Tara S'appart- Little 7"

don't care much for any of the songs on here, but it's a neat little relic because of its relation to eric's trip. their best full-length album was definitely love tara, and this here is that tara. the one that rick loved. the one who, if we're to believe her moniker, tore rick and julie s'appart. maybe you'll like some of this. i see what she's going for here, but the dice are missing. rick white drums on this recording. it was put out by homemade hearts in 1996.

tracklist:

mending time
the land of where lost dreams go
trees
pretty


pushed luck off a cliff

Juniper- You Don't Hide So Well

as foretold. more really swell tunes from this awesome band. this is the last in the way of recordings by juniper that i know of. by now you hopefully know the score. lovely shoegaze pop. both sides of this 7" are total winners. a turntable friend put this slab-o'-wax out in 1996. listen, listen, repeat.

tracklist:

you don't hide so well

anna thema

two fingers twist behind the back of a promise

Juniper- Making Gerard Smile 7"

juniper rules. i posted their third effort on fantastic pop records a while back, and now here's their first release. pretty sure their entire recorded output consists of three 7"s, and i'll have the second posted here sometime soon. awesome stuff here. female-fronted shoegazesque pop. put out in 1996 on the orange label. highly recommended.

tracklist:

making gerard smile
supercat


a blitz on sunday afternoon

Poundsign- The Almondy Many 7"

it's been a little while, old friend. pull up a chair and sit on it backwards. another 7" by poundsign here, and if you liked the last one then you'll probably like this one too. melodic indie pop. put out on fantastic records in 1997. the sugar on this one might have you bouncing a bit but it's not enough to rot your teeth. i mean that in a good way. because rotting teeth is undesirable. 

tracklist:

the almondy many

button

our new ways

to each winter, a solstice

Horsey- Go Light 7"

alright, back to the rock, hopefully for real this time. what you're getting here is some nice, quiet-like indiepop. the title track ends with a really excellent little bit of instrumentalism. put out by trackshun industries in 1993. get bent.

tracklist:

go light

i'm not the best

nice lungs

blink and miss it

A Sometimes Promise / 3 Letter Engagement- split 7"

mid 90s emo split between two bands that did little (nothing?) else. stratagem ripcords put this out in 1997. the track that a sometimes promise does is alright, but 3 letter engagement's tune is the clear winner, and it's what makes the split worth listening to. 

tracklist:

a sometimes promise- 30 seconds in the police station

3 letter engagement- witness

taking my time in drawing the perfect blank

Acrobat Down- 5 11 8 6 7"

a really awesome little ep is what this is. the only song i don't really care for here is (6) the littlest- the rest is most excellent. atact musicalities put this out in 1997 and it's been hiding from most everyone since then. hopefully it's a bit more exposed now, because it's a nice spring of mid 90s independent music. drink up.

tracklist:

(5) false start
(11) so long
(8) no simple captain
(6) the littlest


frozen tree sap, foul things afoot

Tom LoMacchio- To Wander And Fade 7"

this release sounds clearer than his previous ones. it's comprised of an original tune and a cover of a song by the band lync (done entirely on keys). pretty stuff here. easy to listen to, easy to like. let the weather turn. you've got leaves to step on and the music to set the scene to. 

tracklist:

to wander and to fade

firestarter (lync)

stupid haircut to please old folks

Belly Boat / Sneakypine / Mount Eerie / Thanksgiving- Four Band Split 7"

i'm pretty sure this record has no name. it's a four band split 7" that stop drop records put out in 2006. all of the music on here is good. everything is pretty somber aside from the belly boat song, which seems almost out of place with its upbeat bounce. hidden under its buoyant bop are some strange lyrics, and so in some strange way, it seems to fit right in. and the sneakypine track sounds like it has phil elverum singing on it. i have rambled a bit without reason it seems, because all you really needed to know is that this is good. throughout. all four bands. all two bands on either side.  mathematics: they are not your strongest suit.

tracklist:

belly boat- give me a pot to piss in and i'll give you something to drink
sneakypine- shelter cover
mount eerie- let's get out of the romance (black)
thanksgiving- in the cavez of night


the magician's got scars

split! Sharks Keep Moving / Kentucky Pistol 7"

henry's finest recordings put this out in 1998, or at least that's when the bands recorded their songs. it's an early (first?) sharks keep moving release. it's nice and pretty, much like everything else they wrote. kentucky pistol was a band that rocky votolato was in. while their song isn't as strong as the sharks keep moving number, it's really an entirely different beast. the first half of their song is loud, discordant, and angular- the opposite of what the sharks were up to. then in around the middle of the track, it breaks into a really nice melodic part, followed up abruptly with another segment musically akin to the first half. enough with the descriptors though. seriously. fuck them. fuck descriptors and the crowd they hang out with. hear this one for yourself. neither side disappoints.

tracklist:

sharks keep moving- intimations of a moment
kentucky pistol- french version: they were on a train


you eat the sun, i'll bake the dirt

V/A- Nailed To The Stars

this compilation was released by jealous butcher records in 1996, and the bands are all connected to eugene, oregon. each band here does a couple of tracks. some strikeout both times (pete & amy), some go dutch (rally boy), and one double whammies 'em clear out of the elementary school's park and smashes the window of the principal's office (kind of like spitting). a decent compilation, and completely worth downloading for the kind of like spitting tracks alone, which offers an unreleased track (time and how to waste it) and one only previously available on the debut cassette (february 18th, 1996).

tracklist:

the ex-hustlers- iago's coat; stella in need
the power jack- sanchez; calibrate
kind of like spitting- time and how to waste it; february 1996
22 sparkling smiles- everyday; sea of heartbreak
bossa nova 2600- choke; donde es maria, ora?
rally boy- shad virus; france and colorado
pete & amy- too good to be true; how long has this been going on?
kpants- my strong back legs; vampire girl


the ebbs of tomorrow felt today

Places We Slept- I Would Rather You Not Know Me 7"

this here's a pretty excellent three song 7" of lo-fi emolike indie germs that bring the melody. places we slept rocks outta omaha, and this, their first foray into vinyl, is limited to 100 copies. so if you like what you hear (and likely you will), then grab a copy without that whole hesitation habit that's been destroying all of your opportunities in life as of late.

tracklist:

four square queen
retired at nineteen
the radiation cure for acne


a simple game of twenty questions that devolves into wild accusations

V/A- Gainesville Pop Mayhem!

four bands on this little slice, offering a glimpse into what sort of mayhem was abound at the 2008 festival. definitely a solid thing, this. simple, safe, effective pop. nothing that achieves greatness, but all songs here are good (with the possible exception of citra super's ditty). take a whirl without hesitation here.

tracklist:

citra super- glowing town

the french horns- think of rain

nervous systems- married housing

que possum- stay heavy

darlings and nerds loitering, the location is undisclosed

V/A- Periscope: Another Yo Yo Compilation

by and large, this comp is most excellent. it's got only a few shitty songs, and the rest of them range from pretty good to really great. essential because neutral milk hotel's awesome song "bucket" is exclusive to this release. the raggedy ann tune is also a definite highlight here. undeniably worth your while to listen to this.

tracklist:

mukilteo fairies- bloody breath
go sailor- last year
excuse 17- sevewhateverteen
fitz of depression- piss butt
love as laughter- super christ
tummy ache- purple violet squish
raggedy ann- orange juice star
cub- flaming red bob sled
crabs- chubbette
appleseed- high
bloodthirsty butchers- i hate you
neutral milk hotel- bucket
long hind legs- dress in my bed
tattle tale- girls go to heaven
team dresch- fake fight
copass grinderz- bakuonki
beck- the world may lose its motion


words as sleight of hand

Frizbee- Richard Moss 7"

this one is excellent. it was released by bubblegun records in 1996. unfortunate things: i don't know too much more about this band, other than they were from ontario (that's in canada, friends) and that they also released a 5 song cassette ep. unfortunate things continued: there is a skip in the first track. but this comes highly recommended. listen & love.

tracklist:

the gimmick
one man bland
just lettuce and air


something profoundly useless

Beezus- I'll Call You Blue

the original tune on this is nice enough i suppose, though the real reason this is worth listening to is because they cover a most excellent superchunk song (i'm working, but i'm not working for you. slack motherfucker!). these cats were also on a split with braid. the more you know, the less you know.

tracklist:

i'll call you blue
slack motherfucker (superchunk)


business ventures of bottling air

split! Will Sheff / Charles Bissell covers 7"

this split, put out in 2008 by jagjaguwar, sees will sheff of okkervil river and charles bissell of the wrens cover a song penned by each other's band. all quiet and pretty-like, give the hearing machine an early non-returnable easter gift.

tracklist:

will sheff- ex-girl collection (the wrens)
charles bissell- it ends with a fall (okkervil river)


stars awash in galactic nectar

V/A- Anything Goes When You Go... Girl Crazy! LP

this here's a compilation of all female-fronted pop/punk bands put out by remedial records in 1998. mixed results here. some songs are definitely better than others, and there's surely a fair share of subpar tunes. the band maow is neko case's old band (pre-new pornographers). kitty badass also does a fun enough rendition of the oft-covered game of pricks. test the waters for yourself.

trackist:

catfight!- not in love
the eyeliners- you lose
the chubbies- vegas song
junior varsity- party tonight
the neptunas- shapes of things to come
budget girls- tinklebee
me first- drunk and walking home alone
maow- just fine
the hissyfits- wish
the beautys- small meat driver
red #9- dependency
bombshell- condescending boy
kitty badass- pricks
swoons- my grandpa is joey ramone
east coast panic- all you
ballgagger- sidedish
ninety-nine- woekenender


disreputable and drunk, the sales pitch hit a snag

Charlie McAlister- Carolina Bi-Product 7"

more excellent lo-fi folksy weirdness from charlie mcalister. great throughout. standout track here is i don't love you anymore. spend as much time as you'd like to wondering if you should hear this, and then decide to listen, and by listen i mean listen ad nauseum.

tracklist:

carolina bi-product beachball boogie
i'm freezin'
i don't love you anymore
memories in the rain


sad sack of potatoes and earth

A Boy Named Thor- Lonely Summer Days

totally wimpy stuff, and that's not a knock, just a factual description. it's decent enough though. the musical stylings of six cents & natalie would give you a fair idea as to what you might be getting here. really soft vocals over really minimalist instrumentation. relaxing pop tunes worthy of a listen.

tracklist:

lonely summer days
if you are awake
a history of kissing


presently presenting presents sans pretenses

The Crabapples- For Change 7"

slumberland records put this number out in 2006, which is close to the beginning of when this excellent label caught their second wind and started getting back into the game. the crabapples offer up four quick bursts of pretty swell noisy indie pop with this one. the band also had a single put out on (wait for it) a floppy disk. another useless bit of information for the crowded bank of things you didn't need to know.

tracklist:

quality (not quantity)

crabapples for change

london belongs to me pt. 2

all the earnest young men

anticipatory aches & predetermined pains

Belreve- Ron 7"

another single by belreve. this one came out on slumberland records a year after the other belreve 7" i posted. i think this one is better. both songs here are good, and if it's shoegazin' nosie-makin' melodic indie pop you're looking for, you've found it. underrated skills those are, them finding skills. but they've served you well. or at least they have today.

tracklist:

ron
look out


a spastic flail and the shame sets in

split! The Serious Geniuses / Jean Claude Jam Band 7"

the serious geniuses are pretty excellent, and although short-lived, more people should hear what they offered up. they also released an album, which is definitely worth checking out. jean claude jam band plays some punk that pops, and it goes without saying that their band name rocks. split release by kiss of death records and clubhouse records.

tracklist:

the serious geniuses- marc attack

the serious geniuses- hoffstra

jean claude jam band- two dollar headache

jean claude jam band- rattlesnake love

bloated and blissful with little bones all broken

split! The Van Pelt / Chisel- Live At WMUC 7"

this record consists of one live track from each band. chisel is ted leo's older band. the van pelt offer up a damn good rendition of a pretty excellent song off of their sultans of sentiment album. this split was released in 1997 by air king alliance. my opinion? the pelt take this one for sure. but surely i jest? no, likely not.

tracklist:

the van pelt- yamato (where people go to die)
chisel- towncrusher



lucky losing streak

Suretoss- Quiet Christmas 7"

minimalist lo-fi pop. self-released on his jigsaw records label, the dude who goes by suretoss put this out in 1999. three short songs, including an elevator to hell cover. it's worth checking out this little one-sided record. ties to the band sandy city.

tracklist:

quiet christmas
snowless winter
forward to snow (elevator to hell cover)


clipped wings, clipped beak: forever grounded and never to speak

Super Falling Star- Someday 7"

slow shoegaze pop like thick soda. quiddity records put this out in 1996. i knew that this record was limited to 500 copies, but i didn't know that they apparently also made 500 unique sleeves for this release, which is totally time-consumingly fucked, but also nice. let it trickle like tree sap.

tracklist:

someday
falling girl
shipwrecked


blatant and subtle like contradictions

split! Silver Scooter / Tiara

songs from 1998. put out by voice of the sky. both are solid enough, but i prefer silver scooter's side of this split. it's a sweet little ditty. pretty and understated like all the sunrises you never wake up to see.

tracklist:

silver scooter- morning view
tiara- swingset


scuba dive before your flight and welcome the bends

Tiara- It's A Message 7"

never heard any mention of this band before, which is too bad. complete obscurity is fitting for few, much less a band that put out at least a couple of decent tunes. they've got a split with silver scooter which i'll also be posting. check this band out. the songs here are pretty good.

tracklist:

it's a message
circle of friends


blacking out beneath a sky that's still blue

Spool- Callous Makers 7"

this band does a pretty good pavement imitation with this 1994 release put out by derivative records. really nothing further to say about this. if you like pavement, you will more than likely dig these songs.

tracklist:

callous makers
forget all the clean things


braving the days that are less than great

Plumtree- Water Had Leaked Into My Suit 7"

not a big fan of this release, but i am a big fan of canada's east coast indie/pop movement of the 90s, which this label (cinnamon toast records) definitely helped facilitate. the song sodium chloride ain't bad. and the cover rocks. merry shark week, one and all.

tracklist:

sodium chloride
the phone the phone
uno


so deft at being so daft

Silver Scooter- 1353 7"

the swingline record co. put this out in 1996. this release features a cover of an eric's trip song (allergic to love- a track from the almighty love tara) and is a pretty listen throughout. silver scooter seems under-appreciated. rake it over the auditory coals and recognize.

now you've gone and damned it

split! Wand / Golden Boots 7"

people in a position to know put this split out, which features two songs apiece from wand and golden boots, the latter of which takes the proverbial cake. the wand tunes are worth listening to, but when you're down on your luck and kickin' a rock across that ol' dusty road, these golden boots tunes'll keep you conscious. their second track (a nothing) sounds wilco-esque.

tracklist:

wand- dirty penny
wand- i'm afraid of little girls
golden boots- passerby (penelope)
golden boots- a nothing


blasphemous? yes. but i know you've got it bad at best.

The Van Pelt- The Speeding Train 7"

art monk construction put this out in 1997. how many descriptors need to bend to give you an idea of what you're getting? post-punkish partly sung, partly spoken borderline-emo germs that wink at melody well they threaten to dismantle her completely.

tracklist:

the speeding train
democratic teacher's union
evil high


last one to die buries himself

split! Lanemeyer / Emanuel Nice 7"

both bands hold down their side of this pop-punk split. ? records put this out, and i'm guessing that it was probably in the early '00s. summer tunes for the summer goons.

tracklist:

lanemeyer- grovers corner new jersey
lanemeyer- thursday
emanuel nice- don't say ok
emanuel nice- kill lincoln


the paper gets cut and starts to scab

split! Iris / Swirlies- Vents Of The Ocean Floor 7"

bubblecore records put this one out in 1994. iris holds its own on this split, but the shoegazin' pop of the swirlies is pretty unfuckwithable. this slab of wax offers a 4-track version of his love just washed away. bending notes, dizzied up guitars, and nearly two minutes of weirdness at the end of the track. your ears, this music. 

tracklist:

iris- statements by scientists

swirlies- his love just wash away (4-track version)

the bluish white of almost night masks the embarrassing things you do

Shannon And The Clams- Ruin Christmas 7"

more goodness from shannon and the clams. they kick out four covers of christmas tunes here, and you know it's done properly, because when you see something done properly, you nod your head nice and slowly in acknowledgment. your next christmas will be a party for sure. tunes enough to make your uncle slick his eyebrows back with a bit of spittle and roll around facedown in the snow. one fella's ruined christmas is another's excellent party.

tracklist:

melekalikimaka
all i want for christmas is you
blue christmas
fat daddy


"wreck the halls"

The Softies- The Best Days 7"

no way around this one: twee. so much sugar in these ladies' voices that you're either gonna barf or be lulled into tasty haze, and maybe you'll do both because you're ambitious like that. the best days wins this one cleanly.

tracklist:

the best days
as skittish as me
stranger


sleeping your way to victory

Jale- Sort Of Gray 7"

this was a split release between two labels: cinnamon toast records and derivative records. the song emma is no good but the song brother is pretty decent. female vocals, canadian, aurora borealis, southern hemisphere, up in the sky lookin' down at the dirt.

tracklist:

emma
brother


the television informs: nothing is actually rotten in denmark

The Sparklers- Secret Snow 7"

fantastic pop records put this one out. i believe it was around the year 2000. the song secret snow is pretty good. fantastic, if you will. and you won't. because you never will. quiet, subdued, dig it until it's deep enough and lay down.

tracklist:

secret snow
pop dreams


called it from miles away but still you hope it ruins their day

For Ex-Lovers Only- Coffin 7"

magic marker records put this number out a couple of years ago. the first track is the best of the bunch, offering up some shoegazin' pop (this band takes its name from the most excellent slumberland get-up that called themselves black tambourine so no surprises there). the other two songs are good enough to merit a listenin'.

tracklist:

coffin

lover's heart

scraps

mathematician crunches numbers, proves there are things

Kleenex Girl Wonder- Long Live The Pelican express 7"

different verse, fuzzier than the first. this one came out in 1996. lo-fi pop tunes to get stupid with. real stupid.

tracklist:

i'm racing isaiah
bones and the smiling mackerel
kill devil hill
mystic pizza
fratello party gianno


the idiot interjects with an anecdote of previously unexperienced levels of irrelevance

Kleenex Girl Wonder- Gay Gigolo 7"

this came out on 100 guitar mania and freedom fortress preservation society in 1999.  it's much cleaner sounding than their earlier 7" i'm going to post next. slightly off-kilter buoyant indie tunes. i can hear a bit of guided by voices here but that comparison is probably more suitable for long live the pelican express.

tracklist:

louis, my corpse looks a little familiar
the art of heroin
sleeping in the apartment
mouse hunt, mouse blood
get out of town


conversations were a lengthy but passing fad

Evergreen- Trudy Pushpin 7"

emo from the mid-90s. 1994 to be precise. put out by wrenched records. solid throughout, though the winning track here is shoulders. evergreen was a strong but quiet contributor to the genre in what i suppose would be called its second wave. worth checking out for that reason alone.

tracklist:

trudy pushpin
untitled
the water song
shoulders


spray paint stains stupid stuff on signs and sheds

Pest- Philosophically Dyslexic 7"

luke warm female-fronted indiepop. this came out in 1994 on harriet records. pest later tacked on "5000" to the end of their name and went on to release several more things. again, i hate the term twee, but it might apply here.

tracklist:

philosophically dyslexic
kitchen sink
blister


slack-jawed and staring intently

Scenic Vermont- The Epilogue Fits 7"

this is the second release by the label suicide squeeze records. i gather that there isn't much information out there about this band, which is unfortunate because they definitely released some decent stuff. this came out in the mid-90s and definitely fits in well with the sound that their indie contemporaries were jamming out at the time. 

tracklist:

the epilogue fits

l.g.a.

a basket is a poor substitute for a case

Shannon And The Clams- Paddy's Birthday 7"

i've yet to hear a release by the clams that i didn't like. two slow-burning numbers and a quick noisy burst of a ditty about reading a diary. great pop sensibility underwrites the two showpiece tunes, and shannon takes care of the rest- crooning over all the reverb you could ask for. these cats are formally invited to ruin as many birthdays as they want, so long as it always sounds like this. put out in 2010 on southpaw records.

tracklist:

paddy's birthday

diary

jimmy

dead cat bounced cheque

split! Rusty Troller / Fighter Jet- Suffer Girl 7"

here's your serving of weird pop, and i don't necessarily mean that in the endearing way that i usually do. nonetheless, it's here for your checking out if you feel so inclined. this was a split release between the labels christmas records and small-fi records, and between the two have put out records by pretty excellent bands like the lefties, further, and the summer hits. unfortunately, neither of the two contributors here come anywhere close to being as good as the aforementioned bands, but if you've been craving some tape manipulation and sampling then you can find that right here. both thank lou barlow, and it's easy to see where they intended to go but safe to say they didn't get there successfully. released in 1994.

tracklist:

rusty troller- mayberry sunshine medley

rusty troller- broken hearted man

fighter jet- cute blonde girl
fighter jet- lovin', touchin', squeezin'


clouds don't care if you've got the blues

The Suspicions- We're All Wrong 7"

two quick cuts of female-fronted pop punk. sugar enough to get you dancing wildly or tapping your foot a bit, whichever you prefer. this came out in 2004 on nerve wracking records.

tracklist:

we're all wrong
memory


the wit dribbles down the edge of your lip