F1. "World of Noise" sounds really lo-fi. Why is that?

When recorded, World of Noise was not intended to be an album. It was recorded for the sole purpose of having a tape to give to clubs to get gigs. The recording cost a mere $400.

F2. One of the people to whom World of Noise is dedicated is Mia Zapata. Who was she?

Mia Zapata was the lead singer of the Seattle band the Gits. On July 7, 1993, Zapata was raped, beaten, and strangled to death. Her sudden and brutal death shocked the Northwest music community.

Her death prompted the founding of the non-profit organization Home Alive, which serves to promote community awareness of violence prevention, and to teach various forms of self-defense.

G. SPARKLE AND FADE

G1. Who are those cute kids on the cover?

From left to right, it's Craig, Art, and Greg.

G2. In the cover photo, what's on Greg's face? Did he sh*t all over himself?

Nope. According to Greg, that photo was taken on his first birthday. The brown stuff is chocolate icing from the cake.

G3. On the back cover of the CD, there's a banner hanging inside the garage that reads, "Thank you Everclear". Where did that come from?

In 1995, Everclear played an informal show for Art's daughter Anna's three-year-old class. Art even changed some of the lyrics around - for example, "You Make Me Feel Like a Whore" became "You Make Me Feel Like I'm Four". The banner was crafted by the class as a thank you to the band.

G4. What does Art say at the beginning of "You Make Me Feel Like a Whore"?

"Take a walk with Buddy!" - Buddy is the band's nickname for Greg.

(For the record, the tab book is wrong. Art has confirmed that it really is "Take a walk with Buddy". The tab book was not created by the band - the publisher hired someone to work out the guitar parts and guessed on the lyrics that weren't in the lyric sheet. The band "approved" the tab book, but didn't proof it for accuracy.)

H. SO MUCH FOR THE AFTERGLOW

H1. What's the name of the secret track at the end of So Much for the Afterglow?

It's called "Hating You for Christmas".

H2. It says in the liner notes for SMFTA, "This record is dedicated to the memory of Brent Fusco (1969-1996)". Who was Brent Fusco?

Brent was one of Everclear's earliest proponents and biggest fans. He started the first Everclear fan web site, Nehalem, in the fall of 1995. It soon became the "officially-endorsed" Everclear site. In January of 1996, Brent started the White Lightning mailing list, a meeting place for Everclear fans of all kinds.

In October of 1996, Brent passed away suddenly, suffering a seizure while at his apartment in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He was 27. Only with his loss were others made aware of the contributions that Brent was making for the Everclear community.

In many ways, his presence is still felt throughout the Everclear community. Nehalem still rests in the state he last left it, standing as a monument to the Sparkle and Fade era. He may no longer be with us, but his spirit and his love for music live on.

H3. In "Why I Don't Believe in God", Art mentions Edgar Cayce. Who was he?

From an Edgar Cayce web page:

"Considered by many to be the greatest psychic of the 20th Century, Edgar Cayce was born on March 18, 1877 in Hopkinsville, Kentucky and died on January 3, 1945 in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

From 1901, when he was 24, until his death he give over 14,000 'readings', many of which were transcribed by a stenogropher and are available for research. The transcripts of his 'readings' consist of one of the largest and most impressive records of intuitive information. Although most of this information deals with health problems, other topics were covered."

H4. At the beginning of "One Hit Wonder", what are the words spoken in the background?

That would be "bigger, badder, better than you" repeated four times.