SMALL FACTORY I Do Not Love You 1993

 

Discogs

 

Small Factory Biography

by Jason Ankeny

While never the most popular, most acclaimed, or most innovative act on the underground pop scene, in their own way, Small Factory crystallized and articulated the effervescent brilliance of American indie rock like no other band of their era. With their artfully tuneless vocals, primitive but indelible melodies, and singular combination of innocence and abandon, the group captured the sound and spirit of their moment to perfection. Small Factory formed in Providence, RI, in 1991, teaming singer/bassist Alex Kemp, singer/guitarist Dave Auchenbach, and singer/drummer Phoebe Summersquash. After earning a strong local following, the group made an enormous splash at the now-legendary Lotsa-Pop-Losers festival in Washington, D.C., soon after making their recorded debut, "The Giant Merry-Go-Round," alongside Honeybunch and the Scottish Bachelor Pad on a flexi-disc included with the fanzine The Milky Way. After closing out 1991 with their first proper single, the Collision Time label release "Suggestions," the following spring Small Factory moved to Slumberland to issue the follow-up, "What to Want." A series of British dates in support of Heavenly resulted in a more extended American tour opening for Fudge and the Dambuilders. New material, the Pop Narcotic single "So What About Love," wasn't released until the summer of 1993, trailed soon after by the epic "If You Hurt Me," the indisputable highlight of the Simple Machines label's Working Holiday singles series. Another label move, this time to Spin Art, preceded the fall release of Small Factory's debut LP, I Do Not Love You; for the follow-up, 1994's sublime For If You Cannot Fly, the trio jumped to Virgin subsidiary Vernon Yard. Small Factory disbanded in the fall of 1995, with Kemp and Summersquash reuniting in the inferior Godrays and Auchenbach resurfacing in Flora Street; the singles compilation The Industrial Evolution was issued by Pop Narcotic in 1996.

 
Tracklist

1		I'm Not Giving Up	3:18
2		Keep On Smiling	2:57
3		What To Want	2:28
4		What Angels Say	2:22
5		Our Deseret	1:27
6		Valentine
3:20
7		Lots To Do	2:43
8		Pretending It's Sunny	4:38
9		All Your Reasons	3:13
10		Come Back Down	2:44
11		Friends	2:54
12		Junky On A Good Day	8:48
13		Untitled	8:05

BRILLIANTINE My Life And The Beautiful Game 1999

 

Discogs

 

Brilliantine Biography

by Heather Phares

Brilliantine is led by singer/songwriter/guitarist Dave Derby, formerly of the Dambuilders, and features an ever-changing line-up that has included Ivy's Dominique Durand, Lloyd Cole and Derby's former bandmate, drummer Kevin March. After the demise of the Dambuilders, Derby traveled the world with his 4-track and recorded Brilliantine's debut album, 1997's Vainglory, which displayed a gentler, poppier side to Derby's sound. 1999's Life & The Beautiful Game continued this direction and featured guest performances from Pell Mell's Dave Spalding, the Magnetic Fields' Claudia Gonson and Ruth Ruth's Michael Kotch.

Tracklist

1		Underwater Camera	3:18
2		Better Life	3:43
3		Saddest Day	2:36
4		U-Bahn Girl	3:01
5		Madeline	3:38
6		It Would Be So Nice To Really Care	4:38
7		Experimental Lifestyle	2:00
8		We Gonna Live Forever	2:20
9		Another Munich	3:11
10		Trans Sister	1:59
11		Back On Her Meds	3:40
12		Cut-Out Bin	1:28

AN APRIL MARCH Lessons In Vengeance 1995

 

by request

Discogs

 

Ethereal/Dreampop band from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, formed in 1989. Since splitting up in 1999, band members have pursued their own musical careers, with Hocevar releasing music under the moniker Danellatron. Chris Perry has become a recognized and sought-after record producer.

Tracklist

1		Thievery / 13.08.93	2:48
2		The Red Dots	3:49
3		You've Been Had	4:17
4		Dossier	4:41
5		So Unassuming	4:50
6		Hundreds And Thousands
5:07
7		Charity	3:44
8		I Keep Your Voice Close To Me	4:02
9		Swallows Joy	3:09
10		Cameron	4:47
11		Array	3:01
12		Magnet	5:17
13		Incense Of You	5:58

THE VANS WARPED TOUR 96 Various Artists 1996

by request

 

 Discogs 

 

Tracklist

1	Goldfinger (7)–	Anxiety	2:21
2	S.C.O.T.S.*–	White Trash	2:01
3	Dimestore Hoods–	Minds Of Confusion	3:38
4	Red Five (2)–	Space	2:36
5	Dance Hall Crashers–	Queen For A Day	2:48
6	Genius*–	Shadowboxin	3:29
7	Compulsion–	All We Heard Was A Dull Thud	4:00
8	Sublime (2)–	Paddle Out/Wrong Way	3:30
9	Steve Wynn–	Why	2:48
10	Loud Lucy–	Down Baby	2:30
11	Lifter–	Headshot	3:11
12	Kicking Harold–	Kill You	3:48
13	Boss Hog–	Winn Coma	2:16
14	Grover (6)–	My Wild Life	2:42
15	Spot (3)–	Moon June Spoon	5:13
16	Hog–	Get A Job	2:49
17	Reel Big Fish–	Snoop Dog, Baby	3:36
18	China Drum–	Can't Stop These Things	2:59
19	Possum Dixon–	Crashing Your Planet	2:59
20	Mr. Mirainga–	Jalopeno Eyes	3:32
21	Beck–	Make Out City (Where Its At Remix)	3:08

BIG HELLO Apple Album 1998

 

Discogs

 

Big Hello Biography

by Steve Huey

After neo-power pop group the Elvis Brothers disbanded, drummer/songwriter Brad Elvis formed a new outfit in late 1994, which he dubbed Big Hello. Despite a rash of early personnel changes, the band built a following in its hometown of Chicago and around the Midwest through extensive touring. The remainder of the lineup eventually settled on vocalist Chloe Orwell, guitarist Johnny Million, and bassist Tom Atteberry. In addition to contributing to several power pop compilations, Big Hello gained increased exposure through hosting Chicago Pop Mondays, a highly successful series of concerts at the Beat Kitchen. In December 1996, Big Hello released a limited-edition, cassette-only live recording entitled Live Via Satellite...Girl, which made a strong impression on local power pop fans. In early 1998, the Break-Up! label issued the group's Girl Versus Boy Verses EP, which in months was the best-selling release in the company's history; the full-length Apple Album followed on Parasol that same year.

 

Tracklist

Good Evening
1		O' Canada
3:58
2		Star 69
3:14
3		Today Will Be Yesterday Tomorrow
3:07
4		Sister Mary
4:40
5		Hooked On The Girl
3:35
6		Colorado Coastline
3:16
7		Clouds Cover The Mountain
2:50
8		I Don't Like You
3:03
9		Pen Pal
2:53
10		Riot Girl
3:04
11		Kamikaze
2:41
		Hello
12		O' Canada (Band Ending)	3:51
13		Star 69 (Phone Edit)	3:08
14		Today Will Be Yesterday Tomorrow (Edit Intro)	2:58
15		Sister Mary (W/O Inst. Intro)	3:53
16		Hooked On The Girl (Edit Intro)	3:29
17		Colorado Coastline (With Count Off)	3:28
18		Clouds Cover The Mountain	2:50
19		I Don't Like You (W/O Drum Intro/Fade Out)	2:45
20		Pen Pal (W/O Drum Intro)	2:49
21		Riot Gurl (Radio Edit)	3:06
22		Kamikaze (With Count Off)	3:05

CORDS Hear! See! Feel! Taste! 1996

 

Discogs

 

Alas, another non-flattering review. Listen and decide for yourself.

Hear! See! Feel! Taste! Review

by Nitsuh Abebe

The Cords' semi-riot-grrly sound (one Babes in Toyland reference goes a long way) sounded a bit unnecessary as of the early nineties -- 1997's Hear! See! Feel! may be better-constructed than the Cords' earlier work, and its songs might be better, but there's something very unlikeable about the fact that the band was still treading these same grounds as of the late nineties. There are a few new developments -- a few less guitar-heavy twists, and a greater eye toward composition instead of rock power -- but the sound itself was rather done as of Hear! See! Feel!'s release, making it difficult to give the album much credit.

Tracklist

1		Sugar Riot	3:11
2		Rood	2:18
3		Flea Market	2:35
4		24 Hrs	5:26
5		Blue Chaos	4:58
6		Titan	1:17
7		Dazzling Confetti	3:45
8		Singing Bird	3:28
9		Stomp	1:44
10		Shockproof	2:48
11		Girl Without A Smile	3:26
12		Daystar	4:09

LES CLAYPOOL AND THE HOLY MACKEREL Highball With The Devil 1996

 

Discogs

 

Highball with the Devil Review

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

There doesn't seem to be much reason for Les Claypool to release a solo album. As the leader and prime creative force behind Primus, he basically dictates the very sound of their records. The only excuse for a solo project like Les Claypool & the Holy Mackerel's Highball With the Devil -- or his other side project, Sausage -- is to give the bassist the chance to play with other musicians. On Highball With the Devil, he rounds up a number of friends and session musicians and places them in his home studio. In other words, it's an informal jam session. Fortunately, the musicians are uniformly first-rate and occasionally, in the case of Joe Gore and Charlie Hunter, simply stellar. When the group concentrates on jamming, the music is fine and even more interesting than Primus' extended workouts. When Claypool tries to make these jams into songs by adding inane lyrics and his skittering, mannered vocals, Highball With the Devil loses all of its momentum. And that is his main downfall -- Claypool can't help but sabotage his music with his weakness for kitsch and art-funk, and that's why his first solo album will only be appreciated by dedicated fans.


Tracklist

1:36
2		Holy Mackerel

3:53
3		Highball With The Devil

4:00
4		Hendershot

2:26
5		Calling Kyle

3:54
6		Rancor

1:22
7		Cohibas Esplenditos

3:13
8		Delicate Tendrils

5:00
9		The Awakening

3:34
10		Precipitation

3:56
11		George E. Porge

2:32
12		El Sobrante Fortnight

3:38
13		Granny's Little Yard Gnome

3:02
14		Me And Chuck

2:59
15		Carolina Rig

3:00

1

Running The Gauntlet

 

FLUFFER Ask Me What It Feels Like 1996

 

Discogs

 

If anyone can tell me any verifiable info about this band, it would be greatly appreciated. I can say they sound like The Breeders, a band I really love.

Tracklist

1		Uniform
2		Together With Glue
3		Under My Head
4		Harvard Dropout
5		What You're Good For
6		Fuel
7		Duck And Cover
8		The Ballad Of Larry Csonka
9		Another Room

VACANT ANDYS Smirk 1994

 

Discogs 

 

Indie rock with punk edges from Boca Raton, Florida. Chris Carrabba went on to front Dashboard Confessional.

 

Tracklist

1		Rear View	3:01
2		Nerve	3:08
3		Nice	3:23
4		Cell	3:57
5		Rocking Horse	5:04
6		Being	3:38
7		Where Do You Go?	3:22
8		King Under His Wing	4:16
9		Flower Eating Alligator	2:56
10		Miserable	3:47
11		Torn	4:59
12		Antiseptic	3:46
13		Wide Awake	3:43

BAKAMONO The Cry of the Turkish Fig Peddler 1994

 

Discogs

 

The Cry of the Turkish Fig Peddler Review

by John Bush

Roots in American punk and Sonic Youth influence Bakamono's 1995 album for Priority.

Tracklist

1		This Is An Unreinforced Masonry Building	10:51
2		Manteca	4:50
3		Optimator	6:08
4		Dope Is The Thing With Feathers	4:29
5		Ltr	7:27
6		Dead Zoo	5:34
7		Bakaunkomankoshiikotare	4:59
8		Frenching With Aliens	3:35
9		Donny Brooke	4:05
10		Crime	5:47

17 YEARS 17 Years 1997

 

Discogs

 
I hear The Ramones. Mike DaRonco hears Cheap Trick and The Muffs.

17 Years Review

by Mike DaRonco

When one thinks of GMM Records, it's immediately associated with gruff street punk, drunken oi! punk and a bunch of hardguys/girls that could take on anybody that merely gave them a wrong look. 17 Years don't fit this description at all. Rather, we got this rock out power-pop that could be compared to the likes of Cheap Trick or the Muffs. Not that any of this is light hearted or corny -but admittingly, the fact that a lot of this album sounds the same can make this pretty boring at times- rather this is some of the catchiest three-chord punk that doesn't stretch over into the boundaries of cheesy pop-punk.

Tracklist

1		5 MIllion Dollars
2		What's Your Name
3		Baby
4		Little Things
5		Twist
6		Doing Wrong
7		Mail Bomb
8		3 Chords
9		Makin' It Up
10		Goddamnit
11		Better Believe It's True
12		Run This Town

BAKAMONO / OILER Bakamono / Oiler split 7 inch 1993

 

Discogs

 

Noise rock from Bakamono and Oiler. Play for the in-laws when they're over for dinner.



Tracklist

A	Bakamono–	Slimeball
B	Oiler–	Anti-Gravity

 

 

 

DELICATE VOMIT Jack In The Box 7 inch 1994

 

Discogs

 
Included Anna Spencer, released on Slampt Records, described as indie and punk rock from Newcastle, England.

Tracklist

A1		Jack In The Box
A2		Machine
A3		Nowhere Boy

THE THIRD SEX Card Carryin' 1996

 

Discogs

 

The Third Sex was an American queercore band formed in 1993, in Portland, Oregon. 

Tracklist

1		Crazy Glue
2		Un Deux Trois Cat!
3		Definition
4		Blue Room
5		Bella
6		Time Bomb
7		Trouble
8		Your Good Luck
9		Miles Per Hour
10		Roy
11		Rival
12		Love In The Basement

SANDPIT Lessons In Posture 1996

 

Discogs

 

Australian three-piece circa 1994-98. Indie-rock, shoegaze inspired by: Codeine, Dinosaur Jr., Eric's Trip, MBV, Polvo, The Sea & Cake, Sebadoh, Sonic Youth, and Swervedriver.  

 
Bandcamp (free download of this EP for the month of July)

Tracklist

1		Die 501	2:06
2		Tractor Beam	3:38
3		Wondertwins	4:03
4		Keflex	2:37
5		Blinders / Three Of Wands	7:15

 

TOXIC REASONS In The House of God 1993

by request

 Discogs 

 

Punk hardcore band from Dayton, Ohio, U.S.A., formed in 1979. 

Tracklist

1		Roadkill
2		Time
3		Head First
4		In The State Of Grace
5		Show No Mercy
6		Liar
7		No Entry
8		Wasteland
9		Last Man Standing
10		Gone Forever
11		Virtual Overdrive

THE KILLJOYS (Canada) Melos Modos 1998

 

by request

Discogs

The Killjoys (CA) means the Canadian band, not The Killjoys from Australia, noted on the blog as The Killjoys (AU).

Killjoys are a Hamilton, Ontario, Canada three-piece of young post-grunge pop who grew up in Stoney Creek. Members are: Mike Trebilcock (guitar, vocals), Gene Champagne (drums) and Shelley Woods (bass).

Tracklist

1		Perfect Pizza
2		Beckon Call-Girl
3		Honesty Mistake
4		I've Been Good
5		Sandalwood And 50
6		That's All
7		One Goodbye
8		Unpaid
9		Lucky Me
10		Cheerleader Type
11		Weeds And Worms
12		Rocketsleep

JULIAN COPE East Easy Rider E.P. 1991

 

Discogs

Julian Cope Biography

by James Christopher Monger

English musician, writer, historian, and cosmic shaman Julian Cope came to fame in the late '70s and early '80s as the frontman for the Liverpudlian post-punk group Teardrop Explodes. An enigmatic storyteller, contrarian, mystic, and hallucinogen enthusiast, Cope embarked on a genre-defying solo career upon leaving the band in 1983. Beginning with World Shut Your Mouth in 1984, he released a string of LPs that married the Teardrops' love of debauched psych-pop with folk, chamber pop, Krautrock, ambient/electronica, and space and alternative rock. He remained popular in the U.K. but didn't attain commercial success overseas until the release of the slickly produced Saint Julian in 1987, which featured the hits "Trampolene" and "World Shut Your Mouth," the latter of which was performed live on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Released in 1991, Peggy Suicide saw Cope strip away the studio polish and deliver an ambitious and environmentally themed set of brooding funk, soul, folk, and cosmic garage rock, an aesthetic he would revisit again on 1992's Jehovahkill and 1994's Autogeddon. He continued to explore themes of neolithic history, rock & roll, cultural activism, ecology, and paganism well into the 2000s via eclectic left-field outings like Citizen Cain'd (2005), Psychedelic Revolution (2012), and Drunken Songs (2017). In addition to his musical works, which include stints with the bands Black Sheep and Brain Donor, Cope has written and published a number of books, ranging from a novel of fiction (One Three One) and a two-volume autobiography (Head On) to a pair of ornate coffee-table books on archaeology (The Modern Antiquarian and The Megalithic European) and guides to underground music in Germany (Krautrocksampler) and Japan (Japrocksampler).

 

Tracklist

1. East Easy Rider
2. Butterfly E
3. Almost Alive
4. Little Donkey

ROSE CHRONICLES Shiver 1993

 

Discogs

 

The Rose Chronicles Biography

by John Bush

Richard Maranda (guitar) and Steve van der Woerd (percussion) first hooked up with vocalist Kristy Thirsk and bass player Judd Cochrane in 1992. Signed to Nettwerk solely on the strength of their live shows, the ethereal yet noisy band released their debut, Shiver, in 1994.

Tracklist

1		Dwelling	4:45
2		Glide (Free Above)	3:45
3		Nothing's Real	4:39
4		Deirdre	2:58
5		Brick And Glue	5:09
6		Undertow	4:27
7		Bottle Song	4:53
8		Visions
8:08
9		Shiver	0:53
10		Forgotten	3:44
11a		Awaiting Eternity
5:21
11b		Silence	2:03
11c		Visions (Version)	4:44

SULLY I Have Much To Report 1998

 

Discogs

 

Sully Biography

by Mario Mesquita Borges

Forming in Ottawa, Canada, in 1995, Sully assembled a five-piece lineup consisting of vocalist Becke Gainforth, guitarist Scott Strachan, bassist Paul Prince, drummer Ian Duke, and keyboardist Daniel McCormick. Managing to record and release their first album in that same year, their self-titled debut album substantiated their better pop remarks and opened the door for the band's recognition all across the local pop music scene. After three years of experimentation and numerous shows, the Canadians recorded their second full-length. I Have Much to Report hit the record stores in 1998 via a re-release of the Nettwerk Records label, that way giving them considerable recognition and catapulting Sully's work to an even larger audience. Receiving favorable reviews by the media, not only locally, but also in the U.S., the team solidified their on-growing fan base. In 2001, the band delivered Bright Lights, their third full-length disc.

 
Tracklist

  1. 15
  2. Lasterb
  3. Opened
  4. Ethyl
  5. Glick-Clack-Glog
  6. Swibily
  7. Otherd
  8. White Schfuf
  9. Scrubable
10. Quasi-Juntos
11. Palindrome
12. Anotherd
13. Scrubable (Remix)

WOODEN STARS The Very Same 1995

 

Discogs

 

Wooden Stars Biography

by Mike DaRonco

Since 1992, the Wooden Stars have fused together their upbringing of jazz, post-punk, and indie to result in a sound of flowing, guitar-driven ballads. After two years of playing around their native Ottawa, Lunamoth Records released the Stars' self-titled debut EP and the Very Same full-length the following year. Four years, two releases, and a label switch later, Matlock Records put out the Wooden Stars third album The Moon in 1999. That same year, Elevator to Hell's Julie Doiron collaborated with the band for a 2000 release. 

Tracklist

1		Farewell To The Yellow Jacket Avenger
2		Instruments
3		Splinters On A Pillow
4		Shade Tree Crescent
5		Oh! The Agonies Of Hell
6		The Cuckold
7		The Rocker
8		Antichrist
9		Baby Barn
10		Hidden Decorations
11		Irving
12		The Nuclear Warhead
13		Songs For The Yellow Jacket Avenger
14		Donkeys
15		Keith & Amy
16		Innocent Gears
17		Untitled

 

HELEN LOVE Does Your Heart Go Boom 1997

 

Discogs

 

Cult punk-pop band from Swansea. Formed in 1992 in Cardiff, United Kingdom.

Tracklist

1		Does Your Heart Go Boom	2:26
2		So In Love With You	1:51
3		Yeah Yeah We're Helen Love	5:19
4		Put Your Foot On The Fuzz Box Baby	2:09

 

AN OCEAN OF DOUBT (The Emo Diaries • Chapter Four) Various Artists 1999

 

Discogs

 

Emo Diaries, Vol. 4: An Ocean of Doubt Review

by Heather Phares

Emo Diaries, Vol. 4: An Ocean of Doubt continues Deep Elm's sampler series, highlighting tracks from emo groups like Further Seems Forever, O.D.G., and Keystone Sinatra. From Red Animal War's math rock-tinged "Back Breaker" to the John Doe Band's poppy "Supergirl" to Five Speed's straight-up, driving "What's Our Dilemma," the album catalogs emo's increasingly diverse sounds. Tracks like Spy Versus Spy's "Set the Spokes Alight" and "Distance" by Ed Matus' Struggle round out this collection of impassioned punk and pop, reaffirming Deep Elm's status as one of the best emo labels around.

Tracklist

  1. Five Speed - What's Our Dilemma
  2. Red Animal War - Backbreaker
  3. The John Doe Band - Supergirl
  4. Ed Matus' Struggle - Distance
  5. Aina - Rolling Snowball
  6. Further Seems Forever - Vengeance Factor
  7. Keystone Sinatra - Twenty1
  8. The Movielife - Valens
  9. Spy Versus Spy - Set The Spokes Alight
10. ODG - Corners
11. Merrick - Milk And Lots More
12. Flux Capacitor - Sasshe