NERVES New Animal 1999

Discogs

Review by Nitsuh Abebe

Odd as it is to remember, Thrill Jockey started out as a punk label, releasing records by bands like Gaunt and Gorilla. So, it shouldn't come as a complete surprise that out comes Nerves, a genuine and impressive punk record in the tradition of the Wipers, the Pagans, or La Peste. A few mod and beat constructions give the album the angularity and modernity it needs, and there's enough intelligence in the group's compositions to get past the many punk and hardcore clichés, but the key quality is the purity and power of the Nerves' sound and performance -- this is a solid and compelling modern-day punk record, and the Nerves' best work to this point.

Tracklist  

1	Die Tonight	2:29
2	Get Me High	2:21
3	Red Night	2:44
4	Looking Into Fire	2:18
5	Twilight Blvd.	3:49
6	Millstone	0:59
7	Cry, Cry	3:31
8	Live All	2:01
9	Dying Arms	3:02
10	Own Religion	2:40
11	Carnival Dog	2:09
12	New Animal	4:11

CAKE LIKE Bruiser Queen 1997

Discogs

Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny

The New York City art-pop trio Cake Like was led by singer/bassist Kerri Kenney, also a gifted comedienne featured in the cable series The State and Viva Variety. Kenney founded the group in early 1993 with guitarist Nina Hellman, a fellow student at New York University's Experimental Theater Wing; neither knew how to play her respective instrument at the time of Cake Like's formation, but with the subsequent addition of drummer Jody Seifert, the group nevertheless recorded its debut album Delicious even before the year was out. Issued in 1995 on John Zorn's Avant label, the disc was a critical favorite, and upon signing to Vapor Records, the trio resurfaced in 1997 with Bruiser Queen. Goodbye, So What followed two years later.

Tracklist

1	The New Girl	2:17
2	Wendy	2:19
3	Mr. Fireman	3:10
4	Groovy	2:01
5	Latin Lover	2:39
6	Pretty New	3:40
7	Lorraine's Car	3:26
8	Franchise	2:51
9	Cancer	3:19
10	The American Woman	2:02
11	Truck Stop Hussy	3:24
12	Destroyed	2:28

BICYCLE self titled 1999

Discogs

Artist Biography by Heather Phares

Singer/songwriter Kurt Liebert is the main force behind Bicycle, a musical project he began after he was laid off from his job at a New York pharmaceuticals company. Liebert took the opportunity to ride his bicycle across the country and play impromptu gigs with his collaborator Forrest Burtnette, which led to the band's name. Bicycle's unique manner of transportation attracted media attention and grants from a few music colleges, and Liebert moved to Seattle to focus on his music. This resulted in the 1999 self-titled debut album, which featured contributions from Burtnette and former Presidents of the United States member Chris Ballew, who produced five songs on the album, and also provided background vocals.

Tracklist  

1	68	2:41
2	Daisydunes.com	2:52
3	All Of Her Chords	2:42
4	That Cat	2:23
5	Electrolux	3:13
6	View Of The Valley	4:00
7	Bionic	2:19
8	High Plains Drifter	2:17
9	Pop Song	2:20
10	Clean	2:36
11	Wilderbeast	2:30
12	Oh Jesus I'm Dying	1:46
13	Fingerpainting	2:27
14	Earthquake	3:18

SURROGAT Unruhig 1995

by request

 

 German noise rock

Discogs 

 

Tracklist

1	Steiger
2	Bottrop
3	Gefrierbrand
4	Tick
5	Die Liebe, Ich Und Du
6	Surrogat
7	Schnäppchen
8	Schwiegermutter
9	Crustacean
10	Acht Für Acht II
11	Frauen Riechen
12	Das Fest

 

LUNCHBOX The Magic of Sound 1999

Discogs

Artist Biography by Stewart Mason

Lunchbox is an indie pop trio from Berkeley, CA, led by singer/songwriter and guitarist Tim Brown, along with bassist Donna McKean, and a revolving door of drummers, most notably Marty Kelly, Hugh Howie, and Jon Brahm. After forming in 1994, the trio released its self-titled debut on San Francisco's Not Happy label in 1996. Though that album was largely three-chord mod-pop in the tradition of early Jam records, by the time of their second album, 1998's The Magic of Sound, Lunchbox had reworked their sound to include a summery retro-electronic sheen akin to contemporaneous Stereolab and High Llamas albums.

Tracklist  

1	In My World
2	Ordinary Day
3	Lotion
4	Just Because
5	A Special Feeling
6	Wanna Reach You
7	Little Things
8	Still Life
9	So Much About You
10	I Need More Time
11	Episode

OCTANT Shock-No-Par 1999

Discogs

Artist Biography by Heather Phares

The Seattle-based group Octant is named for its third member, a robotic drummer created by singer/songwriter/guitarist/keyboardist/inventor Matt Steinke. Also a member of Mocket and Satisfact, Steinke studied kinetic art and music at Evergreen State College and studied electronics after graduation. Wishing to combine all these disciplines, he began building the Octant, an automated collection of mallets bolted onto a drum kit; as it plays, it not only makes music but adds a visual element to the group's futuristic, appealingly off-kilter sound. Singers/keyboardist Tassy Zimmerman and clarinetist/turntablist Pierre Crutchfield are also a part of Octant's shows and albums. Octant's debut, Shock-No-Par, came in 1999 on the Up label. Car Alarms & Crickets followed a year later.

Tracklist

1	The Move
2	Auto 1
3	Igneous
4	Revert
5	This And What
6	Uncomplexed
7	Simplexity
8	Pong
9	65cxv

BARCELONA Simon Basic 1999

Discogs

Artist Biography by Mike DaRonco

Having been raised in Washington, D.C., during the Reagan regime of the '80s, it was hard for anyone not to be under the influence of new wave pop and Commodore 64s, let alone the members of Barcelona. Comprised of Jennifer Carr (bass), Jason Korzen (guitar/singer), Christian Scanniello (drums), and Ivan Ramiscal (moog/keyboards/ guitar), the band somehow found time away from their love of soccer and computers to add their own dose of synth pop and indie to release their first full-length, Simon Basic, in 1999 and the follow-up EP, Robot Trouble, in July 2000. Zero One Infinity appeared that fall, and Transhuman Revolution was released a year later. Barcelona wound up calling it a day in 2001 as well; Korzen went on to form Sprites the next year.

Tracklist

1	Why Do You Have So Much Fun Without Me?	3:36
2	Sunshine Delay	2:11
3	Indian Names	3:18
4	C-64	2:45
5	Fabled Age	2:22
6	Space Guy Blues	3:02
7	I Know What You Think Of Me	4:07
8	1/2	2:42
9	Unreal	2:23
10	Summer Songs	2:46
11	The Downside Of Computer Camp	2:55

VERMONT 05 / Living Together 1999

Discogs

Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny

Emo-pop trio Vermont paired singer/guitarist Davey VonBohlen and drummer Dan Didier, who also collaborated in the Promise Ring; tapping Pele guitarist Chris Roseanau to complete the line-up, the group debuted in 1999 with "We Only Have Each Other in the Night," a split single with Ida. The full-length Living Together followed later that same year.

Tracklist

1	Indiana Jones	3:01
2	Lightning Tattoos	2:34
3	Broadway Joe	1:48
4	Where Planes Go Down	4:03
5	Living Together	4:56
6	Bee, Leave Me Be	5:26
7	Tiny White Crosses	3:58
8	Downtown Heart	3:39
9	Old Blue	1:32
10	My Favourite Legend	2:34
11	These Dudes, They Got A Band	6:10

SKY CRIES MARY Seeds 1999

Discogs

Artist Biography by Dave Thompson

Sky Cries Mary began life as a soundtrack vehicle for vocalist Roderick Wolgamott's theater work. Accompanied by Posies Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer, the first recordings were made on Wolgamott's 23rd birthday, shortly before he left his native Seattle to attend graduate school in Paris. There he landed a deal with the New Rose label and, upon arrival back in Seattle, the band completed its debut album in eight days. The harsh industrial soundscapes of Until the Grinders Cease appeared in Europe in 1989 (the album remained unreleased in the U.S. for another decade). (more)

Tracklist

1	Remember Me The Wind	6:07
2	Chickaboom Cocktail	3:54
3	Sonno	4:41
4	Cloud Splitter	6:59

HOLIDAY FLYER You Make Us Go 1999

Discogs

Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny

Roseville, CA-based indie-pop combo Holiday Flyer paired the Conley siblings, singer/guitarist John and singer/drummer Katie. After a series of singles, the duo issued their debut album Try Not to Worry on Silver Girl in 1995; for the follow-up, 1997's The Rainbow Confection, the line-up expanded to a three-piece with the addition of bassist Verna Brock of Beanpole/Rocketship fame. An EP, Blue Harvest, appeared on Darla a year later; the third Holiday Flyer full-length, You Make Us Go, followed in 1999.

Tracklist 

1	How When Or Where	2:28
2	Clover Valley Road	2:56
3	Movies	2:59
4	Nothing's Wrong	2:38
5	Still Here	2:26
6	Guts	4:13
7	Nobody Follow Me	1:59
8	Joke's On Me	3:20
9	Be Alright	2:48
10	Anyway	2:47
11	When Will I Ever Learn	2:39
12	Surprised	3:59

LITTLE RED ROCKET Who Did You Pay 1997

Discogs

Artist Biography by Bryan Thomas

Led by vocalist/guitarists Orenda Fink and Maria Taylor, Little Red Rocket have been compared variously to female-fronted guitar pop bands like Belly, that dog., Veruca Salt, Lush, and Elastica. The two women met at a fine arts high school in Birmingham, AL, and originally began performing as an acoustic duo before adding drummer Louis Schefano and bassist Greg Nobles. Within a few months of gigging, Little Red Rocket were signed first to Portland, OR-based Tim/Kerr Records, who issued their solid debut Who Did You Pay that same year. Soon afterwards, they were signed to Geffen Records, but were dropped before they released anything, in part due to the merger and folding of Geffen into the Universal Music company (Geffen reneged on their agreement to issue a major-label debut within six months of signing, causing much inner-strife for the band members). Taylor and Fink eventually parted ways with Schefano and Nobles, settling in the college hamlet of Athens, GA. The dynamic duo hooked up with Huge & Jolly Management, consisting of husband and wife team Carol and Hugo Burnham (ex-drummer for Gang of Four). Though they didn't have a record deal, Little Red Rocket began recording what would eventually become It's in the Sound, their follow-up for Monolyth Records. The record, released in 2000, featured a rhythm section of Big Atomic's Jacque Ferguson (sometimes "Jackie," bass), and Japancakes/Runs drummer Scott Sosebee. They have occasionally added brass accompaniment, provided by various Athens-area musicians, including Chris Sugiuchi of Prince Rondavel Apts. on trombone.

Tracklist  

1	Sick Of Pretty
2	Silver Girl
3	Wheels And Weather
4	I'm A Fake
5	Light Is Everywhere
6	Maybe
7	New Country
8	Same Old Feeling
9	Back To Where I Started
10	Goodbye
11	What I Don't Know

VERY SECRETARY Standing In The Shade 1999

Discogs

Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny

Melancholy indie-pop outift Very Secretary was formed in Champaign-Urbana, IL in March of 1997 by singer/guitarist Dave Johnson, his bassist brother Allen, guitarist Tim Adamson and ex-Braid drummer Roy Ewing. Following the group's 1998 debut, Best Possible Souvenir, Adamson left the line-up and was replaced by violinist Rachael Dietkus, heralding an even more lush, mournful sound first glimpsed on "Nagarkot," Very Secretary's contribution to Tree Records' Postmarked Stamps singles series. The band's sophomore LP, the lovely Standing in the Shade, appeared in mid-1999, but while touring the following spring, Very Secretary disbanded.

Tracklist

1	Feeling Cheated	2:59
2	This Lovesick	3:24
3	Sister Psyche	3:29
4	Politic	4:06
5	Paper Bag	3:13
6	Countryless	5:53
7	Sharp Dressers	2:47
8	Paid To Forget	2:23
9	Permanence	5:41
10	Giannini Eyes	3:23

EUREKA FARM Analog 1998

Discogs

Wikipedia
Eureka Farm was a band from Bellingham, Washington. It began in 1996 with members Arman Bohn (songwriter/guitar), Ben Gibbard (drums), and Nick Harmer (bass). During this time the band went by the name "Shed". Gibbard left the band and was replaced by Jason McGerr (drums) in 1996. The band changed its name to "Eureka Farm" in 1997. Harmer was replaced by Chuck Keller (bass) in 1997, and Caspar Sonnet (keys, alto saxophone, and bass clarinet) joined in 1998.

Tracklist

1	Sandcastles
2	Teleprompter
3	Adrenalin
4	Shipwrecked
5	Headache
6	Wake Up
7	Jupiter
8	Shed
9	The Three

WINTERBRIEF Complaints From The Beauty Class 1999

Discogs

Artist Biography by Mike DaRonco

With their use of twining together abrasive melodies, digital overtones and a heavy theme of political commentaries, the Washington DC duo Winterbrief found themselves compared to the likes of Bis, Yummy Fur and Red Monkey amongst other British counterparts that the band looked up to. Comprised of members Jan and Julian, who handle everything from guitars, vocals, synthesizers and drum programming, Winterbrief used this formula on their debut full-length Complaints From The Beauty Class courtesy of Hub City Records. Soon after the albums 1998 release, the band soon re-located to Philadelphia, but not before contributing songs to various compilations released by Pal, Shirley Beans and Tapegun Records.

Tracklist

1	Glow-We	2:31
2	Me And P St. Beach	3:47
3	I Want To Be Sexy	3:00
4	abDC	2:03
5	Chick Flick	4:39
6	Art-Loft Rebel	2:03
7	A Practiced Prescription	3:05
8	Repressant	2:14
9	Mr. Majority	3:13
10	Tricks Of The Trade	2:36