Ghost Town Archives #1 -- The San Vitale

This is the first in a series of MP3 postings of long-gone Morgantown bands.

The San Viatle (1997-2000)

bass - Ryan Hand

organ and synth - Darian Schramm

Drums - Chris Turco/Jay Demko/anon

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With their hooky organ/Moog/drums equation and herky-jerky rhythms, The San Vitale were the first of the Morgantown bands to point toward what now known as dance-punk. To me, their music was a high-energy hybrid of Booker T and the MGs and DEVO.

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Ryan Hand, who later formed the Shame Spiral (the band that never was) moved to Columbus, OH where he DJs under the name of Dead Air, and causes lots of trouble.

Jay Demko, who later spearheaded On, the Rare Birds, the Holy Ghost, and World B Free now lives in Portland, Oregon.

Darian Schramm formed the Alloy Airkar and the A1M and now lives in New York.

Chris Turco moved to DC, where he played in the Scene Creamers, Pines of Nowhere, and Trans-Am. He now lives in Woodstock, NY.

Dammit! I can't remember the name of their first drummer.

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Flash Gorgeous

Neighbor of the Beast

Weighing the Wisdom

We Never Wanted This

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Thanks to Molekule for having the foresight to put these gems up in the first place.