MARCY PLAYGROUND - SEX & CANDY 7" (1998) [USA]

Marcy Playground - Sex & Candy 7"

(1998) [USA]

A 7" single release of Marcy Playground and their 'one-hit-wonder' song Sex & Candy. You used to hear this one everywhere. And still can hear it on the radio from time to time. Two non-album B-sides on this one that are kinda moodier than their big radio hit.

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BEN KWELLER - WASTED & READY CDEP (2002) [USA]

Ben Kweller - Wasted & Ready CDEP

(2002) [USA]

A CDEP release of arguably Ben Kweller's most popular song 'Wasted & Ready'.' I remember being in high school and this guy coming out around the same time as The Strokes, The Vines, The Hives, etc, and all of those retro-revival bands. Of course, he is also one of the three 'Bens' that make of the group The Bens [Ben Lee, Ben Folds & Ben Kweller].

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HARVEY DANGER - FLAGPOLE SITTA CDEP (1998) [USA]

Harvey Danger - Flagpole Sitta CDEP

(1998) [USA]

More that alternative 1990s rock n' roll. This time Seattle college / radio rock group Harvey Danger with their 'one-hit-wonder' song Flagpole Sitta. This one still gets me pumped. The CDEP also contains a non-album track that's also pretty cool.

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THIRD EYE BLIND - HOW'S IT GONNA BE CDEP (1997) [USA]

Third Eye Blind - How's It Gonna Be CDEP

(1997) [USA]

I don't know what it is about this band, I guess it was a time and place and one of those 'you had to be there' (i.e. being a teenager in the middle 90s). I think we all have a fondness for Third Eye Blind, and that type of alternative radio rock that has disappeared all together from mainstream. Don't get me wrong, I love rap music, and listen to it a great majority of the time -- but something is missing from popular 'mainstream' culture and that is drug addled English literature majors fronting alternative rock bands. This EP has non-album B-side and as well as a remix of 'Graduate.'

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CORRUPTED - EL DIOS QUEJA 10" (TAG RAG [TR-10EP001], 1995) [JP]

Corrupted - El dios queja 10"

(Tag Rag – [TR-10EP001], 1995) [JP]

A 10" release by Japanese sludge metal group Corrupted, who mysteriously sings a majority of their songs in Spanish despite being from Osaka, Japan. This was recorded and released in Osaka, 1995. I really love the second track 'Reñir a existencia.'

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SEEFEEL - STARETHOUGH EP CDEP (WARP RECORDS [WAP45CD], 1994) [ENG]

Seefeel - Starethrough Ep CDEP

(Warp Records – [WAP45CD], 1994) [ENG]

An EP release from Seefeel, released in 1994 on Warp Records. Dreamy, Droning, Repetitive, Ethereal, Ambient, Shoegaze .. etc, a lot going on here!

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THE GO-BETWEENS - I NEED TWO HEADS 7" (POSTCARD RECORDS [POSTCARD 80 4], 1980) [AUS]

The Go-Betweens - I Need Two Heads 7"

(Postcard Records – [Postcard 80 4], 1980) [AUS]

The third 7" single released by Brisbane, Australia The Go-Betweens in 1980. 

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VA - THE CACAOS GO LIKE HOTCAKES CD (CHOCOLAT ART RECORDS [CA-010], PUSHBIKE [UFPB-005], 1994) [JP]

VA - The Cacaos Go Like Hotcakes CD

(Chocolat Art Records – [CA-010], Pushbike – [UFPB-005], 1994) [JP]

Another Japanese compilation CD that I cannot get enough. A bunch of great bands that I nearly know nothing about from enigmatic Japanese labels Chocolat Art and Pushbike. I am assuming most every band here is Japanese. A lot of the bands here get two songs featured on this comp. The bands that really stand out to me are Tip Top Planets, Sunnychar, but particularly Vehicle Spright! I cannot get enough of their song Kick Start!

Tracklisting:

01 - Sunny Gets Blue - Boy Should Go!

02 - Badge! - Only Stay in Dream of Sunday

03 - Double Chocolate E.P. - Humming Bird

04 - Barrette - Diets of Ex-Duchess

05 - Space Shaver No. 39 - Steaming Toy Train

06 - Tip Top Planets - Let Me Fly to the Brightest Star

07 - Corde - I'm in the Museum

08 - The Fruits Basket - The Language of Fruit

09 - Sunnychar - 99 is My Lucky Number (Studio Live)

10 - Chocoballaholic - Stay Out of ohe Sweat Shops

11 - Baudelaire - Le spleen de Paris

12 - Plain Cream Puff Spray - Lu

13 - Blue Orugoru - Boy Meets Girl

14 - Vehicle Spright - Kick Start!

15 - Badge! - The Storm and Smiles

16 - Charles - Sous le ciel de Paris

17 - Tip Top Planets - Cherry Red Guitar Girl

18 - Space Shaver No. 39 - Hey! Mummy Cigarettes!!

19 - The Fruits Basket - A Cogwheel

20 - Double Chocolate E.P. - Mellon Soda Summer Summer

21 - Corde - The Sun and the Moon

22 - Barrette - Velvet Vulpine

23 - Sunny Gets Blue - Our Red Wagon

24 - Chocoballaholic - 10 Head of Topo Gigio

25 - Great Jazz Men - Good-Bye Great Jazz Men

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PAINTING BY NUMBERS - SAMSTAG ABEND CD (DECLARATION OF SANTO [DOS 12], 1996) [DE]

Painting By Numbers - Samstag Abend CD

(Declaration Of Santo – [DoS 12], 1996) [DE]

The only album release by German indiepop group Painting By Numbers. I believe it is a live recording from 1996 and not a studio album. I love the title track 'Samstag Abend' though that appears.

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A FAULTY CHROMOSOME - AS AN EX-ANOREXIC'S SIX SICKS EXIT,... CD (SELF RELEASED, 2007) [USA]

A Faulty Chromosome - As An Ex-Anorexic's Six Sicks Exit,... CD

(Self Released, 2007) [USA]

The first time I heard A Faulty Chromosome was a live impromptu outdoor acoustic set in 2008 in Austin, TX, where the band relocated to after first forming in Los Angeles, as part of an unofficial SXSW performance at a public park. I feel like my friends and I just kind of happened upon this performance and I was in awe..if I am remembering correctly. Maybe one of my friends had heard about it and that's how we ended up there. Either way, I had never heard any of their recorded material until after that night I saw them perform in the park... but I later found this CD of theirs is one of my favorite releases. I've listened to it a ton of times. I love their cover of the John Mellencamp song 'Jackie O.' 

This band I always want to compare to The Magnetic Fields in that it's lo-fi and has a similar aesthetic. I later found they even have a complete CD of Magnetic Fields cover songs -- so the comparison is not far off.

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CUTTY RANKS - THE STOPPER LP (FASHION RECORDS [FAD LP 020], 1991) [JAM]

Cutty Ranks - The Stopper LP

(Fashion Records – [FAD LP 020], 1991) [JAM]

Here's an album I listen to a lot and often; it's dancehall / ragga artist Cutty Ranks. Released in 1991.

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TANGERINE - SUNBURST 12" (CREATION RECORDS [CRE 065 T], 1989) [USA]

Tangerine - Sunburst 12"

(Creation Records – [CRE 065 T], 1989) [USA]

A 12" two-song single release from NYC band, Tangerine, that moved to London and released records on Creation Records in the late 80s/early 90s.

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AEROSPACE - A MINUTE HISTORY OF AIR AND SPACE 7" (MODESTO RECORDS [MOD 002], STRINGS OF NASHVILLE RECORDS [STRINGS004], 2001) [SWE]

Aerospace - A Minute History Of Air And Space 7"

(Modesto Records [MOD 002], Strings Of Nashville Records [STRINGS004], 2001) [SWE]

I am not exactly sure when I became such a huge fan of Swedish indie pop music -- it's not like I have any connection to Sweden in any way nor did I ever hear of Sweden and consider them a great musical country? Nothing against Sweden by that remark! It's just so far off and exotic from where I come from. I would just assume I wouldn't understand the language. Or they'd have a different sensibility when it comes to song. Come to find out that's all just ignorance on my part and Sweden makes lovely and heartfelt music! They sing with such impeccable English that often times I sometimes wish I could find more Swedish music sung in the Swedish language!

This is a 7" from indie pop group Aerospace, released in 2001. 

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ACID HOUSE KINGS - I JUST CALLED TO SAY JAG ÄLSKAR DIG (SAW REMIX BY NIXON) CDEP (LABRADOR RECORDS, 2012) [SWE]

Acid House Kings - I Just Called To Say Jag Älskar Dig

(SAW Remix By Nixon) CDEP

(Labrador Records, 2012) [SWE]

A single song CD single from Acid House Kings, featuring the same song from their split with Alpaca Sports, but this time it has been remixed by Swedish artist Nixon. 2012.

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ALPACA SPORTS & ACID HOUSE KINGS - SPLIT 7" (LUXURY [LUX061], DUFFLECOAT RECORDS [DCR508], 2013) [SWE]

Alpaca Sports & Acid House Kings - Split 7"

(Luxury – [LUX061], Dufflecoat Records – [DCR508], 2013) [SWE]

A split 7" between two seminal Swedish indie pop bands from different eras -- a coming together of sorts. Acid House Kings got their start in the early 90s, and Alpaca Sports a part of the new wave of Swedish indie pop from the 00s.

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GARY VALENTINE - THE FIRST ONE / TOMORROW BELONGS TO YOU 7" (BEAT RECORDS [BEAT 001], 1978) [USA]

Gary Valentine - The First One / Tomorrow Belongs To You 7"

(Beat Records – [Beat 001], 1978) [USA]

An early 1978 power pop single from Gary Valentine, known primarily as the bassist of Blondie. 

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THE LETTERS - NOBODY LOVES ME 7" (HEARTBEAT RECORDS [PULSE 9], 1980) [ENG]

The Letters - Nobody Loves Me 7"

(Heartbeat Records – [Pulse 9], 1980) [ENG]

The only proper release, I believe, by English power pop group The Letters is this two song 7" originally released in 1980.

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THE TELESCOPES - FLYING 12" (CREATION RECORDS [CRE 108T], 1991) [ENG]

The Telescopes - Flying 12"

(Creation Records – [cre 108t], 1991) [ENG]

A 12" single from 1991 by another English psychedelic shoegaze group The Telescopes. Of who had an early split release with Loop in 1988.

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LOOP - 16 DREAMS 12" (HEAD [HEAD 5], 1987) [ENG]

Loop - 16 Dreams 12"

(Head – [HEAD 5], 1987) [ENG]

The first release by heavy droning English psychedelic shoegaze group Loop is a doozy! A 12" single with three tracks released in 1987 on Head Records.

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THE HATED - DESMOND OUTCAST AND THE TRANSPLANTED HEROES 7" (TROUBLEMAN UNLIMITED [TMU023], 1997) [USA]

The Hated - Desmond Outcast and the Transplanted Heroes 7"

(Troubleman Unlimited – [TMU023], 1997) [USA]

Maybe not officially a The Hated release, but this is Dan Littleton and Erik Fisher of The Hated, doing two acoustic tracks in the early 80s collected here for this 7" from the mid-90s on Troubleman Unlimited.

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CHRISTIAN GARROS, SON ORCHESTRE & LES "ROCK FOUR" - ROCK N' ROLL 7" (TRIANON [4322], 1956) [FRA]

Christian Garros, son orchestre & les ''Rock Four''

Rock N' Roll 7"

(Trianon – [4322], 1956) [FRA]

A French rock n' roll 45 disc from Christian Garros, son orchestre & les "Rock Four" originally released in 1956. Just early inspiration from American artist, I'd have to imagine. An approximation.

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