Been meaning to get to this one for awhile now (a recent request from one of our readers provided a pretty good excuse). Although the album notes don't make any specific reference to it, the common thread running through all the bands that contribute to
Hotel Massachusetts is that at one time or another, they graced the stage of the now shuttered
Bay State Hotel in Northhampton, MA. With the exception of the intro piece, "Invocation," the recordings on this comp are strictly studio endeavors, and wouldn't you know it there's no shortage of creme de la creme indie guitar rock (predominantly of the "mid-fi" variety I should note).
Sebadoh, Zeke Fiddler, Home, Tizzy, Hoolapopper, Fuzzy, and
New Radiant Storm King all fit under that gloriously teaming tent filled with more talent than you could shake a crab cake at (I've hyperlinked some of the aforementioned that I've previously dedicated space to on this blog). Adding local fixtures
Lyres to the mix only makes
Hotel Mass an even more well rounded who's-who of the mid-90s Massachusetts scene. Virtual unknowns
The Unband, Skinner Pilot, and
The Maggies show some potential as well.
The Silver Jews (yes, the Pavement spinoff) turn the lights out with a limp, not to mention truncated remake of R.EM.'s "Good Advices." Per the commentary on
The Chunk Records Story over at
JM Dobie's blog, the cassette version of
Hotel featured extra tracks. I suppose that means most of us aren't getting the complete story.
01. "Invocation"
02.
Sebadoh - Skull
03.
Zeke Fiddler - Half Baked
04.
New Radiant Storm King - Phone Call
05.
Home - Sunday
06.
Lumber - Hooked
07.
Lyres - I'll Make It Up To You
08.
The Unband - You're No Boy Wonder/Nothing You Can Do
09.
Skinner Pilot - Traces Of Alignment
10.
Tizzy - Miss America
11.
Queer - I Love You Girl
12.
Ray Mason Band - Falling Down
13.
The Veronica Cartwrights - Frog
14.
Angry Johnny and the Killbillies - Nuclear Man
15.
Fuzzy - Four Wheel Friend
16.
Steve Westfield - Alone at Last
17.
Hoolapopper - Stolen
18.
The Dots - Miami
19.
The Maggies - Ten long Years
20.
Miss Reed - Believe You Me
21.
Squeek - I Should've Sued
22.
Philth Snack - I Like My Life
23.
Silver Jews - Good Advices
Hear
6 comments:
Quite informative post.And after a long time,i get the useful and informative post.So thanks to this post owner.
-Hotel in Banglore
Thanks for the memories. I recently went back to W. Mass to play some shows with my '80s garage band the Malarians (our LP catalog finally got reissued this year), and played at the site of the old Bay State, now known as Sierra Grille.
Great blog.
J.M. Dobies a/k/a Mal Thursday
reup?
Link has been updated.
reup?
re ups please?
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