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Lynn Point Records helps to re-create local talent

Rick Greene
Staff Writer Volume 87 Number 19
Friday, August 03, 2001

Collecting recordings by local artists has not always been an easy task. Small numbers of cassette and CD releases have always been available at local record stores, but they quickly disappear.

Sure, recordings by bands like Superdrag and the V-Roys are always going to be easy to find, but lesser-known releases often get lost in the mix.

That is, until now.

Lynn Point Records, formed by ex-V-Roys Jeff Bills and Mic Harrison, retains a roster consisting exclusively of Knoxville bands, both preserving its storied past and offering a glimpse into the future.

Part of the charm of the Lynn Point catalog lies in its re-releases. Many of them were recorded with rudimentary equipment and were originally only available on cassette at a small number of local music stores.

Lynn Point's re-releases are remixed and mastered, appearing for the first time in pristine-sounding CD quality.

The first re-release, Mic Harrison's solo debut Don't Bail, was originally recorded in 1993.

"(The record) kind of got the ball rolling for Mic's career," Bills said. "A lot of people came together to make this one happen."

Bills' former band, the Taoist Cowboys, grace the Lynn Point catalog with 1992's Punt.

"(The record) was our first foray into a real studio," he said. "It kind of covers the gamut of styles that the Cowboys did."

Ex-Cowboys singer/guitarist Bob McCluskey's solo effort, Emergency Lunchbox, an intensely intimate recording, was voted by Metropulse as one of Knoxville's all-time greatest records.

The Swamis round out Lynn Point's re-releases with 1991's The Swamis, and Turl, originally released in 1993. Bills called the Swamis "one of the most overlooked bands to have ever played in Knoxville."

Their creativity is shown in these two CDs, which contain over 40 songs.

"The interplay of the two guitarists and the somewhat warped songs are what makes these albums really special," Bills said.

Though the re-releases offer fans a valuable record of Knoxville's musical past, what sets Lynn Point apart is its collection of current artists. Bills hopes to give local groups a much-needed boost.

"Bands can get exposure and make the connections to find a label with more resources, with more power to take them further," Bills said.

Released in April, The Faults' self-titled debut marks Lynn Point's first-ever new release. Fronted by Mic Harrison, The Faults are "really going to be a band to watch," according to Bills.

"Mic is writing the best songs of his career, and Robbie (Trosper) has really stepped up as a guitarist and songwriter as well," Bills said.

Along with The Faults, Lynn Point has also newly released Last Summer's Folding Chair, by Bob McCluskey's new group, The Estradas.

"It's really great that this record even exists," Bills said. "It contains some of Bob's best songs. The musicianship by the band is really high, as well."

Bills said Lynn Point also has a deal in the works with the up-and-coming group The Westside Daredevils.

Mustard is another group that may find its way into the Lynn Point lineup in the near future.

All of Lynn Point's releases are available locally at the Disc Exchange and on the Internet at www.lynnpoint.com. The Faults record is available nationally, thanks to a deal with Red Eye Distribution.

By preserving the past and encouraging the future, Lynn Point Records' mere existence is an invaluable asset to any local music fan.

"Trying to make some of Knoxville's musical past accessible to people, both the old crowd who were there and the new who weren't but are interested in it, is very important to us," Bills said. "Working with new acts and trying to have success with them is important to us as well."