I found out yesterday afternoon that a friend of mine from several years ago passed away. Her name was Lydia Tomkiw, and she was the lead vocalist for the art pop duo Alegbra Suicide. Her partner in Algebra Suicide was guitarist Don Hedeker.I met Lydia back in the late 80s/early 90s when I managed (and I use that term loosely LOL) a Kent, OH based band called Indian Rope Burn. IRB's guitarist Mike Crooker produced my NOTHING PERSONAL album for Emigre in 1991. Anyway, IRB opened for Algebra Suicide, and we call got to know Lydia and Don quite well. They were wonderful people and Lydia was a real sweetheart (and Don was a shit-hot guitar player!). I still have my vinyl copy of their album THE SECRET LIKE CRAZY, which Lydia very sweetly signed "To Ray, one who manages well".
After Algebra Suicide broke up, Lydia went on to pursue her poetry, and solo music career (see the cover to her solo CD INCORPORATED above), while Don went on to form other bands, including the Ramones-influenced Bouncing Balls, and The Polkaholics, a rock-n-roll polka band!
WMFU's online blog has a blurb about Lydia here: http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2007/09/algebra-suicide.html. There is also a video of their signature song, Little Dead Bodies.
Thanks to my friend Mike Crooker for passing this info along to me.
