On Epic Garden Music, Sad Lovers and Giants displayed innate ability to craft tight-knit new wave with unconventional instrumental prominence.
Looking back on the genre’s infancy, much has been discussed about the earliest releases from its pioneers. Though many have commented on the minimalist approaches that both Siouxsie and The Banshees and The Cure took some of their earliest releases, Sad Lovers and Giants were early adopters of synthesizers and saxophones in a post-punk context. While Siouxsie and The Cure’s debuts hit at the end of the 70s (The Scream was released in 1978, Three Imaginary Boys was released in 1979), the unique style present on Epic Garden Music took shape a mere three years after these other formative recordings. Sure, bands like Japan took a synth-driven route to creating records like 1979’s Quiet Life, but Sad Lovers and Giants figured out a compact way to meld all that was going on within the genre to craft to-the-point songs. If you took the synth work from early Japan records and mixed it with Three Imaginary Boys staples like the driving “10:15 Saturday Night”, you would have a pretty good idea of what to expect from Epic Garden Music. Over time, the version of Epic Garden Music that has gained popularity features tracks from three EPs (Clé, Colourless Dream, and Lost in a Moment) that preceded the original release of the album. Decades onward, the addition of this material has made Epic Garden Music all the better. With its infectious synth-leads and great vocal harmonies, “Lost In A Moment” distinguishes itself from a crop of purely excellent tunes. “Colourless Dream” is another fantastic moment, which feels right at home alongside the original Epic Garden Music tracklist. The same can be said for the “new” album opener, “Imagination”. “Imagination” serves as a great sprawling opener, which fully embraces their synthwork in an ingenious way. “The Things We Never Did” is a noteworthy somber tune, complete with a righteous sax solo that punctuates the feeling of isolation conjured by its lyric. As for the material that originally comprised the tracklist of Epic Garden Music, the fast shuffles of tracks like “Echoplay” and “Clint” are where you will begin to understand the record’s relation to Three Imaginary Boys. However, these instrumentals are certainly more fleshed out and interesting when it comes to sonic variety. That is truly what makes Epic Garden Music such an interesting listen: While this record is primitive post-punk in nature, there are characteristics of these songs that are well beyond their years. We reckon this collection of songs to be an essential listen for anyone looking for their new favorite post-punk band. Enjoy immediately.
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In discussing alternative music, what are common points of reference for what makes a landmark recording? Audio fidelity? Sure. Overall aesthetic/ambiance of a record? Makes sense. However, more importantly than all, great albums make their mark based on the merit of the songs that lie within. Production tricks can only get a band and/or artist so far, as an audience will release when the songwriters have simply run out of inspiration and material of intrigue. While many of alternative’s biggest bands often designate songwriting duties to one member (The Cure, Nirvana, Oasis), time has proven that sharing primary authorship of a band’s material can result in some of the best catalogs in recorded music. Today, we offer five of our favorite songwriting partnerships that have made alternative & indie rock all the better. Elizabeth Fraser & Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins) Discussing the lasting presence of dreampop is impossible to do without paying respect to the work of Cocteau Twins. Lyricist/vocalist Elizabeth Fraser was the perfect voice to accompany the maestro of Robin Guthrie. From their goth-tinged work on Treasure and The Pink Opaque to the pure bliss of later albums Heaven or Las Vegas and Four Calendar Cafe, Guthrie always crafted the perfect instrumentals for Fraser’s ethereal vocalizations to coast over. Though many imitators have followed after Fraser and Guthrie, few (if any, really) have been successful in rekindling the sheer magic these two were capable of. Its difficult to give Cocteau Twins total ownership over the dream pop label, but they certainly worked the earliest (debut album, Garlands, released in 1982) and longest at perfecting it. Recommended tracks: “Ivo, “I Wear Your Ring”, “Evangeline” Ian MacKaye & Guy Picciotto (Fugazi) Perhaps the Lennon/McCartney of post-hardcore, MacKaye and Picciotto are responsible for writing the most essential discography of the genre. The bass of Joe Lally and machine-gun precision of drummer Brendan Canty helped them get there, but the guitar and vocal interplay of this duo has earned their spot on our list. MacKaye’s low-register aggression was the perfect companion for Picciotto’s heighted wails, all cast against distinctive guitar harmonies that made Fugazi what they were. This partnership wrote the book on how to keep things interesting in a hardcore/punk rock setting, which explains why records like Repeater and In On The Kill Taker remain essentials for any underground music obsessive. Recommended tracks: “Suggestion”, “Blueprint”, “Rend It” Bob Mould & Grant Hart (Hüsker Dü) If MacKaye & Picciotto earn the distinction of “Lennon/McCartney” for post-hardcore, then Bob Mould and Grant Hart are the “Simon/Garfunkel” of punk rock. While the fuzzy-mass of New Day Rising shares nothing in common with Bridge Over Troubled Water, Mould and Hart were masters of baking compelling lyrical narratives into some of the tightest records of their time. Their vocal harmonies set them apart from contemporaries that were more interested in playing fast, which has played a large part in the endurance of Hüsker Dü’s catalogue. While Mould’s efforts with both Sugar and solo ventures have their own respective highlights, his early work with Hart remains some of the best he has ever done. What are you doing reading this?! Go listen to Flip Your Wig now and see what we mean! Recommended tracks: “Chartered Trips”, “I Apologize”, “Makes No Sense At All” Johnny Marr & Morrissey (The Smiths) Did you really think we would leave these two out? Writing four of post-punk’s most essential albums (plus a healthy offering of tremendous b-sides and singles) in the span of five years, the level of synchronicity and connectivity between Marr and Morrissey is an irreplicable feat. For a lyricist as immensely-detailed and profound as Morrissey to form his thoughts into comprehensible pop structure is incredible on its own. The fact that he had Marr’s melodicism and precise guitar prowess to bring it all together made The Smiths a defining band for their time. Similar to Cocteau Twins, many have tried/failed to rekindle the unique spark created by Marr and Morrissey’s partnership. Adding on that both men were only in their early twenties when they wrote the tunes that redefined the sound of alternative music, it could be argued their partnership is one of (if not the) most impressive entries on our list. Recommended tracks: “Still Ill”, “That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore”, “Cemetry Gates” David Gauvin & Harriet Wheeler (The Sundays)
While The Sundays only released three full-length albums during their active years (1988-1997), Gauvin & Wheeler carved out a niche within the widely popular style of dream pop and guitar jangle. Reviewing standout compositions such as “Skin & Bones”, “Goodbye”, and “She”, their partnership was never afraid to incorporate unconventional song structure and off-kilter vocal rhythms into a pop-friendly format. Though Gauvin & Wheeler seemingly abandoned any public musical pursuits to build a family after The Sundays’ break-up, their collaboration yielded some of more-enduring records of this era and style. Make no mistake about it: There is a reason Sundays fans remain ravenous close to thirty years after their departure! Additional recommended tracks: “You’re Not The Only One I Know”, “Love”, “Homeward” We apologize for not providing a Monday update this week! We are diligently working on some upcoming site updates (more to come relatively soon!), but we are happy to cover one of our all-time favorite albums today:
On their sophomore album, Desperate Measures, Leeway firmly established themselves as the unsung heroes of crossover. The twin-guitar attack of AJ Novello & Mike Gibbons, the rhythmic bounce of drummer Pokey Mo & bassist Jimmy Xanthos, and the soaring vocals of Eddie Sutton culminate in one of the best heavy releases of the era. Following their fan-favorite debut, 1988’s Born to Expire, Leeway sought to expand their brand of hardcore beyond then-conventional structure. Though Born to Expire opened with two tracks that combined into a 7-minute epic (“Rise & Fall” into “Mark of the Squealer”) and exhibited desire to incorporate hip-hop influenced instrumentals on “Catholic High School (Girls In Trouble)”, the group would cement their presence as uncopiable with the release of Desperate Measures. While many bands of the era tried to be the fastest and toughest, Leeway focused on writing ambitious compositions that encompassed a considerable amount of influences. Mike Gibbons’ Randy Rhoads-esque leadwork perfectly compliments the metallic-rhythm work of AJ Novello, as Eddie Sutton’s soul-informed vocals further color the vibrant tracklist of Desperate Measures. Though the album’s lead single, “Kingpin”, would receive rotation on MTV’s Headbangers Ball, a deeper dive into the album yields its finest moments (though we love “Kingpin”, too!). From the opening bars of “Make Me An Offer”, the addition of Pokey Mo and Jimmy Xanthos to the band makes its presence known. The synchronicity of Mo and Xanthos allowed for Leeway to experiment with groove in a way that most heavy bands of the era could not, serving as a key asset of Desperate Measures’ appeal. Above all, a noticeable improvement in Sutton’s vocal ability makes the album unforgettable. While Born to Expire established Sutton as a charismatic voice, Desperate Measures was the record that truly introduced his prowess as a vocalist. From his rapid-fire performance on “Ball Hugger” to his dynamism on "No Heroes" and “Who’s To Blame”, Sutton certainly came into his own on this record. Determining favorite tracks from Desperate Measures is an insurmountable task, though we implore you to check out the album’s closer, “The Future (Ain’t What It Used To Be)”. Everything that makes Desperate Measures an essential listen is present on “The Future…”: Engaging vocals, aggressive guitarwork, and unquestionable groove. Have a listen at the stream above! While things have been busy at Noise Is Power Music over the last few weeks, we did find some time to head over to Records - The Good Kind (Vernon, CT)! As we waded through the endless amounts of stone cold classics that populated the shop’s record crates that day, we came across a quite familiar name: Steve Kilbey.
Affixed to a bright pink cover (complete with a portrait of the man himself), the record is called Unearthed. Released in 1986, Unearthed is the debut solo release from the frontman of Australian post-punk legends, The Church. Best remembered for their hit single “Under The Milky Way” and its parent album, 1988’s Starfish, The Church have ranked as one of our favorite bands since happening upon Starfish many years ago. While the group’s popularity may have peaked by the late 80s, the goth-tinged approach of their earlier releases (1982’s The Blurred Crusade and 1983’s Seance) made for great contributions to the then-newly burgeoning movement. By 1985, the group’s fourth album, Heyday, would introduce stadium-rock fanfare into their introspective and sparse sound. Producing wonderful tracks such as “Tristesse”, “Already Yesterday”, and “Tantalized”, we suggest this evolution in sound was for the better. Before perfecting this marriage of musical ambitions, Kilbey would quietly release Unearthed the following year. Sharing little-in-common with Heyday or Starfish, Unearthed stands as one of the more intimate and off-beat records Kilbey has written. As primary songwriter for The Church, it is evident that Unearthed was a pure passion project for Kilbey to create/release. Gone are the bombastic instrumentals of The Church-circa 1985, as many instrumentals are backed by drum machine rhythms and 1-2 guitar tracks. Through the opening trio of Unearthed, (“Out of This World”, “Guilty”, “Pretty Ugly, Pretty Sad”), the minimalist instrumentation serves as interesting new accompaniment to Kilbey’s brilliant vocal performances. To offset any familiarity, a variety of beat-driven instrumentals are spliced into the album’s sequence (“Swampdrone”, “Rising Son”), introducing new sound palettes into Kilbey’s repertoire. Unearthed is an unpredictable/entertaining listen, highlighted by the lyrical wit of “Judgement Day”. No stranger to constructing an engaging narrative, Kilbey turns in a lyric that comments on how people from different walks of life will all face an ultimate Judgement Day. From those that live to spite others (“If I beat the odds you change the dice / If I forget you memorize”) to others that save money for an undefined goal (“Poor old Matilda hoarding her stash / She shivered on top of a bed stuffed with cash”), Kilbey quips that “Some people got a lot to answer for”. “Judgement Day” is a tight, three-minute introduction to all that Unearthed has to offer. Calling this record “The lost album by The Church” is a bit of a stretch, but it is a fascinating document of one of the 80s all-time great songwriters at a creative zenith. If you caught Monday’s update, you may be asking the following: “Who is Lorelei?!” For today’s classic review, we walk you through one of our favorite recent discoveries, their 1995 debut LP Everyone Much Touch The Stove.
Looking back on Washington D.C.’s legacy in underground music, you would be remiss to not acknowledge the presence of punk and hardcore. Unquestionably, Ian Mackaye’s early work with Minor Threat, Fugazi, and founding of Dischord Records has largely defined how D.C. is positioned in the holistic story of alternative culture. While mention of Bad Brains’ tenure in D.C. is also common reference, many sources fail to document other artistically vibrant acts from the D.C. scene. While we will not be documenting all of them today, it is important to document what Lorelei brought to the table. On Everyone Must Touch The Stove, this trio seamlessly melds influences of shoegaze, dub, and lo-fi to create their take on post-rock. The label of “post-rock” is one that has always come across as perplexing, but it begins to make sense after hearing Lorelei. It is clear that Matt Dingee (guitar/vocals), Stephen Gardner (bass), and Davis White (drums) are well-versed in decades of rock-oriented releases, as they have processed what they internalized from those records into something fresh. Ah, post-rock! Regardless of genre label, Lorelei hit upon a variety of compositional styles throughout Everyone Must Touch The Stove. Notably and oftentimes within the same track (see the epic “Throwaway” as an example), the band has an identifiable knack for putting together pieces that should not work (though they do). The angular riffs of “Today’s Shrug” segue perfectly into “Stop What You’re Doing”, which tows the line between pop-bliss and musical progression. Though Lorelei has the chops to craft tight-knit pop, they persistently challenge listeners in an entertaining way. “Stop What You’re Doing” is a prime example of this, as it is simultaneously melodic/earworm worthy without sacrificing top-notch instrumentation. The same can be said for the sprawling “Windmill”, though the dub-bass influence of Lorelei can be clearly heard through “Newsprint” and “Thigh For a Leg”. It may be difficult to fathom a band this talented would part shortly after the release of this album, but we should remain grateful for the fact that this material was recorded before Lorelei’s departure. Luckily, the band has reunited as recently as 2015… If only the member’s paths would cross again! If you are interested in procuring a copy of the record, Slumberland Records has recently surfaced original pressings of the vinyl that are available here. The earliest days of punk saw many bands venture into unfamiliar territory with their sound. While the late 80s gave birth to genres such as post-hardcore and crossover, early attempts at “expanding” the depth of punk rock fell on deaf ears. From SSD’s infamous attempt to go glam on How We Rock to Bad Religion’s progressive rock folly Into The Unknown, the genre’s earliest years resulted in many half-baked attempts to push boundaries. Decades onward, we have stumbled upon one band that truly got it right: The Ruts. The group’s name is mostly synonymous with their legendary The Crack album, though what happened after the album’s release has been unfairly marginalized over time.
To most, here is how the story of The Ruts unfolds after the release of The Crack: After recording some live John Peel Sessions, the band would eventually release their “Staring at the Rude Boys” (b/w “Love in Vain”) single. Shortly after its release, vocalist Malcom Owen would be found dead of a heroin overdose. Leaving the band without a frontman, The Ruts would only reform with Henry Rollins as their frontman for a one-night show in 2007 (A benefit show for The Ruts’ guitarist Paul Fox, who passed away from cancer later that year), cementing the band’s legacy as brief-yet-monumental to many. This narrative is factual, but it glosses over the formation of Ruts D.C., a three-piece consisting of the remaining members of The Ruts. You could argue that Ruts D.C. should be treated as a separate entity altogether, but the songwriting prowess that made The Crack a seminal release is all-too present on the first Ruts D.C. release, 1981’s Animal Now. Instead of picking up where The Crack left off, the remaining members of The Ruts (Paul Fox, Segs Jennings, and Dave Ruffy) turned their attention to the burgeoning new wave movement of the 80s. Still toying with the dub reggae edge that defined The Ruts (look no further than “Fools”, one of the best dub cuts the group has written), the group’s transition to new wave feels natural. Compared to the aforementioned SSD and Bad Religion albums, Animal Now is a record that has merit aside from name value. Even if The Ruts had nothing to do with the songs that comprise Animal Now, we would champion it as an under regarded new wave gem. That said, having the precision instrumentation that defined The Ruts behind Animal Now only makes it better! “Mirror Smashed” is the closest Animal Now comes to sonic similarity with The Crack. Serving as the record’s opener, it was smart of Fox, Jennings, and Ruffy to reintroduce themselves with something familiar. That said, “Mirror Smashed” is still full of surprises! The elasticity of the rhythm section is classically-The Ruts, though the track’s saxophone freakout middle section is uncharted territory. While the tonality of Animal Now quickly changes with “Dangerous Minds” and “Slow Down”, you would be hard pressed to not call the record cohesive. At this point, it is clear that the musicians that comprised The Ruts always had musical ambitions that stretched beyond standard punk fanfare. “Dangerous Minds” and “Slow Down” both echo sounds that The Cure would trademark with their earliest releases (think Seventeen Seconds and Faith if they got a bit rowdy). After our first listen, we were simply blown away by the range covered by this trio. The saxophone solos of Gary Barnacle also work to the record’s benefit, as he turns in his best performance on standout “Different View”. While we could detail the greatness of latter half tracks “No Time To Kill” and “Walk Or Run”, we implore that you dedicate time to digging up Animal Now. For those that like their new wave on the edgier side, one of the UK’s greatest punk bands made the record for you! Let us know your favorite track on Animal Now below. The Germs’ GI is a record that has fostered many intellectual conversations. Now that it has made a return to major streaming platforms, it is time to listen.
The tragic death of frontman Darby Crash, the Germs being guitarist Pat Smear’s band pre-Nirvana, and Joan Jett’s role of producer have become hot-button topics in relation to GI. Since the album’s release in 1979, physical copies have remained fairly difficult to obtain; further adding to the album’s mystique. For many of the modern era, the Germs name is synonymous with both relative obscurity and punk folklore… Strange, is it not? While the band’s history has been well-documented and discussed ad nauseam, we feel as if the actual music on GI has taken a back seat to its chaotic origin story. While it would be easy to claim “The record’s not that good… Their story was far more interesting than their music”, that could not be further from the truth. Making its return to many major streaming platforms this week, one fact remains clearer than ever: GI is one of (if not the best) the most enduring and crucial documents of early punk and hardcore. For a punk recording that dates back to the late 70s, the first notable quality of GI is the record’s fidelity. One could argue that punk is not an art form that requires pristine sound, but we attest that it is one of the assets that has kept GI vital. From the opening bass drum count-off of “What We Do Is Secret” (courtesy of Don Bolles), the bass of Lorna Doom and Pat Smear’s fiery guitar quickly find their own defined space in the mix. The band’s performance was captured in fine fashion, serving as a perfect soundtrack for Darby Crash to expel lyrical narratives of societal disappointment, governmental deception, and outsider politics. While records like Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols did a good job at documenting a punk band in a recorded format, GI is one of the few albums of the era that gets the energy and immediacy of the genre across. While Joan Jett’s true involvement in the album’s production has been brought into question, it does not change the fact that GI is an incredible sonic time capsule. Onto the album’s material, it is difficult to not label nearly every track as a punk classic. The aforementioned “What We Do Is Secret”, “Communist Eyes”, “Land Of Treason”, and (of course) “Lexicon Devil” have earned their reputations due to decades of advocacy by those who love this record as much as us. That said, we are sure the appearance of “Lexicon Devil” in Grand Theft Auto V played a role, too! Deep cuts such as “Manimal” and “Dragon Lady” are just as aggressive and magnetic with their energy, which keeps GI on fire for its runtime of 38 minutes. That seems relatively standard, but the Germs were able to cram 16 bona fide classics into that brief window of time. If you have been unable to previously devote the time to GI, there is no better time than now to get familiar! GI is now available on your streaming platform of choice. Looking at records and bands in retrospect, decades removed from their initial release, can be a difficult task to accurately accomplish. While it is simple to listen back to obscure records and find hidden gems, deciding what in particular made those records obscure is a different beast. We found ourselves facing this dilemma upon discovery of The Death Of Cool, the third full-length offering from London dream-pop trio, Kitchens of Distinction.
Released in 1992, only a year after My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless defined the psychedelic aesthetic and woozy production that would become permanently affixed to the genre, Kitchens of Distinction would not follow suit. The Death Of Cool is an album chock full of brilliantly-nuanced pop bliss (with a healthy serving of fuzzed-out guitars), but the album’s packaging leaves little to the imagination. For better or for worse, the Aztec art that graces the front cover poorly represents what lies inside, serving as a prime example of the old “Never judge a book by its cover” adage. You could also argue that Kitchens of Distinction sounds like they would make music more in tune with brit-pop giants like Blur based on their name alone, but you would be remiss to make such a generalization. Nonetheless, what matters most is the music. The Death Of Cool excels in this criteria with flying colors, as dull moments rarely establish a presence throughout its runtime. Kitchens of Distinction wear their influences on their collective sleeve, as layers of both acoustic & electric guitar work together to complement the Ian McCulloch-esque vocals of Patrick Fitzgerald. Have a listen to “Breathing Fear” and envision it as an Ocean Rain b-side. It is a composition that occupies the same level of quality, which can be said for many of the album’s tracks. The opening couplet of “What Happens Now?” and “4 Men” make for an invigorating opening, which is perfectly balanced out with the sublime “On Tooting Broadway Station”. “…Broadway Station” sticks out as one of the album’s strongest attributes, as the band’s masterful command of dynamic control is on full display. If you stopped listening to The Death Of Cool following that track’s conclusion, assuming that track is the album’s best would be a safe bet. Luckily, it only improves from here! The aforementioned “Breathing Fear” pairs nicely with both “Gone World Gone” and “When In Heaven”, a grouping of tracks that come across as updated takes on the 80s output of Echo and the Bunnymen. It is difficult to describe exactly what has driven us to make this comparison, but we urge you to listen for yourself and see if you hear any similarities! That said, any similarity to possible influences are shrunken by “Mad As Snow”, the true pinnacle of The Death Of Cool. “Mad As Snow” is the archetype of songs that warrant instantaneous replay. The gradual build to peak grandeur that Patrick Fitzgerald, Julian Swales, and Daniel Goodwin conduct is quite breathtaking. It unfairly makes the great tracks that come after it seem pedestrian by comparison, but regular listens to The Death Of Cool will reveal the merit of tracks such as “Smile” and closer “Can’t Trust The Waves.” While the true Death Of Cool may have come at the expense of the band’s visual art choices for this album, it certainly did not affect the music they were able to create. For fans of 90s alternative and guitar-driven psychedelia, Kitchens Of Distinction are an essential listen. It is rare that we feel so strongly about a record that we let its contents speak for itself. The Chameleons' final album of the 80s, Strange Times, is one of those cases. We shared our love for their post-punk classic, Script of the Bridge via review back in November, though the group's expansion of their sound pallet on Strange Times is truly remarkable. Serving as home to the group's biggest US single ("Swamp Thing", an anthemic and trippy tune), the guitar maestro of Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding find themselves experimenting with newfound ambient fascination and glorious delayed-leadwork. Sprawling epics "Caution" and "Soul In Isolation" are offset by tight compositions "Mad Jack" and "Tears", making for a well-balanced listen. The synth-pop of the album's latter half (check out "Seriocity"!) shows the development of the band's core songwriter, Mark Burgess, as Strange Times establishes itself as one of his more ambitious works.
While The Chameleons are a crucial group for any fan of 80s alternative and post-punk, Strange Times expanded the band's scope beyond prior releases. The album is currently not available on any major streaming platforms, but have a listen at the YouTube stream linked above! Electra 2000 served as the promising debut from the Chicago alternative outfit, Hum. Revisiting the album via its new 2023 remaster, the band’s future greatness is evident.
The unfortunate passing of drummer Bryan St. Pere (July 2021) would effectively silence the legendary group after the then-recent release of their album, Inlet. The unexpected nature of St. Pere’s passing left many fans wondering if Hum would be heard from again, as Inlet had rekindled mainstream acclaim for the group. While their classic You’d Prefer an Astronaut and Downward Is Heavenward records earned them a mythos status, Inlet proved that Hum still had the capability to deliver their brand of metal-tinged shoegaze soundscapes. All that said, St. Pere’s passing was a true tragedy. Luckily, in 2024, a partnership between Hum and Polyvinyl Records has ensured preservation of the band’s discography and legacy at large. Longtime fans of Hum can recall a time when physical copies of the band’s back catalog were hard to procure. While secondhand CDs of You’d Prefer an Astronaut remained obtainable (largely in-part to the album’s large distribution and success of its single, “Stars”), the majority of the band’s catalog would be hard to come across. Luckily, Polyvinyl Records (who released the band’s final album, Inlet, in conjunction with Earth Analog Records) would announce a complete reissue campaign of the band’s four studio albums on August 16, 2023. Having Hum’s now-iconic catalog in-print was wonderful news, though arguably most exciting for fans of the band’s proper debut, Electra 2000. While 1991’s Fillet Show is technically the band’s debut album, many (band included) consider Electra 2000 to serve as their true debut (refined sound, most well-known lineup present). Prior to the 2023 reissue, Electra 2000 remained unobtanium for many fans (Noise Is Power Music included!). Thanks to the reissue, we were finally able to give this fabled record a listen! Here’s what we thought: Knowing what Hum would achieve on records following Electra 2000, the predominantly aggressive playstyle exhibited by the band throughout its tracklist remains an oddity in their discography. Both You’d Prefer an Astronaut and Downward Is Heavenward open with tracks that serve the purpose of establishing tone (“Little Dipper” and “Isle of the Cheetah”), while “Iron Clad Lou” is more concerned with immediate impact. The clean build-up to the track’s true introduction is well constructed and performed, showcasing the ability of suspense and release that Hum became known for. While the guitarwork may not be as nuanced as later Hum compositions, “Iron Clad Lou” does a fantastic job of kicking things off. Moving into “Pinch and Roll” and “Shovel”, the primitive qualities of Electra 2000 begin to come through. Matt Talbott’s vocals can often be described as relaxed and conversational, which is why his performance on “Shovel” is quite a departure. The impassioned growl that Talbott brings to “Shovel” is quite thrilling, making it the highlight of the track. While this vocal style became a rarity on later releases, having recorded documentation in the form of “Shovel” is a great addition to Hum’s discography. That said, the instrumentation here is hard to distinguish as Hum’s own. The same can be said for “Pinch and Roll”, possessing a groove and briskly-paced vocal that harkens back to early Smashing Pumpkins recordings. While this comparison is often made based on both band’s love of heavy guitar tones and shared homestate (Illinois), the similarity is more apparent on “Pinch and Roll”. While Hum would certainly establish their own sonic signature, these tracks do not serve as the best example of that. That said, “Pewter” is a fantastic precursor to what the band would become. “Pewter” is the best example of the mid-paced bombast that would come to define the band in their later years. Placed after two less-characteristic tracks in the album’s sequence, “Pewter” is a strong indicator that Hum were aware of their strengths early on. We experienced similar feelings with “Firehead”, which features a cool swing reminiscent of fan favorite, “Why I Like The Robins”. While tracks such as “Sundress” and “Double Dip” cling to the fast-paced nature of earlier offerings, Electra 2000 is at its best when Hum brings some unconventional elements to their sound. For the classic lineup’s first release, it does a great job at laying the groundwork for what they would perfect on the follow-up, You’d Prefer an Astronaut. Electra 2000 may not be our choice for the essential Hum record, but it is a strong piece of a fantastic discography. Lastly, we greatly appreciated the work of Ryan Smith’s recent remaster! Having sampled the album’s original master in comparison, Smith’s revisions give the album a modern sense of power and low-end “oomph” that lends itself well to the nature of Electra 2000. Unless you are a die-hard collector, either the newly remastered vinyl or CD will serve you well. What are your thoughts on Electra 2000? Have you picked up any of the recent Hum reissues? Let us know in the comments! |
AuthorCarl Giannelli is a Connecticut based music advocate, songwriter, journalist, performer, and physical media preservationist. Archives
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