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