This thread was my first experience with Sebadoh and I am now perplexed by why Pavement gets so much more acclaim when they should be in the conversation. And also a little offended as someone living in the Pioneer Valley lol. Yeah, Bakesale is very good and a potential grower that I will have to go back to.
I'm really glad I could help with that. But Pavement is the top as well but I thought they indeed already had enough recognition...
Yeah. Sebadoh's III and Bakesale are two quintessential lo-fi indie rock albums. Right up there with anything released by Pavement. GBV's Bee Thousand & Alien Lanes are right there too. Tose are the big three for sure. I LOVE Sebadoh's first two albums of weirdness too - The WEED years.
I think I prefer GBV to both Pavement and Sebadoh by a good margin. _________________ Add me on RYM
Yeah. Sebadoh's III and Bakesale are two quintessential lo-fi indie rock albums. Right up there with anything released by Pavement. GBV's Bee Thousand & Alien Lanes are right there too. Tose are the big three for sure. I LOVE Sebadoh's first two albums of weirdness too - The WEED years.
Fuck, 764-HERO, and Unrest are up there for me as well.
Allmusic references them by The Smiths and the Cocteau Twins and I suppose that’s not a bad comparison. The pivotal person in this band formed in 1987 in London is Harriet Wheeler whose angelic voice I adore. After they signed with Rough Trade their career took off with their first full album from 1990 which is also by far their best.
Here’s Where The Story Ends is a song where Wheeler really shows what’s capable of vocally in the way she bends her voice in every way she wants to in a a magnificent song.
Can’t Be Sure was their first single and again a very fine song where she has a kind of hiccup in her voice which is absolutely gorgeous. And the guitars swirling around that voice just make it even better.
Those are the two absolute highlights of the album but also the other tracks are nothing less than great.
And as the two previous times I just want to show one Youtube excerpt from an album I couldn't present here because it's not widely available by the Aints, the band Ed Kuepper formed after the Saints:
Ascension by The Aints
This is one of the shorter but the best track on the album
Certainly never heard of dEUS before, so I have you to thank for that dihansse! Some REALLY enjoyable tracks on this one, with interesting instrumentation. Loved the subtle inclusion of the Theremin on "Sister Dew" and other songs. They really create a satisfying soundscape for the type of music this is. Something about the vibe reminds me a bit of the way Portishead does things. Lots of background melodies going on that you have to pay attention (and/or have a decent pair of headphones) to hear. You're right about "Instant Street." The end of that song made me want to get up and start flailing my arms around at work! Whew! Such a great buildup. I think I'll be returning to this one often. A very solid 85/100 for me. Love it.
I'd say the Blue Aeroplanes album was my second favorite of the lot. Really enjoyed the guitar work. Reminded me of some of The Smiths' more gritty tracks. I found the vocal style to be a refreshing dose of "something different." This will definitely enter my current album rotation for a while. I'll give it a few more spins before rating it but my preliminary rating is probably 80/100.
I've heard of The Sundays before but I don't think I've ever heard their music before. I think you nailed the description. Very Cocteau Twins, which for me is a good thing. Beautiful textures on this album. Interesting vocal melodies on songs like "I Won," kept me guessing a bit. Really scratches that 90s itch for me. Great pick! Really enjoyed it. 75/100
Was familiar with Sebadoh before seeing this thread, but I'd only heard one or two of their songs. "Not Too Amused" is one of them, although I don't remember where I heard it. They're very much in the same realm as some of my favorite bands (Guided By Voices, Pavement, Dinosaur Jr.). They certainly have that great garage rock sound that sits firmly in my comfort zone. I'll be trying to emulate some of their fantastic fuzz tones in the not-too-distant future. The guitars really stand out here. I also love the vocal effect on the song "Dreams." It's a beautiful song. Delightful album, but nothing genre-redefining (a bit front-loaded as well if I'm honest). I'll certainly keep spinning this one. 70/100
Green's album was a good introduction to a band I've never heard before. To be honest I listened to this a first time while I was working yesterday and found it really underwhelming, but my second go-round changed my mind. I really love the back-and-forth between 60s-inspired pop and some driving, howling rock. I hear some Bowie in there, some Kinks, some Beatles, some Clash, etc. The vocals, strangely enough, remind me of Strawberry Jam era Avey Tare. Those howls + screams are awesome! "My Sister Jane," sounds like a skate punk anthem. Wouldn't be out of place on a Misfits album or something. haha. Really like this. 70/100 for now with potential to increase over time.
I was also a fan of the Midnight Oil album. Some fantastic tracks on it. Some of the very political tracks were a bit slow and uninteresting to me, but overall I found it enjoyable. Preliminary rating 65/100
Hüsker Dü was one of two artists on the list I was already familiar with. Never heard this album before though. I liked it! Not life-changing but definitely a fun listen. 65/100.
The Bettie Serveert album was a bit of a strange first listen to me. I do have a feeling that it might grow on me over time because I did enjoy a few parts but for now I'm not totally sold. 55/100 for now.
The Triffids album is.... Very 80s. Very Cheesy. The guy's voice reminds me of a cross between Ian Curtis and the dudes from Tears for Fears. He has a great voice, the music just doesn't get me fired up for the most part. I do like the song "Unmade Love" though. Very dark and cool. 50/100 for this one.
Wendy & Lisa certainly have their thing going on, but I'm afraid it isn't for me. I was never a massive fan of Prince in the first place and this does feel a bit like his stuff, but with a lot more cheesiness thrown in on top. I can tell it's a well-made album with good performances, but it just isn't for me, with the exception of the very funky Skeleton Key. I dig that song. Thinking 35/100 on this one.
Overall I want to say thanks for posting and putting in so much effort to share some hidden gems! This has been super worthwhile for me. Found a lot of new things I like. Cheers!
Certainly never heard of dEUS before, so I have you to thank for that dihansse! Some REALLY enjoyable tracks on this one, with interesting instrumentation. Loved the subtle inclusion of the Theremin on "Sister Dew" and other songs. They really create a satisfying soundscape for the type of music this is. Something about the vibe reminds me a bit of the way Portishead does things. Lots of background melodies going on that you have to pay attention (and/or have a decent pair of headphones) to hear. You're right about "Instant Street." The end of that song made me want to get up and start flailing my arms around at work! Whew! Such a great buildup. I think I'll be returning to this one often. A very solid 85/100 for me. Love it.
I'd say the Blue Aeroplanes album was my second favorite of the lot. Really enjoyed the guitar work. Reminded me of some of The Smiths' more gritty tracks. I found the vocal style to be a refreshing dose of "something different." This will definitely enter my current album rotation for a while. I'll give it a few more spins before rating it but my preliminary rating is probably 80/100.
I've heard of The Sundays before but I don't think I've ever heard their music before. I think you nailed the description. Very Cocteau Twins, which for me is a good thing. Beautiful textures on this album. Interesting vocal melodies on songs like "I Won," kept me guessing a bit. Really scratches that 90s itch for me. Great pick! Really enjoyed it. 75/100
Was familiar with Sebadoh before seeing this thread, but I'd only heard one or two of their songs. "Not Too Amused" is one of them, although I don't remember where I heard it. They're very much in the same realm as some of my favorite bands (Guided By Voices, Pavement, Dinosaur Jr.). They certainly have that great garage rock sound that sits firmly in my comfort zone. I'll be trying to emulate some of their fantastic fuzz tones in the not-too-distant future. The guitars really stand out here. I also love the vocal effect on the song "Dreams." It's a beautiful song. Delightful album, but nothing genre-redefining (a bit front-loaded as well if I'm honest). I'll certainly keep spinning this one. 70/100
Green's album was a good introduction to a band I've never heard before. To be honest I listened to this a first time while I was working yesterday and found it really underwhelming, but my second go-round changed my mind. I really love the back-and-forth between 60s-inspired pop and some driving, howling rock. I hear some Bowie in there, some Kinks, some Beatles, some Clash, etc. The vocals, strangely enough, remind me of Strawberry Jam era Avey Tare. Those howls + screams are awesome! "My Sister Jane," sounds like a skate punk anthem. Wouldn't be out of place on a Misfits album or something. haha. Really like this. 70/100 for now with potential to increase over time.
I was also a fan of the Midnight Oil album. Some fantastic tracks on it. Some of the very political tracks were a bit slow and uninteresting to me, but overall I found it enjoyable. Preliminary rating 65/100
Hüsker Dü was one of two artists on the list I was already familiar with. Never heard this album before though. I liked it! Not life-changing but definitely a fun listen. 65/100.
The Bettie Serveert album was a bit of a strange first listen to me. I do have a feeling that it might grow on me over time because I did enjoy a few parts but for now I'm not totally sold. 55/100 for now.
The Triffids album is.... Very 80s. Very Cheesy. The guy's voice reminds me of a cross between Ian Curtis and the dudes from Tears for Fears. He has a great voice, the music just doesn't get me fired up for the most part. I do like the song "Unmade Love" though. Very dark and cool. 50/100 for this one.
Wendy & Lisa certainly have their thing going on, but I'm afraid it isn't for me. I was never a massive fan of Prince in the first place and this does feel a bit like his stuff, but with a lot more cheesiness thrown in on top. I can tell it's a well-made album with good performances, but it just isn't for me, with the exception of the very funky Skeleton Key. I dig that song. Thinking 35/100 on this one.
Overall I want to say thanks for posting and putting in so much effort to share some hidden gems! This has been super worthwhile for me. Found a lot of new things I like. Cheers!
Woow what a great review and of course I'm glad that you liked dEUS so much. If you like this one certainly also check out their other first albums. I also liked your comments about the Green album.
And also thanks for sharing your reasons why you didn't like some of the other albums. Of course for me they make a difference because they're the albums that made my day when they were released and that's for some of them quite a long time ago although I think they're still great.
Woow what a great review and of course I'm glad that you liked dEUS so much. If you like this one certainly also check out their other first albums. I also liked your comments about the Green album.
And also thanks for sharing your reasons why you didn't like some of the other albums. Of course for me they make a difference because they're the albums that made my day when they were released and that's for some of them quite a long time ago although I think they're still great.
They have an album from 1994 called "Worst Case Scenario." Is that the one you mean? I'll give it a listen.
Yeah, the one that's been bugging me since the other day is the Bettie Serveert album. There was something in there that I liked. I have a feeling it will really grow on me over time. I did find it challenging though.
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