Pavement
Trigger Cut Plus Two 7''
Matador
1992
Rating: How do you rate perfection? Oh yeah, 10. It's a 10.
How to put into words the strength of my feelings of one of the greatest songs ever, from one of the greatest albums ever, recorded by one of the best bands ever? Let's go with...it's pretty good. Pavement could do no wrong for the bulk of the nineties, and if "Trigger Cut" isn't the top of the heap it's real damn close.
And I know the b-sides here nearly as well as the title track...I'm not even sure how I know "Sue Me Jack" by heart (maybe an old mix tape?), but "So Stark (You're A Skyscraper)" was also on the bootleg "Stray Slack," which I might have as memorized as I do all of "Slanted & Enchanted." From an era when bootlegs had real value, and I may have spent WAY too much money on a few import ones.
For the love of god, buy this if you ever come across it.
Finger
Ship Full Of Holes 7''
Jettison
1992
Rating: 6 chaste firetrucks out of 10
This Finger slab is one of those rare instances where the b-side is much better than the actual single. Finger were active in the Raleigh in the early nineties, notable for being the first(?) band of local legend John Howie (Two Dollar Pistols, tons of solo work, and playing with Sarah Shook these days). The title track is nothing special: sludgy, mid-tempo "alternative" rock that would have fit in fine on the "Singles" soundtrack. The real treat is side b, where they do a fun cover of "All This And More" by the Dead Boys, a song I'm happy to hear no matter who plays it. If you were to happen across it, it's worth a listen just for that cover.
Superchunk
Mower 7''
Merge
1992
Rating: 9 sharpened blades out of 10
Came across a bunch of Superchunk singles that I was missing from my collection - this is the first of that group. Obviously, this is a Chunk classic - "Mower" is from what is widely considered one of their best records "On the Mouth," a song that is still often featured in their live sets. Interestingly, the b-side "On the Mouth" isn't actually on the record "On the Mouth," but for my money it's one of their very best songs - probably the very best non-album track IMO. It's entirely possible I love this band even more now in my old age than when I first heard them in high school after buying their first singles comp "Tossing Seeds" on a whim.
Teenage Fanclub
Free Again 7''
K
1992
Rating: 8 dumb hopes out of 10
Two non-album covers from one of the greatest pop bands to ever exist, Teenage Fanclub. Side A, "Free Again," is an Alex Chilton number that sounds just like a track that Fanclub might have written early in the oeuvre. It's a match made in heaven. The flip track "Bad Seeds" is originally a Beat Happening piece that doesn't work quite as well, but then again I've never gotten my feathers ruffled over the Beat Happening so I'm sure that's a big part of it. Regardless, anything Teenage Fanclub releases is worth having, and I was excited to stumble upon this.
Superchunk
John Peel Session - May 31, 1992 7''
No Label
1992?
Rating: 7 stranger's laughs out of 10
As the title states, this is record is a Peel session Superchunk recorded in 1992. There is no indication on the record on when this was actually released or who put it out, but that is just nerd information that really doesn't matter anyways. Like all Peel sessions the quality is good, and like most Peel sessions there are four songs - "Let It Go," "Tie a Rope to the Back of the Bus," "Fishing" and "Untied." You know the band, you know the songs, and Peel never disappoints, so this was a no-brainer pick-up for me.
M.O.T.O.
Places We Used To Go 7''
Rockville
1992
Rating: 7 rusty rocks out of 10
Another slab of M.O.T.O. jangly garage pop gems, this time on marbled Pepto Bismol pink. Not Paul Caporino's greatest work, but all three songs - the title track, "Love Back," and "Skeletons Need Their Sleep" - are strong offerings, "B" level work for this pop hook mastermind. More people reallt should listen to this band - start with "Kill MOTO" and work your way from there. They've released a near-GBV level of music.
Various Artists
If It Ain't The Snow It's The Mosquitos 2x7''
Sympathy for the Record Industry
1992
Rating: 6 broken tabs out of 10
A two slab compilation of Finnish rock-n-roll music. I'm certain I only bought this because of the record label, and I then just tucked it in my seven inch box without listening to it. So this is my impression after one listen to both records:
Side A
CMX - What if fIREHOSE was a hardcore band, with gruff vocals?
Side B
Limanarina - Run-of-the-mill distorted garage punk on one song, but then this weird distorted simplistic kraut rock the next. We'll just say they play "distorted."
Paska - World's strangest accapella cover of "Ace of Spades"; apparently this dude achieved some level of notoriety for these sort of covers. Pretty entertaining.
Side C
Radiopuhelimet - The best song in the comp, the band plays an aggro Karp-like type of punk.
Generators - It's only fitting you'd follow the best song with the worst song - sounds like a bad Primus rip-off.
Side D
Faff-Bey - If you told me this was Ministry recording under a fake name I would believe you.
Death Trip - Kinda like the Cramps, kinda boring.
Thin Lizzy / 10cc
Split 7''
Collectables
1992
Rating: 10 bags of peanuts out of 10
Some strange record I picked up somewhere that I assume was meant for folks that still use old school jukeboxes. The songs in question are "The Boys Are Back in Town" by Thin Lizzy and "I'm Not in Love" by 10cc. Obviously neither track came out in 1992, that's just when this "collectable" was released. While there's nothing special about the record itself, the music is obviously aces: the Thin Lizzy song is obviously one of the all-time greats, and while it seems like 10cc has fallen out of popular culture consciousness, this sort of soft keyboard rock still holds sway with me.
Bricks
The Getting Wet Part 7''
Merge
1992
Rating: 7.5 backpacks with lyme disease out of 10
Bricks was a thing Mac McCaughan did either right before or during the early part of Superchunk, and I'm too lazy to research out the exact dates. There was also a dude from Tsunami working with him, but no one remembers Tsunami and I barely remember them. The very first Merge release was a Bricks cassette, for those that like pointless trivia. Both of the songs found here, as well as anything else Bricks ever released, got compiled into a single compilation called "A Microphone and a Box of Dirt" back in the early nineties. I've owned this record for-fucking-ever. Bricks was never as good as Superchunk to me, but I'm enough of a fanboy that I'll listen to anything Mac releases. IT was true twenty plus years ago when I bought this, and it's still true today. On translucent orange vinyl.
Butterglory
Alexander Bends 7''
Merge
1992
Rating: 7.5 swim trunks out of 10
There are five songs on this Butterglory seven inch, and the whole thing plays at 45rpm. What I'm saying is these are some short songs, none of them better than the title track - possibly Butterglory's best song. Very catchy. Frontman Matt Suggs would go on to release a couple of great solo records on Merge in the early 2000s.
Velocity Girl
Crazy Town 7''
Sub Pop
1992
Rating: 7 drive-in theaters out of 10
This Velocity Girl single is pretty typical of those days - the side A is the title track taken from an album either coming out or already out (in this case, 1993's "Copacetic"), and the flip has an unreleased track (in this case - "Creepy"). I was obsessive about Velocity Girl for a good chunk of my college years, and not only because I was in love with singer Sarah Shannon. They toured a lot and were always great live. I haven't listened to them a ton over the last few years, but listening to this made me instantly nostalgic for those simple college years they represent. Both great songs, by the way, nostalgia or not. On green translucent vinyl.
Shudder to Think
Hit Liquor 7''
Dischord
1992
Rating: 10 late elections out of 10
Two stellar selections from the fantastic Shudder to Think - "Hit Liquor" and "No Room 9, Kentucky." The second is one of my very favorite songs the band ever released. Sure, both tracks on their nearly flawless album "Pony Express Record," but I'm still glad to own them in this format as well. On a side note, I met singer Craig Wedren at one of his post-StT solo shows and talked to him for a while - he couldn't have been any nicer. Which makes me love him and this band even more.
Small 23 & Pipe
Split 7''
Matt Label
1992
Rating: 10 free love out of 10
Musically I'm not sure the combination of Small 23 and Pipe makes much sense, but knowing they shared members certainly clears things up. This record was from very early in the careers of both bands, and both tracks are among the best the band ever released. Small perform "Chuck's Buzz" here, also available on the "Cakes" EP. Note - lead vocals on this track are by Eric Bachmann, just before he left the band to form Archers of Loaf. The Pipe track "Submariner" was also on their "Ball Peen" EP. Ripping fuckin' song, like everything else they ever released.
Fu Manchu
Pick-Up Summer 7''
Elastic
1992
Rating: 6.5 middle easterners out of 10
My good friend and roommate in college used to play the shit out of Fu Manchu - I was never a huge fan but they did a good job at the throwback seventies boogie rock thing. This record is earlier than most of their material I'm familiar with, but it's not like they've ever changed their sound. The run-out says everything you need to know about this band - side A reads "IF YOU AIN'T A VANNER...", and the other side says "... YOU AIN'T SHIT!!".
Erectus Monotone
Glider 7''
Merge
1992
Rating: 7 open shitters out of 10
It feels like I've owned this Erectus Monotone single forever...I think I bought it at Poindexter's in Wilmington my freshman year of college, nearly two decades ago. Two great nineties Triangle indie rock songs with just a hint of math rockiness. I really don't have anything particularly enlightening to say about - grab a copy if you find one somewhere, it's worth a listen.
Seaweed
Bill 7''
Sub Pop
1992
Rating: 7 Kip Wingers out of 10
Allmusic calls Seaweed the northwest's answer to Superchunk, but they're a lot closer to Pipe in my opinion. Only people can't make that comparison because they're too stupid to not know and love Pipe. The title track can also be found on the full-length release that came out the same year called "Weak," but the b-side "Pumpkin" appears to be only on this release. Also - on great looking turquoise vinyl, an underrated vinyl cover.
Dis
Ed Was Solace 7''
Twelve Inch
1992
Rating: 7.5 cleveland steamers out of 10
Dis (or Dis-) was one of those mid-nineties math rock bands that seemed to pop up everywhere all at once, all seemingly in homage to the almighty Slint. Not that there is anything wrong with that, we could use more bands these days that sound like Slint IMO. They never generated the buzz of June of 44 or Dianogah or some of those cats, but they were just as good - both sides of this record are great. I might even prefer the slow melter on the b-side called "Girl Song." This record was engineered by Steve Albini for those that care about such things.
Grifters
Corolla Hoist 7''
Shangri-la
1992
Rating: 6 controlled farts out of 10
A pair of sludgy Grifters songs, "Corolla Hoist" and "Thumbnail Sketch." Sometimes listening to this band makes you think the record is dragging. Both are enjoyable songs, at least in the sense that anything the Grifters do is enjoyable. In my mind they occupy the same space as folks like Nick Cave or Tom Waits in that I have to be in the right mood for their brand of abrasive rock. But those times when you are in the mood it's pure gold.
MOTO
Magic Words 7''
Jetpac
1992
Rating: 6.5 manly feats out of 10
I've always thought of MOTO as the garage pop version of Guided by Voices - they're led by one man, Paul Caporino, and an army of additional bandmates that have come and gone over the years. They've released a ton of music over the decades, though MOTO have definitely not hit GBV's numbers. And more than anything, both groups specialize in quick, simple pop songs that get stuck in your head. That said, both songs on this single, "Magic Words" and "Ghosts" are not the band's best work. Decent tracks sure, but not on the level of classics like "I Hate My Fucking Job" or "Dance Dance Dance Dance Dance To the Radio." Still worth a listen though, maybe just not as a starting point for the long-lived group.
Acid House Kings
Play Pop! EP
Marsh Marigold
1992
Rating: 6 gravy boats out of 10
As if the release date above didn't give it away, this is a really old Acid House Kings release...maybe even their first? The band definitely isn't at their twee pop best, but you can hear the basic building blocks in this early work. Really missing the great harmonies that make me think of this group, guess they hadn't discovered that voice yet. The first song is called "She Fakes Apples" and I really have no idea what the fuck it's about. How do you fake an apple? Maybe this a Swedish translation issue. Decent track though. The other three songs are all decent but nothing worth writing home about. This seven inch is worth seeking out if you are one of those nerd fans that needs to own everything, otherwise I wouldn't put too much effort into it.
