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News Wed Sep 19 2007
Moved to Antarctica...left no forwarding address.
Transmission mourns the death of Lydia Tomkiw, former vocalist for the Hyde Park duo Algebra Suicide. In the late '80s and early '90s, numerous Algebra Suicide tracks (especially the enduring classic "Little Dead Bodies") made it to mixtapes everywhere. Tomkiw's spoken/recited poetry over Don Hedeker's (later of the Polkaholics) guitar and drumbox recreated that realm of cool first initiated on record by Patti Smith ("Piss Factory" 7") and seldom seen in such pure form since. The group was short-lived, putting out only a few full-lengths and 7"s - arguably, their best work can be found on the out-of-print (but worth searching out) LP/CD titled The Secret Like Crazy (RRR/Dom Records).
Tributes:
* Fond words from longtime Tomkiw friend Sharon Mesmer;
* WFMU Blog;
* Great article about Lydia's early life and the origins of the band, including her upbringing in Humbolt Park.
Also, the band's Myspace page has a few more songs for you to listen to.
Check out the video for "Little Dead Bodies," a track grown all the more poignant for the author's passing, here: (sorry, YouTube claims that embedding was "disabed by request")