NEW FAST AUTOMATIC DAFFODILS Body Exit Mind 1992

biography

by Ron DePasquale

While grunge reigned in the early '90s, New Fast Automatic Daffodils made its mark on the indie rock scene in Manchester, England. Bassist Justin Crawford, guitarist Dolan Hewison, and drummer Perry Saunders got together in 1988, and singer Andy Spearpoint joined soon after. Spearpoint's obscure lyrics spoken over repetitive riffs and beats gave NFAD's music a dream-like quality. While many bands of that era were preoccupied with displaying their angst on the world stage, NFAD was concerned with creating groovy, spacy music you could dance to. And they made plenty of it: three full-lengths, five EPs, and ten singles all in roughly four years.

JENNIFER TRYNIN Cockamamie 1994

Thanks to El Diablo con Queso for the up!

HARM FARM Nice Job, Einstein 1991

By request. Released on Alias Records.

TRAINDODGE Emblem Corners 2001

By request

Genres

• Pop/Rock

Styles

• Alternative/Indie Rock
• Math Rock
• Indie Rock

Active

1990s - 2000s

Formed

July, 1996 in Oklahoma City, OK

Group Members

• Tom Poole
• Jason Smith
• Rob Smith
• Chris Allen

MOTHER MAY I Splitsville 1994

By request

Tracklist ▼

	Poison Dart	4:57
	Teenage Jesus	2:38
	Painted On	3:21
	Something Better	4:21
	Birthday Wish	3:36
	Dick And Jane	4:14
	Meet You There	3:41
	In A Box	4:47
	Never Ending Riddle	1:41
	In Between	2:22
	Bastard	3:59
	All The Way In	3:18

KEROSENE 454 Came By to Kill Me 1997

By request

Tracklist ▼

	Tracer	2:48
	All Eyes West	3:43
	Closing	3:48
	Injection	6:50
	Angelic In G#	3:57
	T Minus 100	2:40
	Farefire	3:07
	Worthington	5:04
	Four Knots	3:03
	Somewalk	4:04
	Continued	6:55

KEROSENE 454 At Zero 1998

	Anti-Magnet	4:42
	Automatic	2:58
	Negatives	4:06
	Diminishing	5:12
	Heroes	4:38
	Electrics On The Rise	3:06
	In For Even	2:47
	On Exit	5:06
	Pay Attention	6:26
	Spookin The Birds	3:38

THE BUTCHIES Are We Not Femme 1998

biography

[+] by Jason Ankeny

Durham, NC-based queercore trio the Butchies reunited singer/guitarist Kaia Wilson and drummer Melissa York, who previously teamed in the pioneering Team Dresch. Joined by ex-Poor Valentino bassist Alison Martlew, the Butchies signed to Mr. Lady (the independent label Wilson founded with girlfriend Tammy Rae Carlson) to issue their 1998 debut Are We Not Femme?. A year later, the Chris Stamey-produced Population 1975 was released. the Butchies didn't waste much time in between albums; Wilson kept herself busy with Mr. Lady and issued albums by Le Tigre and Sarah Dougher in the early millennium while the band prepared for a third album. Getting back together with producer Greg Griffith, the aptly titled Three appeared in 2001. Stateside dates with The Indigo Girls' Amy Ray followed that summer. A fourth effort, Make Yr Life, was recorded in ten days before hitting shelves in spring 2004. It marked the Butchies' first release with Yep Roc.

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KEROSENE 454 Demo

An early demo - don't miss this!

SEXPOD Home 1995

By request

Tracklist ▼

1		Home	3:13
2		Heroine	4:02
3		Foot On The Gas	5:17
4		Winter	4:05
5		Circle Of Silver	4:41
6		A Wedding Song	3:29

KEROSENE 454 / ANGEL HAIR split 7 inch 1995

Side A

Kerosene 454 Some Walk

Side B

Angel Hair  Kisses

CAROLINE'S SPINE earlier works

 Ignore the Ants

1995

 So Good Afternoon

1994

self titled

1993

Upped by Dsvvsd

CAROLINE'S SPINE later releases

 Attention Please

1999

Monsoon

1997

Huge

1996
Upped by Dsvvsd

biography

by Heather Phares

The alternative rock group Caroline's Spine consists of vocalist/guitarist Jimmy Newquist, guitarist Mark Haugh, bassist Scott Jones and drummer Jason Gilardi. The band's consistent touring found them sharing the bill with a wide array of artists, including Catherine Wheel, Better Than Ezra, KISS and Aerosmith. Their 1997 debut Monsoon was released on Hollywood Records, followed by Attention Please two years later.

ANTENNA Hideout 1993

320kbps

 

By request

biography

[+] by Stewart Mason

Although the Blake Babies broke up in early 1991, just as they seemed to be on the verge of success in the post-Nevermind alternative music scene, there were no underlying personality conflicts or artistic disagreements. John Strohm and Freda Love simply wanted to go home. The couple had moved to Boston from their native Indiana to attend the Berklee School of Music, but had gotten sidetracked when they formed the Blake Babies with singer/bassist Juliana Hatfield in 1987. Over the course of their four-album career, Strohm had grown as a songwriter to the point that he could lead his own band, so when he and Love resettled in Bloomington, IN, the guitarist and drummer formed Antenna with local musicians Jacob Smith on bass and Vess Ruhtenberg on second guitar. Strohm apparently had built up quite a backlog of songs during the later days of the Blake Babies because Antenna's first album, Sway, was recorded and released less than a year after that group split up. A clear continuation from Blake Babies songs like "Girl in a Box," the songs on Sway are lyrically dark but sunnily melodic jangle pop, with Ruhtenberg's rhythm guitar creating a much fuller sound than Strohm and Love's previous trio ever had. The newfound country tinge of a few songs would become more prominent in Strohm's post-Antenna solo career. Ruhtenberg left Antenna shortly after the first album was recorded, and, unexpectedly, Love followed in early 1992. Patrick Spurgeon took over the drum seat and the refurbished trio released the EP Sleep, combining two of Sway's best tracks, "Sleep" and "All I Need," with a rough demo of Smith's "Wall Paper" and a noisy, punky blast through Wire's minimalist classic "Outdoor Miner." With second-guitar help from Strohm's friend Ed Ackerman (Strohm returned the favor on a couple of albums by Ackerman's group Polara), the trio recorded the outstanding Hideout in 1993. The twin-guitar interplay of Strohm and Ackerman recalls both Television and My Bloody Valentine, and the songs -- this time all Strohm/Smith co-compositions -- rock with a newfound verve and confidence. Unfortunately, Antenna ended at that point, with 1993's (For Now) EP serving as their farewell. Reunited with Love on drums, the three new songs, particularly the storming title track, are among the best things Antenna ever did. When the group split, Smith and Love got married, had a son, and formed the countryish pop group the Mysteries of Life with Vulgar Boatmen keyboardist Dale Lawrence. Strohm quickly formed yet another short-lived band, the even darker and noisier Velo-Deluxe, before finally embarking on an alt-country solo career in the mid-'90s.

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HUFFY No High Five 1997

More Huffy for your ears....

POLAR GOLDIE CATS self titled 1996

 

Biography

by Margaret Reges

Experimental/post-rockers the Polar Goldie Cats were a Polvo-esque group that emerged in 1992. They played their first show at the California Institute of the Arts, and their first album, Polar Goldie Cats, came out in 1995. The group went on to release several more albums over the years: Detector came out in 1997, Polar Night Stress arrived in 2001, and Feral Phantasms was released five years later.

RAILROAD JERK The Third Rail 1996

  320kbps

Biography

[+] by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Railroad Jerk skewer blues, country, rock, and noise into a messy, bohemian post-punk celebration of roots rock. Formed in 1989 by guitarist/vocalist Marcellus Hall and bassist/vocalist Tony Lee in Trenton, NJ, the duo added drummer Jez Aspinall and guitarist Chris Muller by early 1990; the group recorded their self-titled debut for Matador Records in 1990. After its release, Aspinall left the band and was replaced by Steve Cercio; Muller was kicked out of the band and replaced by Alec Stephen. The quartet released their acclaimed second album, Raise the Plow, in 1993; after its release, Cercio left the band and was replaced by Dave Varenka. Railroad Jerk released its third album -- its most highly-praised yet -- in spring of 1995. Third Rail, the group's fourth album, also received positive reviews upon its fall 1996 release.

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SUMMERCAMP Tonight EP 1997

biography

by Jason Ankeny

The alternative rock quartet Summercamp first began to take shape in 1987, when vocalists/guitarists Tim Cullen and Sean McCue first met in high school in their native Santa Barbara, CA; another fellow student, bassist Misha Feldmann, joined after graduation, and with the 1994 addition of drummer Tony Sevener, the group's roster was complete. After signing with Madonna's Maverick label, Summercamp issued their 1997 debut LP, Pure Juice.

SEAFOOD Messenger in the Camp 1999

Tracklist ▼

	Scorch Comfort	4:01
	Psychic Rainy Nights	5:23
	Porchlight	4:33
	Ukiah	3:08
	Rot Of The Stars (XFM Session)	4:00
	Dope Slax (XFM Session)	4:48
	We Felt Maroon	2:59
	Dig	15:40
	(2 Untitled Hidden Tracks)
	Levitate Me	4:18

HAZEL Airiana EP 1997

 

Tracklist ▼

	Airiana
	Title Track
	Ohio Player
	Mr Magazine Man
	My 2nd Chance

 

Biography

[+] by Erik Hage

Hazel was one of several groups (including Elliott Smith's Heatmiser) that sprung up in Portland, Oregon in the early '90s, just as grunge was reaching fever pitch in neighboring Seattle. The trio of indie poppers included vocalist-guitarist Pete Krebs, bassist Brady Smith, and drummer-vocalist Jody Bleyle. They were often accompanied by a Fred Nemo, a dancer, and spirit man, à la the Happy Mondays' (and Black Grape's) Bez. The group, who was signed to Sub Pop records, released their debut album, Toreador of Love, in 1993. The punk-pop effort was most notable for the unique melding of Krebs' and Bleyle's voices. By the time of the group's sophomore effort, 1995's Are You Going to Eat That?, the foundations of Hazel had become shaky. Krebs was slowly emerging as a solo performer and playing the occasional acoustic show, while Bleyle was involved with Team Dresch and was a co-owner of the Candy-Ass record label. Like his friend and occasional collaborator Elliott Smith, Krebs would soon outstrip his group and move on to a career as an introspective and critically acclaimed singer/songwriter. He debuted on his own with 1995's defiantly acoustic Brigadier; his solo status was cemented with the highly lauded follow-up Western Electric.

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HUFFY Anything Goes/Handlebars 7 inch 1996

Released on Ringing Ear Records.

Tracks:

A. Anything Goes

B. Handlebars

HONOR AMONG THIEVES Grow 1996

Tracklist

1. Allison
2. Over
3. What a Mess
4. Go Away
5. (My Country) Tears of Thee
6. Drowning In The Sound
7. A Hippy Song
8. Grow

PIE Seein' Eye 1994

Born in a barn in rural Massachusetts in 1993, Pie enjoyed some minor indie success until disbanding in late 1996. Known for incendiary live performances and wild personal behavior, the band went from playing showcase Mondays to sharing the stages of 500+ capacity venues with the likes of Yo La Tengo and Built to Spill. Pie produced innumerable recordings for the lo-fi cassette underground (Shrimper, Sonic Enemy, Cactus Gum and Cassiel) and was signed to Big Top Records in 1995, releasing the LP "strictly seance" and the EP "pie is gone" to international distribution.

Pie included John Hugh Dickey, Paul Rechsteiner, and a Spinal Tap-like laundry list of drummers, the most longlived and oft-recorded of whom being Vinnie Scorziello. Other drummers included David "Vis" Mairs, Jim Sykes, Matt and Terri Christopher.

DIMBULB Smaller Easter Island 1996

By request

Portland, Oregon rock group from 1992-'96. Members were Nate Storm Snell (guitar, vocals), Billy Galaxy (bass), and Rob Duncan, Jr. (drums).

BASEHEAD

 Not in Kansas Anymore

1993

Play With Toys

1991

Biography

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Basehead is the creation of Michael Ivey, a middle-class suburban kid from Maryland. Ivey recorded the bulk of Basehead's 1992 debut, Plays With Toys, on a four-track at home with various friends. Combining laid-back, stoned hip-hop rhythm tracks, pop hooks, drawled raps, and pseudo-folky guitar, the record received glowing reviews in alternative publications and was played frequently on college radio. Ivey assembled a touring band and used them on parts of Basehead's 1993 follow-up, Not in Kansas Anymore. The critical reception was mixed and the record didn't receive much airplay or sales. The following year Ivey assembled the alternative hip-hop collection B.Y.O.B., which featured several of his own contributions; Basehead's Faith followed in 1996.

SHARON STONED License to Confuse 1994

By request

Review

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Based around a core duo of Chris "Krite" Uhe and Mark Kowarsch, Sharon Stoned is an ad-hoc collection of alternative rockers that gathered to record License to Confuse. Featuring guest appearances by Evan Dando and Lou Barlow, License to Confuse falls halfway between grunge and lo-fi -- it has an appealing off-kilter sense of humor, and a good pop sensibility.

HO HUM Local 1996

By request

Review

by Erik Crawford

Produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley (Elvis Costello, David Bowie, Bush), the debut album from Ho-Hum, Local, resonates the new wave Brit-pop sound upon which these producers have built their reputation. Lenny Bryan's vocals come to the forefront on many of the songs, as the music becomes a secondary driving force to punctuate his vocal style. The opening track, "Around the World," sets the stage for what's to come on this straightforward pop record. The melody and the hook on the single "It's a Lie" make it stand out from the mesh of pop prevalence on Local. While the majority of songs are, as the band's name implies, ho-hum, there is enough substance to make it worthy of a listen, if only to hear how Elvis Costello and other Brit-pop icons' influence still runs deep.

COMMON RIDER Last Wave Rockers 1999

Biography

by Steve Huey 

After almost a ten-year hiatus from music altogether, ex-Operation Ivy lead singer Jesse Michaels reappeared on the punk scene in 1999. Common Rider united Michaels (also on guitar) with a rhythm section of bassist Mass Giorgini (formerly of Squirtgun) and drummer Dan Lumley (Screeching Weasel). Their debut album, Last Wave Rockers, was released in 1999 on Lookout! Following up three years later on Hopeless Records, the trio enlisted the help of some friends (including the Teen Idols' Phillip Hall, Bratmobile's Audrey Marrs, and Alkaline Trio's Matt Skiba, among others) for This Is Unity Music.