The Harlows - tape (1995)

Posthumous as my approval was, I applauded Minneapolis' Harlows last year for a 1996 cassette release, that tuned out to be a better-late-than-never delight.  Dare I say this 1995 "prequel" was even more gratifying?  Truth is, I can't make an apples to apples comparison when this incarnation of the Harlows was only a trio, as opposed to the future quartet commandeered by chanteuse Rachel.  Without her in the picture, the "1995" Harlows sounded like an entirely different beast, with Charlton Metcalf leading the charge in a notably more "mid-fi" context.  On most occasions here, the Harlows propulsive indie rock rubs elbows with one post-punk variant or another, and coincidentally or not they seem to be the following the same trajectory as one of their obscuro contemporaries, Boston's Flying Nuns.  Both the Nuns and Harlows siphon off plenty of inspiration from Mission of Burma, bearing no shortage of clangy guitar lines and lovingly meager harmonies, albeit in the case of Metcalf and Co. there's a significant pop angle that MOB only hinted at.  I realize the brunt of you reading this are apt to pass up on a mere "tape" of a totally unknown quantity, but this is genuinely inspired stuff and worth your while.

BTW, in addition to the two tapes I'm featuring on W/O, the band minted two more cassette albums during their Clinton-era tenure, all four of which were compiled onto a two CD set that I eventually hope to get my hands on.

01. Catch a Wave
02. February
03. 4 Leaf Clover
04. Cowards Sunday Drive
05. Lookout
06. Deminers
07. Hemingway
08. For Rent
09. untitled

http://netkups.com/?d=8c525400e21a8

I am in no condition to become your new magician.

A sweet power pop delight from Minnetonka's finest. 

You snooze you lose.  Having difficulty accessing the file?  Please try again a little later.  Too many people hammering the link simultaneously is apparently giving Netkup's servers a headache.  With this in mind, I'll leave this up for a few hours past the usual twenty-four, k?  You're welcome to comment, just don't give away anything obvious. 

http://netkups.com/?d=13029b86b513e

VA - Give Me the Cure - 18 D.C. bands interpret The Cure (1994, Radiopaque/Corduroy)

The header to this entry largely tells you all you need to know.  This was an AIDS benefit compilation involving a bevy of significant D.C. luminaries including Chisel (Ted Leo), Jawbox, Shudder to Think, The Ropers, Dismemberment Plant, Eggs, Candy Machine, and Tuscadero.  Try not to get too excited, because the renditions by virtually everyone participating are fairly unorthodox, and as you might guess never quite hold a candle to Robert Smith and Co.'s original configurations.  An interesting listen at any rate.  I'm frankly too lazy to type out the tracklisting, so just click on the scan of the tray card below to read the full lineup.  Enjoy (or not).

http://netkups.com/?d=1fb73b75c5ce5

The Meices - Greatest Bible Stories Ever Told (1993, eMpTy)

Recently had a request for the first Meices album, so here it is.  It's hardly the first time I've dedicated space to them on Wilfully Obscure, and it probably won't be the last either, considering there's a few more nuggets in the vault to plunder.  The two platters that followed Greatest Bible Stories... 1994's Tastes Like Chicken, and Dirty Bird which landed two years later, were superior to the debut, but even from the get go the Meices managed to hit the ground running, in extremely consistent fashion at that.  A rumbling pop-punk undercurrent reverberates through unholy yet tuneful rackets like "Don't Let the Soap Run Out," "Pissin' in the Sink," and "Near Ya," all of which hold up splendidly two decades after the fact.  The Meices always had a wailing, Replacements-y swagger to 'em, yet Joe Reineke and company imbued their compositions with a little extra tartness and unpredictability that few groups have ever been able to duplicate.  You can check out a batch of singles contemporary to this album here, two split singles, as well as Joe's pre and post Meices endeavors. 

01. Alex Put Something in His Pocket
02. La La Land
03. Push You Down
04. Don't Let the Soap Run Out
05. Near Ya
06. This Way
07. Pissin' in the Sink
08. Didn't Wanna
09. Number One
10. Hey Little Punker
11. 40 Miles
12. We're Freezing (hidden track)

http://netkups.com/?d=0e18b09794517 

Overflow - The Worm 7" ep (1995, Goodwill)

This was a very pleasant surprise, from a Croatian group no less.  Purely based on the cosmetics of the lowbrow sleeve artwork, I anticipated Overflow would mine a similar punk-pop vein to the Descendents and/or Hagfish.  Not quite.  Instead, Overflow tacked in the direction of the Bollweevils, early Supersuckers and Scared of Chaka, and sounded thoroughly American in the process.  Spunky and inspired as any of their Stateside ilk, this co-ed trio had razor sharp tunes to boot.  Totally reminds me of the records I ordered out of Maximum Rock and Roll from this period.  Could use a second helping, Michelin Man!

01. Friend
02. Savage
03. Out There
04. Let Me In (!?)

http://netkups.com/?d=8067c4d6215b5

The Indicators - 12 Ton ep (1996, VML)

The sticker adorning the album jacket proclaims that The Indicators are comprised of alumni from such old school Chicago punk stalwarts as the Effigies and Bhopal Stiffs along with a member of D.C. hardcore legends Government Issue.  This information no doubt helped to lure me in (and the sale price didn't hurt either).  I was relieved these guys didn't subscribe to the cookie-cutter EpiFat sound that was all the rage when this record dropped, nor did I encounter any deliberate throwback maneuvers to their collective lineage.  On the other hand, one or the other actually might have propped up 12 Ton a tad, because even on numerous repeat listens The Indicators aren't terribly indicative of much of anything, save for an overabundance of pedestrian concerns.  Maybe it's the relatively gruff vocals, or their apparent disinterest in melody that's rubbing me the wrong way.  I don't really know.  However, based on the Indicators pedigree alone, I thought this was worth throwing out there.  Although you can't really discern from my inadequate photo, the record sleeve isn't a pure black background. This was released on Joey Vindictive's VML imprint. 

01. Forever Just Remains
02. Headcleaner
03. Along the Edge
04. Not Miles
05. One of Those Days
06. Empty-V

http://netkups.com/?d=4f03bfc865215

Like your favorite Heatmiser song goes, "it's just like being alone."

Presenting an album's worth of unreleased/under-released tunes from a quartet who have a new album in the shops this week (and no, it's not Black Sabbath...or Heatmiser).

Having difficulty accessing the file?  Please try again a little later.  Too many people hammering the link simultaneously is apparently giving Netkup's servers a headache.  With this in mind, I'll leave this up for a few hours past the usual twenty-four, k?  You're welcome to comment, just don't give away anything obvious. 

http://netkups.com/?d=51d00c251fd6b

Various - D-sides: The Letter "D" folder mix

Feels like it's been ages since I shared one of my letter folder mix comps, so here's to the fourth one in the alphabet.  Adhering to the same theme as my preceding "H" "O" "P" "B" and "G" folder mixes, this robust, 25 song compendium of totally random artists have only one thing in common - the first letter of their respective monikers.  In fact, no consideration has been given to genre.  For almost every complete album I have by an artist on my hard drive, I store just as many random one-off songs by artists I don't have a dedicated folder to.  These random one-offs have been corralled into "letter folders" A through Z.  As was the case with the previous entries I'm not going to publish the track list, but I'm about to drop several hints to give you an idea of what's awaiting 110 megs or so of your hard drive space.

I'm sharing a rarely heard Diodes cut, live Discount, a super early Del Amitri single side (yes, before they sold out), and demos from the Datura Seeds and Drowners.  There's acoustic Death Cab, live Dreams So Real, and a radio session track from Dramarama.  And I suppose it wouldn't be a "letter" comp without some thoughtful covers, this installment courtesy of the Dangtrippers and Dipsomaniacs.  The fabulous Dion McGregor spins a surreal narrative in his sleep, and if that wasn't enough, you're sure to get your punk on with drugMoney and The Drips.  With that, I shall let the other half of this mix remain a total surprise. 

http://netkups.com/?d=7e4b814541120

Big Dipper - Impossible Things promo ep (1990)

Ok, nothing particularly revelatory here, even for Big Dipper fans, if only because this four-cut promotional disk doesn't contain any original non-LP material.  Nope, instead these indie turned major label rawkers throw their lucky recipients three hastily recorded covers - all live from the sound of it.  The tracklist says all you need to know.  "Impossible Things" is culled from 1990's Slam LP, hard copies of which are awaiting you in your local bargain bin, or you could do the considerate thing and support the band via iTunes or Amazon downloads.  I'd be remiss if I failed to meant that Big Dipper reunited recently and equipped us with a new album in 2012, Crashes on the Platinum Planet.  If you're up for more fun, check out Merge Records handy reissue of Big Dipper's Homestead Records catalog. 

01. Impossible Things
02. She Loves You
03. Rockin' in the Free World
04. Stranded in the Jungle

http://netkups.com/?d=5f83ca8b92671

File under Windbreakers: Howard and Tim's Paid Vacation - I Never Met A Girl I Didn't Like mLP (1985, Midnight)

This seven song platter was a one-off collaboration between Tim Lee of Windbreakers renown, and Howard Wuelfing, a music journalist and alumni of the D.C. based Slickee Boys and Nurses.  From what few online critiques I've conjured up, I Never Met a Girl... is regarded as unremarkable, but it's very much to my liking.  Three songs here function as demos for future Windbreakers album tracks, and the overarching gist of the Lee/Wuelfing pairing is in keeping with that combo's strummy, mid-tempo modus operandi.  A cover of the Alex Chilton/Tommy Hoehn penned "She Might Look My Way" doesn't hurt in sweetening the power pop pot.  As is so frequently the case, Trouser Press nails this disk better than yours truly could:

The low-budget Paid Vacation LP Lee cut in 1985 with Howard Wuelfing (an ex-Slickee Boy bassist who led the Washington-area Nurses in the late '70s and then worked with Half Japanese) offers sketchy previews of three Windbreakers' songs: "Run" (from Run) and "Fit In" and "Forget Again" (from A Different Sort). Besides a cover (Tommy Hoehn and Alex Chilton's "She Might Look My Way"), the LP also contains Wuelfing singing his own originals, one of which ("The Week You Were Mine") is quite lovely. Unfortunately, muffled sound and indifferent performances limit the value of this seven-song artifact.

A couple more brief assessments can be located here.  Special thanks to the folks at the sadly long-defunct Feelin' Kinda Froggy blog for originally ripping this record.

01. Fit In
02. Better Come Clean
03. Run
04. The Week You Were Mine (Pt. II)
05. She Might Look My Way
06. Forget Again
07. That Won't Make You Love Me

http://netkups.com/?d=131e95bb01c13

Raymond Loewy designed the logo for the Canada Dry...

A day late but not an album short.  This is one of my favorite Can-indie albums of the '90s, boasting oodles of pop goodness.

Having difficulty accessing the file?  Please try again a little later.  Too many people hammering the link simultaneously is apparently giving Netkup's servers a headache.  With this in mind, I'll leave this up for a few hours past the usual twenty-four, k?  You're welcome to comment, just don't give away anything obvious. 

http://netkups.com/?d=1dfa850d5e965

Hiatus.

For better or worse, you won't be seeing any new content until early-ish next week.  I haven't decided if I'll be skipping Mystery Monday entirely, or just pushing it to another day.  Until then, sit tight and plunge into the archives, the links for which (in most cases) are current. 

The Wolfhounds - Unseen Ripples From a Pebble (1987, Pinky)

Before I part for a trip to witness the band this entry concerns, I couldn't resist sharing the very album that endeared me to them.  The Wolfhounds are a British aggregation who came of age in the C86 era, and were fittingly featured on the seminal NME issued C86 cassette compilation in 1986.  Not only were they a custom fit for such jangly and bittersweet sonic environs, the Wolfhounds espoused an ethos that was utterly quintessential of that short-lived mini movement.  Their premiere full length, Unseen Ripples... manages to resonate crisply and buoyantly a quarter century after the fact, striking a balance (albeit unintentionally) between what the Smiths and Mighty Lemon Drops were projecting, couched in a demonstrably more humble DIY context.  IMO, the earliest Hounds records were the most appealing, and there were several singles and EPs surrounding this album.  The band parted ways in 1990 after releasing their third album, Attitude, but reconvened in 2005 for a reunion concert, and again in 2012, which also saw the first new Wolfhounds record in 22 years, Cheer Up.  A sizable portion of their back catalog is now available digitally on iTunes and Emusic. 

I should also point out this isn't my rip of the album, so a hearty thanks to whomever went to the trouble of digitizing this.

01. Me
02. Sandy
03. Rain Stops Play
04. Goodbye Laughter
05. Lost But Happy
06. Cut the Cake
07. In Transit
08. L.A. Juice
09. Rule of Thumb
10. Deadthink
11. Public Footpath Blues
12. Handy Howard

http://netkups.com/?d=69a16bc165f4a

Idiot Savant - The Rest on Down ep (1984, Blackberry Way)

Yet another band to crawl out of the Minneapolis underground in the mid '80s, although Idiot Savant had precious little in common with the "holy trifecta."  Instead, this foursome opted for occasionally quirky left-of-the-dial wave/pop type stuff (hold the keyboards, thanks).  Kent Militzer peels off some jagged and sinewy guitar lines when he gets the notion to, but mouthpiece Brian Drake is the consummate and dominating personality among these six grooves.  The Rest on Down was followed up by a full length, A Finger Through the Floor of Heaven a year later. 

01. Down to Sleep
02. Beat the Clock
03. Throw it Away
04. Wheel of Fortune
05. The Rest on Down
06. In My House

http://netkups.com/?d=a21538905351b

They say that indecision makes one weak. My indecisions suddenly been deepened.

I present to you a phenomenal punk/pop album from a high profile act whom you would never guess were capable of such magic. A Plimsouls cover to boot.

Having difficulty accessing the file?  Please try again a little later.  Too many people hammering the link simultaneously is apparently giving Netkup's servers a headache.  With this in mind, I'll leave this up for a few hours past the usual twenty-four, k?  You're welcome to comment, just don't give away anything obvious. 

http://netkups.com/?d=25aaa93712a51  

Well Nigh Forgotten - Betty's Wake (1992, Moist)

A Chapel Hill power trio who were most certainly in the “Mould” of Overwhelming Colorfast, Arcwelder and Skunk.  Not necessarily as vital as the aforementioned but I’ll be damned if Well Nigh Forgotten don’t come close at moments.  Frothy riffola for miles and miles.  And would you believe they even throw in a Dwight Yokham cover?

I know that WNF have at least one single to their credit, alongside a compilation track or two. 

01. Coattails and Crutches

02. Betty's Wake

03. Policy

04. Chicano Art

05. Favor

06. Scholar Gypsy

07. Easy Come

08. Dragon Feast

09. Taste of Asphalt

10. Anchoring

11. You're the One

12. phone call

http://netkups.com/?d=8a1f813a5a119

Absolute Ceiling 7" (1987, High Wire)

Absolute Ceiling were a Kansas City-area entity, who so far as I can determine may only have this 45 to their credit.  "Many Years From Now" is a potent, indie rock jewel that still holds up to the extent it's title suggests.  A/C had the Midwestern DIY thing in their veins, pulling a little bit from Minneapolis, not to mention points beyond.  "Many Years..." floats a sheet of tracing paper over the likes of the Libertines, Pedaljets, and a myriad of other bands belonging to that ilk, while the flipside effectively milks a garagey riff without getting to raucous.  In addition to these two tracks, some live visual evidence is provided below.  Enjoy



A. Many Years From Now
B. Paint the House in Blood

http://netkups.com/?d=f5fd4165010a8

Jamboree - Melt Down ep (1985, Jayrem)

Though I hadn't the slightest familiarity with Jamboree, I was stoked to discover this New Zealand relic, which was issued no less at the height of that nation's fertile indie music phenomenon.  Had I stumbled upon the next Chills or Verlaines?  Um, no, I don't think so.  In fact this four piece hardly meshed with the Kiwi pop aesthetic at all, and even more frustrating Melt Down's first selection (title track) found this foursome absorbed in rote "modern rock" mode, definitely sounding like a glossy product of their era.  Next up, the hushed and insular "A Familiar Quietness" makes a break for the very polar extreme, but unconvincingly I have to say.  Nonetheless, Jamboree manages to salvage the remainder of Melt Down in robust fashion, delivering three slices of pensive, forward thinking guitar pop that would do everyone from Lloyd Cole to Steve Kilbey proud.  A happy ending after all.

01. Melt Down
02. A Familiar Quietness
03. Cold
04. Out of Season
05. Spin Me

http://netkups.com/?d=a8183cddf9555
 

Infections - Sub-Rosa (1986)

With a name like the Infections they have to be punk...right?  Um, no, I don’t think so.  A lot more straitlaced then I was expecting, I took a chance on these Michiganders by virtue of a very snazzy record sleeve and a healthy dose of mystique. In fact, Sub-Rosa is surprisingly diverse, ranging from the nervy, pub-rock groove of "Reykjavik," to "All Your Life," a Beatlesque piano ballad that gradually blossoms into a more ornate motif that's downright orchestral by the end of it's six minute journey.  Faint Mersey/paisley inclinations involve "Mind Grow" and "Candle Against the Darkness," easily the most winsome two moments here.  The long-winded tracks occupying side two aren’t as consistently enticing, but the ethereal “Under the Rose” finishes Sub-Rosa off on a high note.

01. Big Machine
02. Mind Grow (Apple Blossom Girl)
03. All Your Life
04. Reykjavik
05. Candle Against the Darkness
06. Red Sky/Blue Heart
07. Blue Serene
08. Under the Rose

http://netkups.com/?d=09ea5312549cb

It went the dull and wicked ordinary way.

Happy Mystery Monday.  This installment features a 30 song assemblage of b-sides and rarities from an outfit that has a new album slated for release tomorrow. 

Having difficulty accessing the file?  Please try again a little later.  Too many people hammering the link simultaneously is apparently giving Netkup's servers a headache.  With this in mind, I'll leave this up for a few hours past the usual twenty-four, k?  You're welcome to comment, just don't give away anything obvious.  American Mary forever.

http://netkups.com/?d=399b513966955

The Love In ep (1987, Love Chain)

Ok, so this one is kind of a big deal.  I almost opted to save this as an end-of-the-year treat, but I couldn't wait.  The Love In were a magnificent guitar pop trio who had all six feet cemented indelibly into the jangle.  Hailing from the L.A. area, and without much national distribution, the band's lone ep didn't make it onto my radar until someone posted a clip of "Late As Usual" online two years ago.  Was immediately taken, and sought out a copy of my own.  Tore no small amount of hair out in doing so, but earlier this year I finally obtained a factory sealed 12 by 12 inch square of the disk I had been so pining for, from one of the band member's no less (yes, the internet is a handy thing).   

As for the ep itself, the Love In waste not a split second of it's roughly 21 minutes, raining down the most spellbinding harmonies you're likely to encounter this side of a Three O'Clock record.  Tom Sheppard's chiming fretboard runs exude a sublime synthesis of Peter Buck and Roger McGuinn, while bassist Kurt Stake's capabilities as a frontman completely seal the deal.  The arpeggio-driven "Late As Usual" functions as a startlingly jawdropping opening salvo, but other nuggets of gold, including the "Young Mr. Jones" and "Dad's So Jealous of Youth" also satisfy at an optimum level.  The Love In is nearly essential as anything Ric Menck's attached his fingerprints to, and should likewise move fans of the Smithereens and Dreams So Real.

A big round of applause goes to Kurt for setting me up with everything.  With any luck there will be more Love In to follow...

01. Late as Ususal
02. Young Mr. Jones
03. On the Reds
04. Freedom Now
05. Dad's So Jealous of Youth
06. Home for the Holidays

http://netkups.com/?d=9196659bec6a8

Parrish Blue - Western Roads (1987, Jolt)

Sometimes a record appears in my collection and I simply can't recall how it arrived there or where it came from.  Such was the case with Parrish Blue's Western Roads, an album that was likely obtained in a vinyl buying binge of mine, and plucked off the shelf and converted to ones and zeros for the first time this week,  No joke.  At any rate Parrish Blue are hardly of the esoteric sort, playing non-descriptive guitar-pop, with occasional glints of mid-80s R.E.M., albeit in a demonstrably more pedestrian context (see "Cooperstown").  Kind of a Pedaljets vibe going on too, especially on some Western's keepers like "Boomerang" and "Arm and Arm."  The rest is a mixed bag, but usually tolerable.  By the way, you can claim your own copy on Ebay for a mere $100.  Ain't nothin' but a bargain.  

01. Remember Me the Same
02. Handshake
03. Boomerang
04. Coopersville
05. I Am the Revolution
06. Western Roads
07. Arm in Arm
08. Take Me There
09. Forget the Lies
10. The Dove

http://netkups.com/?d=189a055cd1b74

Godrays/Rodeo Boy 7" (1997, Sit-n-Spin)

A chunk of splitsville action coming at ya, this time from a band with something in common to one I introduced you to just the other night, What Now.  As was the case with them, the Godrays have strong ties (two in fact) to Small Factory.   The 'rays involved exactly two thirds of the Factory, specifically mouthpiece/guitarist Alex Kemp and drum-wrangler Phoebe Summersquash.  Their double 7" ep, Songs for TV Stars showed up on Wilfully before, but I couldn't let this split single get away, especially considering it offers two exclusive cuts, both of which hit a slightly more dissonant stride than say, their album, also called Songs for TV Stars.  The second of the two Godrays selections, "The Thrifty Heart Song" is a Rodeo Boy cover, who also reciprocate with a 'rays song ("Vampires Suck") on their side of this torrid 7" affair.  While we're on the subject of Rodeo Boy they made a sweeter impression on me here than their (at least the few I've heard).  "Another Chorus Comes" is like Pavement meets Figgs, and really makes me want to re-investigate their back catalog.  Cool beans.

Godrays
01. Kick It Around
02. The Thrifty Heart Song

Rodeo Boy
01. Another Chorus Comes
02. Vampires Suck

http://netkups.com/?d=4ba2690a5f31d 

Diamond rings won't buy you time.

This weeks installment is a quite commendable power pop album from 1997.

Having difficulty accessing the file?  Please try again a little later.  Too many people hammering the link simultaneously is apparently giving Netkup's servers a headache.  With this in mind, I'll leave this up for a few hours past the usual twenty-four, k?  You're welcome to comment, just don't give away anything obvious.  Enjoy. 

http://netkups.com/?d=1962f85952a20

What Now - Small Record With Four Songs 7" (1985, Incas)

Providence, RI's What Now were fronted by future Small Factory ringmaster David Auchenbach.  Given that Rhode Island is so tiny, it's no surprise that the handful of bands I know of who've come out of the Ocean State contain relating members, but I digress.  What Now didn't emanate an iota of the Factory's abundant twee factor, but the punky verve of "Noisemaker" and "Anthem" are nonetheless warm and melodic, in a not dissimilar vein to Husker Du.  The starker "All My Life" is colored from a dronier sonic palette, while "The End" opts for a relatively contemplative tone.

01. Noisemaker
02. All My Life
03. The End
04. Anthem

http://netkups.com/?d=53d009c710a5c