Little Fyodor

Little Fyodor[1][2][3] is the performance name of Dave Lichtenberg, an underground punk/garage musician from Denver, Colorado, who has been on the scene for four decades.[4] He originally performed in the band Walls of Genius, and then went on to become a solo act (now with a full band, but still carrying the name Little Fyodor). He is also known as a public radio DJ, and a reviewer of self-published music.

Biography

Little Fyodor is originally from suburban New Jersey where during college he was particularly inspired by the Ramones album Leave Home including the song "Carbona Not Glue".[5] He moved to Colorado in 1981.[6] In the 1980s he was a member of Walls of Genius, a cassette culture band which consisted of Little Fyodor, Evan Cantor, Ed Fowler and Brad Cartin,[7][8] an experimental group from Colorado which produced 30 tapes from 1982 to 1986. Dave Lichtenberg later went on to work on his solo project Little Fyodor.

Little Fyodor is also notable for his association with the Elephant 6 collective. The Apples in Stereo performed some of their earliest shows opening for his band. "Let it be known that the very first time the Apples ever performed with a real drum set, they were opening for Little Fyodor and Babushka."[9] Returning the favor, Fyodor's record "Dance of the Salted Slug" was released on the Elephant 6 label. In 1993 he toured with Negativland.

Before moving to Denver, Lichtenberg had a show on WTJU, the student-run station at the University of Virginia. Now, as Little Fyodor, he hosts a biweekly radio show every other Saturday at 11 PM on Boulder's KGNU titled "Under the Floorboards",[10] which showcases obscure artists. 2011 marks the 27th anniversary of Little Fyodor's career as a DJ at KGNU. After an initial interview in 1997,[11] Little Fyodor also began a column based on his radio show, "A Few of the Interesting Characters I've Discovered Under the Floorboards", in Denver-based fringe magazine CyberPsychos AOD.

After a live appearance by Little Fyodor and Babushka at the Death Equinox '97 convention, attendees were so enthusiastic about the performance that they requested having them play every year. Little Fyodor became the con's Audial Terror Guest of Honor in '98 as a result, and they continued to play every year. Rev. Ivan Stang of the Church of the SubGenius witnessed their '98 performance and asked them to play at the next X-Day gathering.[12]

Denver group Von Hemmling was reportedly named by Fyodor.[13][14]

As of June 2015 the group is still performing.[15][16]

Discography

Little Fyodor (and Babushka) releases
  • Peace is Boring - 2009, Public Eyesore[17]
  • Boyd Rice Presents:The Very Best Of Little Fyodor's Greatest Hits! - 2005, Discriminate Audio[18]
  • Babushka's Naughty XXXmas! (with Little Fyodor & The Inactivists) - 2005
  • Live @ XX-Day (with Babushka) - 2004
  • Revolution 9 - 2000
  • Dance Of The Salted Slug -1994, Elephant 6 Recording Co
  • Idiots Are Closer To God - 1990
  • Beneath The Uber-Putz - 1988
  • Slither / Sloth - 1985/1986

Appearances/Contributions
  • Madness Lives: The Walls Of Genius Compilation - 2005
  • Raw Sewage, VOL. II - 2004
  • Before... and After - 2004
  • Ludovico Treatment - Music To Cure Your Ills - 2003
  • Raw Sewage, VOL. I - 2002
  • Crazed To The Core - 2001
  • The Way I Feel (with Boyd Rice & Winona Righteous) - 2000

TV appearances and radio broadcasts
  • The Dr. Demento Show #86-14 - April 6, 1986[19]
  • The Dr. Demento Show #97-46 - November 16, 1997[20]
  • Setlist TV - 1 hour Staten Island Cable TV special featuring Little Fyodor and Babushka - January 2011
  • Outsight Radio Hours #719 - September 15, 2013[21][22]

Reviews

http://aural-innovations.com/2004/january/fyodor02.html - Walls Of Genius - "Raw Sewage, Vol. I" (self-released 2003, originally released on cassette 1983–1984) Walls Of Genius - "Ludovico Treatment: Music To Cure Your Ills" (self-released 2003, originally released on cassette 1984) Little Fyodor - "Idiots Are Closer To God" (self-released 2001, originally released on LP 1990)

http://www.aural-innovations.com/issues/issue22/fyodor01.html - Walls Of Genius - "Crazed To The Core" (self-released on CDR in 2001, originally released 1984 on cassette, WOG 0017) Little Fyodor - "Dance Of The Salted Slug" (The Elephant 6 Recording Co. 1994, EL6-901)

http://www.aural-innovations.com/issues/issue30/fyodor03.html - Walls Of Genius - "Raw Sewage, Vol. II" (self-released 2004, originally released various cassettes, 1983–1985) Walls Of Genius - "Before …and After" (self-released 2004, originally released on cassette, 1984) Little Fyodor - "Beneath The Uber-Putz" (self-released 2002, originally released on LP, 1988, Small Tools Tradition)

http://www.westword.com/2009-09-03/music/little-fyodor - Little Fyodor - "Peace is Boring" Review from Westword, September 2009

References
  1. Allmusic.com bio of Walls of Genius, Richie Unterberger
  2. Bracelin, Jason (July 13, 2006). "Cheeseballs and oddballs in town". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 3A. Retrieved 14 March 2009.
  3. Little Fyodor & Babushka Celebrate 20 Years, Optical Atlas March 6, 2009
  4. Neth, Alex (April 10, 2008). "These club acts follow the beat of a different drum". Rocky Mountain News.
  5. "Little Fyodor on Outsight Radio Hours". Archive.org. 2013-09-22. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  6. Heller, Jason (January 5, 2006). "Weird Al-right". Westword.
  7. Aural Innovations #22, January 2003
  8. Jeff (April 14, 2006). "Little Fyodor Dances the Salted Slug". Optical Atlas.
  9. Peake, Thomas (May 14, 1998). "Notes From the Underground". Westword. Retrieved 2009-02-22.
  10. Edwards, Robin (December 12, 2008). "Buried Treasure: Little Fyodor". Denver Decider. The Onion. Retrieved 2009-02-22.
  11. Getting Closer to God with Little Fyodor and Babushka interview excerpt
  12. Little Fyodor's Death Equinox Guest of Honor Bio
  13. Optical Atlas, 6 Questions with: Jim McIntyre
  14. Kiser, Amy (April 29, 1999). "The Curator of Pet Sounds". Westword.
  15. "Little Fyodor | Alternative from Denver, CO".
  16. "The Inactivists with Little Fyodor & Babushka Band and the Skivies, 4/1/2011". 2011-04-04.
  17. Peace is Boring track list at All Music
  18. Little Fyodor's Greatest Hits track list at All Music
  19. Dr. Demento playlist / Tom Lehrer profile Archived 2010-01-14 at the Wayback Machine April 6, 1986
  20. Dr. Demento playlist November 16, 1997
  21. "ORH #719 podcast archive". Radio Free Satan. 2013-09-17. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  22. "Playlist for Outsight Radio Hours #719". Outsight Radio Hours. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
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