Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Monsterland - Loser Friendly ep (1992) & At One With Time ep (1994)

Monsterland hailed from my birthplace, Danbury, CT, but that’s hardly why I fell in love with them. Purveyors of noise-addled, indie-guitar rock to die for (at least occasionally), Monsterland were just one of many likeminded early ‘90s conglomerates that married copious feedback with arresting melodic chops. Aside from striking all the right chords (literally), the secret weapon of Western Connecticut’s finest power-trio was bassist Thom Monahan’s vocal style, so singular in fact, it would be fruitless for me to even attempt a written description.The two eps concerning this post bookended a superlative LP, 1993’s Destroy What You Love, one of the most unaffected albums to ever enjoy major label affiliation. Both the album and the follow-up ep, At One With Time, were released on Seed Records, a boutique label under Atlantic. The ep’s title cut was swiped from the album, and featured five rare and unreleased tracks, including “Girlfriend On Drugs," from a Connecticut band compilation Chop, Whip, Grate, Liquify. Featuring an astounding hook, riding a wave of scalding, amped-out feedback, the song’s tongue-in-cheek tale of narcotic abyss penetrated my psyche like few others ever had before or since. Needless to say I can’t recommend it strongly enough.As for the Loser Friendly ep issued on spinART Records in 1992, Trouser Press wraps it up best:

Danbury, Connecticut's Monsterland knew enough about feedback and harmonically alluring indie-pop craft to jumble the pieces together and produce a jangly rush of soft airborne thistles whose impact is entirely pleasurable. The shabbily produced Loser Friendly is a semi-good introduction, all soaring tunes, skittering guitar exuberance, self-conscious lyrics ("Magazine" resorts to the Cynthia Heimel book title, Get Your Tongue Out of My Mouth I'm Kissing You Goodbye) and badge-sporting reference points, most notably a modest punk-pop cover of Blondie's "(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence Dear."

Loser Friendly ep (1992)
01. Magazine
02. Chris's Clone
03. Store 28
04. Sunshine & Piss
05. (I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence Dear
06. 244-250

At One With Time ep (1994)
01. At One With Time
02. Jane Wiedlin Used To Be A Go-Go As Far As We Know
03. Your Touch Is Uncomfortable To Me
04. Chewbacca
05. Blank
06. Girlfriend on Drugs

Loser Friendly: Hear
At One With Time: Hear
at

10 comments:

  1. UnknownAugust 5, 2008 at 11:28 PM

    Just wanted to let you know how appreciated your site is. You've honed in on a time and sound(s) that deserve the "ink" and support you've given. Fantastic.

    Thanks,

    Dave

    ReplyDelete
  2. VegasAugust 6, 2008 at 8:38 AM

    thanks for remembering.
    Thom and I really appreciate it.
    love the site- I'm on it everyday.

    Greg Vegas

    ReplyDelete
  3. BrushbackAugust 6, 2008 at 12:57 PM

    I've never been too high on Loser Friendly, but that "At One With Time" EP is a great record.

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  4. JonathanAugust 7, 2008 at 3:36 PM

    Love this band to death. The "Get Out of My Head" 7" is probably one of my favorite singles ever.

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  5. RobAugust 8, 2008 at 6:20 AM

    Wow.. small world. I was a Danburyite, or is that Danburian. Great music, and nice to see Monsterland's music has legs. What's up Vegas.

    -Rob Radio

    ReplyDelete
  6. TomAugust 9, 2008 at 4:15 PM

    Your touch is uncomfortable to me is a classic track. Good to see these records getting out there again.

    ReplyDelete
  7. EveSeptember 14, 2008 at 8:50 AM

    I want more! eMusic used to have some; where can you get them now?

    ReplyDelete
  8. SoundBitesNYCMarch 16, 2009 at 11:42 AM

    late to the game here... anybody have a vinyl rip of "Peanut Butter Karma"?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Whimpers and BangsSeptember 15, 2018 at 5:23 PM

    Re-up would be great, whenever.

    ReplyDelete
  10. pixiesguyFebruary 29, 2020 at 5:05 AM

    Could these both be re-upped please? Thank you!

    ReplyDelete