HOUSE OF LOVE Babe Rainbow 1992

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Discogs

Artist Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

The post-Smiths guitar pop of the House of Love was popular for a short time in the late '80s and early '90s, as many college and alternative rock fans became converts to their mixture of shiny ringing guitars, pseudo-psychedelic melodies, and bursts of noise. The British group formed in 1986; it featured Guy Chadwick (vocals, guitar), Terry Bickers (guitar), Andrea Heukamp (vocals, guitar), Pete Evans (drums), and Chris Groothuizen (bass). Their demo tape attracted the attention of Alan McGee, the head of Creation Records. McGee signed the band for a single, "Shine On," which was released in May of 1987 to some critical acclaim; it and its follow-up, "Real Animal," both sold poorly. Following a tour supporting the singles, Heukamp left the group. Instead of replacing her, the House of Love continued as a quartet, releasing their untitled debut album in the spring of 1988. Many U.K. critics called it one of the finest records of the year, and the band built up a cult audience.

The following year the band moved over to Fontana (PolyGram in the U.S.) and released two singles, "Never" and "I Don't Know Why I Love You," that failed to crack the British Top 40. By the end of 1989, Bickers left the group; he was replaced by Simon Walker. The House of Love's second untitled album -- often referred to as "Fontana" or "The Butterfly Album" -- was released in early 1990 to lukewarm sales and reviews; the band's revivalist guitar pop didn't fit in with England's club-conscious pop scene, spearheaded by the Stone Roses and Happy Mondays. After the group's 1990 tour, Walker left the group and was replaced by Simon Mawby. The House of Love returned in early 1992 with Babe Rainbow, which received favorable reviews yet weak sales. The continuing lack of commercial success began to wear on the band, leading to their 1993 disbandment, which followed a weak swan song, Audience with the Mind. A few years later, Chadwick emerged with a pleasing solo album, Lazy, Soft & Slow, produced by the Cocteau Twins' Robin Guthrie. In 2005, Chadwick and Bickers made amends, played several gigs, and released Days Run Away.

Over the next few years, several archival releases appeared, including a collection of BBC sessions; then in 2012 came a triple-disc deluxe version of the 1988 debut along with other reissues from Cherry Red. These all preceded a brand-new album from House of Love, a record called She Paints Words in Red, which was released in April 2013. In November of that year, the band recorded their first live album, Live at the Lexington 13.11.13, which was released in 2014. 

 

Tracklist  

1	You Don't Understand	3:48
2	Crush Me	3:46
3	Cruel	5:46
4	High In Your Face	4:41
5	Fade Away	3:24
6	Feel	3:54
7	Girl With The Loneliest Eyes	3:42
8	Burn Down The World	5:53
9	Philly Phile	4:21
10	Yer Eyes	3:11

 

BUNNYGRUNT Action Pants! 1995

Discogs

Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny

The world's cutest band, St. Louis-based cuddlecore trio Bunnygrunt originally comprised guitarist Matt Harnish, drummer Karen Ried, and bassist Renee Dullum, all three of whom swapped vocal duties. Formed in early 1993, the group debuted later that year with the Silly Moo label single "Criminal Boy"; a series of other 7"s followed, among them the EPs Standing Hampton and The Bunnygrunt Family Notebook. Signing to the No Life label, Bunnygrunt recorded their debut LP, 1995's Action Pants! According to rumor, when Dullum quit the band prior to the album's completion, she abruptly took all of her songs with her, accounting for the disc's brief running time and scant number of tracks. With new bassist Jen Wolfe, Bunnygrunt returned in 1998 with the superior Jen-Fi; the trio disbanded soon after, with Harnish and Ried continuing on as the See-Thrus. 

 

Tracklist

1	Superstar 666	1:44
2	Transportation Pants	2:14
3	I Am Curious Partridge	2:31
4	Just Like Suppertime	1:55
5	G.I. 2k	2:15
6	Criminal Boy	2:45
7	Tadpole	3:13
8	Open Up And Say Oblina	12:01

 

AUNTIE CHRIST Life Could Be A Dream 1997

Discogs

Artist Biography by Greg Prato

Auntie Christ was a short-lived punk rock side project, comprised initially of longtime X members Exene Cervenka (singer, guitar) and D.J. Bonebrake (drums), in addition to Rancid bassist Matt Freeman. Formed in 1996, the seeds of Auntie Christ were planted during a chance meeting between Cervenka and Freeman at a party at the infamous Los Angeles punk club the Masque (which was reopened to celebrate the release of the CD Live From the Masque, issued on Cervenka's record label, Year 1 Records). When Cervenka asked Freeman if he knew of any bass players that were available for her planned project (whose goal was to form a band "in the truest spirit of punk," but with a modern outlook), the Rancid bassist offered his services. The trio recorded a two-song demo shortly thereafter, which was released by the Lookout! label as a single in early 1997, Bad Trip/The Nothing Generation, before following it up with a proper full-length debut, Life Could be a Dream. The trio supported the album with a series of live shows in the California area, but when plans were made for a more thorough tour of the U.S., Freeman had to bow out due to prior commitments to Rancid. Undeterred, Cervenka and Bonebrake soldiered on with a replacement bassist, Janis Tanaka, of the San Francisco group Stone Fox. 

 

Tracklist

1	Bad Trip	2:36
2	I Don't	2:11
3	Not You	2:19
4	Tell Me	2:17
5	A Rat In The Tunnel Of Love	2:05
6	Look Out Below	2:29
7	The Virus	2:51
8	The Nothing Generation	2:42
9	Future Is A War	2:45
10	With A Bullet	26:54

 

THE PLEASURE FUCKERS Supper Star 1992

Snotty punk rock from Spain

Discogs

Tracklist  

1	Pink House Club	2:18
2	Just Like Your Mom	2:19
3	Supper Star	2:45
4	Blood Sausage	3:08
5	Malasaña Mama	2:21
6	Solid Steel Automobile	2:26
7	Away	2:54
8	No Naggin' Hag	1:56
9	The Gimp	2:05
10	Destination Uranus	3:54
11	Feels Like A Woman	3:22
12	Snakebite	3:16
13	Nos Van A Desinfectar	2:05

SAND The Dynamic Curve 1991

by request

 

 downtempo on the Creation Records label

Discogs 

 

 

Tracklist

1	Felatio	9:52
2	This Thinking Feeling Moment	5:25
3	Consent	4:48
4	Communion	5:17
5	Infinite	4:14
6	Absolution	9:09

 

GNEISSMAKER Forty Acre Fugue 1993

heavy metal/math rock/experimental on the Skene! Records label

Discogs

 

 

Tracklist

1	What Do You Do When You've Shot The Archbishop?
2	Sometimes Winning Is The Only Thing That Matters
3	What If Exxon Bought Mary Kay Cosmetics? Something Very Much Like That Happened In France Recently
4	A Telepathic Cry For Help Goes Unacknowledged
5	'72 Ply Cuda, 440+6, AT, Posi, 137k, Grt Body, Must Sell, $2,000 Firm
6	Judicious Deployment Of Martial Artists Might Have Turned The Tide In The War On Drugs
7	You May Not Be Able To Take The Predator Out Of Your Pet, But You Should Never Allow Your Pet To Take The Blood Out Of You
8	Halloween And Bad Blood Make A Mean Punch

 

SWALES Pleasureland 1992

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Discogs

Tracklist

1	Who's Dorothea?	3:05
2	Shoes Of The Fisherman's Wife	3:25
3	Pleasureland	3:30
4	On Your Side	3:28
5	Everybody's Had A Heartache	2:32
6	Pull Your Strings	2:37
7	Keep On Talking	2:38
8	When I Dream	2:52
9	Rosetta	2:37
10	Tell Me Something	2:46
11	Fly Fisherman	2:50
12	Better Than Nothing	2:10
13	Anyway	2:45

KRUPTED PEASANT FARMERZ Everything Seems Okay 1997

Discogs

AllMusic Review by Mike DaRonco

Krupted Peasant Farmers are basically a snottier, rawer, political version of NOFX. 

 

 

Tracklist

1	Burn This Rag	2:10
2	The End	1:58
3	Invasion Of The Snails	2:35
4	Rednecks In Love	2:31
5	Amerikan Way	2:53
6	Piano Song From Hell	3:40
7	Hemp For Victory	1:38
8	Close Your Eyes	2:01
9	Cowz Humping	2:05
10	Memories Of Death	2:57
11	Live Fast, Live Long	2:15
12	Homeless Song	3:00
13	Piano Song From Hell	2:42
14	Somebody?	3:07
15	I Don't Like You	2:31
16	Throw Away The Key	1:54
17	Walk Away	4:00
18	Bear Named Dog	2:25
19	Conditioned From Birth	1:59
20	Baby Boy	1:30
21	Why?	3:28
22	Out Of Touch	3:05
23	Not Alone	3:25
24	Tales Of Reality	4:48
25	Time To Reflect	2:24

 

PISS FACTORY self titled 1993

Discogs

Artist Biography by Steve Huey

Taking their name from Patti Smith's debut single, New York's Piss Factory offered a no-frills brand of grungy, female-fronted alt-rock. Singer/bassist Lizzie Avondet's vocals were a blend of riot grrrl snarl and cool bravado, so while the group was likened Hole and L7, names like Siouxsie Sioux and Johnette Napolitano also surfaced in comparison to Avondet. The remainder of the lineup featured Finnish-born guitarist Harri Kupiainen, guitarist Paul Eng, and drummer Andy Markham. Their self-titled debut was released on Relativity Records in 1993, and was followed by the EP I Melt early the next year. Piss Factory subsequently disbanded, and Avondet and Kupiainen both joined Emma Peel, which issued their only album, Play Emma for Me, in 1995. Avondet moved on to work with her husband, former Leaving Trains guitarist Bobby Belltower. 

Tracklist

1	Salt
2	Cleavage
3	Minus
4	Waiting
5	Sour Milk
6	Bread
7	Autostrada
8	Role Model
9	Ratmobile
10	Agnes
11	Bad Day
12	Simple

DROWN Hold On To The Hollow 1994

Discogs

 

 

Artist Biography by Greg Prato

Alterna-metallists Drown originally went by the moniker Yesterday's Tear when they formed in 1987 in Long Beach, CA. After changing their name to Drown, the band made it a point to incorporate all the bandmember's influences into their music, no matter how varied. Upon the dawn of the 90's, Drown added electronics to their sound, and by 1991, was a popular hometown draw in the rock clubs. The band was finally signed in 1993 to Elektra/Asylum, who issued their debut, Hold On To Hollow the following year (which featured the single/fan favorite "What Is To Burn"). After Drown completed a tours of the U.S. and Canada with White Zombie, Prong, and others, the band decided to leave Elektra, whom the band claims were pressuring them to record more commercial material. With a new line-up (which by the late-90's consists of drummer Marco Forcone, guitarist Patrick Sprawl, bassist Sean E. Demott, and singer Lauren) and a new label (Slipdisc/Mercury) backing the band, Drown released their best album yet, Product of A Two Faced World, in 1998. 

Tracklist

1	I Owe You
2	Pieces Of A Man
3	Beautiful
4	What It Is To Burn
5	Longing
6	Transparent
7	Lost
8	Reflection
9	Arms Full Of Empty
10	Everything