Sub Pop (1993)
Welcome to another fun filled and information packed Seaweed Friday here at I Buy Way Too Many Records Dot Com. This time out, we've got a Sub Pop Single with 2 cover songs and a remixed version of the opening track from the Seaweed album four. We'll start with the remix, it's not a remix with dope beats thrown down over the song, but it's basically just a cleaned up version of the song Losing Skin. Great song, but I prefer the noisier album version. Then there's She Cracked a Jonathan Richman cover. It's OK actually, nothing bad to say about that.
But then we have Go Your Own Way. I hate this song so much. For a while at my job, I would have to call this one vendor over and over again all day long. Their hold music consisted of 3 songs. Truckin' by Grateful Dead, Mrs Robinson by Simon & Garfunkel and Go Your Own Way. I didn't like that song to begin with, but after having to listen to it over and over again everyday, I'm convinced that there's no greater torture in the world. Seaweed's version is what it is. I probably can't judge it fairly as I hate the original so much. It's another 7" to add to the collection, but probably not one I'll listen to very often.
Seaweed - Go Your Own Way:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lna5ZKbZUqU
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
The Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I 2xLP
Barsuk (2011, Reissue)
Let's keep going with reissues this week. We'll move away from Merge and head over to Barsuk who put out this Emergency & I reissue last year. I remember how excited I was when it was announced, but then thought is was a little expensive for my tastes right at that moment. I figured I'd keep an eye out and pick a copy up when I saw it go on sale somewhere. Oops. It then proceeded to go out of print and I couldn't find a copy anywhere. That'll teach me. I'm not typically one to wait when it comes to buying records, but this cemented why I shouldn't do that.
Compared to the $80-$90 price tag I've seen this guy selling for lately, I got it for what I consider a pretty reasonable $50 on eBay. Too much to pay for a record, but it's my own fault for not buying it when it came out. I do have to say that Barsuk did an amazing job with this. The art looks great, the vinyl sounds incredible and there's no bullshit download only bonus tracks. These bonus tracks are on the actual vinyl. So my path getting to this record was flawed, but all is right in the world now that I can listen to this record on vinyl while I'm hanging out on the couch reading professional wrestling newsletters. Not sure that's what the band had in mind when they recorded this.
The Dismemberment Plan - What Did You Want Me To Say:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ge5BoOOhCo
The Dismemberment Plan - Back & Forth
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLUXXuSzXXM
Let's keep going with reissues this week. We'll move away from Merge and head over to Barsuk who put out this Emergency & I reissue last year. I remember how excited I was when it was announced, but then thought is was a little expensive for my tastes right at that moment. I figured I'd keep an eye out and pick a copy up when I saw it go on sale somewhere. Oops. It then proceeded to go out of print and I couldn't find a copy anywhere. That'll teach me. I'm not typically one to wait when it comes to buying records, but this cemented why I shouldn't do that.
Compared to the $80-$90 price tag I've seen this guy selling for lately, I got it for what I consider a pretty reasonable $50 on eBay. Too much to pay for a record, but it's my own fault for not buying it when it came out. I do have to say that Barsuk did an amazing job with this. The art looks great, the vinyl sounds incredible and there's no bullshit download only bonus tracks. These bonus tracks are on the actual vinyl. So my path getting to this record was flawed, but all is right in the world now that I can listen to this record on vinyl while I'm hanging out on the couch reading professional wrestling newsletters. Not sure that's what the band had in mind when they recorded this.
The Dismemberment Plan - What Did You Want Me To Say:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ge5BoOOhCo
The Dismemberment Plan - Back & Forth
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLUXXuSzXXM
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Sugar - Copper Blue/Beaster 2xLP
Merge (2012, Reissue)
Let's stick with another Merge reissue for today. The label has reissued the Sugar back catalog and while I already had File Under Easy Listening on vinyl, Copper Blue & Beaster were only in my collection as CDs up until now. As with the Archers of Loaf reissues, Merge did a great job with the art & liner notes and it's a really snazzy package. But, also like with the Archers reissues, Merge infuriates me with more download only bonus tracks.
Now I will say, it's unnecessary and I don't need a 3rd LP full of live tracks, but there are 3 B-Sides (and 1 alternate version, but let's take that out of the equation) in the download and you can't tell me you couldn't have fit those at the end of the 6 song Beaster LP. I get that a lot of the Beaster songs are long, but I would be very surprised to learn that 3 songs wouldn't fit.
Regardless, even though File Under easy Listening was always my favorite Sugar album, I commend Merge for re-releasing these Sugar albums so I can add Copper Blue and Beaster to the vinyl collection as well.
Sugar - Good Idea:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqW8P7dEqIo
Sugar If I Can't Change Your Mind:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHnFIaLp_ys
Sugar - Tilted:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrLcNWi94Wk
Let's stick with another Merge reissue for today. The label has reissued the Sugar back catalog and while I already had File Under Easy Listening on vinyl, Copper Blue & Beaster were only in my collection as CDs up until now. As with the Archers of Loaf reissues, Merge did a great job with the art & liner notes and it's a really snazzy package. But, also like with the Archers reissues, Merge infuriates me with more download only bonus tracks.
Now I will say, it's unnecessary and I don't need a 3rd LP full of live tracks, but there are 3 B-Sides (and 1 alternate version, but let's take that out of the equation) in the download and you can't tell me you couldn't have fit those at the end of the 6 song Beaster LP. I get that a lot of the Beaster songs are long, but I would be very surprised to learn that 3 songs wouldn't fit.
Regardless, even though File Under easy Listening was always my favorite Sugar album, I commend Merge for re-releasing these Sugar albums so I can add Copper Blue and Beaster to the vinyl collection as well.
Sugar - Good Idea:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqW8P7dEqIo
Sugar If I Can't Change Your Mind:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHnFIaLp_ys
Sugar - Tilted:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrLcNWi94Wk
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Archers Of Loaf - White Trash Heroes LP - White Vinyl
Merge (2012, reissue)
This record sucks. It sucked in 1998, and after giving it a fresh listen, I can confirm that it, in fact, still sucks. Even the guy who wrote the reissue liner notes knows it sucks and spends half a record sleeve trying to convince you that it sucks for a reason. I couldn't tell you what the Archers were thinking when they dropped this turd back in '98, but I was not on board then and I'm still not now.
The only song on the entire record worth a lick of anything is Dead Red Eyes, and even that I would have just crammed in the middle of The Speed Of Cattle somewhere. Over the years, I have heard people say that this record was the transition record for Eric Bachmann from Archers to Crooked Fingers. He should have just made this a Crooked Fingers record, then I wouldn't have to buy it. Why did I have to buy this record you ask, especially when i still have the original vinyl from 1998? Just a sad record nerd keeping the collection complete. For everyone else, just go buy Icky Mettle instead.
Archers of Loaf - Dead Red Eyes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M1BXPkSISE
Monday, August 27, 2012
Archers Of Loaf - All the Nations Airports - Clear Vinyl
Merge (2012, Reissue)
When it comes to the 3rd Archers of Loaf record to be reissued by Merge, I'll start off with the same complaint that I had for the 1st 2 reissues. The bonus material should have been on a 2nd LP, not included as a download only. Not that there's anything particularly revelatory about the demos and other outtakes that make up this bonus material, but still, if you are doing a proper reissue campaign, do it right.
This is the 2nd Archers reissue that features redone artwork. A painting of the original cover. I think this is a great idea, and I wish they had thought of this when Icky Mettle came out. Musically, this is where Archers of Loaf started to lose me a bit. I only like about 1/2 of the record and even the stand out tracks like Strangled By The Stereo Wire, Vocal Shrapnel & the song All The Nations Airports, all would be lesser tracks on either of the 1st 2 Archers records.
The clear vinyl looks good, the artwork is nicely done and It's great news that the Archers Of Loaf catalog is available again, but my money will always go to Vee Vee & Icky Mettle before I move on to to any of their other albums.
Archers Of Loaf - All The Nations Airports:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQC_3yOumBY
Archers Of Loaf - Vocal Shrapnel:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqClrnUs9Ks
When it comes to the 3rd Archers of Loaf record to be reissued by Merge, I'll start off with the same complaint that I had for the 1st 2 reissues. The bonus material should have been on a 2nd LP, not included as a download only. Not that there's anything particularly revelatory about the demos and other outtakes that make up this bonus material, but still, if you are doing a proper reissue campaign, do it right.
This is the 2nd Archers reissue that features redone artwork. A painting of the original cover. I think this is a great idea, and I wish they had thought of this when Icky Mettle came out. Musically, this is where Archers of Loaf started to lose me a bit. I only like about 1/2 of the record and even the stand out tracks like Strangled By The Stereo Wire, Vocal Shrapnel & the song All The Nations Airports, all would be lesser tracks on either of the 1st 2 Archers records.
The clear vinyl looks good, the artwork is nicely done and It's great news that the Archers Of Loaf catalog is available again, but my money will always go to Vee Vee & Icky Mettle before I move on to to any of their other albums.
Archers Of Loaf - All The Nations Airports:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQC_3yOumBY
Archers Of Loaf - Vocal Shrapnel:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqClrnUs9Ks
Friday, August 24, 2012
Seaweed - Actions & Indications LP
Merge (1999)
Seaweed Friday! The collection is filling out, but I only have 1 more 7" on order. I need to hunt down the other ones so I can keep this up. I don't know if anyone other than me is interested in a new Seaweed record every Friday. I guess they're old hat for a lot of folks, but for me it's an exciting new record every time out.
As I was digging up more information about Seaweed I came across a common opinion; Actions & Indications isn't a very good album. Well, I've now had the chance to listen myself and I can say I have no idea what these people are talking about. Is it as good as their record four? No, but how many records are? Actions & Indications is another great Seaweed album. I suppose it's a bit less aggressive than their earliest material, but it still manages to balance a nice amount of melody and intensity. In particular the first song, Antilyrical, is as strong as anything else they ever did.
I don't get the response to this record from the masses. I think it's a great album and it makes me want to complete my Seaweed collection even more.
Seaweed - Antilyrical (Live):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsYdu3GkX4c
Seaweed - Against The Sky:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IgA3-up-t4
Seaweed - Hard Times:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCp4O5-eJV4
Seaweed Friday! The collection is filling out, but I only have 1 more 7" on order. I need to hunt down the other ones so I can keep this up. I don't know if anyone other than me is interested in a new Seaweed record every Friday. I guess they're old hat for a lot of folks, but for me it's an exciting new record every time out.
As I was digging up more information about Seaweed I came across a common opinion; Actions & Indications isn't a very good album. Well, I've now had the chance to listen myself and I can say I have no idea what these people are talking about. Is it as good as their record four? No, but how many records are? Actions & Indications is another great Seaweed album. I suppose it's a bit less aggressive than their earliest material, but it still manages to balance a nice amount of melody and intensity. In particular the first song, Antilyrical, is as strong as anything else they ever did.
I don't get the response to this record from the masses. I think it's a great album and it makes me want to complete my Seaweed collection even more.
Seaweed - Antilyrical (Live):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsYdu3GkX4c
Seaweed - Against The Sky:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IgA3-up-t4
Seaweed - Hard Times:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCp4O5-eJV4
Thursday, August 23, 2012
The Atom Age - Kill Surf City LP - Purple Vinyl (/300)
Asian Man (2012)
When Asian Man released The Atom Age's new LP this year, they also reissued the band's previous CD only album on vinyl as well. Kill Surf City was limited to 300 copies and was sold in a pretty cheap bundle from the Asian Man website. Though I believe the bundle is no longer available, the band is still selling these from their website.
As I mentioned Monday when i was writing about The Hottest Thing That's Cool, I feel that this band is unfairly maligned by the Rocket From The Crypt faithful. If anything, I actually think I like this album a bit more than their new release as the singer isn't quite as shouty on this one. I'll say it again, the influence is obvious, but I still enjoy putting on a high energy fun record and The Atom Age delivers that for me.
The Atom Age - Kill Surf City:
theatomage.bandcamp.com/album/kill-surf-city
When Asian Man released The Atom Age's new LP this year, they also reissued the band's previous CD only album on vinyl as well. Kill Surf City was limited to 300 copies and was sold in a pretty cheap bundle from the Asian Man website. Though I believe the bundle is no longer available, the band is still selling these from their website.
As I mentioned Monday when i was writing about The Hottest Thing That's Cool, I feel that this band is unfairly maligned by the Rocket From The Crypt faithful. If anything, I actually think I like this album a bit more than their new release as the singer isn't quite as shouty on this one. I'll say it again, the influence is obvious, but I still enjoy putting on a high energy fun record and The Atom Age delivers that for me.
The Atom Age - Kill Surf City:
theatomage.bandcamp.com/album/kill-surf-city
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Apache Dropout - Shot Down 7" - Green Vinyl (/500)
Trouble In Mind (2012)
I was going back and forth on this 7" for a while. It's not a record that instantly jumps out at me as being great or terrible. That being said it elicits enough of a reaction in me, that I can't say it's boring or middle of the road. I think that at the end of the day, I just don't like the psych revival in garage rock as much as a lot of people seem to. The swirling scuzzy guitars and acid trip vocals just don't do it for me. If that's your thing, Apache Dropout do it better than most, but I like my rock a bit more straightforward I guess.
Apache Dropout - Shot Down:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXwh_U08A14
I was going back and forth on this 7" for a while. It's not a record that instantly jumps out at me as being great or terrible. That being said it elicits enough of a reaction in me, that I can't say it's boring or middle of the road. I think that at the end of the day, I just don't like the psych revival in garage rock as much as a lot of people seem to. The swirling scuzzy guitars and acid trip vocals just don't do it for me. If that's your thing, Apache Dropout do it better than most, but I like my rock a bit more straightforward I guess.
Apache Dropout - Shot Down:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXwh_U08A14
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
The Turkletons / Masked Intruder - Split 7" - Purple Vinyl (/250)
Hang Up (2012)
I picked this up as I enjoyed the last Masked Intruder 7", First Offense. I will admit that I was immediately concerned when I saw that Masked Intruder had 4 songs on 1 side of this 7", and sure enough, it's a disappointment. They're just quick little blasts. The songs kind of seem like parts to longer songs that were just recorded as throwaways. I have heard that their new full length is good (which is out on CD, but not vinyl yet, so I'm waiting on picking it up), but these songs just come off as leftovers.
I never heard of the Turkletons before, but after listening to their song about kidney stones on their side of this 7", I think it's safe to say they're not for me. Maybe if I was 20 years younger I'd think it was funny. Oh well.
The Turkletons / Masked Intruder - Split 7":
hanguprecs.bandcamp.com/album/masked-intruder-the-turklet...
I picked this up as I enjoyed the last Masked Intruder 7", First Offense. I will admit that I was immediately concerned when I saw that Masked Intruder had 4 songs on 1 side of this 7", and sure enough, it's a disappointment. They're just quick little blasts. The songs kind of seem like parts to longer songs that were just recorded as throwaways. I have heard that their new full length is good (which is out on CD, but not vinyl yet, so I'm waiting on picking it up), but these songs just come off as leftovers.
I never heard of the Turkletons before, but after listening to their song about kidney stones on their side of this 7", I think it's safe to say they're not for me. Maybe if I was 20 years younger I'd think it was funny. Oh well.
The Turkletons / Masked Intruder - Split 7":
hanguprecs.bandcamp.com/album/masked-intruder-the-turklet...
Monday, August 20, 2012
The Atom Age - the Hottest thing That's Cool LP
Asian Man (2012)
This is a band that stirred up some controversy on the Swami Records/Rocket From The Crypt message board a few months back. The band was accused of being a rip off, of not being original and generally bashed as not being very good. I take exception to this. While it is extremely evident that The Atom Age us HUGELY influenced by Rocket From The Crypt, I don’t see how anyone who likes Rocket wouldn’t prefer to listen to someone paying homage to the masters vs. yet another crappy band trying to sound like the Alkaline Trio.
I wouldn’t even say they’re a blatant copy. The Atom Age is playing fast, loud and then a bit faster. Sure there's a saxophone, but I think they differ from Rocket in that they don’t delve into the more subtle melodies and changes that Rocket was known for. The Atom Age is a band that is just in your face and loud. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Songs are catchy, chord progressions are interesting, though I wish the singer was a bit more mellow at times. In general I think this is a solid record by a band that loves Rocket From The Crypt. Sure, maybe they could be a bit more original, but if you’re going to be influenced by a band, I absolutely cannot think of a better one to be influenced by.
The Atom Age - The Hottest Thing That's Cool:
theatomage.bandcamp.com/album/the-hottest-thing-thats-cool
This is a band that stirred up some controversy on the Swami Records/Rocket From The Crypt message board a few months back. The band was accused of being a rip off, of not being original and generally bashed as not being very good. I take exception to this. While it is extremely evident that The Atom Age us HUGELY influenced by Rocket From The Crypt, I don’t see how anyone who likes Rocket wouldn’t prefer to listen to someone paying homage to the masters vs. yet another crappy band trying to sound like the Alkaline Trio.
I wouldn’t even say they’re a blatant copy. The Atom Age is playing fast, loud and then a bit faster. Sure there's a saxophone, but I think they differ from Rocket in that they don’t delve into the more subtle melodies and changes that Rocket was known for. The Atom Age is a band that is just in your face and loud. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Songs are catchy, chord progressions are interesting, though I wish the singer was a bit more mellow at times. In general I think this is a solid record by a band that loves Rocket From The Crypt. Sure, maybe they could be a bit more original, but if you’re going to be influenced by a band, I absolutely cannot think of a better one to be influenced by.
The Atom Age - The Hottest Thing That's Cool:
theatomage.bandcamp.com/album/the-hottest-thing-thats-cool
Friday, August 17, 2012
Seaweed - Inside 7"
Leopard Gecko (1989)
It's Seaweed Friday again, and this time I've got a really old 7" of theirs. Popular consensus on the internet is that this 7" came out in 1989. However, on the liner notes it says that the songs were recorded in November of '89, so I find it difficult to believe that a small indie in the late 80s would be able to get these records back from a pressing plant before Christmas. I would wager this actually came out in 1990.
Regardless, this 7" shows the band as true youngsters. You can see their style starting to take shape, but there's a really raw, kind of exciting vibe that runs throughout. It's certainly not as poppy as the band would later become, but there are some good songs here.
Seaweed - Stargirl:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml8NA8hgxhw
It's Seaweed Friday again, and this time I've got a really old 7" of theirs. Popular consensus on the internet is that this 7" came out in 1989. However, on the liner notes it says that the songs were recorded in November of '89, so I find it difficult to believe that a small indie in the late 80s would be able to get these records back from a pressing plant before Christmas. I would wager this actually came out in 1990.
Regardless, this 7" shows the band as true youngsters. You can see their style starting to take shape, but there's a really raw, kind of exciting vibe that runs throughout. It's certainly not as poppy as the band would later become, but there are some good songs here.
Seaweed - Stargirl:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml8NA8hgxhw
Thursday, August 16, 2012
The White Wires - WWIII LP - White Vinyl (/200) & Black Vinyl
Dirtnap (2012)
Ever since I heard the song Girly Girly Girly on their first self titled album, I've been a huge fan of the White Wires. I've made it my goal to amass a collection of every single record they release, and I'm happy to say that 2 more have been added to the pile. The white vinyl was limited to 200 copies and it sold out on the Dirtnap website even quicker than I expected it to.
The fast vinyl sell out is great news for the White Wires, a band that really deserves to get their due. For a few years now, they have been cranking out fuzzy, bouncey, hook driven pop that's ultimately focused on being fun and having a great time. What's on this record is not radically different than their prior output, it's just another chapter in a book that I want to keep reading. While their first album holds a special place in my heart and will be tough to knock from it's position as my favorite White Wires album, I'm pleased to say that the White Wires show no signs of slowing down and deliver once again with their new record.
The White Wires - WWIII:
thewhitewires.bandcamp.com/album/wwiii
Ever since I heard the song Girly Girly Girly on their first self titled album, I've been a huge fan of the White Wires. I've made it my goal to amass a collection of every single record they release, and I'm happy to say that 2 more have been added to the pile. The white vinyl was limited to 200 copies and it sold out on the Dirtnap website even quicker than I expected it to.
The fast vinyl sell out is great news for the White Wires, a band that really deserves to get their due. For a few years now, they have been cranking out fuzzy, bouncey, hook driven pop that's ultimately focused on being fun and having a great time. What's on this record is not radically different than their prior output, it's just another chapter in a book that I want to keep reading. While their first album holds a special place in my heart and will be tough to knock from it's position as my favorite White Wires album, I'm pleased to say that the White Wires show no signs of slowing down and deliver once again with their new record.
The White Wires - WWIII:
thewhitewires.bandcamp.com/album/wwiii
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
The Karl Hendricks Rock Band - Thank God We Have Limes 7"
Surplus Anxiety (2001)
This 7" was a bonus item that I received from Comedy Minus One when I pre-ordered the new Karl Hendricks Trio album, The Adult Section. There have been a few times where Karl has added a cuatro to his trio and become a full fledged rock band. This 7" came out back in 2001 during such a time. I was unaware this was released and I imagine it was somewhat hard to come by, or at least didn't travel the country on the shoulders of amazing distribution. But I am glad to add it to the collection as it showcases 2 more great Karl Hendricks tunes. The man can write a song!
The Karl Hendricks Rock Band - Thank God We Have Limes (Live):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cNGod2F8hQ
This 7" was a bonus item that I received from Comedy Minus One when I pre-ordered the new Karl Hendricks Trio album, The Adult Section. There have been a few times where Karl has added a cuatro to his trio and become a full fledged rock band. This 7" came out back in 2001 during such a time. I was unaware this was released and I imagine it was somewhat hard to come by, or at least didn't travel the country on the shoulders of amazing distribution. But I am glad to add it to the collection as it showcases 2 more great Karl Hendricks tunes. The man can write a song!
The Karl Hendricks Rock Band - Thank God We Have Limes (Live):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cNGod2F8hQ
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Young Guv & The Scuzz - A Love Too Strong 12" - White Vinyl (/200)
Young Guv & The Scuzz - A Love Too Strong 12" - White Vinyl (/200), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.
Ben Cook writes some amazing songs. I'm obsessed with his work in Marvelous Darlings. I have more Young Governor singles than I can count right now, plus he's even in a band I really don't like all that much; Fucked Up. A busy fellow for sure. And while the Marvelous Darlings are far and away my favorite project of his, this Young Guv & The Scuzz 12" has got to be 2nd place. It's an incredible, borderline sparkling pop record that's full of hooks, melodies and general good times. The only complaint I have is I just wish it was a full length LP with even more songs. Hopefully that will be coming soon. Oh, and more Marvelous Darlings too please.
Young Guv & The Scuzz - A Love Too Strong (Full Stream):
www.spin.com/articles/stream-young-guv-scuzzs-gleaming-lo...
Monday, August 13, 2012
Shiner - The Egg LP - White & Orange Split Vinyl (/100), Orange Vinyl(/200) & Black Vinyl (/700)
Shiner - The Egg LP - White & Orange Split Vinyl (/100), Orange Vinyl (/200) & Black Vinyl (/700), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.
Shiner was a band that, quite frankly, I didn't know anything about until I met my wife. When we first met 9 years ago she had told me her favorite band was Shiner. I don't think I'd ever even heard of them to be honest. She insisted that I listen to the Egg. Now, since we had just started dating, I was going to be polite regardless of what she gave me, but from the first few seconds of The Truth About Cows, I was shocked. Here was a band with huge, thick guitars, a melodic, but powerful energy and strong vocals that I wasn't totally prepared for. To say I was impressed would be an understatement. I genuinely liked these guys.
Fast forward 9 years. We're married, Shiner has been broken up for ages, my copy of the Egg on CD has gone missing, but Shiner steps up to the plate and announces a handful of reunion shows and the Egg on vinyl with 3 limited variants! We were in line before the venue doors even opened. We were standing at the merch booth before everything was even unpacked. There was no way we were not going to get all 3 versions of this record. I helped the merch guy (who I think was a venue guy not someone the band had brought along) find all 3 versions and we were set.
Let's be clear, these are my wife's records, but I'm happy to take pictures, tell a little story about them and add them too the family collection. The vinyl came out great, the 2 colored versions are just beautiful to look out and I'm always impressed when a band is able to match cover art and vinyl colors so close. This is a record we're thrilled to have in the house and now I don't even mind that my CD went missing.
Shiner - The Truth About Cows:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmdVYpkjaPo
Shiner - Play Dead:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyKnEwyf5RE
Shiner - Pills:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACKE7M2bj4A
Friday, August 10, 2012
Seaweed - Measure 7" - Orange Vinyl
Sub Pop (1993)
Welcome back to Seaweed Friday here at ibuywaytoomanyrecords.com. Another great single from this band that I overlooked for way too long. The A-Side, Measure, is particularly great on this single. I'm always impressed how this band manages to wrangle the hooks into their songs, they always come out of nowhere, but always make perfect sense within the context of the song. I better get picking up some more of the band's singles, I may run out of new Seaweed records in a couple of Fridays.
Seaweed - Measure:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=haEnZBkykV4
Welcome back to Seaweed Friday here at ibuywaytoomanyrecords.com. Another great single from this band that I overlooked for way too long. The A-Side, Measure, is particularly great on this single. I'm always impressed how this band manages to wrangle the hooks into their songs, they always come out of nowhere, but always make perfect sense within the context of the song. I better get picking up some more of the band's singles, I may run out of new Seaweed records in a couple of Fridays.
Seaweed - Measure:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=haEnZBkykV4
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Collection: The Stand GT - LPs & 7"s
The Stand GT were another golden age Candian pop band. In the mid 90's, I was obsessed with bands like Bum, Punchbuggy, The Doughboys and so many other great bands from up north. While they probably didn't have the exposure down here in New Jersey that they had in their home country, I did my best to track down as many records of theirs as I could.
The first Stand GT record I picked up was the They're Magically Delicious LP. My local record store picked up a lot of vinyl that was out on Munster, since they were the vinyl home to Sicko & Bum, so I was very lucky in that regard. After that, I grabbed Apocolypse Cow! and tried to find as many 7"s as I could. That was not an easy task back then.
I was never really able to find most of them, but a couple years ago, I received some help from a member of the band. Chris sent me a handful of 7"s & comp 7"s to get the collection much closer to completion. The last hold out was the Sugar Buzz 7". I scoured the internet for this and finally came across one on Discogs. It's nice to have this collection completed.
LPs:
The Stand GT - They're Magically Delicious - Munster - Black Vinyl
The Stand GT - Apocolypse Cow! - Get Hip - Black Vinyl
7"s
The Stand GT - Sad Bunch Of PeopleEn Guard - Black Vinyl
The Stand GT / Potbelly - Split 7" - Mag Wheel - Black Vinyl
The Stand GT - Toasting Gears - En Guard - Red Vinyl
The Stand GT / Beautiful - Split 7" - Right Wide - Black Vinyl
The Stand GT - The Crackle Fan - Mint - Black Vinyl
The Stand GT - Sugar Buzz - Top Drawer - Yellow Vinyl
The Stand GT - Turn On The Cartoons - Radio Blast - Black Vinyl
V/A - Glengarry Calling - En Gaurd - Black Vinyl
V/A - Merry Goddamn Christmas - En Guard - Black Vinyl
Missing: Good On The River CD (I have it but forgot to take a picture of it because it's not on vinyl Chris!)All 3 Stand GT full lengths & a few of the 7"s are available on bandcamp. You should absolutely go check them out:
thestandgt.bandcamp.com/
The first Stand GT record I picked up was the They're Magically Delicious LP. My local record store picked up a lot of vinyl that was out on Munster, since they were the vinyl home to Sicko & Bum, so I was very lucky in that regard. After that, I grabbed Apocolypse Cow! and tried to find as many 7"s as I could. That was not an easy task back then.
I was never really able to find most of them, but a couple years ago, I received some help from a member of the band. Chris sent me a handful of 7"s & comp 7"s to get the collection much closer to completion. The last hold out was the Sugar Buzz 7". I scoured the internet for this and finally came across one on Discogs. It's nice to have this collection completed.
LPs:
The Stand GT - They're Magically Delicious - Munster - Black Vinyl
The Stand GT - Apocolypse Cow! - Get Hip - Black Vinyl
7"s
The Stand GT - Sad Bunch Of PeopleEn Guard - Black Vinyl
The Stand GT / Potbelly - Split 7" - Mag Wheel - Black Vinyl
The Stand GT - Toasting Gears - En Guard - Red Vinyl
The Stand GT / Beautiful - Split 7" - Right Wide - Black Vinyl
The Stand GT - The Crackle Fan - Mint - Black Vinyl
The Stand GT - Sugar Buzz - Top Drawer - Yellow Vinyl
The Stand GT - Turn On The Cartoons - Radio Blast - Black Vinyl
V/A - Glengarry Calling - En Gaurd - Black Vinyl
V/A - Merry Goddamn Christmas - En Guard - Black Vinyl
Missing: Good On The River CD (I have it but forgot to take a picture of it because it's not on vinyl Chris!)All 3 Stand GT full lengths & a few of the 7"s are available on bandcamp. You should absolutely go check them out:
thestandgt.bandcamp.com/
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Nuisance - Confusion Hill LP
Lookout (1991)
I'm always looking to go back through the 90's to check out bands that either didn't do it for me at the time or that I just completely missed for one reason or another. Nuisance definitely falls into the latter category. Aside from vague memories of seeing their name in Lookout catalogs, I never had the records or even knew anyone who recommended them at the time.
It's probably for the best, I don't think I would have liked this as much when I was 20 as I do now. Not saying this record is a slam dunk. There's a sludgy stoner vibe throughout the record that's not usually my cup of tea, but when the band stumbles onto a hook, they really make the most of it. I'm definitely going to keep my eye out for their other album, Sunny Side Down, which from what I am reading is a bit poppier than Confusion Hill. Maybe what I'm reading is wrong, but time will tell.
Also, I'm a little bummed that this record's cover has the corner cut off. that wasn't mentioned in the description when I bought it. Not the end of the world, but I may need to replace the cover of this guy if I can find one at a good price.
Nuisance - Way Lame:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHB2_HpMvKo
Nuisance - Dragonfly:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtuTkrQzV60
I'm always looking to go back through the 90's to check out bands that either didn't do it for me at the time or that I just completely missed for one reason or another. Nuisance definitely falls into the latter category. Aside from vague memories of seeing their name in Lookout catalogs, I never had the records or even knew anyone who recommended them at the time.
It's probably for the best, I don't think I would have liked this as much when I was 20 as I do now. Not saying this record is a slam dunk. There's a sludgy stoner vibe throughout the record that's not usually my cup of tea, but when the band stumbles onto a hook, they really make the most of it. I'm definitely going to keep my eye out for their other album, Sunny Side Down, which from what I am reading is a bit poppier than Confusion Hill. Maybe what I'm reading is wrong, but time will tell.
Also, I'm a little bummed that this record's cover has the corner cut off. that wasn't mentioned in the description when I bought it. Not the end of the world, but I may need to replace the cover of this guy if I can find one at a good price.
Nuisance - Way Lame:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHB2_HpMvKo
Nuisance - Dragonfly:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtuTkrQzV60
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Flop - Drugs 7"
Dashboard Hula Girl (1991)
Wow, that is some terrible artwork that Flop has going on this record, an early single of theirs called Drugs. While the hooks and melodies are definitely here, the recording/production is a bit rougher than what's on their full lengths. Now while this 7" doesn't sound nearly as bad as the copy this fellow uploaded to YouTube, it's a far cry from what the achieved on their full lengths.
Pretty sure I'm only one single away from having all of Flop's 7" releases, so if you're looking for me, I'll be on Discogs.com digging for deals.
Flop - Drugs:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xtGO-6bihY
Wow, that is some terrible artwork that Flop has going on this record, an early single of theirs called Drugs. While the hooks and melodies are definitely here, the recording/production is a bit rougher than what's on their full lengths. Now while this 7" doesn't sound nearly as bad as the copy this fellow uploaded to YouTube, it's a far cry from what the achieved on their full lengths.
Pretty sure I'm only one single away from having all of Flop's 7" releases, so if you're looking for me, I'll be on Discogs.com digging for deals.
Flop - Drugs:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xtGO-6bihY
Monday, August 6, 2012
The Capitalist Kids - Lessons on Love, Sharing and Hygiene LP - WhiteVinyl (/119)
The Capitalist Kids - Lessons on Love, Sharing and Hygiene LP - White Vinyl (/119), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.
After enjoying the band's 7" earlier in the year, I picked up their new full length on Toxic Pop records. I've had this for a little bit and listened to it several times. I want to choose my words carefully as the next sentence I am about to write could seem negative, but I do like this record quite a bit.
Lessons of Love, Sharing and Hygiene is total Mr. T Experience, Green Day & Zoniks! hero worship. You can tell that these guys yearn for a return to the glory days of mid 90's pop punk and as someone also steeped in that era, I can absolutely appreciate what they are trying to do. There's a lot of pretty crummy pop punk out there these days. Bands, that for the life of me, I just don't get.
I get where The Capitalist Kids are coming from. They have strong political overtones to their songs but they are done in a humorous tongue in cheek manner that doesn't seem heavy handed or preachy. It's a really fun record and I would definitely recommend it to those that thought 1995 was pretty much the best year ever.
The Capitalist Kids - Lessons on Love, Sharing & Hygiene:
firestartertoxicpop.bandcamp.com/album/lessons-on-love-sh...
Friday, August 3, 2012
Seaweed - Bill 7" - Green Vinyl
Sub Pop (1992)
Maybe we'll have Seaweed Friday for the next couple of weeks to show off the Seaweed 7"s I'm hunting down. I'm still uncertain if I'm going to pick up all of the variants for all of the 7"s or if I will be satisfied with one of each. We'll cross that bridge once I have tracked down one of each I guess.
The A-Side on this 7", Bill, is also on the LP Weak and it's a hell of a song. On the B-Side we've got Pumpkin which is a Wwax cover (Wwax = pre-Superchunk). To me, that one seems to be poppier than most Seaweed originals, but the vocals do still lend a certain gravitas to the song.
Seaweed - Bill:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3NGPpii-BY
Maybe we'll have Seaweed Friday for the next couple of weeks to show off the Seaweed 7"s I'm hunting down. I'm still uncertain if I'm going to pick up all of the variants for all of the 7"s or if I will be satisfied with one of each. We'll cross that bridge once I have tracked down one of each I guess.
The A-Side on this 7", Bill, is also on the LP Weak and it's a hell of a song. On the B-Side we've got Pumpkin which is a Wwax cover (Wwax = pre-Superchunk). To me, that one seems to be poppier than most Seaweed originals, but the vocals do still lend a certain gravitas to the song.
Seaweed - Bill:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3NGPpii-BY
Thursday, August 2, 2012
The Resonars - Long Long Thoughts 7" - Green Vinyl
Trouble In Mind (2012)
I picked up a Resonars record a couple of years ago called Nonetheless Blue. I thought it was OK. It wasn't bad or anything, but I certainly didn't think it was very memorable. When it came time to buy the latest batch of Trouble In Mind singles, I wasn't particularly excited about a Resonars release, but figured it's sure to at least be OK and I'm loyal to the series and want to keep the collection complete.
I was pretty unprepared for how great this 7" is. It just immediately transported me to 60's British invasion, huge choruses with awesome backing vocals, jangle guitar and marching band drums. Such a great 7". Now I'm wondering if I missed the boat on some of their other records. Anyone have a recommendation for someone that loves this 7", but really wasn't high on Nonetheless Blue?
The Resonars - Long Long Thoughts:
soundcloud.com/presswolfpr/the-resonars-long-long The Resonars - Long Long Thoughts by PressWolfPR
I picked up a Resonars record a couple of years ago called Nonetheless Blue. I thought it was OK. It wasn't bad or anything, but I certainly didn't think it was very memorable. When it came time to buy the latest batch of Trouble In Mind singles, I wasn't particularly excited about a Resonars release, but figured it's sure to at least be OK and I'm loyal to the series and want to keep the collection complete.
I was pretty unprepared for how great this 7" is. It just immediately transported me to 60's British invasion, huge choruses with awesome backing vocals, jangle guitar and marching band drums. Such a great 7". Now I'm wondering if I missed the boat on some of their other records. Anyone have a recommendation for someone that loves this 7", but really wasn't high on Nonetheless Blue?
The Resonars - Long Long Thoughts:
soundcloud.com/presswolfpr/the-resonars-long-long The Resonars - Long Long Thoughts by PressWolfPR
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
The Karl Hendricks Trio - The Adult Section LP
Comedy Minus One (2012)
I first heard of the Karl Hendricks Trio back when I was in high school. A friend of mine named Pat let me borrow his copy of their first album, Buick Elektra. From the first minute of the song Dead Flowers, I was totally hooked. I've been buying Karl Hendricks Trio records for almost 20 years now. I'm always surprised when this band puts out a new release, and I'm even more surprised that they are always good. How a songwriter maintains that level of consistency for so long is beyond me.
The Adult Section pairs Karl's distinctive croon with the kind of soaring guitar solo's that fans of Dinosaur Jr. should probably pay more attention too. And while Karl has evolved from the 'heart-on-your-sleeve' broken down lyrics of his earliest material, The Adult Section finds him still able to connect with his subject matter, in this case often about the day to day slog of just getting through life. It's pretty insane that The Karl Hendricks Trio are able to be as relevant as they are after all this time. I've always felt that they were a band that never got their due and I'm hopeful things will change for them with this record. If not, I'll still be first in line when their next album comes out.
The Karl Hendricks Trio - The Men's Room At The Airport:
I first heard of the Karl Hendricks Trio back when I was in high school. A friend of mine named Pat let me borrow his copy of their first album, Buick Elektra. From the first minute of the song Dead Flowers, I was totally hooked. I've been buying Karl Hendricks Trio records for almost 20 years now. I'm always surprised when this band puts out a new release, and I'm even more surprised that they are always good. How a songwriter maintains that level of consistency for so long is beyond me.
The Adult Section pairs Karl's distinctive croon with the kind of soaring guitar solo's that fans of Dinosaur Jr. should probably pay more attention too. And while Karl has evolved from the 'heart-on-your-sleeve' broken down lyrics of his earliest material, The Adult Section finds him still able to connect with his subject matter, in this case often about the day to day slog of just getting through life. It's pretty insane that The Karl Hendricks Trio are able to be as relevant as they are after all this time. I've always felt that they were a band that never got their due and I'm hopeful things will change for them with this record. If not, I'll still be first in line when their next album comes out.
The Karl Hendricks Trio - The Men's Room At The Airport:
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