Butterglory - Our Heads (1993)
Side A: Better Gardens, Better Homes / Yeoman / Sad Moustache Men
Side B: Back Of My Hand / You Are The Drum
Label: Merge Records
Matrix: MRG046
Encoding: 48 kHz / 24 bit, V0 MP3
This morning I logged in and realized that the last handful of rips I’ve done have all been pretty abrasive. So for a change of pace I pulled out this old 90s lo-fi gem.
Butterglory was a male/female duo signed to Merge Records. I can’t really say much about this record, found it for $1 at a record fair a few years back. What to expect? Think Go Sailor meets Neutral Milk Hotel, and yes I will be reverting back to some ear-splitting crust jamz soon enough.
Chavez - Repeat The Ending (1994)
Side A: Repeat The Ending
Side B: Hack The Sides Away
Label: Matador Records
Matrix: OLE 104-7
Encoding: 48 kHz / 24 bit, V0 MP3
Just got this in the mail 2 days ago and couldn’t wait to rip it. This band is absolutely insane. The guitar parts sound similar to something coming from Ash Bowie (of Polvo), however, Matt Sweeney somehow finds a way to get the most melodic vocal lines to shine through.
I’ve shown Chavez to a handful of friends and most reactions reveal that the jagged/dissonant guitars prevent any semblance of a hook. I hope some (if not most) of you feel differently. Chavez is overwhelmingly underrated and should be taken in large doses at ear-splitting volumes.
Rye Coalition / Maximillian Colby (1995)
Side A: Dover
Side B: One Gallon Alda
Label: Irony Records / Rent-A-Records
Matrix: IRONY-002 / 552.002
Encoding: 48 kHz / 24 bit, V0 MP3
I’m on a roll! Got this awhile ago out of a bargain bin while visiting ISU. I’ve been meaning to get this done for quite some time, mainly to complete my Rye Coalition collection.
However, similar to my last post the B-side is what really shines. The Maximillian Colby track on this is killer, the only reason I didn’t post that one is because of it’s length coming in just over 6 minutes.
Brainiac - Internationale (1995)
Side A: Go Freaks Go
Side B: Silver Iodine
Label: Touch and Go Records
Matrix: TG148
Encoding: 48 kHz / 24 bit, V0 MP3
Brainiac, from Dayton, Ohio, are by far one of my favorite bands and “Go Freaks Go” was the first song introduced to me. I picked this record up from the Touch and Go table at the CHIRP record fair about 4 years ago. This EP was recorded by Kim Deal (of The Breeders) and is quite a stepping stone between their two near perfect full lengths, “Bonsai Superstar” (1994) and “Hissing Prigs In Static Couture” (1996).
You should definitely snag this and play the A-side like a hundred times for all your friends on this most special of evenings. Happy New Year!
Archers Of Loaf - Vocal Shrapnel (1996)
Side A: Vocal Shrapnel
Side B: Density
Label: Alias Records
Matrix: A-103
Encoding: 48 kHz / 24 bit, V0 MP3
This 7” features my favorite track from Archers full length “All The Nations Airports”, while the B-side boasts the anthem “Density”. I surprisingly stumbled across this record in the clusterfuck that Kiss The Sky claims to be their “45 section”.
Archers Of Loaf is yet another 90s North Carolina band that I can’t help but adore. If you’re not familiar with them, their aesthetic is similar to their contemporaries: Polvo, Superchunk and The Raymond Brake. Eric Bachmann’s lyrical content in “Density” further defines the slacker-esque vibe the musicians project.
“a drone, a strum, a drunken slur
produced the urge, a sonic dirge
and left a sonic hum that was purely an entity of sound”
Sharks Keep Moving / Kentucky Pistol (1998)
Side A: Intimations Of A Moment
Side B: French Version
Label: Henry’s Finest Recordings
Matrix: HFR-006
Encoding: 48 kHz / 24 bit, V0 MP3
It’s been a little bit since I’ve had the opportunity to work on a rip. So instead of throwing up some warped old 45 from some instrumental band nobody cares about, I thought I’d take some time and make this a special one.
Sharks Keep Moving vinyl is very hard to come by and you’ll also find yourself shelling out a pretty penny to obtain some. I was very fortunate to find this for only $3 but it has been played quite a bit. Part of the reason why it has taken me so long to get this rip online had to do with removing a lot of the more obnoxious pops in the record (However, there is still one little pop towards the end of the SKM song.. my apologies I couldn’t for the life of me remove it).
As huge am I am into the SKM catalogue, their contribution to this split is quite possibly my favorite of their tracks. As for Kentucky Pistol, this is their only released song. It features Rocky Votolato.. I hear a lot of people adore his solo work, but I can’t seem to figure out why. Their song really slays though.
Windsor For The Derby / Desafinado (1995)
Side A: Earnest Powers
Side B: Envy The Big Noises
Label: Trance Syndicate Records
Matrix: TR-45
Encoding: 48 kHz / 24 bit, V0 MP3
This record is awfully different from most of my uploads. I got this awhile ago in a batch of old records I picked up from eBay. I was vaguely familiar with Windsor For The Derby, but in all honesty I just ripped this to fill a request on What.cd.
This record is interesting in the fact that the band Desafinado never put out any other recorded work, but after some serious digging I found a site which has a few bonus recordings if you’re into their stuff. It can be found here.
The Raymond Brake / Rebar (1995)
Side A: Davliks
Side B: Transparent
Label: Crunchy Record Stuff
Matrix: 002
Encoding: 48 kHz / 24 bit, V0 MP3
As you may have noticed already, I’m really into The Raymond Brake (see previous post). I had been aware of them for awhile previous to playing in Greensboro, North Carolina (where TRB, Rebar and Crunchy Record Stuff were based out of). After a night of hearing some incredibly awesome stories about TRB (as well as: Superchunk, Polvo, Archers of Loaf and Geezer Lake). I really had my heart set on tracking down physical copies of their stuff.
Thanks to the internet and some social network stalking, I found a gentleman (the actual post I saw) who had mint copies of these laying around. The record itself is a nice transparent red, the TRB side runs at 45rpm and the Rebar side runs at 33rpm. I mention this because the Rebar song is just under 7 minutes.. and the surface noise is much more present on this side, I did spend a good 30-40 minutes fixing the major glitches and ensuring the volume would be similar throughout this recording.
Note: The Rebar song does end abruptly on the record, I didn’t prematurely end the transfer.
The Aasee Lake - Two Song Introduction To A Suicide Note (1999)
Side A: Annie Anchor
Side B: 18 Hours of Static
Label: Nerd Rock Records
Matrix: Nerd Rock Records No. 1
Encoding: 48 kHz / 24 bit, V0 MP3
I was first introduced to this record on a tour a few summers ago. The Aasee Lake were from the Kentucky area and share a similar aesthetic as bands like: Rodan, Slint, June of 44, Shipping News and Sonora Pine. You may be familiar with the split they did with At The Drive-In that came out the same year. On top of these records they also recorded a full length. Although it was never officially released you can snag it from The Sirens Sound.
This record has been on my want list for quite sometime. I had a highly compressed and poor rip that kept me semi-satisfied. This afternoon however, I stopped by the Broadway location of Reckless Records and during a brief session of sifting found this bad boy for $1.99. The record itself is in near mint condition which made the transfer a breeze. As you may have noticed the turnaround time was quick, if nobody else enjoys this at least you can rest assured that I have a superior rip for my portable media player.
The Breeders - Head To Toe (1994)
Side A: Head To Toe / Shocker In Gloomtown
Side B: The Freed Pig
Label: 4AD / Elektra Records
Matrix: 7-64533
Encoding: 48 kHz / 24 bit, V0 MP3
I’m sure at this point most, if not all, followers of this site at least in some facet are familiar with The Breeders. In case you’re not, here is a quick synopsis: Kim Deal, Pixies, “Cannonball”, Kelley Deal, Drug Busts, blah blah blah.
I found this record at Chicago’s annual record fair, CHIRP. It’s on really neat pale, mint green wax (“not unlike some toothpaste”). It’s got pretty much a grab bag of obscure goodies. You get a stellar cover of Guided By Voices’ classic “Shocker In Gloomtown”, in my opinion an ever better version of “The Freed Pig” (originally done by Sebadoh) and a rare track penned by one time bassist Josephine Wiggs. Oh! and not to mention J Mascis produces tracks 2 and 3.
Menthol - U.S.A. Capable (1995)
Side A: U.S.A. Capable
Side B: Crystal Keg People
Label: Capitol Records
Matrix: CDP 7742 9 29308 2 D
Encoding: 48 kHz / 24 bit, V0 MP3
So I’ve been out on the prowl trying to find this record for quite some time. After about a year of searching for this on eBay I finally found an auction (found plenty of “buy it now” auctions with prices far too inflated) that started at $0.99. Shockingly enough nobody else bid on this (yes I know mind blowing…) and it arrived the day of my birthday! If you have their self-titled major label debut you’ll know the A-side to this record is the 1st track off that record. However, “Crystal Keg People” is exclusive to this record and there is not near enough material out from Menthol floating around.
Menthol were a band from Champaign, Illinois (used to be known under the moniker “Mother” but changed it once signing with Capitol). Chief songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Balthazar de Ley was the original bass player in Hum. I first heard about Menthol when I saw a tour poster from 1995 at a local record shop in the suburbs that had Menthol as the support act for Everclear’s Sparkle and Fade tour. I found Menthol’s first full length several years ago after an in-depth scrounge through the dollar bin at some record store in Chicago (whose name at the moment escapes me). Please disregard their second full length, if you like this 7” and their full length you’ll hate their 2nd. However, if you love Devo and hate loud, coitus inducing guitar rock then their 2nd full length is up your alley.
This band is a solid rock band. Great guitar work, alternate guitar tunings, androgynous as well as incredibly intelligent lyricism. If you’re not familiar give it a try.
The Raymond Brake - The Raymond Brake (1994)
Side A: Shallow / Healthy As You Feel
Side B: Kilo
Label: Detox Records
Matrix: DTX017-7
Encoding: 48 kHz / 24 bit, V0 MP3
This is probably one of the more exciting rips for me. I found files of this a long time ago through The Mythic Signifier but wasn’t overly stoked on the fidelity of the transfer. After quite some time searching through eBay, local record shops and even browsing people’s collections I found this for $3 online. This record does suffer from old age and most likely a low budget for pressing (the vinyl is incredibly thin and runs at 33 1/3) so this rip isn’t the greatest in the world, but I ensure you it’s miles ahead of the above link’s rip.
The Raymond Brake were from North Carolina and followed in the footsteps of other locals like Polvo, Geezer Lake, Archers of Loaf and The Grifters. Lead singer, Andy Cabic went on to form the much more notable “Vetiver” with Devendra Banhart. I have a split 7” TRB did with other local heroes “Rebar” as well as a 7” that features a different recording of their song “New Wave Dream” that is featured on their only full length “Piles of Dirty Winters” on Simple Machines (which is still available through their webstore), so you can expect to see those in the future.
The Jesus Lizard - Wheelchair Epidemic (1992)
Side A: Wheelchair Epidemic
Side B: Dancing Naked Ladies
Label: Touch and Go Records
Matrix: TG87
Encoding: 48 kHz / 24 bit, V0 MP3
This record is from the 9 x 7” set Touch and Go released for Record Store Day in 2009 called “Itch”. These were limited to 2000 copies. All of these songs were digitally collected for the compilation “Bang”, released 9 years prior. However, what set these reissues apart from not only their 1st pressings and digital releases is the remastering job done by Bob Weston.
The Jesus Lizard are truly the ideal role-models for punk aesthetic, and this 7” contains not only a cover of The Dicks 1980 tune “Wheelchair Epidemic” but the B-side features probably one of my all time favorite tracks from them. These records really pack quite a punch and I very much hope you enjoy the rip.
Silkworm - Never Met A Man I Didn’t Like (1996)
Side A: Never Met A Man I Didn’t Like
Side B: You Ain’t Going Nowhere
Label: Matador Records
Matrix: OLE 226-7
Encoding: 48 kHz / 24 bit, V0 MP3
This is the first release I heard after Silkworm’s brilliant LP “Firewater” (also on Matador). The A-side is a single from their then forthcoming record “Developer”, which I might add is quite a weak album, this track is definitely the only one that really stands out.
The B-side is a definite throwaway for me. It is a Bob Dylan cover that features 4 verses. 3 of these verses are sung by different members of Silkworm and the 4th verse is sung by Stephen Malkmus (Pavement). I guess technically the B-Side is done by The Crust Brothers then…
When I moved to DeKalb in 2008, this 7” and the “Firewater” LP definitely got me through some hectic times.
