{"id":1174,"date":"2021-01-31T12:57:14","date_gmt":"2021-01-31T12:57:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/?p=1174"},"modified":"2021-01-31T12:57:14","modified_gmt":"2021-01-31T12:57:14","slug":"krakow-cellar-sounds-underground-music-underground-2009-2017-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/krakow-cellar-sounds-underground-music-underground-2009-2017-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Krak\u00f3w Cellar Sounds: Underground Music, Underground \u2013 2009-2017 Part 1."},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_section][vc_row][vc_column width=\u201d1\/2\u2033][nk_text]My Polish musical adventure started when I arrived here in Autumn of 2006. I took a ferry with my partner from Ireland to France and drove across Europe. It was a memorable road trip, national-lampoons style, that involved a mix of camping in Ordnung Muss Sein<\/i> German campsites and sleeping in the back of the Polo with the seats down \u2013 like hobos who had happened to get lucky enough to find an unlocked car. We spent the long journey across the plains of Northern Europe listening to new albums by Yo La Tengo, The Go-Betweens, My Morning Jacket, Sufjan Stevens, Gorillaz, Bright Eyes, etc. That music-induced, trance-like state was rudely shattered upon arrival at Poland\u2019s borders. We were finally behind the Iron Curtain and on first impression the country seemed rather different; the roads were narrower than Germany\u2019s, more pot-holed and really really busy. The locals also enjoyed frantically marauding through their pristine forests picking edible mushrooms, as was evident by the amount of cars parked by the side of woodland roads. Oh and they liked drinking their tea black \u2013 with lemon in it. This would need a period of adjustment.[\/nk_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=\u201d1\/2\u2033][vc_single_image image=\u201d1178\u2033 img_size=\u201dlarge\u201d add_caption=\u201dyes\u201d][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=\u201d1\/2\u2033][vc_single_image image=\u201d1183\u2033 img_size=\u201dlarge\u201d][\/vc_column][vc_column width=\u201d1\/2\u2033][nk_block_quote]<\/p>\n

One thing seemed clear from the musical landscape that stretched out before my fresh ears: it seemed as if the 90s had never happened here.<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n

[\/nk_block_quote][nk_text]The next months provided that opportunity. The radio played something called Disco Polo<\/strong><\/a>,<\/i> like a plastic Polish version of Serbian Turbo Folk without the overt nationalism, or really cheesy 80s hits from Bonnie Tyler, Scorpions and Alphaville (who, it turned out, were not just big in Japan<\/a>).\u00a0 <\/span>One thing seemed clear from the musical landscape that stretched out before my fresh ears: it seemed as if the 90s had never happened here.\u00a0 <\/span>It had been many years since I had played music and although I had picked up the bass guitar as an eager 15-year-old, life had somehow got in the way. I had neglected my hobby in the rush to have a career, relationship, etc. A chance encounter while living in Nowa Huta<\/strong><\/a> provided me with the opportunity I sought to rekindle a lost love.[\/nk_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=\u201d1\/2\u2033 css=\u201d.vc_custom_1612029751235{background-color: rgba(196,181,96,0.13) !important;*background-color: rgb(196,181,96) !important;}\u201d][nk_title like=\u201d\u201d style=\u201d\u201d]Too Short, Too Soon: Too Pretty for Porn<\/em><\/strong>[\/nk_title][nk_text]It was around this time that I was introduced to the irrepressible Phil Soanes<\/strong> through a mutual friend. Phil, a fellow Irishman who now runs the alternative record label Resonating Wood Recordings<\/a> from Slovakia, was eagerly looking to start a band in Krak\u00f3w. It turned out he was a nifty enough guitarist and a decent songwriter in the troubadour tradition of Cohen, Dylan and Buckley<\/a>. He\u2019d landed a shy drummer from San Francisco who could keep time and also write songs (Nico Bailey) \u2013 a beautiful and rare combination. He had a decent voice too so we all thought he was like Krakow\u2019s answer to Phil Collins. There was also a mad Scottish crooner called Dave Devine who looked like Billy Gillespie\u2019s (Primal Scream) unhinged younger brother. Dave seemed hell bent on systematically dulling his vocal chords with copious amounts of cigarettes and cheap Wisni\u00f3wka, <\/i>priming and preening himself for singing duties while seducing the ladies with his rolling \u2018R\u2019s and ridiculously suave Polish that we were all so sickeningly jealous of. Some Poles even refused to believe he was Scottish \u2013 that\u2019s how convincing his accent was. Anyway, we coalesced around Phil, the kingpin, and man who had brought us all together. It was great fun but like some kind of demented cult and the name\u00a0 <\/span>\u2013 Too Pretty for Porn<\/strong> \u2013 <\/i>was, of course, embarrassingly bad, for which I am mostly to blame. Some people even made snide remarks that we weren\u2019t edgy enough for such a title, but that just merely egged us on. Within several months we had a few songs and things were moving. One of our songs, Myopia<\/i>, written by Soanes, had an edge to it that was vaguely reminiscent of a poppy version of Interpol, but the lyrics were introspective and bristling with insecurity.[\/nk_text][nk_text]<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve countered silence with openness at my expense
\n<\/i>But words can hurt the hardest heart
\n<\/span><\/i>And deconstruct a work of art \u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/strong><\/h5>\n

At other times it was the melancholy of the outcast, the social recluse, but one who was more than willing to use alcohol to overcome their limitations to peel away the veneer of social decorum for personal gratification at the expense of everything else \u2013 including friendships.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I wear myself without a straightjacket
\n<\/i>If I can laugh then is there any great intent?
\n<\/i>I give you truth you give me hell
\n<\/i>I give you truth you give me hell
\n<\/i>I live for every day\u00a0<\/i>If we are free then why regret when barriers are cast aside
\n<\/i>And honesty is put before pride<\/i><\/strong><\/h5>\n

[\/nk_text][nk_plain_audio dark_style=\u201d1\u2033 audio_file=\u201d1184\u2033][\/vc_column][vc_column width=\u201d1\/2\u2033][nk_text]<\/p>\n

Phil Soanes\u2019 Rusted Sounds<\/em><\/strong><\/h5>\n

[\/nk_text][vc_raw_html]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[\/vc_raw_html][vc_single_image image=\u201d1181\u2033 img_size=\u201dlarge\u201d add_caption=\u201dyes\u201d][vc_single_image image=\u201d1186\u2033 img_size=\u201dlarge\u201d add_caption=\u201dyes\u201d][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=\u201d.vc_custom_1612038431392{padding-top: 85px !important;}\u201d][vc_column][nk_title like=\u201d\u201d style=\u201d\u201d]Sweeping the Krak\u00f3w Underground Cellars: The Dust Bunnies<\/em><\/strong>[\/nk_title][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=\u201d1\/3\u2033][vc_raw_html]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[\/vc_raw_html][\/vc_column][vc_column width=\u201d2\/3\u2033][nk_text]Then summer came and instead of seizing the day, we seized up like a broken rusted bicycle. We were all teachers, and some of the guys (Phil and Dave) had to leave to teach in summer schools abroad \u2013 and just when we were starting to make progress. The rhythm section had other ideas and we desperately wanted to keep playing and thought about how we could go about that. There was a palpable feeling of intense creativity ahead and we didn\u2019t want things put on hold until Sep\/Oct. That didn\u2019t make any sense to us at the time, and, selfishly, nor did any sense of loyalty to the others.[\/nk_text][nk_text]We transformed into The Dust Bunnies<\/a> when we found a fine young guitarist called Igor Herzyk from Bielsko Bia\u0142a, who these days hones his guitar witchcraft with the gothic Them Pulp Criminals<\/a> and who would later play with Uda <\/a>and Vladimirska<\/a>;\u00a0 <\/span>An ostentatious vocalist from the US Midwest, Dominic Leppla, waited in the wings with an odd penchant for both Prince and the Replacements, agile vocal acrobatics at the ready. He eventually starting penning deft insightful lyrics after a period of sustained prodding. He explains how he found himself in the band.[\/nk_text][nk_block_quote]<\/p>\n

How did I come to be part of the short-but-sweet-lived Krakow rock\u2019n\u2019roll outfit Dust Bunnies AKA K\u0142\u0119bki Kurzu? It was thanks to a chance meeting with an American drummer and songwriter, Nico Bailey, at the birthday party of a mutual\u00a0znajomy \u2013 someone who later told me that one of our songs sounded like it should be on the Rocky Horror soundtrack (I took the compliment!). This was at the bar below Kino Kij\u00f3w. I hadn\u2019t been in Poland long, but just long enough to feel a bit out of place with the uneasy scrambling for steadier work. Many Warka Strong and W\u015bciek\u0142y Pies were consumed that dimly-lit evening, and I didn\u2019t think much of it till I got a phone call a week later on my Nokia from a number I didn\u2019t recognize. I heard a West Coast drawl. \u2018Heyy man, it\u2019s Nico. So when would you like to come audition to sing with us?\u2019 Ehh? Apparently I\u2019d been drunkenly touting myself as a vocalist, though without much memory of it later. This story seems plagiarized from the plot of The Commitments<\/a> but it\u2019s true. While I don\u2019t have Andrew Strong\u2019s talent as a soul shouter, I like to think I\u2019m a better line reader \u2013 and less of an asshole!\u201d<\/em><\/h5>\n

[\/nk_block_quote][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=\u201d1\/3\u2033][nk_text]Band lineups are a mystical thing. Why do some work and some fail miserably? In the best-functioning bands I\u2019ve had the pleasure of being in, there is often this intangible and elusive quality that cannot be defined; it unites the divergent personalities and tastes present, it includes everyone\u00a0in its embrace, and channels an unspoken understanding that relegates petty disputes, mocks egos and focuses on the primary motivator above all else \u2013 the music. We would spend the next few glorious months working on songs for an album that was recorded in two brutal days, with bone-shattering hangovers, in Jarek Wyka\u2019s (from veteran Krakow outfit Smingus<\/a><\/strong>) Lubel Studio near Nowy Kleparz in January 2010. We played a few lively shows in Krakow during that year we were together, including the famed Drukarnia<\/i> <\/a><\/strong>in Podg\u00f3rze<\/strong><\/a> with another band called Eluktrick<\/a><\/strong> that also included Smingus keyboardist Thymn Chase<\/strong><\/a> and alt country outfit Gasoline<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>[\/nk_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=\u201d2\/3\u2033][vc_single_image image=\u201d1187\u2033 img_size=\u201dlarge\u201d add_caption=\u201dyes\u201d][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row awb_type=\u201dcolor\u201d awb_stretch=\u201d1\u2033 awb_color=\u201d#d6d6d6\u2033 css=\u201d.vc_custom_1612088096225{padding-top: 35px !important;}\u201d][vc_column width=\u201d1\/5\u2033][vc_single_image image=\u201d1209\u2033 img_size=\u201dlarge\u201d alignment=\u201dcenter\u201d onclick=\u201dlink_image\u201d][\/vc_column][vc_column width=\u201d1\/5\u2033][vc_single_image image=\u201d1208\u2033 img_size=\u201dlarge\u201d alignment=\u201dcenter\u201d onclick=\u201dlink_image\u201d][\/vc_column][vc_column width=\u201d1\/5\u2033][vc_single_image image=\u201d1210\u2033 img_size=\u201dlarge\u201d alignment=\u201dcenter\u201d onclick=\u201dlink_image\u201d][\/vc_column][vc_column width=\u201d1\/5\u2033][vc_single_image image=\u201d1207\u2033 img_size=\u201dlarge\u201d alignment=\u201dcenter\u201d onclick=\u201dlink_image\u201d][\/vc_column][vc_column width=\u201d1\/5\u2033][vc_single_image image=\u201d1206\u2033 img_size=\u201dlarge\u201d alignment=\u201dcenter\u201d onclick=\u201dlink_image\u201d][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=\u201d.vc_custom_1612088184020{padding-top: 25px !important;}\u201d][vc_column][nk_text]What a great time it was, and I have only positive memories apart from sparring with our prickly vocalist. I thought a little rancor in a band could be a good thing \u2013 just a little mind you. Undeniably, there was an energy and vibrancy to the scene we found ourselves in and even though our music was hardly unique or novel \u2013 a weird blend of Television, Cake, and David Byrne \u2013surprisingly no one was really making anything like that in Krakow then, apart from perhaps Die Fl\u00f3te<\/a> <\/strong>with whom we played our first gig in a hostel on Ul. Krowoderska (everyone was dressed in Togas). People had a thirst for the hummable tunes and we were happy to quench both their needs and our own alcohol dependencies on the free beer for bands at the bar<\/i> deal. The Dust Bunnies<\/a><\/strong> wrote melodic indie rock that resonated with a sense of dislocation, desire, despair, paranoia; at their core the songs were unapologetically steamy morsels of mindless sexual indiscretion and debauched living which some members may or not may have been partaking in. Krakow\u2019s seedy alcohol-soaked underbelly harangued and guiltily pulsed through the lyrics of songs like Cellar Sound<\/a><\/strong>, which Dominic sums up as \u201cat least one serious-minded tune, which I thought of as a critique of spending too many nights in Krakow\u2019s basement bars, as the real world flew by, street level\u2026\u201d<\/em>:[\/nk_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=\u201d2\/3\u2033][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=\u201d1\/2\u2033][vc_raw_html]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[\/vc_raw_html][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=\u201d1\/2\u2033][nk_text]<\/p>\n

Pogoda barowa
\n<\/span><\/i>But it don\u2019t rain on you it pours.
\n<\/span><\/i>When I ain\u2019t around to stem the tide,
\n<\/span><\/i>You walk home on all fours.
\n<\/span><\/i><\/strong><\/h5>\n
It used to make sense,
\n<\/span><\/i>To write this off as a temporary bent,
\n<\/span><\/i>But dreams get pushed so far away,
\n<\/span><\/i>You\u2019d need a telephoto lens\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/strong><\/h5>\n

[\/nk_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][nk_text]The town\u2019s subterranean watering hole dens were a siren\u2019s call to the weak and morally infirm.\u00a0<\/span>[\/nk_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=\u201d1\/2\u2033][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=\u201d1\/2\u2033][nk_text]<\/p>\n

You\u2019re always down,
\nYou dig that cellar sound
\nUnderground
\nWhich means Let\u2019s have another round<\/i><\/strong><\/h5>\n

[\/nk_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][nk_text]For lead vocalist Leppla, there was a big challenge in crafting actual songs with meaningful lyrics but it spurred him on. He explains:[\/nk_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=\u201d1\/3\u2033][vc_single_image image=\u201d1225\u2033 img_size=\u201dlarge\u201d onclick=\u201dcustom_link\u201d img_link_target=\u201d_blank\u201d link=\u201dhttps:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/the-recent-archeology-of-the-krakow-music-scene-call-for-entries-blog\/\u201d][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=\u201dstretch_row\u201d css=\u201d.vc_custom_1612037109281{background: rgba(15,15,15,0.22) url(https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/01\/DustBunies_Dominic_Krakow-Music.png?id=1199) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;*background-color: rgb(15,15,15) !important;}\u201d][vc_column width=\u201d1\/2\u2033][\/vc_column][vc_column width=\u201d1\/2\u2033][nk_block_quote icon_color=\u201d#ffffff\u201d]<\/p>\n

For me, a guy who\u2019d been obsessed with pop his whole life, the prospect of actually writing music \u2013 I\u2019d only ever been in cover bands \u2013 was a scary one. At first I thought everything we did was crap. This led to some initial difficulties with my bandmates, because I was the guy with only his voice for an instrument, and when I thought something was off \u2013 I\u2019ve a decent ear \u2013 it was hard to express myself. But we muddled our way through, and I think we made some pretty alright music. Shaun and Nico, firm friends and band veterans, already played together well as a rhythm section. After a gig or two the band gelled as a whole and started to cook, driven by Igor\u2019s nervy and nimble fretwork. He would be often seen pouring his heart out to bartenders post-gig after too many Bushmills (my fault I\u2019m afraid). More songs were soon to surface. As the frontman, I felt it was my job to be a bit ridiculous, a comedian, as the great DC musician Ian Svenonius once put it. After all, this was rock\u2019n\u2019roll (RIP Little Richard!). I also found a role I enjoyed in being charged as the primary lyricist. In this, I spent much of the time mocking the clich\u00e9 of rock being a front for sex, or writing faux-desperate tales of lust and longing.<\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

[\/nk_block_quote][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=\u201d1\/2\u2033][nk_text]These sentiments were all too evident in numbers like Is Love Enough<\/a>, where the dilemmas at the heart of commitment in a world of bohemian splendor overtly wove their way through the lyrics, or was it simply an ironic take on the cliched rock and roll lifestyle?<\/p>\n

So we push and pull, but out of the sack<\/em><\/strong>
\nKeep ourselves hid in a fusillade of this\u2019n\u2019that<\/em><\/strong>
\nWe prove to be true what we seek to deny<\/em><\/strong>
\nAction is all and words are a lie, sayin\u2019<\/em><\/strong>
\nLove, love, is that enough?<\/em><\/strong>
\nA weapon against, or that opiate bluff<\/em><\/strong>
\nLove, love, is that enough?<\/em><\/strong>
\nShe grabs my mouth and stops me rough with<\/em><\/strong><\/h5>\n

[\/nk_text][vc_raw_html]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[\/vc_raw_html][\/vc_column][vc_column width=\u201d1\/2\u2033][vc_single_image image=\u201d1190\u2033 img_size=\u201dlarge\u201d add_caption=\u201dyes\u201d][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=\u201dyes\u201d][vc_column width=\u201d1\/2\u2033][vc_single_image image=\u201d1192\u2033 img_size=\u201dlarge\u201d add_caption=\u201dyes\u201d][\/vc_column][vc_column width=\u201d1\/2\u2033 awb_type=\u201dcolor\u201d awb_stretch=\u201d1\u2033 awb_color=\u201d#000000\u2033 css=\u201d.vc_custom_1612038680213{background-image: url(https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/01\/DustBunnies_Drukarnia-Krakow-Music.jpg?id=1193) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}\u201d][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=\u201d1\/2\u2033][nk_block_quote icon_color=\u201d#ffffff\u201d vc_css=\u201d.vc_custom_1612038988483{background-color: rgba(15,15,15,0.16) !important;*background-color: rgb(15,15,15) !important;}\u201d]<\/p>\n

The Dust Bunnies<\/strong> wrote melodic indie rock that resonated with a sense of dislocation, desire, despair, paranoia; at their core the songs were unapologetically steamy morsels of mindless sexual indiscretion and debauched living which some members may or not may have been partaking in. <\/em><\/span><\/h4>\n

[\/nk_block_quote][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=\u201d1\/2\u2033][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=\u201d.vc_custom_1612039001783{padding-top: 45px !important;}\u201d][vc_column width=\u201d2\/3\u2033][nk_text]Live, we covered an eclectic bunch songs from the Buzzcocks to Del Shannon and Talking Heads, but our primary focus was always on our own material, the majority of it haemorrhaging from the heart of our in turns melodic and idiosyncratic Californian drummer, Nico. His intuitive playing, replete with tasteful percussive flourishes and dynamic fills perfectly expressed the songs\u2019 essence. It was the first time I had worked with such an instinctively aware man on the sticks,<\/p>\n

one who knew the soft and light spots of his own creations so well. For someone so young, Igor also added depth and vigour, his distinctive guitar style \u2013 bluesy and raw \u2013 worked well within the poppy soundscape we were forging. In a short period of time we had over 12 numbers. We got to play the renowned Kawiarnia Naukowa\u00a0<\/strong>in Kazimierz<\/strong><\/a> with local act The Awarians<\/a><\/strong>, and even sold 50 copies of our debut record at a small klub on Ul. D\u0142uga.[\/nk_text][nk_text]Leppla reminisces:[\/nk_text][nk_block_quote]<\/p>\n

The song,\u2019Cellar Sound,\u2019 also gave us the name of our debut record, Cautionary Tales which was mixed and mastered by Tom Carter from Krakow favourite Fox Gang<\/a><\/strong>. Little did we realize when we planned its record-release party, at the inviting, subterranean Chata, on P\u0119dzich\u00f3w, that this would also be our final gig \u2013 even the power cut out too, briefly! It was a hell of a fun gig to go out on.\u00a0 <\/span>All told, I\u2019ll always be appreciative that Krakow folks heard our music with open ears, without the \u2018scenester\u2019 inclinations I\u2019d come to know back home in the US. Just four guys eeking out rock\u2019n\u2019roll together in the smelliest practice room on God\u2019s green Earth. It was a happy time.<\/em><\/h5>\n

[\/nk_block_quote][nk_text]I understood these sentiments. Playing music in Krakow gave us a chance to break out of the straight jacket confines of our own minds, the towns we had come from, the countries we called home. Krakow was a place free from judgement where being a stranger, an outcast, a foreigner, somehow liberated us, and openly encouraged our creative bent; the city was an evil mistress at times, but she teased us with unlimited possibility.\u00a0 <\/span>Here we could reinvent ourselves and turn our backs on the cynicism of the previous lives we had lived.[\/nk_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=\u201d1\/3\u2033 css=\u201d.vc_custom_1612038634145{background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}\u201d][vc_single_image image=\u201d1194\u2033 img_size=\u201dlarge\u201d add_caption=\u201dyes\u201d][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=\u201d1\/3\u2033][nk_text]That said, our new world, inside and outside the band, was impermanent and shifting continually. The life of an English teacher by day and band member at night was neither sustainable nor healthy. It was a splendid dream at the time, but we all knew that our tenure was doomed to be short-lived. Our mental malaise fed the creativity, and that sense of transience, of imminent catastrophe, was a catalyst for our music and charged our work ethic and urgency, but the end was closer than any of us had thought; our drummer wanted to relocate back to the US and that was that \u2013 it was all over in an instant.[\/nk_text][nk_text]In retrospect, some things in our lives remain pure even through that perverse and foggy lens of nostalgia. There were resplendent moments of joy here to offer sustenance in the future \u2013 sickly sweet vodka-soaked memories, romantic misunderstandings, strong friendships, delicious pop hooks and filthy riffs \u2013 and even after their brilliant embers faded to be replaced by the dull banality of everyday life, I counted myself lucky to have experienced, however fleetingly, something like that. Everything has an expiry date, but deep down I felt like there was so much more music to make and I had just met this other American guy who wanted me to play bass in his band \u2026[\/nk_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=\u201d1\/3\u2033][vc_single_image image=\u201d1191\u2033 img_size=\u201dlarge\u201d add_caption=\u201dyes\u201d][\/vc_column][vc_column width=\u201d1\/3\u2033][vc_single_image image=\u201d1195\u2033 img_size=\u201dlarge\u201d add_caption=\u201dyes\u201d][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_section full_width=\u201dstretch_row\u201d css=\u201d.vc_custom_1612088711293{background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}\u201d][vc_row full_width=\u201dstretch_row_content_no_spaces\u201d][vc_column][vc_single_image image=\u201d1211\u2033 img_size=\u201dlarge\u201d alignment=\u201dcenter\u201d onclick=\u201dcustom_link\u201d img_link_target=\u201d_blank\u201d link=\u201dhttps:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/the-recent-archeology-of-the-krakow-music-scene-call-for-entries-blog\/\u201d][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Shaun ONeill opens the blog series “The (Recent) Archeology of the Krak\u00f3w Music Scene” by reminiscing on his Polish musical adventure and revisiting the first two bands he played with: Too Pretty for Porn and Dust Bunnies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":1202,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"Krak\u00f3w Cellar Sounds: Underground Music, Underground \u2013 2009-17 Part 1. | Krak\u00f3w Music Blog","_seopress_titles_desc":"Shaun ONeill opens the blog series "The (Recent) Archeology of the Krak\u00f3w Music Scene" by reminiscing on his Polish musical adventure and revisiting the first two bands he played with: Too Pretty for Porn and Dust Bunnies.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"","_medium_share_type":"","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[14,121],"tags":[124,133,128,130,123,127,131,129,4,135,132,136,43,125,94,134,126,122],"class_list":["post-1174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","category-the-recent-archeology-of-the-krakow-music-scene","tag-awarians","tag-bands","tag-chata","tag-dominic-leppla","tag-drukarnia","tag-dust-bunnies","tag-indie-rock","tag-kawiarnia-naukowa","tag-krakow","tag-krakow-cellars","tag-krakow-music-scene","tag-krakow-underground","tag-live-music","tag-resonating-wood","tag-rock","tag-smingus","tag-too-pretty-for-porn","tag-underground"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-21 19:04:57","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1174"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1174\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1228,"href":"https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1174\/revisions\/1228"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1202"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krakowmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}