Sebadoh - Bakesale

MINE

Oh, I'm sorry, YourZ - I know this is your first favourite and I tried, I really tried to like it.  But it's no way as good as Harmacy - except perhaps for the opening number.  The rest of it was kind of ordinary.  It's pretty typical of that indie sound that was all around in 1994.  The production's OK but there's nothing to make me wake up and say hello.

VERDICT: TURN IT DOWN

YOURZ

My first choice out is Bakesale, by Sebadoh.  This album, probably more than any other of the time (with a possible exception being Slanted & Enchanted by Pavement), was the one that helped define me as both a fan and a songwriter.  I wasn't interested in the glamour and sheen of big production nor could I give two shits for high fashion either in video or on stage.  What I wanted was something raw, impassioned and personal.  And Sebadoh had this in spades.

Not as lo-fi as previous albums, Bakesale garnered the band some mainstream attention, particularly on the back of singles Rebound, Skulls and Magnets Coil, all emotive slices of indie rock.  Main man, Lou Barlow, seemed to be able to tap into the emotional bedrock of a generation of slackers with his self-deprecating lyrics.  But the strength of this album doesn't belong to Barlow alone.  Jason Lowenstein's contributions to the album are as equally strong and in tune with the times.

The follow up to this, Harmacy, which we reviewed here, continued in a similar vein, although it could never quite match up to the sheer emotional weight of Bakesale, at least not for me, anyway.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP


For more information go to http://www.sebadoh.com/

Sandpit - On Second Thought

MINE

Boring.  Dated.  Could have been one of hundreds of indie-rock bands around in the mid-to-late '90s.

VERDICT: THROW IT OUT

YOURZ

Their one and only album, Sandpit's On Second Thought was one of those albums I really liked when I first got it.  I played it a lot for a while but then it kind of got left behind as newer fancies caught my attention.

While I don't necessarily agree with Mine's opinion about this band, I too feel it's become dated but more because I'm no longer that sad, somewhat lonely person I was then and am certainly beyond the depressiveness of such tracks as I Positively Hate You Now and Greater Expectations.  In fact, these songs only serve to remind me of how good a band Sebadoh is and how they do this sort of thing much better than Sandpit could ever have done.

VERDICT: TURN IT DOWN

For more information: http://sandpit.bandcamp.com/

Built To Spill - Keep It Like A Secret

YOURZ

What a fucking awesome Forgotten Gem.  I can't figure out why it's sat in my collection for so long without being played, I really can't.  But I'm so pleased the pointy stick landed on it to remind me again.  And it's been so long since I heard Keep It Like A Secret, it's almost like I'm listening to it for the first time again.

I was turned on to this wonderful band by an old friend (g'day Ciaron, if you're reading, give us a call).  He made my day when he said this reminded him of the sort of songs I wrote.  I'd love to say I agree with him but it's hardly true.  Regardless, I was fairly chuffed with the comment.

For me, BTS plumb the spaces between The Grifters, Superchunk, Archers Of Loaf, Pavement and Sebadoh, with a little Grandaddy thrown into the mix as well.  I suppose all this could be gathered loosely under the heading 'Slacker Rock' but as we eschew labels here, lets just leave it at my first descriptive - 'fucking awesome'.  In researching this, I found out they are still putting out records and, in fact, their latest has been rated as good as this one.  *sigh* I guess we have another band to add to the list, Mine.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

YourZ handed me this CD with the comment that he likes this band, but wasn't sure about me.  So I'll start right away with my criticisms.  That drummer sounds like he got a new set of cymbals for his birthday and just can't stop playing them.  And the vocals once or twice moved over into that whiny indie-pop inflection, which irritates me.  Just sing, don't complain!

OK, that's it.

Oh, how about what I liked about Built to Spill?  Everything else.  The melodies are happy and well-structured, the sound is multi-layered and beautifully produced, the songs are hummable and the standout song is track 8, You Were Right.  I'm looking forward to hearing it again.  1999, really?  I'm not surprised I haven't heard this before, because I was working for commercial radio at the time, and it would have passed me by.  It's a pity they weren't more popular here, this is an excellent CD.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information: http://www.builttospill.com/

Sebadoh - Harmacy

MINE

OK, not what I expected.  For some reason I'd equated Sebadoh in my head with another shouty-boy-band.  But lo, as I listened, I was occasionally delighted by what I heard.  OK, it does on occasion move across to the harder-edged sound.  But generally it's perfectly (to me) acceptable, and beautifully mixed music.  Which wasn't what I was expecting when I'd read these guys were proponents of the "lo-fi" sound I have previously dissed.  At length.  (YourZ sez: I'm not surprised you like this - you gave Pavement a 'Turn It Up' too.)

So maybe I'll gingerly dip into some of their earlier albums.  And hopefully I won't be disappointed.

VERDICT:TURN IT UP

YOURZ

There was a time when I thought Sebadoh were the best band in the world.  I have a copy of their previous album, the classic Bakesale, that's been played so much, the cover is worn and falling apart.  They toured Australia and played a blistering set at an inner city venue that has since been closed and torn down (no reflection on them, of course).

Even after getting Harmacy, I continued to play the forerunner more than I ever did this.  But this isn't to say this isn't an awesome album, 'cause it is.  The leap from Barlow-voiced numbers to the Loewenstein blasts of punk is fabulous, along with the instrumentals (particularly Sforzando! - written by drummer Bob Fay).

It is the strength of both Loewenstein and Barlow's song writing that is really highlighted here, along with the former's trust of the latter to take the lead on his songs.  It really shows a band working to its fullest capacity. But it's really the Barlow penned numbers that shine through.  His heart-on-his-sleeve lyrics along with the sad-sack delivery is what spoke to the younger man back then, still trying to find his feet through his heart and failing miserably.  Thankfully, I've never suffered depression but I've felt it vicariously through people such as Lou Barlow.  Just listen to Too Pure (played here at the show I attended all those years ago) and I think you'll understand what I'm on about.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information: http://www.sebadoh.com/

In our collection we also have Bakesale and Bubble & Scrape

The Flaming Lips - LateNightTales (compilation)

MINE

A lovely compilation to round out the month, and one of several LateNightTales we have in our collection.  I'll admit I voted for this particular one because it contains the beautiful River Man from Nick Drake, but I'm also loving 10CC's I'm Not In Love, 2HB from Roxy Music and of course the Lips' special version of The White Stripes' Seven Nation Army.  Gorgeous.  We loved this CD so much we bought it twice (seriously, we forgot we already had it and bought it twice. D'oh!)

In fact the only thing that spoils this CD is that damn Radiohead song.  SKIP!

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

YOURZ

The LateNightTales series and its predecessor series, Another Late Night, are a fucking great idea well-executed, so good, in fact, we have a few of them and will most certainly be adding more as we can.  As Mine points out, we liked this particular one, we had to buy it twice to show our love.  One of my brothers was the lucky recipient of the second copy, although his recent behaviour has me regretting this decision (a little in-joke, dear readers - I'm not serious).

The Flaming Lips are one of Mine and YourZ (truly)'s favourite bands so owning this was a no-brainer.  I love that we get a glimpse into the minds of our favourite acts via these collections - it is just fascinating what they pick as being influential and often completely defies the band's public persona. 

Every track on this is a winner but my favourite picks off this, aside Nick Drake, include Bjork's Unravel, People by Alfie, the Radiohead track Pyramids (yes Mine, it IS a classic), Chris Bell's Speed Of Sound and Sebadoh's On Fire.  And despite my avid dislike of most jazz, the Miles Davis track, My Ship, has me wanting to hear more of this genius' work.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP,


For more information: http://www.latenighttales.co.uk/

In our collection, we also have: Air - LateNightTales, Fatboy Slim - LateNightTales and Kid Loco - Another Late Night

The Grifters - Ain't My Lookout

MINE

What a surprise - I actually liked it!

I've never even heard of this band, and they've now disappeared into that special ether that's reserved for "weren't you in the...?" indie bands.  But the tunes are excellent, the mix was unobjectionable, and the instrumental track in particular blew me away.  Positively orchestral in parts.

Um, the singing - not so much.  Not that it's really bad - but there are moments when it's of that deliberately-untuneful-indie-band style that initially led me to suppose I'd hate this CD.  But the tunes are so delightful, it's possible to allow those flat notes to just drift past, like an oil splodge on the surface of an otherwise picture-perfect lake.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

YOURZ

The Grifters' Aint My Lookout was another one of those discs I was asked to review and ended up keeping because I loved it.  It was 1996 - I'd quit my job in the public service, took a hefty redundancy package and moved from Canberra to inner-city Sydney hoping to become a rock star.  

I immediately started working for a street press publication as a feature writer and live/ CD reviewer.  I was seeing lots of fresh, interesting and exciting acts and copping a lot of great free music.  I was into all things indie and noisy and lofi.  To give you an idea, I was listening to (among other things) a lot of Pavement, Sebadoh, Superchunk, Archers Of Loaf and other bands I've long forgotten.  

Listening to this disc after quite a number of years, I still feel a tingle of delight hearing songs like Boho/Alt, Parting Shot, Covered In Flies and Day Shift.  There's also something distinctly Bowie-esque about them (just listen to Last Man Alive or Give Yourself To Me).  There's absolutely no doubting his influence.  Of course, The Grifters are now long gone, more's the shame.  I'm sure there are a bunch of indie kids out there now who would take to them like a duck to water.

I'm almost sure Mine probably won't like this but then I thought she'd vomit when she heard Pavement so I'm fully prepared to be wrong on this one.  (Mine says: tee hee, and you are) I'm glad I still have it to remind me of those times.  And in honour of this, I'm definitely naming it another Forgotten Gem.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information: http://www.myspace.com/shangrilagrifters