time priorities change, goals evolve. Hope You Found A Home<\/i> was born purely out of a need to create. All proceeds from the album go to The Grant Fund \"external<\/a>, a foundation focused on the support of SIDS research and prevention and established in the name of a friend\u2019s young son who passed at only four months of age. To the band it was a no-brainer. To hear Sean tell it they are no longer interested in just making it about themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like, and this is the truth actually, the band I feel like can go on without Will, it can go on without me, it can go on without Jonah. But Muler could never be without Sean,\u201d Baumgartner says. \u201cHe\u2019s the glue. It doesn\u2019t work without him.\u201d It\u2019s a generous thought, but Will quickly counters \u201cthe combination of you two [Dave and Sean] is the glue.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Muler,<\/a>
\nAfter being off and on for 21 years, releasing two full lengths and a handful of singles, and briefly grabbing that major label brass ring, what\u2019s left? \u201cThere\u2019s nothing left to prove. Except be better\u201d says Sean. \u201cAnd the fact you had one of your best shows is enough. It really is.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u2022 \u2022\u00a0\u2022<\/div>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

About Brad Lewis:<\/h3>\n
Brad Lewis<\/a> is a lifelong music nerd living in Rochester and a member of the WAYO<\/a> team. WAYO is a free-form, low-power radio station in Rochester set to launch in late 2014. A program of the Multi-Use Community Cultural Center, WAYO will provide diverse and idiosyncratic arts and cultural programming. More information, including an application to become a programmer, can be found on the web at www.wayofm.org<\/a> and Facebook.com\/wayoradio<\/a>. This article is the first in a series co-sponsored by Rochester Subway and WAYO exploring Rochester’s music and radio history.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The following is a guest post submitted by Brad Lewis. Submit your story today. Rochester has long been home to a vibrant and diverse music scene. Original music has always had room to find an audience here, a luxury most cities cannot claim, but we support our own. Even in the pre-punk days local bands […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10669,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1573,1293,15],"tags":[2672,356,2668,2669,2328,1216,53,2667,151,2670,2671],"class_list":["post-8534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rochester-art-culture","category-reader-submitted-stories","category-rochester_history","tag-brad-lewis","tag-history-of-rochester","tag-muler","tag-muler-the-band","tag-multi-use-community-cultural-center-muccc","tag-music","tag-rochester","tag-rochester-music-history","tag-rochester-ny","tag-wayo","tag-wayo-radio"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8534"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8534\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8562,"href":"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8534\/revisions\/8562"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10669"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rochestersubway.com\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}