The Front Lines

The Front Lines were an early punk band from the Evanston/Northwestern area, who played from 1979-1983. Starting out briefly as a more rock-based band The Lines in 1979, The Front Lines recorded a couple demos, a 4-song EP and another single during their lifetime. They were one of the more prominent bands (along with Epicycle) in what Steve Albini called a "North Shore Miniscene" - and although they did play the Northwestern campus & outlying region, The Front Lines played all over Chicago including O'Banions, Misfits, COD, Waves etc.

Lineups

The Lines

• Phil - Guitar and Vocals
• Kier Strejcek - Guitar
• John - Bass
• Seth - Drums

Original The Front Lines (late 1979)

• Phil - Guitar and Vocals
• Kier Strejcek - Guitar
• John - Bass
• Steve - Drums

1980 to mid 1982

• Phil - Guitar and Vocals
• Kier Strejcek - Guitar
• Kevin - Bass
• Bruce - Keyboards (from 1981 on)
• Steve - Drums

Late 1982 to 1983

• Phil - Guitar and Vocals
• Kier Strejcek - Guitar
• Kevin - Bass
• Bruce - Keyboards
• Jeff, Ronnie, Ed, John M - Drums

Releases

• Original Demo (Early 1980)
  • Rebel Not Home
  • Just Because
  • Voice of America

• Where Do We Go from Here? EP (Practical Records PR001, 1980)
  • Recorded August-September 1980 at Studiomedia (II), Evanston
  • 1000 Copies Pressed

1. Night Napalm
2. Dying In Fiction
3. Voice of America
4. Lips Are Sealed

• Capital Attraction / In This Universe single (Practical Records PR003, 1982)
  • Engineered by John Nevin and Sam Fishkin
  • Guests: Michelle Kinney, cello; Amy Phoebe, oboe

• Don't Look Now / The Crossfire Demo (1982)
  • Demo for record companies

History

• Kier has a comprehensive history of The Front Lines and all the bands he's been involved with on his personal home page. It's all there...

Music

• Kier has downloadable mp3s of all the TFL recordings, as well as live tracks.