speed of dark

From the first moments of tooth-grinding distortion followed by that barooom of bass, you know this song is different. The rest of the band picks up the beat, then the angelic voice of April Devereaux begins to croon.

Don't stare at me with those hollow eyes

Your disillusion is my guilt and pride

Convenience tried to comfort a lonely soul

While crystal tears fall, I cry too

There is nothing else I know like "Pixy," the oddly-named tale of a doomed love triangle, the first track of the only album by short-lived Seattle band Sybil Vane, and one of my favorites of all time. Ah, Sybil Vane, I have wondered so many times, what happened to you?

Before the blogosphere came along to hype unknown independent bands to glory, having a video on MTV was THE way to become known. I only recently found out that Sybil Vane had a video for "Pixy." I saw it once and once only on YouTube. The poster apparently ran afoul of someone's permissions because the next time I looked, the video was gone and his account had been closed. The video was filmed in art-house black and white, with April in odd Kabuki-like hairdo and most of the time wearing nothing but a few strategically-placed leaves. No wonder I never saw it on TV!

I was able to catch up with Sybil Vane's drummer, Joey Veneziani, about the lost video. He said:
"It was made/directed by [the same director as Nirvana's] 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' among others. The video was a huge mistake as far as I was concerned. The director talked April into that Geisha girl thing with images pasted over her more private areas, but in the end she looked a little too naked and MTV wouldn't touch it. It was just really stupid for a first video--that concept would be better for an established artist. Funny thing: about 6 months after we made it I see the first video by the band Garbage and it's directed by [the same guy] and it looks and feels exactly like the SV video without the Geisha thing. I felt like we were his guinea pigs..."

And so a twist of fate launches one band into fame and leaves another standing at the terminal. And sometimes there is no second chance to catch a flight.

Another thing I asked Joey about was the artwork for the album. It is graphically sexual and unmistably B*S*D*M*-oriented. How in the world did the record company agree to it?

"The artwork was chosen initially for the cover and then we saw some of the artist's other work and liked it. If I remember correctly the record company liked it too but wanted to crop the images for obvious reasons. Dave (Hillis, guitar and vocals) made it his campaign to not have the original artwork edited and thought controversy would be good if it came, and made his arguments citing other artists like Jane's Addiction, Roxy Music etc. for unsavory album art. I don't know why they caved in. The rest of us were cool with editing it, but Dave was definitely the leader of the band and the most experienced in the music biz so we went along. April and I were very young at that point - she was around 22 and I was 20."

So for good or bad, the artwork stayed. Not so evident from the front cover but apparent in the other images is the theme that physical intimacy without emotional intimacy is a rather barren experience, but people can still be in bondage to it. The man wears a jester's hat, and the couple never look at each other or appear to experience joy in what they are doing.

Some, but not all, of the songs reflect a correspondingly bleak stance. "Whips and Lollipops" takes the fun view. "Swallow" appears to be an anguished anti-porn message:

These sheets hide hidden filth

New lover, same four walls

Boys will be girls

Why can't you be a man?

"Fairy Tale" is exactly that, as if for a few minutes we can pretend that love is a shiny, perfect world where nothing can go wrong. It is one of my favorites on this album: shimmery and full of water images and April's gorgeous voice soaring like golden sun over the tides and storms.

Pixy

Whips and Lollipops

Pleasure plays a game

Lustful laughter, whips and lollipops

Little wonder life leaves scars,

Little wonder at all...

Painted pictures

Are at the fingertips

Fear blinds brightest color

Leaves the darkest hope.

Fairy Tale

Dave Hillis is a music producer and engineer in London who has worked with a variety of musicians, currently with Thee Heavenly Music Association.

Joey still lives in Seattle, and he says to his knowledge that April does too. She left the uncertainties of show business to settle down and have a family. I hope that she sings for them. At the time I saw the "Pixy" video on Youtube, there was a comment there from bassist Darren Jones saying that he still plays a little bass now and then.

This forgotten gem is available as a used CD from amazon. I have not found any site where downloads are available.

Sybil Vane's myspace (unmaintained)
Joey V myspace
Dave Hillis myspace