Lesson plan

Dancing Cigarettes

The Dancing Cigarettes were a popular post-punk and art band based in Bloomington, Indiana, active from 1979 through 1983. They were part of a cadre of Bloomington-based bands that made an impact on the underground music scene. Other bands included The Gizmos, Zero Boys, Dow Jones and the Industrials, and MX-80 Sound. These bands established Indiana as an innovative breeding ground for punk, post-punk and new wave music in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Early on, the group changed line-ups frequently, but it typically consisted of Michael Gitlin (guitar, vocals), Emily Bonus (bass, vocals), Tim Noe (keyboards, sax, guitar), Jaclyn Oddi (keyboards, percussion), John Terrill (drums, guitar), and G. Don Trubey (sax, guitar, drums). More avant-pop than post-punk, their music was as eclectic as their members' musical talents would lead one to believe, ranging from squonky Beefheart rock to bouncy Devo-esque new wave, as evidenced by the brilliant "Pop Doormat," which opens with a deceptively anthemic synth line, then uses an ebullient bass and keyboard melody to underscore a disconsolate lyrical theme that wraps with the repeated question "What am I waiting for?" The band played regularly at numerous venues in Bloomington, including the Bluebird, Bullwinkle's, and Second Story.…

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Article summary

The Dancing Cigarettes were a popular post-punk and art band based in Bloomington, Indiana, active from 1979 through 1983. They were part of a cadre of Bloomington-based bands that made an impact on the underground music scene. Other bands included The Gizmos, Zero Boys, Dow Jones and the Industrials, and MX-80 Sound. These bands established Indiana as an innovative breeding ground for punk, post-punk and new wave music in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Early on, the group changed line-ups frequently, but it typically consisted of Michael Gitlin (guitar, vocals), Emily Bonus (bass, vocals), Tim Noe (keyboards, sax, guitar), Jaclyn Oddi (keyboards, percussion), John Terrill (drums, guitar), and G. Don Trubey (sax, guitar, drums). More avant-pop than post-punk, their music was as eclectic as their members' musical talents would lead one to believe, ranging from squonky Beefheart rock to bouncy Devo-esque new wave, as evidenced by the brilliant "Pop Doormat," which opens with a deceptively anthemic synth line, then uses an ebullient bass and keyboard melody to underscore a disconsolate lyrical theme that wraps with the repeated question "What am I waiting for?" The band played regularly at numerous venues in Bloomington, including the Bluebird, Bullwinkle's, and Second Story.…

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Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  3. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.