GRASSHOPPER Stereovision 1994

by request

 

for the grunge fans

 

Discogs

Tracklist

1	Supervillain
2	Born Loser
3	Breastfed
4	Chocolatemilk
5	Roofofmymouth
6	Neptune
7	King Salvia
8	Glasseater
9	Softicecream
10	Ultra-Flex
11	Downlow
12	Nink And Pig
13	Queen Salvia

THE ORCHIDS Striving for the Lazy Perfection 1994

by request

 

Discogs

Artist Biography by Stewart Mason

One of the most prolific bands on Bristol, England's legendary indie pop label Sarah Records, the Orchids were also one of the label's most press-shy outfits. Formed in 1986 in Penilee, Scotland, a suburb of Glasgow, the Orchids took their initial inspiration from some of the city's better-known acts of the time, particularly Lloyd Cole and the Commotions (singer James Hackett sounded more than a little like Cole and was often derided in the U.K. press for that resemblance) and Primal Scream during that band's original '60s pop phase. Hackett, rhythm guitarist Matthew Drummond, lead guitarist John Scally, bassist James Moody, and drummer Chris Quinn fit neatly into the bowl haircut and anorak look of the British indie scene, and their songs, the sort of archetypal late-'80s U.K. guitar pop for which terms like "winsome," "jangly", and "twee" were invented, made them both new pop heroes for a certain audience and an easily dismissible target for others. Press reaction tended to be either laudatory or scathing, with very little in between.

Tracklist 

1	Obsession No. 1	3:56
2	Striving For The Lazy Perfection	3:56
3	The Searching	3:25
4	Welcome To My Curious Heart	4:40
5	Avignon	3:03
6	A Living Ken And Barbie	6:36
7	Beautiful Liar	3:41
8	A Kind Of Eden	4:15
9	Prayers To St. Jude	2:52
10	Lovechild	4:51
11	Give A Little Honey	4:31
12	I've Got To Wake Up To Tell You My Dreams	3:38
13	The Perfect Reprise	1:17
14	I Was Just Dreaming	3:25
15	Between Sleeping And Waking	3:09

RED LORRY YELLOW LORRY Blasting Off 1991

by request

 

Discogs

Artist Biography by Steve Huey

One of England's more subtly original goth rock groups, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry were initially branded as worshipful Joy Division acolytes, but came up with enough distinct variations to break free of their main influence. Their foundation always remained icy, droning post-punk, replete with sludgy, murky guitars and mumbled Ian Curtis-style vocals. However, as the Lorries evolved, they gradually sprinkled in elements of industrial dance, early rave music, and spaghetti Western soundtracks, as well as liberal doses of inventive, acid-tinged guitar work. Taking their name from a British tongue twister, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry were formed in Leeds in late 1981 by guitarist/songwriter Chris Reed and vocalist Mark Sweeney. Reed and Sweeney had previously performed in the local bands Radio Id and Knife Edge, respectively, and added a rhythm section of bassist Steve Smith and drummer Mick Brown. Sweeney left within a year, however, and Reed took over lead vocal duties, with Martin Fagan coming onboard as a second guitarist.

Later in 1982, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry signed with the independent Red Rhino label and issued their debut single, "Beating My Head." Although it was a hit on the British indie charts, Fagan subsequently left the band and was replaced by Dave "Wolfie" Wolfenden, who became Reed's frequent songwriting partner; bassist Smith also departed in favor of Paul Southern. The band's second single, "Take It All," appeared in 1983, as did the third, "He's Read"; both helped solidify the Lorries' popularity on the indie listings. After another single, 1984's "Monkeys on Juice," the band finally got around to recording its debut album; Talk About the Weather was released in early 1985, and was a hit on the indie charts thanks to the single "Hollow Eyes." It was followed by two non-LP singles, "Chance" and "Spinning Round." In 1986, Reed and Wolfenden regrouped with a new rhythm section of bassist Leon Phillips and drummer Chris Oldroyd. They were in place for the Lorries' second LP, Paint Your Wagon, which drew on imagery of the old American West and featured another indie hit in "Walking on Your Hands." Following one more non-LP single that year, "Cut Down," the band temporarily adopted its longtime nickname of the Lorries, and issued one single, 1987's "Crawling Mantra," under that moniker before reverting back to the original form. Later in 1987, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry signed a major-label deal with Situation Two, a subsidiary of RCA affiliate Beggars Banquet. They debuted in 1988 with the LP Nothing Wrong, which spun off the single "Only Dreaming (Wide Awake)."

On their second major-label album, 1989's Blow, the Lorries flirted with the sound and visual style of England's emerging rave culture, resulting in their clearest, most spacious production to date. There was more turnover in the rhythm section; drummer Oldroyd was replaced by Mark Chillington prior to the recording of the album, and bassist Phillips departed before the supporting tour, with his spot permanently filled by Gary Weight. Chillington, in turn, left during the tour, and George Schulz came onboard in his stead. The Lorries subsequently parted ways with Beggars Banquet and released their fifth LP, Blasting Off -- with several songwriting contributions from Weight -- in 1991, on the small Sparkhead label. The album didn't appear in the U.S. for another three years, until Relapse finally picked it up. By that time, faced with diminishing returns, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry had disbanded. Several CD retrospectives of the group's work have since been released, including the career-spanning 2014 box set See the Fire. Reed revived the Red Lorry Yellow Lorry name in 2004 with four new tracks made available on the band's website, but a promised album never appeared. 

 

Tracklist

This Is Energy	4:34
It's On Fire	2:50
Don't Think About It	4:51
Train Of Hope	4:08
Talking Back	5:38
Down On Ice	2:49
In My Mind	3:56
Sea Of Tears	3:34
I Can See Stars	3:46
Driving Me	3:19

 

THE SOUP DRAGONS Lovegod 1990

by request

 

Discogs

Artist Biography by James Christopher Monger

Before Scotland's Soup Dragons hit the mainstream with their reggae-infused cover of the Rolling Stones' "I'm Free," the Glasgow four-piece were poised to carry the torch first lit by the Buzzcocks and the Adverts. Formed in the mid-'80s around singer/guitarist -- and eventual programmer -- Sean Dickson, the band included guitarist Jim McCulloch, bassist Sushil Dade, and drummer Ross Sinclair. Their punk-pop debut, Hang-Ten!, consisted of two years worth of singles and EPs -- the shorter Hang-Ten! EP arrived via Raw TV Products in 1986 -- and was released in 1987 on Sire Records. Their direction changed completely on 1988's uneven but ambitious This Is Our Art, a schizophrenic collection of hard rock, funk, and harmony-laden pop that showcased the group's love of melody and willingness to experiment within the modern rock genre.

By 1990, the previously underground sounds of U.K. rave culture began to infiltrate and inform the alternative rock scene, resulting in the birth of the Madchester sound, a drugged-out fusion of acid house and rock that the Soup Dragons were more than willing to get on board with. Lovegod, their Big Life/Polygram debut, embraced the scene completely, marrying dub-heavy beats with synths and acoustic guitars, breathy vocals, and even a guest spot from Black Uhuru's Junior Reid. Hotwired, their follow-up record that included the worldwide chart-topping hit "Divine Thing," was released in 1992. Gone were the hypnotic swells and late-night cigarette lyrics that fueled their previous release, replaced here by tight, immaculately produced songs that were way more alternative dance and sunny Britpop than moody rave anthems.

By 1994, Dickson was the sole remaining member, relying on a bizarre array of session musicians from Bootsy Collins to the Scottish Chamber Orchestra to help complete the funk, soul, rock, and hip-hop hybrid Hydrophonic. The record received mixed reviews, prompting Dickson to form a new group called High Fidelity, which released an EP in 1996 and a series of singles that led to the release of their first full-length LP, Demonstration, in 2002. 

 

Tracklist 

1	I'm Free	4:00
2	Mother Universe	3:42
3	Backward Dogs	2:16
4	Softly	2:56
5	Drive The Pain	2:20
6	Lovegod	3:36
7	Dream-E-Forever	2:12
8	Sweetmeat	4:20
9	Kiss The Gun	2:30
10	Love You To Death	2:40
11	Beauty Freak	3:05
	Extra Tracks
12	Lovegod Dub	4:17
13	Crotch Deep Trash	2:54

 

THE WAYOUTS Better Days 1998

by request

pop punk
 

Discogs

Tracklist

1	Better Days
2	Green Everleaves
3	Three Winters
4	Ghost Of Edvard
5	Oceans Overflowed
6	Crane
7	Fishing

YUM YUM Dan Loves Patti 1996

Discogs

Artist Biography from All Music 

Chicago, Illinois, USA-based art-rock group Yum-Yum is essentially the work of one man, Chris Holmes (c.1971, Chicago, Illinois, USA). Holmes is responsible for writing all of the group’s songs, and also for co-production, singing, guitar and keyboards, working alongside a constantly revolving team of sympathetic musicians and collaborators. What immediately captured critical interest about Yum-Yum’s debut album, 1996’s Dan Loves Patti, was the unusual instrumentation. Arranged by Holmes himself, the record incorporated string, horn and cello sections to animate Holmes’ dense, emotive songs. An early interview in Rolling Stone magazine drew comparisons with both the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds. Another comparison was drawn with the Moody Blues - Holmes admitting to using a Chamberlin 60s keyboard to play tapes of genuine orchestral instruments in the same manner that the Moody Blues had done two decades earlier. He also employs a mellotron, formerly used by the BBC for sound effects on the science fiction television programme Doctor Who. Indeed, his interest in science fiction extends to lectures on UFOs for college radio stations, and a dissertation on alien visitations at the University of Chicago. His first band, the Hawkwind -influenced Sabalon Glitz, were named after a Doctor Who character. Holmes had by now already established a reputation as an ‘auteur’, sharing his home with the staff of the Chicago literary journal The Baffler. Yum-Yum was formed in 1992 as an alternative outlet to Sabalon Glitz (he also has a third group, the ambient house project Ashtar Command). Holmes’ contract with TAG/ Atlantic Records entitles him to release music by any of the three bands (Sabalon Glitz’s first album, Ufonic, came out in 1995). However, Holmes was forced to abandon use of the name Yum-Yum in the UK after an existing group claimed prior usage - hence Dan Loves Patti was released credited simply to Chris Holmes. 

Tracklist  

1	I'm Not Telling
2	Apiary
3	Dan Loves Patti
4	Doot-Doot
5	Train Of Thought
6	Sister
7	Cross My Heart
8	Ring
9	Jealous Of The Stars
10	Uneasy
11	Words Will Fail
12	Lament

WINGTIP SLOAT If Only for the Hatchery 1998

by request

Discogs

Tracklist

Z Is For Zovirax	3:40
Flem Snopes	2:04
Sundowner's 90 Mile Pilot	2:54
Part Of Three	3:10
Snack Of Toes	2:49
Take The Safeway Back	1:46
Manmannouth	5:33
Meet Cute	2:18
Holiday Blowjob	5:46
Banging The Hydrant	2:27
Lemon Melt	1:54
Whynilla	3:37

GO KART GO The Ninth Floor 2001

Thanks to Walkingdead

Discogs

 

 

Last FM

I have broken my own rule that I'm only posting releases from 1990 - 1999 but this has been on my wantlist for at least a couple of years. Check it out - it's a cross between The Replacements and Alkaline Trio.  Unfortunately the singer passed away a few years ago.

 

 

 

Tracklist

1. I'm Gone

2. Radio Station

3. Marionette

4. Public Display of Rejection

5.  White Trash Love Song

6. Summer Slump

7. Undertow

8. Until Now

9. (Your So) Anxious

10. My Song

WINGTIP SLOAT Chewyfoot 1995

Discogs

 

Review by Nitsuh Abebe

There's a certain purity to the grainy and definitively indierock sound of the Wingtip Sloats, but only if one can get past the unformed and rambling dynamics of their composition. Chewyfoot is no different -- everything seems to be working except the band's ability to stay on track. 

Tracklist

1	Web Of Ramps	3:06
2	Slouching Towards Dulles	3:48
3	10 Years Vs. The Spread	3:30
4	Slide Me A Dime	6:42
5	Unique Scenic Drive	4:02
6	Arc Of A Worm's Trail	3:04
7	Eye Has Not Seen	3:01
8	Games Ruins Gravity	3:39
9	A Tree Fell	3:15
10	Cork	5:40

 

IDAHO Alas 1998

by request

Discogs

Tracklist  

1	Jump Up	3:06
2	Tensile	2:41
3	You'll Get To The Bottom Of This	3:31
4	Scrawny	3:09
5	Only In The Desert	3:01
6	Run But You Ran	4:02
7	Clouded	2:33
8	Yesterday's Unwinding	3:36
9	Leaves Upon The Water	8:28