The whereabouts of the Urge Overkill brain trust is finally known and it turns out it's right back where it all started -- in Chicago. After the Windy City trio quietly disbanded but never officially broke up two years ago, bassist/singer Eddie "King" Roeser joined forces with his brother John to form the group Electric Airlines, guitarist/singer Nash Kato holed up in his Chicago abode demoing solo material, and drummer Blackie Onassis completely vanished.

Now, Roeser, who sang lead on most Urge Overkill tunes, has turned his attention to the Kimball Roeser Effect, a grunge-pop duo that includes former Jesus Lizard drummer Jim Kimball. "We're leaving the experimental rock to others at this point," says Roeser. The unsigned group, which began playing last October under the name L.I.M.E. (an acronym for nothing in particular), has started playing sporadic club dates. Early demos on songs like "The Wait" and "Go On" feature a balance of the Urge Overkill garage sound and guttural power-pop, though Roeser says "it doesn't have as much of a pop element" as their newer, not yet recorded material.

Elsewhere among the Urge debris, Nash Kato, famed for singing lead on the Neil Diamond cover "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon," off the Pulp Fiction soundtrack, is preparing to sign a record deal with Loosegroove Records, which is headed by Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard. Currently Kato is in a Chicago studio recording new material with producer Eric Ross (Tori Amos, Tuatara). Josh Freese, drummer for Guns n' Roses and the Vandals, has already recorded drums for the album. Leroy Bach, who tours with Wilco, is on bass and Nils St. Cyr, along with Kato, plays guitar. The album should be finished some time in June or July, with no release date in site.

BLAIR R. FISCHER
(May 19, 1999)