THE CAUSEY WAY WWCD EP 1998

Thanks to Jim

Discogs 

Artist Biography by Heather Phares

Similar to a sci-fi Danielson Familie or a religiously-inclined Servotron, the Causey Way is a five-piece new wave/punk group that blends noisy synth-pop with cult-like propaganda. The band has released singles on labels like What Else and Put It on a Cracker, and put out their debut album With Loving And Open Arms, in 1999 on Alternative Tentacles. The Testimony EP appeared a year later, followed within months by the full-length WWCD. Causey Vs. Everything was issued in early 2001.  

Tracklist

1	Science Made Me A Homo (Sapien)
2	Plan C
3	Chocolate
4	The Bottom Line
5	Maltreated
6	Natural Disasters (God's Black Box)

18TH DYE Crayon 1994

Thanks to Jim

Discogs

Artist Biography by Erik Hage

18th Dye may have hailed from Europe, but the group reveled in a distinctly American brand of indie rock (an almost pop melodicism married to an aggressive guitar attack) that owed a debt to such forebears as Sonic Youth, the Pixies, and Nirvana. Fittingly, the group scored an American distribution deal with Matador Records after American indie darlings Yo La Tengo, who are on the label, championed 18th Dye by dropping off a tape at the offices. The Berlin, Germany-based group consisted of German singer/guitarist Sebastian Büttrich, Danish drummer Piet Bendtsen, and Danish-German singer/bassist Heike Rädeker. The group released its drone-heavy, fuzzed-out debut, Done, in 1994. Chicago producer Iain Burgess (Naked Raygun, Ministry, Big Black) helped out on the effort. The less-produced six-song EP Crayon followed. In 1995, 18th Dye recruited Steve Albini (Nirvana, the Breeders, PJ Harvey) to record their sophomore LP, Tribute to a Bus. The effort featured a more aggressive, energetic approach than Done. In 1999, after three "goodbye" shows in Berlin, London, and Copenhagen, 18th Dye called it quits. Subsequently, Büttrich and Bendtsen formed a group called Kikkert, while Rädeker moved on to Evonike. Nearly a decade passed before the trio re-formed for a few live dates. With the band successful in its reunion shows, Crunchy Frog caught wind of the new buzz and offered 18th Dye a record deal. The group returned the favor by delivering the label its fourth album, Amorine Queen, which was released in May of 2008. 

Tracklist

1	Aug.	3:06
2	16 Ink	4:21
3	Ray	2:19
4	Mystics II	2:16
5	Crank	3:16
6	Nult N.	3:24

JEREMY TOBACK self titled EP 1996

by request

Discogs

Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny

The frontman for Pearl Jam offshoot group Brad, singer/songwriter Jeremy Toback made his solo debut in 1996 with a self-titled effort issued on the Cherry Disc label. Jumping to RCA, Toback returned in 1997 with Perfect Flux Thing; Another True Fiction followed two years later. 

Tracklist

1	The Word Behind Words	4:40
2	Less I Say	3:33
3	When She Calls Me Over	2:37
4	We Are Song	3:58
5	Blind Love	4:56
6	The Word Behind Words (Euphonius Chunk Mix)	5:07
7	Less I Say (Red C Dub)	4:17

CLINIC self titled 1999

indie/art rock

Discogs

Artist Biography by Heather Phares

Liverpool's art punk four-piece Clinic formed in 1997 out of the ashes of Ade Blackburn and Hartley's previous band, Pure Morning. The duo added Brian Campbell and Carl Turney to the fold and released the thrashy debut single "IPC Sub-Editors Dictate Our Youth" on the group's own Aladdin's Cave of Golf label; it reached number nine in John Peel's Festive 50 singles roundup that year. 1998 saw the release of equally well-received singles like "Cement Mixer" and "Monkey on My Back," which also showcased Clinic's blend of chugging, Velvet Underground-style guitars, icy, Suicide-esque keyboards and drum machines, and Blackburn's acidic, Lennon-esque vocals.

In 1999, the band signed to Domino Records and released "The Second Line," which was subsequently used in ads for Levi's Jeans in the U.K. Clinic began a flurry of activity in 2000, releasing their first album, Internal Wrangler, and the singles "The Return of Evil Bill" and "Distortions." That summer, they appeared at Scott Walker's Meltdown and All Tomorrow's Parties festivals and toured with Radiohead. The following year, the group returned to the studio and Internal Wrangler was released domestically in the U.S. In early 2002, Clinic resurfaced with their second full-length, Walking with Thee, which provided a more spacious, atmospheric take on the group's sound. That spring, the band launched a full-fledged tour of the States.

Two years later, Clinic embarked on a tour of the U.S. before the release of their third album, Winchester Cathedral, and another tour after its arrival. The band reunited with Gareth Jones, who mixed Internal Wrangler, for Visitations, a rawer effort that harked back to Clinic's early days. Visitations was released in late 2006 in the U.K. and early in 2007 in the U.S. Early in 2008, the band released the single "Free Not Free" as a free download; the full-length Do It!, which took a more streamlined approach than Visitations, surfaced that spring. For 2010's Bubblegum, the band went in a gentler, chamber pop-inspired direction. Clinic self-produced their next album, 2012's psychedelic Free Reign, enlisting Oneohtrix Point Never's Daniel Lopatin to mix certain songs and issuing one version of the album as a glow-in-the-dark Frisbee with a download code for the music.

Tracklist

1	I.P.C. Subeditors Dictate Our Youth	3:00
2	Porno	3:51
3	D.P.	1:49
4	Monkey On Your Back	2:53
5	D.T.	2:12
6	Evil Bill	3:05
7	Cement Mixer	2:49
8	Kimberley	3:09
9	Voot	2:35

FAITH OVER REASON Eyes Wide Smile 1991

by request

Discogs

Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny

Britain's pastoral Faith Over Reason was a showcase for vocalist Moira Lambert, a West Sussex native who formed the group in London in 1990. With a line-up completed by guitarist Simon Roots, bassist/keyboardist Bill Lloyd and drummer Mark Wilsher, Faith Over Reason signed to the Big Cat label and debuted with 1990's Believing in Me, winning acclaim for their version of Nick Drake's classic "Northern Sky." The EP Billy Blue followed, but after guesting on the Saint Etienne single "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" Lambert took a temporary leave from the group to attend university. In 1992, Faith Over Reason issued Eyes Wide Smile, an LP collection of demos; finally, in 1993 the band reconvened in earnest, welcoming guitarist Tebo Steele as a replacement for Roots. With producer Steve Malkmus, whose band Pavement shared the same label, they entered the studio to record the album Easy. In 1995 Steele, Lloyd and Wilsher left the band to form their own group, Soup; Lambertcarried on the Faith Over Reason name, recruiting former Sundays drummer Patch to begin working on new material. 

Tracklist

1	Lullaby (Mother Love)	3:34
2	Sofya	4:22
3	So Free	3:59
4	Northern Sky	2:47
5	Song For Jessica	2:41
6	Evangeline	4:03
7	Not So	3:41
8	Eyes Wide Smile	3:45
9	Fallen	3:08

BENTLEY RHYTHM ACE self titled 1997

by request

 

Discogs

Artist Biography by Sean Cooper

Based in Birmingham, Bentley Rhythm Ace are Mike Stokes (aka Michael Barrywhoosh) and ex-Pop Will Eat Itself bassist Richard March (aka Barry Island). The group formed in 1995 after Marsh was introduced to Stokes at the house party of a mutual friend where Stokes was DJing. Discovering a shared love for screwball novelty records and offbeat groove tunes, the pair met up afterwards to see if they couldn't make a go of a studio collaboration. To date, they've released two EPs and a long-player for Brighton's big-beat Skint label, attracting wide acclaim for their energetic, irreverent blend of hip-hop, funk, and the bizarre lounge, jazz, and exotica records that initially brought them together. The duo's head-scratcher of a name derives from their weekend habit -- also commemorated on their first Skint twelve, "This Is Carbootechnodiscobooto" -- of rare vinyl shopping at the ubiquitous car-trunk junk sales in their Midlands home; a good deal of the flavor of their material comes from their knack for fusing the fruits of those dusty weekend jaunts with tight, infectious rhythms and engaging arrangements. Following the release of their Skint debut, Stokes and Marsh took up a monthly residency at Heavenly's Sunday Social club (where the Chemical Brothers got their start), and their instant popularity has meant they've been something of a critic's darling ever sense. Their self-titled debut LP was released by Skint in 1997, and featured remixed versions of a few early tracks together with a number of new cuts. The pair have also cultivated something of a devoted club following through their campy live performances, which often involve strange and unusual costumes and props (probably originating from the same car boots as their records). 

Tracklist

1	Let There Be Flutes	7:46
2	Midlander (There Can Only Be One...)	6:38
3	Why Is A Frog Too..?	5:23
4	Mind That Gap	6:08
5	Run On The Spot	5:26
6	Bentleys Gonna Sort You Out!	4:55
7	Ragtopskodacarchase	8:22
8	Whoosh	5:51
9	Who Put The Bom In The Bom Bom Diddleye Bom	4:00
10	Spacehopper	5:23
11	Return Of The Hardcore Jumble Carbootechnodisco Roadshow	7:17

 

DIESEL PARK WEST Decency 1991

Discogs

Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny

The British pop band Diesel Park West was formed in Leicester, England in 1987 by singer/guitarist John Butler, guitarists Rick Willson and Rich Barton, bassist Geoff Beavan and drummer Dave Anderson. Upon signing to the EMI subsidiary Food Records, the quintet debuted with the single 'When the Hoodoo Comes; " a solid year of touring and songwriting followed, as they issued a series of subsequent singles -- including "Jackie's Still Sad," "All the Myths on Sunday," and "Like Princes Do" -- before finally releasing their first LP, Shakespeare, Alabama, in 1989.

Despite good critical notices, the album did not fare well; an appearance on the 1989 Food Christmas EP, wherein the band covered Jesus Jones' "Info Freako," brought them greater exposure, but Diesel Park West soon turned away from both live appearances and studio recording to continue to hone their compositional skills. In their absence from the limelight, Food issued 1990's Flipped, a stop-gap collection of B-sides and outtakes; finally, the all-new Decency appeared in 1991, but again no commercial success ensued.

For the follow-up, Food requested an all-covers LP, although only a series of EPs, each highlighted by a rendition of the Beach Boys' "God Only Knows," ever materialized. Diesel Park West soon parted ways with the label, resurfacing on Demon in 1993 with the stripped-down Diesel Park West vs. the Corporate Waltz. After another label change -- this time to Permanent -- as well as the replacement of Beavan with bassist Ian Michie, the band released Freakgame in 1995. The comprehensive package Left Hand Band: The Very Best of Diesel Park West surfaced in 1997, and the fresh Hip Replacement followed in 2001. 

Tracklist

1	While The World Cries Decency	4:40
2	Walk With The Mountain	3:06
3	Fall To Love	4:27
4	Boy On Top Of The News	4:33
5	Somewhere In The Afterglow	5:23
6	Fine Lily Fine	4:41
7	I Want No Mystery	2:49
8	Till The Moon Struck Two	3:48
9	Hot Summer Water	4:31
10	Safe Life, Safe Times	5:12
11	Clutching At Love	4:35

THIN WHITE ROPE Sack Full of Silver 1990

Discogs

Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny

Copping their name from William S. Burroughs' euphemism for ejaculation, Thin White Rope was founded in Davis, California in 1984. Although the time and place of their formation aligned them with both the Paisley Underground and roots rock movements, the group quickly staked out its own musical territory, divining their own unique brand of dark, surreal, desert rock. Thin White Rope was led by singer/guitarist Guy Kyser, whose harsh, tightly coiled vocals and unsettling lyrics combined to give the band its edge; in the group's first incarnation, Kyser was joined by guitarist Roger Kunkel, bassist Kevin Staydohar (soon replaced by Steven Tesluk), and drummer Jozef Becker.

While Thin White Rope's 1985 debut Exploring the Axis flirted with neo-psychedelia, the 1987 follow-up Moonhead upped the ante by allowing the desperation of Kyser's lyrics to take full command of the music. Unrelentingly grim and harrowingly provocative, the album's best songs -- like "Crawl Piss Freeze" and "If Those Tears" -- were postcards from the edge. Following the addition of new bassist John von Feldt, 1988's In the Spanish Cave continued along the same path, albeit with a renewed sense of humor ("Mr. Limpet") and more oblique wordplay.

Though garnering little notice stateside, Thin White Rope earned a solid fan base in Europe, and even became the first American independent-label act to tour the Soviet Union. 1990's Sack Full of Silver, a collection of songs written while on tour abroad, featured new drummer Matthew Abourezk as well as a newly focused sonic attack; the album also featured a left-field rendition of Can's "Yoo Doo Right," a hint of things to come on the 1991 all-covers EP Squatters' Rights.

1991's full-length The Ruby Sea, a dense, atmospheric work highlighted by the riveting "Clown Song," proved to be Thin White Rope's studio swan song: in 1992 the band split, and while most of the players continued performing in various musical projects, Kyser devoted himself to a career as a botanist. The posthumous The One That Got Away 6-28-92 Ghent, a two-disc live set recorded in Belgium peppered with odd covers of Lee & Nancy's "Some Velvet Morning," Bob Dylan's "Outlaw Blues," and Hawkwind's "Silver Machine" appeared in 1993. Spoor, a collection of demos, remixes, and rare tracks, followed two years later. 

Tracklist

1	Hidden Lands	3:00
2	Sack Full Of Silver	2:09
3	Yoo Doo Right	6:01
4	The Napkin Song	1:28
5	Americana	7:75
6	The Ghost	3:42
7	Whirling Dervish	5:36
8	The Triangle Song	4:40
9	Diesel Man	3:40
10	On The Floe	4:51

HOOD Cabled Linear Traction 1999

Discogs

Tracklist  

1	Norfolk	2:27
2	Evening Return	3:28
3	Untitled	2:51
4	The Hay Harvest Had Special Charms	1:41
5	An Oblique View Of An Irrationally Happy Time	2:59
6	Small Town Prejudice	3:13
7	Abstracting Electricity	1:19
8	A Spell Of Rain	1:07
9	Fades To End A Day	3:40
10	Fashion Mistake Of The Decade	2:19
11	Summers Last Annual	3:19
12	Coastal Driftings	1:38
13	British Radars	4:36
14	Church, Circular	1:26
15	Be Nice To Everyone At All Times (With A Few Important Exceptions)	1:07
16	Finite Differences	0:56
17	Highly Competitive Cut Throat World	1:15
18	Hurt	1:16
19	Untitled #2	8:10
20	A Thinly Veiled Excuse For Something More	1:27