THE PRICKS

1997

Tracklist ▼

A1		I Hate CD's
A2		1st Press Only
A3		Twice As Smart As You
A4		Fuck You
B1		That's Easy For You To Say
B2		Commercial Sucks
B3		Personal Opinions
B4		Tunafish

1997

Thanks to Jenz

Screamy punk rock from Sweden

Tracklist ▼

A1		Shoot You In The Head
A2		Retarded Ronnie
A3		Blackheads
A4		Fuckface
B1		You Talk Too Much
B2		Shut Up
B3		Homework
B4		Dollface
B5		Stay Away From Me

SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE How It Feels to Be Something On 7 inch 1998

Thanks to Jenz

A How It Feels to Be Something On

B Bucket of Chicken

BURNING AIRLINES Mission Control! 1999

by request

 

biography

[+] by Andy Kellman

Almost immediately following the April 1997 breakup of Jawbox, J. Robbins (guitars/vocals) began writing and playing with ex-Wool and former Government Issue bandmate Peter Moffett (drums). One day, the bassist couldn't make it to practice, so Robbins convinced the other Jawbox guitarist and vocalist Bill Barbot to slide into the role. By the end of 1998, Burning Airlines (named after a Brian Eno song) had their debut single and a split release with Braid in the bins of mom-and-pop record shops.

The band took enough "time off" from a hectic touring schedule to record Mission: Control!, released in early 1999. As with the remainder of the band's major works, it was released by DeSoto, the label run by former Jawbox bassist Kim Coletta and spouse Barbot. Featuring arrangements that were sharper and scaled back from those of Jawbox, the record held the spirit of early XTC and the Pixies, along with retaining the Mission of Burma and Gang of Four-influenced foundation of Jawbox. Robbins also made a concerted effort to make his songwriting more direct, no longer writing in code or cut-and-paste snippets. As the band set out to hit the road in support of the well-received record, Barbot decided that his responsibilities as an adult were too numerous to allow for the dusting off of his passport. Friend and Jawbox touring aide Mike Harbin was brought in, seamlessly fitting into the band as they toured for 18 months, traversing the United States as well as Japan, Europe, and Canada.

Since Robbins had become an in-demand producer throughout the last few years, the trio wasn't able to visit the recording studio until mid-2000. Throughout the following six months, they recorded the fuller-sounding Identikit, which hit the shelves in May 2001. Just before the release of the record, the band became a quartet, adding the keyboard and guitar skills of D.C.-scene vet Ben Pape, which enabled Robbins to be less of a juggling act on stage. Outside responsibilities, including Robbins' hectic production schedule, led to the band's decision to split in 2002.

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SEBADOH Gimme Indie Rock! 7 inch 1991

Thanks to Jenz

 

Tracklist ▼

	Gimme Indie Rock	3:23
	Ride The Darker Wave	1:42
	Red Riding Good	1:53
	New King	2:27
	Calling Yog Soggoth	2:59

 

 

 

SPLIT Abbey Load E.P.P. 1994

Thanks to D.S. for this obscurity.

If you like Mike Patton and Mr. Bungle, this is right up your alley. Even the singer sounds a lot like Mike Patton. Enjoy!

 

1. It's Not Important

2. Me or the Dog

3. Spanish Spaghetti

4. Kill that Bitch

5. Hey Friend

6. Bull and His Balls

7. Cyde's Dingleberries

8. Avocado Phart

98. Track 98

99. Track 99

 

 

BUILT TO SPILL

Car / Girl 

1994

A  Car

B  Girl

So And So So And So

1994

 

A		So And So So And So From Wherever Wherever
B		Terrible-Perfect

Thanks to Jenz

DUOCHROME Tactical Knives 1999

by request

 

biography

by Stacia Proefrock

Formed in 1992, East Coast quartet Duochrome have been churning out grungy feedback-laden rock ever since. Guitarists Brian Goad and Cliff Annicelli, bassist Frank Bridges and drummer Andy Fountas issued five 7" cds on their way to a full-length debut -- that came in 1998 when Vital Cog issued All Day I Dream About Sex. Their follow-up, Tactical Knives, was recorded by Brad Morrison of Miracle Legion and released in 1999, again by Vital Cog. A limited-edition box covering the band's seven prior 7" releases, Duochrome 7.0, was released in late 2000.

 

SEBADOH / AZALIA SNAIL 7 inch 1991

Thanks to Jenz

 

 Tracklist 

 

A1 Sebadoh "Toledo"

A2 Sebadoh "Gondwanaland No Compass"

A3 Sebadoh "Pete"

 

B1 Azalia Snail "St. Nowhere"

B2 Azalia Snail "U.M.O."

 

 

 

ARCHERS OF LOAF / MONSTERLAND Inside Dave's Garage Volume 3 1994

Thanks to Jenz

 

Tracklist ▼

A	Archers Of Loaf –	Telepathic Traffic
B	Monsterland –	Angel Scraper

 

 

 

ARCHERS OF LOAF Vitus Tinnitus 1997

Thanks to Jenz

 

biography

[+] by Steve Huey

The Archers of Loaf were darlings of the indie world in the early to mid-'90s, thanks to an off-kilter sound that was edgy and challenging, yet melodically accessible at the same time. Cornerstones of the Chapel Hill, NC, indie scene that also spawned Superchunk and Polvo, the Archers' chief inspirations were the Replacements and Sonic Youth, but that only began to tell the story. Their music was frequently likened to a more intense, raucous version of Pavement's postmodern pop, and indeed they shared key elements: fractured song constructions, abstractly witty lyrics, clangorous guitars, and lo-fi production. More rooted in punk and noise rock, however, the Archers took the dissonance, white noise, and angularity to greater extremes, and played with more overt commitment and enthusiasm in concert. the Archers became a hip name to drop with their acclaimed 1993 debut, Icky Mettle; several more accomplished albums followed before the group called it quits in 1998. The Archers of Loaf were formed in Chapel Hill in 1991, when all four members were attending the University of North Carolina. Coincidentally, they'd all grown up in Asheville, in the western part of the state, but hadn't all gone to the same schools. Singer/guitarist Eric Bachmann, guitarist Eric Johnson, bassist Matt Gentling, and drummer Mark Price cut an independently released single, "Wrong," that helped them land a contract with the California-based indie label Alias (also home to releases by American Music Club and Yo La Tengo). Another single, "Web in Front," became a substantial hit on college radio in 1993, creating a strong buzz for the group's full-length debut. Icky Mettle arrived later in the year to highly positive reviews and more alternative-radio airplay, and the Archers supported it with an extensive national tour.

A five-song concept EP, Archers of Loaf vs the Greatest of All Time, arrived on the heels of Icky Mettle in 1994. Amid growing media attention, Madonna's Maverick label made a play for the band, but they elected to continue developing on an independent, with lower commercial stakes. Their second album, the rawer and noisier Vee Vee, appeared in 1995 and was an even bigger college-radio hit, thanks in part to the single "Harnessed in Slums." The album landed in the CMJ Top Five, and even got some press from the hipper mainstream media outlets. In its wake, Eric Bachmann convened the Chapel Hill side project Barry Black, an eclectic, mostly instrumental outfit given to bizarre arrangements; their eponymous first album was also released in 1995.

Meanwhile, the Archers compiled a raft of non-LP indie singles, B-sides, alternate takes, and live cuts for 1996's The Speed of Cattle. Their proper third album, All the Nation's Airports, came out later that year and showed the band moving into quieter, more layered territory. Bachmann's second album with Barry Black, Tragic Animal Stories, arrived in 1997, as did the live Archers of Loaf EP Vitus Tinnitus. The band's fourth proper album, 1998's White Trash Heroes, continued its exploration of calmer, more spacious sounds, and began to incorporate keyboards and samples. However, their marathon touring commitments were contributing to a sense of stagnation within the group. After the supporting tour for Heroes, the Archers decided to call it quits. A live album recorded at that tour's Chapel Hill show, Seconds Before the Accident, was released posthumously in 2000. Bachmann moved on to the folkier Crooked Fingers, and also went back to solo recording, stepping away from the Barry Black moniker and using his own name on a pair of releases and a soundtrack for the film Ball of Wax. Johnson also moved on to solo work with his own project, Spookie. In 2011, Archers of Loaf reunited, playing an unannounced reunion show in North Carolina before heading out on the road for a summer tour.

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ARCHERS OF LOAF

Classic Rock is for Pussies

1995

Tracklist ▼

A		Mutes In The Steeple
B		Smokin Pot In The Hot City

The Loaf's Revenge

1993

Tracklist ▼

A1		Web In Front
A2		Bathroom
B		Tatyana

Thanks to Jenz

BLINKER THE STAR Still in Rome 2003

Thanks to Kevin

biography

by Steve Huey

Blinker the Star began as a one-man band in the basement of then-22-year-old Toronto native Jordon Zadorozny following a fire in his parents' music store that resulted in instruments and recording equipment being stored in his cellar. Zadorozny's music is proudly lo-fi, making use of as many low-budget effects and recording techniques as he can improvise. The songs on Blinker the Star's self-titled debut album, which was released in 1995, are the original basement recordings; Zadorozny refused to redo them in a studio for fear of losing interesting mistakes or effects he did not remember how to duplicate. Bourgeois Kitten followed in 1996; August Everywhere, Blinker the Star's Dreamworks label debut, appeared three years later.

PAVEMENT / MEDUSA CYCLONE split 7 inch 1994

Thanks to Jenz

A - Pavement "Dancing with the Elders"

B - Medusa Cyclone "Chemical"

BLINKER THE STAR Below the Sliding Door (year unknown)

Thanks to Kevin 

1. Below the Sliding Door
2. Deaf Angel Ears
3. Sous Les Portes Coulisantes

GOD AND TEXAS Double Shot 1994

by request

 

CAMPAG VELOCET Bon Chic Bon Genre 1999

by request

 

biography

[+] by Rovi

This London, England-based band, who released their debut single in 1998, arrived on the back of some wildly misplaced hype from the capital’s music press. The band’s roots could be traced as far back as 1986, when Pete Voss (vocals) met Arge (b. Ian Carter; guitar) in his native Portsmouth. The duo moved to London two years later and, after teaming up with Barney Slater (bass), played their first gig in 1994. A succession of drummers passed through their ranks before they recruited Lascelles Gordon in 1997. The band’s ‘skunk rock’ sound earned comparisons to contemporaries the Lo-Fidelity Allstars and Regular Fries, while Voss’ childish lyrics and atonal vocals saw him heralded as an avatar in some circles. Their debut single ‘Sauntry Sly Chic’ was an infectious slice of funk rock, but set a high standard not matched by the following September’s Bon Chic Bon Genre. From the calculated A Clockwork Orange slogans on the cover art, to the overt musical references to ‘baggy’ heroes the Stone Roses and the Happy Mondays, the album was a triumph of artifice over art. After parting company with their record label the quartet continued to work on new material, some of which was premiered at their live comeback in September 2002. After finalising a recording contract with the London-based Pointy Records label, Campag Velocet released their long-delayed second album in summer 2004.

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REX All / Nayramadin Orgil 7 inch 1995

by request

Tracklist ▼

A		All
B		Nayramadin Orgil

STARLINGS Too Many Dogs 1994

by request

 

biography

[+] by Stewart Mason

The Starlings were a nom de studio for singer and multi-instrumentalist Chris Sheehan, a New Zealand native who released two albums under this name in the early '90s as but one stop on a surprisingly varied musical journey. Sheehan was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1965 and taught himself guitar as a teenager. At the tender age of 18, Sheehan joined the already successful new wave band the Dance Exponents as a second guitarist in 1983, staying long enough to record three albums with them: Prayers Be Answered, Great Expectations, and Amplifier. Facing slipping popularity, the group split up and Sheehan followed the group's drummer, ex-Psychedelic Furs Vince Ely, to Los Angeles, where both guested on the first solo album by Ely's then-girlfriend, Jane Wiedlin. Sheehan moved from Los Angeles to London in 1987 and began recording one-man-band records under the Starlings name two years later. After a promising first EP, Letters From Heaven, released through the Rough Trade label in 1990 (which gained some indie chart notoriety for a ripping cover of the Byrds' classic "Wasn't Born to Follow"), Sheehan signed to Anxious Records, the vanity label founded by ex-Eurythmics Dave Stewart. (Sheehan had become the house engineer at Stewart's studio.) The Starlings' first full-length release, Valid, wasn't released until 1992, however, not least because Sheehan had become a fairly serious heroin addict during his early years in England. The album was written and recorded while Sheehan was still using, but he successfully completed rehab the same week the album was released. Although Valid scored good reviews, it did not sell, a state of affairs Sheehan blamed squarely on his record label. Rather than stew in private, Sheehan poured out his angst on the seething Too Many Dogs, a festival of no-minced-words venom that makes Nine Inch Nails sound like Sunday school teachers. Unamused, Anxious Records buried the album, let Sheehan record a follow-up, then refused to release it and unceremoniously dropped him. Sheehan basically dropped the Starlings name at that point and spent the rest of the '90s as a journeyman backup musician, performing and recording with Babylon Zoo, the Mutton Birds, and Sisters of Mercy, among others. Sheehan released a "solo" album, Planet Painkiller, under the name Chris Starling in 2000; later that year, he rejoined the re-formed Sisters of Mercy as rhythm guitarist.

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THE JAZZ BUTCHER CONSPIRACY Waiting for the Love Bus 1993

by request

review

by Aaron Badgley

Following 1992's successful tour of North America by the Jazz Butcher Conspiracy, Pat Fish returned to the studio to complete this CD. Unlike previous Jazz Butcher Conspiracy albums, there is very little humor here. The music is low-key and somewhat depressing, and the lyrics match that sound. Fish's voice is strong and he delivers his lyrics with typical determination. There are several highlights, such as "Rosemary Davis World of Sound" and his cover of "Everybody's Talking." Fish's cover version of "Do You Wanna Dance" sounds a great deal like his Black EG alter ego, which means that the track is very danceable, entertaining, and too long. Overall, however, Waiting for the Love Bus is still strong; existing fans will enjoy the album and it may even win over some new ones.

STARFLYER 59 (Gold) 1995

by request

 

 

biography

[-] by John Bush

Jason Martin is the sole songwriter behind Starflyer 59, a project that combines his love for British shoegaze, Beatlesque pop, dreamy space rock, and the songcraft of assorted indie bands. A native of Southern California, Martin was raised in a Christian household without the influence of secular music. He later discovered the Smiths' The Queen Is Dead at the age of 12, and although Christianity continued to play an integral role in his life, Martin's faith didn't prohibit him from delving into the music of My Bloody Valentine and other shoegaze icons. Both the Smiths' melodic sense and MBV's walls of reverb-laden guitar would later find their way into Martin's own songwriting. 

 

DRIZZLE Salem 7 inch 1993

by request

Released on pink vinyl by Kokopop Records

A Salem

B White Rabbit

THE SPINANES

Manos

1993

Strand

1996

by request 

biography

[+] by Richie Unterberger

In alternative rock, as in any other genre, it's hard to stand out from a crowded field. When the Spinanes emerged in the early '90s, they got a couple legs up on the competition to be different. Taking the power trio format one stage further, they created a full-bodied rock sound with just two members, guitarist/singer Rebecca Gates and drummer Scott Plouf. They were also one of the first Sub Pop bands that did not subscribe to a grungy metallic sound, although they rocked pretty hard.

Beyond these striking characteristics, however, the Spinanes' music wasn't far off the beaten path of standard college radio alternative fare, with droning guitar textures, occasional harmonies, and measured vocals that avoided both slickness and extreme emotion. They were wise enough to realize the limits of their format, and their second album, Strand (1996), expanded their instrumental, production, and songwriting ranges in interesting ways. When Plouf exited the duo after the LP's release, Gates relocated from Seattle to Chicago, where she continued the Spinanes as a solo project, resurfacing in 1998 with the excellent Arches and Aisles. The Imp Years, a much-needed collection of early Spinanes singles, followed in mid-2000.

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