The Hollowmen - Sinister Flower Gift (1986, Pravda)

I've long been an admirer of an Iowa band named Head Candy, who released but one album, 1991's brilliant, power chord melee, Starcaster. That album (which can be downloaded from the hyperlink) is right up there with Sugar's Copper Blue. Enthralled to no end with the record, a Google query on Head Candy leadman Mark Sangster yielded a few details pertaining to his former band, The Hollowmen.

While not of much relevance to my fixation with the aforementioned Head Candy album, Sangster played guitar in the Hollowmen, but didn't contribute vocals. Nevertheless, their debut Sinister Flower Gift is prototypical Midwest, indie-guitar rock that generally splits the difference with REM and the Minneapolis trifecta, just not quite as endearing. Definitely worth a listen though. At present, I don't have The Hollowmen's follow up, the splendidly titled Pink Quartz Sun Blasting. Word on the street is that original copies of Sinister may still be available for mailorder from Pravda Records, so if you like what you hear, tell 'em Wilfully Obscure sent ya.

 

01. Just For You

02. Big Blur

03. Lost to the World

04. Seven

05. Beyond the Wall of Sleep

06. Mirror

07. Soft World

08. Treeline

09. Map of the Heavens

10. My Bell (unlisted)

 

Now on Bandcamp

Various - The Iowa Compilation (1987, South East)

This unassuming compilation with exceedingly ill-advised cover art from America's heartland belies a strikingly consistent assemblage of bands the other 49 states were completely ignorant of.  Thus far, there have been previous entries for three of The Iowa Compilation's participants on this blog - Full Fathom Five, the Dangtrippers, and the Hollowmen, all of whom subscribed to roughhewn, left-of-the-dial guitar rock.  Claude Pate up the ante even more with the riff-roaring "My Turn," while the grungey and relatively renown House of Large Sizes would have made a superb fit for Sub Pop's late '80s roster, at least based on what I hear on "One and Half On a Hill."  Moveable Feast and The Shy Strangers are almost as much as the aforementioned.  This compilation and it's successor, It's Another Iowa Compilation - Uncharted Territories, were also made available on Nothin' Sez Somethin' blog, but this is from my own static and pop-ridden rip that you can download in one fell swoop.  Sorry in advance for all the pesky surface noise.

01. Drednex - Sally Anne
02. The Hollowmen - Never Ending Ceiling
03. Full Fathom Five - Why Their Faces Are So Worn
04. Dangtrippers - Sidewalking
05. Claude Pate - My Turn
06. House of Large Sizes - One and a Half on a Hill
07. Cursing Birds - Popey Sally
08. Shellgame - The Dam Has Broken
09. David Brooks - Music Boy
10. The Shy Strangers - Heat Ray
11. Moveable Feast - Teddy Through the Grass
12. The Eclectics - When I Was Young
13. Four Million - War and Peace
 
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V/A - It's Another Iowa Compilation - Unchartered Territories (1988, South East)

So there's probably not a lot of household name talent here, but I think you'll be pleasantly (if not incrementally) surprised.  I actually posted the predecessor to Vol 2 eons ago, and there are quite a few acts that follow over (after all, the records only came out a year apart and that weren't that many comp-able indie acts in the Hawkeye State).  At any rate, both sides of this collection are pretty consistent, with the first half containing a trifecta of bands I've enthusiastically dedicated space to n W/O over the years, namely, Full Fathom Five, Dangtrippers, and the Hollowmen.  The last of those three contribute a distorto-molten gem "Pavilion," which would have fit splendidly on either of the Hollowmem's two albums.  As for the relatively unknown quantities 23 Lies mine a noir vein, Movable Feast and Stone Wakening deliver some riff savvy indie rock, while the Merry Pranksters and Made Ya Look wield something approaching power pop. As for House of Large Sizes, I could never get into them.  Really gave 'em a chance too.  BTW, my apologies for the radio station writing on the cover.

Incidentally, many more volumes in the Iowa Compilation series would could down the pike, and even existed long enough to accommodate the biggest band to ever come out of the state, Slipknot. Indie rock makes for strange bedfellows folks.

01. The Eclectics - Big Tough Dreams
02. House of Large Sizes - What If There's a Fire
03. Artificial Limb Embrace - Let me In (Your Blood Bath)
04. Full Fathom Five - Ego Explosion
05. Dangtrippers - Cult Pop Guru
06. The Hollowmen - Pavilion
07. 23 Lies - A Pale Blue in the Muddy Grey
08. The Tape-Beatles - Ads Become the News
09. Stone Wakening - A Thought
10. Ted Cutler - Crawl
11. Chronic Love - Sid
12. The Merry Pranksters - Now
13. Movable Feast - The End of the World
14. Made Ya Look - The Dreamers
15. The Punishment Club - Getting Too Round
16. The Tape-Beatles - Individual Choice

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Voodoo Gearshift - s/t (1989, Link)

Don't have much time to extol on this one, but the short story is that Voodoo Gearshift originated from Iowa City, IA, and had the distinction of releasing their debut on Link Records, the same label that was home to Winter Hours, Head Candy, and Full Fathom Five. They would enjoy an even greater distinction a few years later, after relocating to Seattle to have their sophomore album, Glue Goat see the light of day on C/Z Records, which at the time was almost as hip as being on Sub Pop.

Voodoo Gearshift surrenders to some of the grungier inclinations of it's era, while still offering some poignant, indie-rock overtones. Many guitar solos here, but nothing embarrassing. Gearshift bear a slight resemblance another Iowa contender of the same era, The Hollowmen. I apologize for all the cracks and pops. Hard to believe this record hadn't been open until a couple days ago. A thorough article on the quartet may be read at your leisure.

01. China Wall
02. Setting Sun
03. Better Times
04. Say I'm Sorry
05. Three In a Row
06. What You Want
07. Time Keeps Rolling
08. See It Again
09. Don't Be My Saviour
10. Hallowed Eyes
11. Flashfire

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The Weeds - Windchill (1988, Permanent)

A friend with Weeds is a friend inde....oh never mind. But chances are this Wisconsin power-trio did have some friends and a gaggle of fans in their proverbial corner. No wet-behind-the-ears slack here. Much to the contrary - rather robust and resonant in fact, recalling the usual suspects from Minneapolis, but moreover the Weeds debut, Windchill has a discernible Midwestern tincture to it.  Loads of guitar-laden amperage, with ballsy, cranking salvos like "Replaced," "Leslie's House" and "Dicked," that are certain to leave a concussive impression on your little eardrums. If you've enjoyed some of the band's featured in the early days of this site like the Pedaljets and Hollowmen I doubt you'll go wrong here.  The Weeds followed this up with King Crow in 1992. 

01. Cold Blooded Snake
02. Replaced
03. California
04. Duty Calls
05. Funny
06. Leslie's House
07. Under the Bed
08. Hush Hush
09. Graceland U.S.A.
10. Dicked
11. Safer Than Sorry
12. untitled

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