OUTDOOR MINOR

The late Ethan Stein doesn't get much press these days, even by comparison to the under-reported 1980s-to-early-90s New Brunswick scene to which he belonged. All that can be gleaned about his band Outdoor Minor comes from Eric Gladstone's companion booklet included with Mental Floss, which Stein complied with Bryan Bruden. Outdoor Minor was Stein, Seth Sokal (also of Petting Zoo), John Alot, and Sue Brunswick (if you're wondering, Stein and Sokal have the genuine surnames). They contributed the track "Martin Sheen" to Mental Floss, but high water was achieved earlier with the demo cassette-only "Richard The Landlady's Boyfriend" (chorus: "Your mother calls you Richard but we like to call you Dick"). Outdoor Minor didn't amount to much; they didn't record after "Martin Sheen." But Stein belongs in the company of Bruden, Gladstone, Matt Pinfield, Ed Wong, Pete Tomlinson, and others who promoted and broadened the Brunswick music scene. As a WRSU DJ, Stein co-hosted (with Bruden) "Overnight Sensations," a weekly showcase for local music. And it was Stein (with Bruden and Spiral Jetty's Andy Gesner) who conceived of Mental Floss, which remains the best representation of mid-80s Brunswick. Stein also drummed for the Plague Dogs, Moby Dick, and Leather Studded Diaphragm. Were he still around, there might be more recognition for his contributions, but in 1996 he died under mysterious circumstances (the New Brunswick police concluded suicide; others remain skeptical).

Lacking any Outdoor Minor promotions, I include the cover of Mental Floss, designed by TMA's Mike Demko.

[CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE]