Complete List Of Pylon Albums And Songs

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Pylon took shape in Athens, Georgia, in late 1978 and became a four-piece in early 1979 when University of Georgia art students Randy Bewley (guitar), Michael Lachowski (bass), Curtis Crowe (drums), and Vanessa Briscoe Hay (vocals) came together around a DIY approach to making music. Pylon quickly became integral to the Athens music scene, which also fostered bands like R.E.M. and The B-52’s, gaining recognition for their energetic live performances and distinctive blend of danceable post-punk and new wave.

Pylon released two studio albums during its original run, Gyrate in 1980 and Chomp in 1983. The band disbanded at the end of 1983, reunited later in the decade, and released a third studio album, Chain, in 1990. The band’s sharp, angular guitar work, rhythmic complexity, and art-punk approach helped establish its reputation well beyond its commercial chart performance, while the admiration of artists including R.E.M. and The B-52’s helped introduce Pylon to later generations of alternative and indie rock listeners.

Pylon reunited again in the 2000s, but after guitarist Randy Bewley died in 2009, the surviving members formally ended the original band, maintaining that Pylon could not continue without all four members. Vanessa Briscoe Hay later formed Pylon Reenactment Society as a separate project carrying Pylon’s music forward. Pylon’s archival catalog has also continued to grow, including Pylon Live in 2016, recorded at the band’s December 1, 1983 farewell show in Athens, and the 2020 Pylon Box, which collected remastered editions of Gyrate and Chomp alongside rarities and previously unreleased recordings.

PYLON STUDIO ALBUMS

Gyrate (1980)

Released November 18, 1980

Gyrate is Pylon’s debut studio album and one of the defining early records from the Athens, Georgia, post-punk scene. The album captures the group’s jagged guitar riffs, propulsive rhythm section, and Vanessa Briscoe Hay’s distinctive vocals in a stripped-down sound that made Pylon immediately recognizable.

The album was recorded at Stone Mountain Studios in Georgia during July 1980 and produced by Bruce Baxter, Kevin Dunn, and Pylon. The lineup featured Vanessa Briscoe Hay on vocals, Randy Bewley on guitar, Michael Lachowski on bass, and Curtis Crowe on drums.

CD Track Listings:

“Volume” – 4:13
“Feast on My Heart” – 3:35
“Precaution” – 2:48
“Weather Radio” – 2:16
“The Human Body” – 3:11
“Read a Book” – 2:02
“Driving School” – 3:53
“Gravity” – 2:37
“Danger” – 5:38
“Working Is No Problem” – 3:29
“Stop It” – 3:06

Chomp (1983)

Released 1983

Chomp is Pylon’s second studio album and continued the band’s danceable post-punk sound while expanding its arrangements and studio experimentation. Songs such as “Crazy,” “Beep,” “M-Train,” “No Clocks,” and “Altitude” became important parts of the Pylon catalog, with “Crazy” later reaching another audience when R.E.M. recorded the song.

Most of Chomp was recorded at Mitch Easter’s Drive-In Studio in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with Chris Stamey and Gene Holder producing and Easter engineering, while some material originated from earlier sessions with Bruce Baxter in Atlanta. The album retained the original lineup of Vanessa Briscoe Hay, Randy Bewley, Michael Lachowski, and Curtis Crowe.

CD Track Listings:

“K” – 4:32
“Yo-Yo” – 4:14
“Beep” – 3:23
“Italian Movie Theme” – 2:01
“Crazy” – 3:13
“M-Train” – 3:48
“Buzz” – 2:58
“No Clocks” – 2:57
“Reptiles” – 3:56
“Spider” – 3:58
“Gyrate” – 4:06
“Altitude” – 3:19

Chain (1990)

Released October 1990

Chain marked Pylon’s return to the studio after the band’s reunion late in the 1980s. The album retained the group’s angular guitar work and rhythmic drive while presenting a somewhat fuller and more melodic production, giving the reunited band a sound that connected its early post-punk identity with the alternative-rock landscape that had developed during its absence.

The album was recorded during 1990 at Reflection Sound Studios in Charlotte, North Carolina, and John Keane Studios in Athens, Georgia, and was produced by Gary Smith and Scott Litt. Chain became Pylon’s third and final studio album.