30 July 2022

THE SKIRTS Look Up! 1999


 

Discogs

 
All female pop punk band from Sacramento, California


Tracklist

1
Eat
2
Criminal Art
3
Trrash
4
Blue
5
Sonny
6
Don't Turn Away

 

SARAH DOUGHER Day One 1999


 

Discogs 

 

Sarah Dougher Biography

by Heather Phares

Portland, OR-based singer/songwriter Sarah Dougher has played in groups like the Lookers, The Crabs and Cadallaca, which also features Sleater-Kinney's Corin Tucker. In addition she holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature, teaches Greek and Roman Literature and writes for the Willamette Week, San Fransisco Bay Guardian and other publications. Dougher also wrote Sent Out On The Tracks They Built: Sinophobia in Olympia, 1886, a book on racism and railroad building in Olympia, WA, with artist Nikki McClure. Her personal and political solo debut album, Day One, was released in 1999 on K Records; Walls Ablaze, her second album and her first for Mr. Lady Records, appeared in spring 2000 and shows in England, Japan and the eastern U.S. followed. She and fellow collaborator Jon Reuter played The Knitting Factory in New York City for a month-long residency in January 2001, selling out every show and earning props from The New Yorker, The New York Times, and The Village Voice. As one of the founders of the rising Ladyfest festival, Dougher played Ladyfest Glasgow in summer 2001, just prior to issuing her third studio effort The Bluff.

 


Tracklist

  1. Hold The Bar
  2. Everywhere West
  3. Girl In New Orleans
  4. Moving
  5. Day One
  6. Art Lover
  7. 40 Hours
  8. Secret Porno Collector
  9. Drunk #1
10. Take It To The Limit
11. Bella Abzug
12. Summer

ALASKA Alaska EP 1995

 


Discogs

 

US 1990's rock band, comprised of J. Chumbris (bass, vocals), J. Howie (drums) and C. Stamey (guitar, vocals). Produced by Mitch Easter of Let's Active.


Tracklist

1
My Advice To You3:18
2
Stupid Pop-Rock Song3:37
3
YeahYeahYeah (Atomic Mix)2:58
4
14 Shades Of Green4:22
5
Rock Manager2:56
6
YeahYeahYeah (Party Mix)2:58

THREE O'CLOCK HEROES Songs And Nails 1995

 


by request



Discogs

 

German indie rock/punk rock trio founded in 1990 in Frankfurt/Main. 


Tracklist

1
All Shut Up3:25
2
Laughter, Drinks And Loneliness3:32
3
History, I've Got It Wrong3:28
4
When I Was Young
3:58
5
Metallic Moses3:06
6
A Bullet Makes You Famous4:00
7
Coming Home4:18
8
Love In A Time Of Risk And Fear3:07
9
I Break With The Church3:20
10
When The Axe Comes Down4:08
11
Internationalist3:33
12
'993:15
13
When I Lay Down My Head For Dying7:38

LIVING IN TEXAS Believe 1991

 


by request



Discogs

 

UK band mix of Goth Rock Psycho New Wave Post Punk

 


Tracklist

1
One Girl
2
For You (Take This Heart Of Mine)
3
All You Gotta Do Is... Believe
4
United Colours
5
Indifference
6
Times Like These
7
Shower Me With Pleasure
8
A Letter To Oscar Wilde
9
I Am The Universe
10
Cry For Me

29 July 2022

HEAVY INTO JEFF For Here Or To Go EP 1996

 

by request


Discogs

 

Heavy into Jeff Biography

by Mike DaRonco

Vocalist/guitarist Chris Lehmann got together Heavy Into Jeff in 1992 not too long after his relocation from Syracuse to San Francisco. With the help of Shawn Rorie (guitar), Scott Godfrey (bass), and Kevin Silveira (drums), a hybrid of alternative rock and power pop resulted as local recognition settled in. Sugarfix Records eventually released Heavy Into Jeff's debut album, Fu, in 1995.

 

Tracklist

1
Underground
2
Buck Fever
3
Not Even Trying
4
Gramaphone
5
Stolen Kisses
6
Indian Summer
7
Waterfall
8
Backroom

27 July 2022

PJ HARVEY 50ft Queenie 1993

 



Discogs

 

PJ Harvey Biography

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Of the singer/songwriters who rose to prominence during the alternative rock explosion, few are as distinctive or as widely praised as Polly Jean Harvey. Over the course of her career, Harvey established herself as one of the most individual and influential songwriters of her era, exploring themes of sex, religion, and political issues with unnerving honesty, dark humor, and a twisted theatricality. At the outset, she led the trio PJ Harvey, who delivered her stark songs with bruisingly powerful, punk-like abandon, as on 1993's Rid of Me. Over time, however, Harvey's music became more nuanced and eclectic. Her 2001 album, Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea, featured a heady mix of trip-hop, guitar rock, and troubadourism, earning her the prestigious Mercury Prize. Harvey continually shifted gears as the years passed, moving from the ghostly Victoriana of 2007's White Chalk to the moody social commentary of 2011's Let England Shake (an album that made her the only artist to win a second Mercury Prize) and 2016's The Hope Six Demolition Project. As the 2010s became the 2020s, her scoring work and archival reissues added further depth to her impressive body of work.

 
Tracklist

1. 50 Ft Queenie
2. Reeling
3. Man-Size (Demo)
4. Hook (Demo)

JOAN OSBORNE BAND Soul Show 1991

by request

Discogs

 

Joan Osborne Biography

by Mark Deming

A powerful vocalist whose repertoire reveals a sure command of rock, pop, soul, blues, jazz, and a variety of other styles, Joan Osborne burst into stardom in 1995 with the release of her first major-label album, Relish. The song "One of Us" became a massive hit single, and a career as a pop star seemed assured. However, her creatively restless spirit led to conflicts with a record label, and she preferred to follow her muse, exploring different musical avenues as she pleased and eventually releasing her music on her own label to gain greater control. As comfortable singing with the Motown house band the Funk Brothers as she is touring as a vocalist with the Grateful Dead, Osborne's catalog shows she's impressively versatile and gifted with a fine voice, keen instincts about how to use it, and a knowledge that wisely informs her creative choices. In addition to the eclectic Relish, Osborne's talents are shown to fine advantage on 2007's Breakfast in Bed (mixing covers of vintage soul tunes and like-minded originals), 2012's Bring It on Home (in which she interprets a number of soul and blues classics), and 2017's self-explanatory Songs of Bob Dylan.

 

Tracklist

1
Son Of A Preacher Man
2
Flyaway
3
Get Up Jack
4
Crazy Baby
5
Fingerprints
6
Dreamin' About The Day
7
Help Me
8
Match Burn Twice
9
Wild World
10
4 Camels
11
Lady Madonna

 

24 July 2022

LOU BARLOW I'm Not Mocking You 7 inch 1993

 


by request


Discogs

 

Lou Barlow Biography

by Jason Ankeny

Lou Barlow has been among the most powerfully distinctive, influential, and prolific figures in independent music since the 1980s. He was a member of three important bands, Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh, and the Folk Implosion, as well as making time for a solo career, and the common thread between his contributions to all these projects come from his gift for penning simple but memorable melodies, and his willingness to bare his soul and expose his insecurities. As a bassist, he took a supporting role in Dinosaur Jr., as the leader of Sebadoh he was a pivotal figure in the lo-fi revolution, and with the Folk Implosion he managed to land a single in the pop Top 40, 1995's "Natural One." Though his proper solo career didn't begin until the 2000s, 2005's Emoh and 2015's Brace the Wave show he's still in firm command of his style and his gifts

 


Tracklist

A1
I Am Not Mocking You
A2
Survival
A3
Helpless Heartbreak
B1
Dirty Mind
B2
Forever Instant

THE LOOKERS In Clover 1997


 

Discogs

 

Lo-fi / indie rock from Portland, Oregon featuring Sarah Dougher from Cadallaca.


Tracklist

1
Track Star
2
The Liar
3
Leaving Texas
4
The Feeling Is Mutual
5
The Office
6
My Luck Has Changed
7
Molly In The Capitol
8
Ladybird
9
Magpie Side
10
Murphy Bed
11
New Year's Eve
12
Light And Stand Back

 

CADALLACA Introducing Cadallaca 1998


 

Discogs

 

Cadallaca Biography

by Jason Ankeny

Olympia, Washington's folk-punk supergroup Cadallaca comprised singer/guitarist Kissy (a.k.a. Sleater-Kinney frontwoman Corin Tucker), organist Dusty (the Lookers' Sarah Dougher) and drummer Junior (1 Threw 7's sts); their debut LP Introducing...Cadallaca appeared on K Records in late 1998, followed in early 2000 by Out West.

 

Tracklist

1
Your One Wish3:21
2
June -N- July3:12
3
You're My Only One2:41
4
Pocket Games4:28
5
Night Vandals4:38
6
Two Beers Later3:09
7
O Chenilla3:34
8
Cadallaca Theme2:32
9
Firetrap3:16
10
Winter Storm '983:20

 

23 July 2022

STARCHILDREN / CATHERINE Delusions Of Candor (Flight Of The Eagle) / Chante Des Chansons Sur Les Filles! (Songs About Girls) 7 inch 1994

 




Discogs

 

Starchildren was a side project of The Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan. From 1990 to 1994 the band played a few scattered live shows, each usually featuring a different lineup of band members with only Corgan having constant involvement. The band officially released two songs, "Delusions of Candor", an original composition by Corgan, and a cover of "Isolation" by Joy Division. 


Trouser Press

It’s not altogether surprising that this Chicago-based guitar army would find a nesting spot under the wing of Smashing Pumpkins — the bands are related not only by marriage (Catherine drummer Kerry Brown to Pumpkins bassist D’Arcy Wretzky) but by a deep-seated disposition towards the big bold sounds of ’70s prog-rock. (The quintet’s slogan is “Better Living Through Noise.”) Co-produced by Billy Corgan, Sleepy‘s oversized sonic webs succeed in drawing listeners into the band’s more abstract pieces, but not in making a lasting impact. Sorry is imbued with a similarly transitory nature. With its wispy, soaring harmonies and flaky layers of amp noise, “Songs About Girls” is worthy of inclusion in a psych-pop 101 primer, and singer/guitarist Neil Jendon proves proficient at sugar-coating some tantalizingly acrid riffs. Half an hour after listening, however, you’re not likely to retain more than a hint of vaguely pleasant aftertaste.[Deborah Sprague]

 

 Tracklist

AStarchildrenDelusions Of Candor (Flight Of The Eagle)
BCatherineChante Des Chansons Sur Les Filles! (Songs About Girls)

A MEANS TO AN END (THE MUSIC OF JOY DIVISION) Various Artists 1995

 


Discogs

 

Joy Division songs covered by various alternative bands


Tracklist


1. Girls Against Boys - She's Lost Control
2. Honeymoon Stitch - Day of the Lords
3. Moby - New Dawn Fades
4. Low - Transmission
5. Codeine - Atmosphere
6. Further - Insight
7. Stanton-Miranda - Love Will Tear Us Apart
8. Starchildren - Isolation
9. Kendra Smith - Heart and Soul
10. Versus - Twenty Four Hours
11. Desert Storm - Warsaw
12. godheadSilo - They Walked In Line
13. Face To Face - Interzone
14. Tortoise - As You Said

REFLECTOR Reflector 1998

 


Discogs

 

 Reflector was an indie rock/emo band from Kansas City, Kansas, who primarily existed from 1996-2000, though they played a handful of reunion shows in 2011 and 2012. 

 

Tracklist

1
Spare Quarter
2
In The Pocket
3
EV
4
Rain
5
Color Tube Release
6
Beyond Apologies
7
Flatbed Trailer
8
Girl
9
Daddy
10
Alone In A Room

22 July 2022

THE BAND OF HOLY JOY Tracksuit Vendetta 1992


 

Discogs

 

Band of Holy Joy Biography

by Jason Ankeny

  A rough-and-tumble British band with a melodic folk-punk sound, Band of Holy Joy emerged out of London in the mid-80s, delivering songs steeped in the grit and grime of London street life while maintaining a defiant and often optimistic call-to-arms tone. Led by frontman Johny Brown, they earned critical acclaim with 1989's Manic, Magic, Majestic on Rough Trade, but ultimately fell apart a couple of years after the label's 1991 demise. Almost a decade later, Brown re-formed the band and they worked sporadically throughout the 2000s, then enjoyed a particularly fruitful and creative period in the front half of the 2010s, when they released five more albums. In the late 2010s, Band of Holy Joy issued an ambitious trilogy of politically driven releases which concluded with 2019's Neon Primitives.

The group formed in the New Cross area of London in 1984 out of the remains of a previous punk band called Speed. Their initial sound bore a uniquely guitar-less set-up utilizing accordion, trombone, violin, and a rhythm section which earned them comparisons to the Pogues. Upon signing to the small indie label Flim Flam, Band of Holy Joy debuted with the 1986 EP The Big Ship Sails, followed in 1987 by the full-length More Tales from the City. The group signed to Rough Trade for 1988's "Tactless" single; the next year's Manic, Magic, Majestic won widespread critical acclaim, but the commercial breakthrough projected for 1990's Positively Spooked -- an LP backed by a promotional tour of the U.S.S.R. -- never materialized. The 1991 collapse of Rough Trade further derailed the group's momentum, and 1992's Tracksuit Vendetta -- recorded as simply Holy Joy -- quickly disappeared from sight. After a final single, "It's a Lovebite City," the group disbanded in 1993. Brown later became a freelance journalist, and in 1995 he and Holy Joy drummer Bill Lewington formed the band Superdrug.

In 2002, Johny Brown re-formed Band of Holy Joy and released the album Love Never Fails. The band remained active, recording and touring intermittently throughout the remainder of the decade. A compilation, Leaves That Fall in Spring, appeared in 2007, followed by the full-length studio effort Paramour in 2010. Over the next serval years, Band of Holy Joy enjoyed a rather prolific creative renaissance. 2011's How to Kill a Butterfly arrived after a Greek tour and an appearance at that year's Glastonbury festival and in 2012 the band released The North Is Another Land via German independent record label Moloko Plus. Easy Listening and the Land of Holy Joy arrived in 2014 and 2015, respectively, and in 2017, they launched a trilogy of politically-charged releases that began with the EP, Brutalism Begins at Home. Later that year, the full-length, Funambulist We Love You continued to the series which concluded with the 2019 album, Neon Primitives.


Tracklist

1
Ragman
2
Casual 983
3
Well You’ve Met This Boy
4
Tracksuit Vendetta
5
0898 Intermission
6
Claudia Dreams
7
By The Light Of A Magical Moon
8
Kitchen Emigre
9
Marvin In Ostende
10
Soulstress
11
Trafalgar Square


BLUE CARTOON Blue Cartoon 1997

 


Discogs

 

Prog rock / power-pop band. Formed in San Jose, CA in 1990 and relocated to Austin, Texas.  


Tracklist

  1. Intro
  2. Parachute
  3. Look Who's Lonely
  4. Imagine Me Without You
  5. Question Mark Smile
  6. Best Laid Plans
  7. Forgetting About You
  8. How Many Times
  9. Trampoline
10. Coming Around
11. Love Or Money
12. You Were On My Mind
13. Notes I'm Sending
14. Someday Girl
15. Falling Backwards

eX-GIRL Heppoco Pou 1998

 


Discogs

 

Ex-Girl Biography

by Mario Mesquita Borges

Ex-Girl Biography

by Mario Mesquita Borges

Discharging potent tunes from their punk rock-driven themes, Ex-Girl gives away vigorous solutions to the alternative punk scene. Ex-Girl formed in late 1997 in Japan, with a three-piece lineup constituted by Kirilo (bass, vocals), Chihiro (guitar, vocals), and Fuzuki (drums). Despite not having any previous musical experience, the Japanese trio started touring the local underground scene and shortly afterwards fixed the attention of producer Hoppy Kamiyama. In 1998, the all-girl trio offered its first studio recording, the album Heppoco Pou, that before long traveled the Pacific and started gaining some airplay at San Francisco's college radio stations. The enthusiasm surrounding the band's rousing themes soon produced enthusiastic results, and in the summer of that same year, Ex-Girl toured both Japan and the U.S. Kero! Kero! Kero!, the group's second album, appeared in 1999, substantiating their resourceful commands and augmenting an always larger fan base. Big When Far, Small When Close, the crew's third studio effort, hit record stores on both sides of the Pacific still in 1999, again with production credits by Kamiyama. Following an extensive European tour alongside Fantomas, one of Mike Patton's side projects, Ex-Girl again entered the studio to record a fourth album. Back to the Mono Kero arrived in 2001, through the Ipecac label, again achieving surprising results, not only in the U.S., but also in Europe. In late 2001, Chihiro parted ways with the band and was replaced by Keiko, formerly with Super Junky Monkey. Still in 2001, the punk ensemble issued yet another full-length album, Revenge of Kero Kero.

 
Tracklist

  1. Diva
  2. Upsy Daisy Ramsy
  3. Gyu-Nyu
  4. La Perla
  5. Sex Machine
  6. Ghost
  7. Chin Chiku Linn (Thrasher From The Tragedy)
  8.
Planet ☆ F
  9. Space Prot
10.
Deutche B

INSTED What We Believe 1990

 


Discogs

 
American straight edge hardcore band from Anaheim, California. Active from 1986 until 1991.



Tracklist

1
Not For Me1:56
2
Voice Your Opinion2:03
3
Blind1:28
4
Give Thanks1:41
5
What Is True1:15
6
No Rules1:15
7
Age1:41
8
Maybe Tomorrow1:34
9
Seize Life2:01
10
No Other Way1:51
11
Reminder1:33
12
From The Start2:08

COPPER Drag Queen 1996

 


Discogs

 

'90's emo band from Buffalo, NY.
 
 
Tracklist

1
Sissy
2
Sentimental
3
Tuesday's Child
4
Serial Killer
5
Caption
6
Drag Queen
7
Freckle
8
There's A Place In Hell.../Studebaker

 

THE GUFS The Gufs 1996

 


by request



Discogs

 

 
Milwaukee (WI)-based alternative rock band


Tracklist

1
Smile
2
Lost Along The Way
3
Sunday Driver
4
Crash (Into Me)
5
Out Somehow
6
Wasting Time
7
Listen To The Trees
8
Life's Sweet Sound
9
Die Away From You
10
Let Her Go
11
Loser's Love Song
12
Fear Me Now
13
So Easily

16 July 2022

FLUFFY KITTY Give Us Kisses 1995

 


Discogs

 

Some lo-fi guitar, some garagey moments, interspersed with indie jangly songs


Tracklist

1
Sports Bra
2
22 Egg Breakfast
3
Circus Peanuts
4
Give Us Kandy
5
Shoe Gazer
6
Girlie Drinks
7
Peatie Wheatstraw
8
Zombie Pimp
9
1 Sec Of Silence
10
Hermetically Sealed
11
Fussy
12
Feed Bag

DR. MARTENS SHOE PIE Various Artists 1997

 



Discogs

 

Comp released by 4AD

 Tracklist

  1. Lush - Runaway
  2. Throwing Muses - Freeloader
  3. Heidi Berry - Holy Grail
  4. Dead Can Dance - The Snake and the Moon (Edit)
  5. GusGus - Polyesterday
  6. The Breeders - Safari
  7. Scheer - Demon
  8. Mojave 3 - Mercy (Strings Version)
  9. Pale Saints - 1000 Stars Burst Open
10. His Name Is Alive - Nice Day
11. Michael Brook - Arrival
12. Tarnation - There's Someone
13. Lisa Germano - I Love a Snot (Tchad Blake Mix)
14. Tanya Donnelly - Human
15. Paladins - One Step

DR. MARTENS CAPITOL RECORDS MUSIC SAMPLER Various Artists 1998

 


Discogs

 

 Tracklist

1Foo FightersNew Way Home5:42
2SupergrassLate In The Day4:48
3Ben LeeNew Song3:53
4Less Than JakeSugar In Your Gas Tank2:11
5The Dandy WarholsMinnesoter3:08
6Plastilina MoshMonster Truck4:48
71000 ClownsI Love N.Y.5:16
8Dance Hall CrashersAll Mine3:26
9Eagle-Eye CherrySave Tonight3:56
10EverclearEl Distorto De Melodica3:12
11Fat AmyPurple3:10
12Big Bad Voodoo DaddyJumpin' Jack4:52
13Frenzal RhombPunch In The Face1:45

15 July 2022

KENICKIE The John Peel Sessions 1999

 


Discogs

 

Kenickie Biography

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Refining the riot grrrl aesthetic to a simple, bratty attitude, Kenickie were one of a rash of British teenage punk-pop bands that emerged in the wake of Supergrass' success in the mid-'90s. More indebted to indie rock than either Supergrass or their peers Ash, but considerably less strident, amateurish and cutesy than the Bis, Kenickie's music wasn't necessarily revolutionary, but it had an invigorating energy that earned them a cult following within the UK music press before the release of their 1997 debut album, At the Club.

Schoolmates Lauren Laverne (vocals, guitar), Marie Du Stantiago (guitar) and Emmy-Kate Montroe (bass) formed Kenickie in August, 1994 as they were studying in secondary school. All three were the age of 16. Laverne's older brother, Johnny X, was recruited as drummer, and the band chose to call themselves Kenickie, naming themselves after John Travolta's sidekick from Grease. Over the next few months, they wrote a batch of songs, made a demo and by late 1994, they had begun playing indie clubs. Creation Records' Alan McGee approached the band in February of 1995, but they rejected his offer, preferring to release a series of indie singles. John Peel played their demo Catsuit City well before its April 1995 release by the Newcastle-based indie label, Slampt. The seven-inch Catsuit City EP created a buzz around Kenickie but because of their studies and "A" level tests, they didn't release their second single, "Come Out 2 Nite," until nearly a year later. The song was the lead track on their second EP, Skillex, which appeared on the hip Fierce Panda label in the spring of 1996. A few months later, the band had signed to Emidisc, a subsidiary of EMI headed by St. Etienne's Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs.

In the latter half of 1996, Kenickie released two singles -- "Punka" and "Millionaire Sweeper" -- which reached numbers 44 and 60 respectively and substantially expanded their following. Early in 1997, they had their first Top 40 hit with the number 24 "In Your Car." The single was followed in April by the band's full-length debut, At the Club.

 
Tracklist

1
Drag Race1:51
2
Millionaire Sweep1:33
3
PVC2:27
4
How I Was Made2:28
5
Scared Of Spiders1:35
6
Acetone3:53
7
Can I Take You To The Cinema?1:17
8
Come Out 2 Nite2:35

14 July 2022

THE BUNNY BRAINS Bunny Magick 1994

 

by request


Discogs

 

Really noisy, skronkin' guitar work and snottiness. AllMusic says it's Witchy Poo meets the Nihilist Spasm Band. The Bunny Brains is so obnoxious they remind me of an obscure '90s band called Drunk John Lennon whose 7 inch I used to own.


Tracklist 

A1
Drugs No Way
A2
W.K.E.D.D.Y.
A3
(The) Fight (Song)
A4
Onic Outh (Double Pumped Version)
A5
Call Kim Gordon
A6
RU Ready Carolyn Keddy?
A7
Erin Go Boom! (The Pinty Song)
B1
I-95 - WRKI (Classic Schlock)
B2
(What Kind Of) SHAPE (Are You In)?
B3
Blackjack Bunnyjet (Inst.)
B4
Long Live Freedomm (Cover Up The Ghetto W/ Whiteout)
B5
L.H.G. Speaks
B6
Luck Is Genius (Inst.)

 

ELASTICA 6 Song EP 1999

 


Discogs

 
Sounds nothing like the Elastica we all know, perhaps due to lineup change. If you dig The Fall, check this out. Is this The Fall or Elastica?

Elastica Biography

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Elastica's brief, angular, and catchy punk rock became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic in 1995. While the group reworked both the sound and the image of new wave and punk rockers like Adam & the Ants, Wire, the Buzzcocks, and Blondie, the band's songs are more pop-oriented and hook-driven than most of their influences, and Justine Frischmann's cool sexuality is earthier, yet more detached, than Debbie Harry's.

Guitarist/vocalist Justine Frischmann began performing professionally in the early '90s, forming Suede with her boyfriend Brett Anderson. In addition to naming the band, Frischmann was the group's original guitarist and continued to perform with them once lead guitarist Bernard Butler joined. However, she left the group soon after her relationship with Anderson ended. Frischmann formed Elastica after leaving Suede in 1991. Recruiting guitarist Donna Matthews, drummer Justin Welch, and bassist Annie Holland through advertisements, the final lineup of the band was set in 1993. Elastica released their first single, the roaring three-chord, two-minute punk rocker "Stutter," at the end of 1993. The single was a limited-edition run and it quickly sold out, thanks to radio airplay and rave reviews. "Line Up" followed a few months later. It also sold very well, yet some critics claimed the band appropriated the melody from Wire's "I Am the Fly" for the song. For most of 1994, the group was relatively quiet, playing the occasional concert and recording; nevertheless, the band's name stayed in the British press, largely due to Frischmann's romance with Damon Albarn, the lead singer for Blur, England's most popular band of 1994. Released in the fall of that year, "Connection," their biggest hit yet, suffered the same criticism, this time for taking the keyboard riff from Wire's "Three Girl Rhumba." On the eve of the March 1995 release of their debut album, the group was taken to court by Wire's publishers, as well as the publishers of the Stranglers (who claimed Elastica's new single, "Waking Up," took the riff from the punk band's "No More Heroes"); both cases were settled out of court before the album was released.

Entering the charts at number one, Elastica's self-titled first album became the fastest-selling debut in the U.K., beating the record Oasis' Definitely Maybe set only seven months earlier. As well as being a popular success, the record received overwhelmingly positive reviews. Like Oasis, Elastica managed to have a hit single in America with "Connection"; the single was a major modern rock radio hit, as well as reaching the Top 100 on the singles chart. Elastica continued to make headway in America by replacing Sinead O'Connor on the 1995 Lollapalooza tour, although the group suffered a blow when Holland announced her exit from the lineup. A follow-up LP was years in the making, and Elastica's future was the subject of considerable media speculation; in the spring of 1999 Matthews quit as well, although Holland soon returned to the fold, joining new guitarist Paul Jones as well as keyboardists Dave Bush and Mew. A new six-track EP finally appeared late that summer. Their long-awaited sophomore effort, The Menace, was finally released six years after the band's debut. After a year of inactivity, the band released a farewell single in England and announced that their breakup, which had been rumored about them for some time, was, indeed final.


Tracklist

1. How He Wrote Elastica Man
2. Nothing Stays The Same (Donna's Home Demo)
3. Miami Nice (Home Recording)
4. KB
5. Operate (Live Version)
6. Generator