CLEM SNIDE You Were a Diamond 1998

by request

 

 

Discogs

Artist Biography by Mark Deming

Conjuring a sweet and lusciously melancholy sound that merges the tunefulness of vintage pop, the late-night vibe of cool jazz, the lonesome spirit of classic country, and the delicate touch of folk, Clem Snide are a trio who've gone through more than their share of changes since they first formed in 1991. Clem Snide were first assembled by singer, guitarist, and songwriter Eef Barzelay while he was attending college in Boston during the early '90s; the first edition of the band was created to perform his earliest attempts as songwriting, and the sound was dominated by noisy, punk-jazz-inspired dissonance with abrasive guitar lines and bleating saxophone. (Significantly, the band was named for a character in the challenging William S. Burroughs novel Naked Lunch.) While this early lineup played out occasionally and released a pair of 7" singles on a local label, Barzelay became disenchanted with both the band and the city of Boston, and the group split up in 1994.

Two years later, Barzelay had relocated back to the East Coast after dropping out of school (he grew up in New Jersey), and he was living with his parents when he got the itch to start writing songs again. Barzelay reconnected with Jason Glasser, who had played bass for a spell with Clem Snide, and was now learning the cello while attending art school in New York City. Barzelay and Glasser soon began working up new material under the name Fruit Key; after adding Jeff Marshall on double bass, Barzelay opted to resurrect the name Clem Snide, and by the end of 1996 the group was playing small shows around New York. The following year, the band began recording a demo, and added drummer Brad Reitz to the lineup; the demo sessions eventually evolved into an album (with a variety of friends and contemporaries helping to fill out the group's sound, a practice that would continue on future recording projects), and Clem Snide's debut, You Were a Diamond, was released in 1998.

In 1999, Reitz left the band, and new percussionist Eric Paul stepped in during the sessions for the group's second album, Your Favorite Music, which was released during a short-lived tenure with Sire Records. The group's relationship with Sire was through by the time the band finished its third album, 2001's The Ghost of Fashion, but Clem Snide's career enjoyed a boost when a song from the album, "Moment in the Sun," was chosen as the theme for the hit television series Ed. Several tours across the globe followed throughout 2002; however, Jeff Marshall grew tired of the road. He left the band, but went on to participate in the recording sessions for the band's fourth album, The Soft Spot (2003), which also featured multi-instrumentalist Pete Fitzpatrick. Pete's cousin, Brendan Fitzpatrick, stepped in to play bass shortly thereafter. For the band's fifth album, 2004's End of Love, they brought in a crew including Ben Perowsky (the Lounge Lizards), Lara Meyerratken (Crooked Fingers), Paul Burch (Lambchop, Paul Burch & the WPA Ballclub), Tony Crow, and Ben Martin (Lambchop). Hungry Bird appeared in 2009 from 429 Records, followed by The Meat of Life the next year.. 

Tracklist

1		Better	3:54
2		Nick Drake Tape	4:07
3		Row	4:11
4		Your Night To Shine	3:58
5		I Can't Stay Here Tonight	3:23
6		Yip/Jump Music	3:49
7		Uglier Than You	3:01
8		Fruit Salad Stains	4:37
9		Lost On The River	3:04
10		Nothing Is Over, Not Yet	3:56
11		Chinese Baby	2:33
12		Your Night To Shine (Video)

SILKWORM Libertine 1994

by request

Discogs

	US indie rock band that was formed in Missoula in 1987, moved to Seattle in 1990 and dissolved upon the death of drummer Michael Dahlquist in 2005.

Tracklist

1		There Is A Party In Warsaw Tonight	4:04
2		Grotto Of Miracles	4:48
3		Cotton Girl	3:08
4		Yen + Janet Forever	5:59
5		Oh How We Laughed	2:55
6		The Cigarette Lighters	2:44
7		Couldn't You Wait?	3:45
8		A Tunnel	5:10
9		Written On The Wind	4:27
10		Wild In My Day	5:33
11		Bloody Eyes	3:31

LUSH Lovelife 1996

by request

 
Discogs

 
Artist Biography

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Meshing dreamy, effects-drenched guitars with airy, catchy melodies, Lush were one of the most prominent shoegaze/dream pop bands of the early '90s. Led by guitarists Miki Berenyi and Emma Anderson, the British band gained a cult following within the British and American undergrounds with its first EPs, yet the group never quite attained the critical respect given to its peers My Bloody Valentine and Ride. Even so, Lush lasted longer than any other of their contemporaries (with the exception of the Boo Radleys), developing sharp pop skills as their career progressed. By the time of their final album, 1996's Lovelife, they had converted themselves into a power pop band with dream pop overtones, which resulted in the greatest chart success of their career. That success was dealt a blow when drummer Chris Acland committed suicide in the fall of 1996, effectively bringing the band to an end.

Miki Berenyi, Emma Anderson, Chris Acland, Steve Rippon (bass), and Meriel Barham (guitar) formed Lush in 1988 in London, England. Prior to the group's formation, school friends Berenyi and Anderson had collaborated on a fanzine together and played in a number of other bands individually. Anderson, who had been working as a DHSS clerical assistant, had played bass with the Rover Girls, while Berenyi had been a member of the I-Goat Fuhrer Five and the Lillies. Berenyi's then-boyfriend, Acland, had previously played with several other groups as well, including Panik, Infection, and A Touch of Hysteria. Barham left Lush soon after the band's formation to form the Pale Saints, and the remaining members began playing around London, quickly earning a number of fans, including Robin Guthrie of the Cocteau Twins. Guthrie helped the band secure a contract with 4AD, and they released their acclaimed debut EP, Scar, in 1989. Lush supported the EP with opening tours for Loop and the Darling Buds, and by 1990, they had graduated to headlining tours of their own.

Throughout 1990, the band's reputation in the British music press began to grow as they released the acclaimed EPs Mad Love and Sweetness and Light, played high-profile gigs like the Glastonbury Festival, and became favorites of the music weeklies' gossip columns. Gala, an album compiling their three EPs, became the band's first American release at the end of 1990. Lush spent most of 1991 recording their debut album, releasing the Black Spring EP in the spring. Rippon left the band during the sessions, and was replaced by Philip King, a former picture researcher for NME and a previous member of Felt, Servants, and Biff Bang Pow. Lush finally released their delayed debut album, Spooky, in the spring of 1992. While the album sold well, reaching the British Top Ten and topping the U.K. indie charts, it was criticized in the press for Guthrie's heavy-handed production. The band supported the album in America by appearing on the second Lollapalooza tour, but their dream pop wasn't well-received by an audience hungry for metal. Lush released their second album, Split, in the summer of 1994 to mixed reviews. Split was lost in the twin waves of Brit-pop and American post-grunge, even though the band's songwriting was more pop-oriented than ever.

After regrouping during 1995, Lush returned in early 1996 with Lovelife, an album that showcased a debt to the pop-single ideals of Brit-pop. The musical changeover paid off as "Single Girl" and "Ladykiller" became their two biggest hit singles, and the album became a British Top 20 hit; in America, it was their highest-charting album, even if it just scraped the charts at 189. Lush had completed their supporting tours and summer festival appearances when Chris Acland unexpectedly hanged himself in his parents' house on October 17, 1996. Devastated by his death, the remaining members of Lush went into a long period of mourning. The trio disbanded in February 1998.

From 1998 through 2007, Anderson was one-half of Sing-Sing, who recorded for Alan McGee's Poptones, Simon Raymonde's Bella Union, and their own Aerial Records, among other labels. King performed with the Jesus and Mary Chain and the Fallen Leaves. In 2015, Berenyi, Anderson, and King announced their re-formation and quickly released a comprehensive box set of the complete 4AD recordings titled Chorus. Joined by Justin Welch of Elastica on drums, Lush recorded new tracks with Ladytron's Daniel Hunt co-producing and scheduled U.K. dates and a short U.S. tour for 2016. That new EP, Blind Spot, was released in April on their own Edamame label. 

 

Tracklist

1		Ladykillers
2		Heavenly Nobodies
3		500
4		I've Been Here Before
5		Papasan
6		Single Girl
7		Ciao!
8		Tralala
9		Last Night
10		Runaway
11		The Childcatcher
12		Olympia

VOMIT LAUNCH Dogeared 1992

by request

Discogs

Vomit Launch was a rock band in Chico, California, from 1985 to 1992. They released four proper albums and toured around, mostly playing the West Coast. 

 

Tracklist 

1		Hence The Box	2:57
2		Smokebreak	3:21
3		Story Of My Life	3:15
4		Smile	2:50
5		Old Peculiar	3:40
6		Curl Up And Dye/Unsafe With Fewer Drinks	5:22
7		Oh, That One	4:29
8		Spinach	3:49
9		Virtual Oblivion	3:25
10		Flies	3:09
11		All Fouled Up	4:27
12		Harry Monk In The Boatrace	3:05
13		Hence The Box (Reprise)	0:50
14		Stillness	4:47

I HATE THE 90S Volume 7

Just like back in the 90s, this will fit on a CD.

1. FREEDY JOHNSTON Bad Reputation
2. DK3 Landshark Pt 2
3. FONDLY No Dança
4. POLVO Sure Shot
5. HONOR AMONG THIEVES Allison
6. GIGOLO AUNTS Bloom
7. JAMES Born of Frustration
8. IGGY POP Candy
9. THE HANG UPS Comin' Through
10. CORNELIUS Count Five or Six
11. NUMBER ONE CUP Ease Back Down
12. FROGPOND Even Now
13. FUCK Fuck Motel
14. RED AUNTS I Can't Do Anything Right
15. SPIRITUALIZED I Think I'm in Love
16. TEXAS IS THE REASON Johnny on the Spot
17. 2 LOST SONS Knowing You
18. SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS Nitty Gritty
19. KITCHENS OF DISTINCTION Quick as Rainbows
20. GOD'S EYE Rapunzel
21. BEN LEE Cigarettes Will Kill You
22. FRETBLANKET Twisted

KILLDOZER God Hears the Pleas of the Innocent 1995

Discogs

Killdozer Biography

by Jason Ankeny

A Madison, WI, trio renowned for their brutal, distorted country blues sound and smirking anti-intellectual stance, Killdozer formed in 1983 around vocalist/bassist Michael Gerald, guitarist Bill Hobson, and his drummer brother Dan. The group issued their debut LP, Intellectuals Are the Shoeshine Boys of the Ruling Elite, just a year later, quickly establishing both their menacing swamp rock sound as well as a lyrical outlook virulently attacking social and political malaise while celebrating life on the wrong side of the tracks.

Upon signing to the Touch and Go label, Killdozer returned in 1985 with the primal Snake Boy; the Burl EP -- a collection of ominous, sludgy folk tunes topped off by a cover of Jessi Colter's "I'm Not Lisa" -- followed the next year. 1987's Little Baby Buntin', produced by fellow Wisconsinite Butch Vig, found the Killdozer sound growing slower and more experimental, a trend continued by the following year's 12 Point Buck. After 1989's For Ladies Only -- an all-covers collection deconstructing hits ranging from Deep Purple's "Hush" to the James Gang's "Funk #49" to Don McLean's "American Pie" -- Bill Hobson left the band on the eve of a European tour, and was replaced by Halo of Flies guitarist (and Amphetamine Reptile label chief) Tom Hazelmyer. Hobson later re-joined the group, but again exited in the midst of recording a never-completed LP.

After a long layoff, in 1992 Gerald and Dan Hobson reformed Killdozer with new guitarist Paul Zagores. A single, "The Pig Was Cool," followed in 1993, trailed the next year by the full-length Uncompromising War on Art Under the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. After new producer Steve Albini helmed 1995's God Hears Pleas of the Innocent, Dan Hobson left the group to raise his family; he was replaced by ex-Die Kreuzen drummer Erik Tunison. Additionally, the roster soon expanded to include second guitarist Jeff Ditzenberger, formerly of Power Wagon. After recording a split single with Alice Donut, Killdozer disbanded in 1996 following the conclusion of the Fuck You, We Quit tour.

Tracklist

1		A Mother Has A Hard Road
2		Porky's Dad
3		Pour Man
4		The Buzzard
5		Paul Doesn't Understand Jazz
6		Daddy's Boy
7		The Nobbies (A Sea Chanty)
8		Big Song Of Hell
9		Cannonball Run II '95
10		I Have Seen Grown Men Cry
11		Spork

THE MERCURY PROGRAM Lights Out in Georgia 7 inch 1998

by request

 

 

biography

by Jason Ankeny

Gainesville, FL-based post rock quartet the Mercury Program assembled guitarist/vocalist Tom Reno, bassist Sander Travisano, keyboardist/vibraphonist Whitney Travisano and drummer David Lebleu. Debuting with the single "Lights Out in Georgia," the group issued their self-titled first LP in 1999. From the Vapor of Gasoline followed in the spring of 2000, and All the Suits Began to Fall Off arrived a year later.

Tracklist

A		Lights Out In Georgia
B		Small Projects

 

 

 

MINERAL EndSerenading 1998

Some 90's emo, back when emo was good.

Discogs

Tracklist

1	Love Letter Typewriter	3:45
2	Palisade	4:32
3	Gjs	4:47
4	Unfinished	6:07
5	For Ivadell	3:36
6	Waking To Winter	4:03
7	A Letter	4:53
8	Sounds Like Sunday	5:21
9	& Serenading	5:25
10	The Last Word Is Rejoice	5:09

TAR

Over and Out

1995

Roundhouse

1990

Jackson

1991

Toast

1993

by request

Discogs

biography

[+] by Steve Huey

Part of the Chicago underground scene of the late '80s and early '90s, Tar played a fierce blend of abrasive noise rock and post-hardcore punk, drawing from local touchstones like Big Black and Naked Raygun. However, they were also influenced by vintage punk bands like the Sex Pistols, Stooges, and New York Dolls; plus, as they evolved, they were often compared to more metallic noisemakers like Helmet and the Jesus Lizard. Tar's thick, heavy guitar textures and pitch-dark dissonance were an accurate reflection of their moniker, and their disdain for accessibility or major-label exposure was just as accurate a reflection of the scene from which they'd arisen. After several albums for uncompromising indies Touch & Go and Amphetamine Reptile, the band elected to call it quits following what many deemed its best work. The origins of Tar date back to a hardcore punk outfit called Blatant Dissent, which formed in DeKalb, IL, while singer/guitarist John Mohr and drummer Mike Greenlees were attending Northern Illinois University. In 1988, they relocated to Chicago and reinvented themselves as the much more challenging Tar, along with guitarist Mark Zablocki and bassist Tim Mescher. Mohr released their debut 7", "Play to Win" b/w "Mel's," on his own No Blow label, and the group subsequently landed a deal with the Amphetamine Reptile imprint. Tar made their proper debut with the 1989 EP Handsome, half of which was engineered by avowed influence Steve Albini; they followed it with another 7", "Flow Plow" b/w "Hand."

Tar's first-ever full-length appeared in 1990 in the form of Roundhouse, which was produced by Albini and found the band growing more assured in its style. Bassist Mescher left the band in early 1991 and was replaced by Tom Zaluckyj. The "Solution 8" single followed, as did their second album, Jackson, which again boasted assistance from Albini and showed Mohr developing into a stronger vocalist. Tar subsequently departed Amphetamine Reptile in favor of Touch & Go, making their debut with the 1992 single "Teetering"; a split 7" with Dischord emo heroes Jawbox followed hot on its heels. 1993's Clincher EP flirted with the grungy side of electric Neil Young, a trend that continued on the full-length Toast, which appeared later that year.

The band toured the U.S. and Europe in support of Toast, and the latter leg of the tour went poorly. Deciding that they were no longer enjoying themselves as they once had, Tar agreed to go their separate ways after one more album. Over and Out was released in 1995 and was widely acclaimed as the high point of their career, thanks to its greater variety. In the wake of Tar's dissolution, Zaluckyj and Greenlees reteamed in Luckyj, which never released a record. Greenlees also played in Ex-Chittle with former Dis- member Rob Sieracki. Meanwhile, Zaluckyj played with the B-52's' Fred Schneider for a brief period, and also worked as an engineer at Albini's studio.

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FATAL FLYING GUILLOTEENS The Now Hustle for New Diaboliks 2000

by request

 

 

Tracklist

	Role Models
	Call The Draw
	Slow Train To Right Now!
	Burn To Shine
	Western Classic
	Jump Up For The Get Down
	Rawhide 2000
	Kiss To Kiss Off
	Triple Blades Of Flight
	Take It On The Teeth
	Straight Lines