I'm limiting my choices to ones (except maybe for the Reivers or EDD)
that I've rarely seen discussed here. I think half of most of our
collections are "criminally underappreciated" by the masses (of listeners
and critics), so I had to narrow it down to "underappreciated on P2" and
it's till too long...:). That also means that since we've talked about
nearly every twangy thing I own, most of these are twangless, and a lot
are fairly punk/indie:
--You Am I--"Hi Fi Way"--the second album by these Aussies, where they
turn down the Stooges, turn up The Jam and get spectacular results.
--Squirrel Bait--self-titled--a blast of Husker Du-isms with vocals so
throaty they make Mats-era Westerberg sound like Pavarotti... ungodly
powerful
--Slint--"Spiderland"--dense, complex, rhythmic math-rock from
ex-Squirrel Bait-ers,like a combination of Fugazi and something more
"progressive rock"-oriented
--Danny & Dusty--"The Lost Weekend" --I'm a big mid-80s Green On Red fan
and this is my favorite GOR-related album...a drunken, sloppy, wonderful
GOR/Steve Wynn/Long Ryders/Rain Parade collaboration on 7 GOR-ish
originals plus a Dylan tune.
--Reivers--"Translate Slowly" and "Saturday"--melodic pop-rock from
Austin that's ever-so-slightly twangy. I still miss 'em
--Eleventh Dream Day--"Beet" --I've inflicted my opinion of this on the
list too many times :)...Velvets meets Crazy Horse meets X...Just buy it
if you can find it. Gimme a witness, Dave.
--Face To Face--"Big Choice"--the most uplifting, high-speed, melodic
punk album I think I've ever heard
--Giant Sand--"The Love Songs"--my first exposure to Howe Gelb, way back
in '88, and still (maybe) my fave by them. Think: Neil Young gets drunk
and plugs in with Robyn Hitchcock as his lyricist.
--The Johnsons--"Break Tomorrow's Day"--a Philly band from the 80s who it
seems no one's ever heard of. Power pop heaven and so out-of-print that
the Trouser Press Guide stopped listing it 2 volumes ago.
--Scrawl--"Velvet Hammer"--my fave from Columbus' finest grrrl band. The
Albini production is perfect.
--Mission of Burma-"Vs."--aggressive, guitar-heavy, chaotic, full of
joyfully-yelled vocals...available with extra tracks from Ryko. Seminal
American post-punk.
-- Volcano Suns--"The Bright Orange Years"--a more melodic, song-oriented
version of Mission of Burma headed by Burma's drummer, Peter Prescott
--Naked Raygun--"All Rise" --my favorite non-SST punk album from the 80s.
Guaranteed to elevate testosterone levels and start spontaneous
moshing...
--Windbreakers--"At Home With Bobby & Tim"/"Terminal"--their first and
fourth albums available on one CD. Sorta twangy 80s rootsy pop. Loved
this band. Mark Wyatt's on the "At Home" album when i think about it....
Sidewinders--"Auntie Ramos' Pool Hall"--big, loud, 2-guitar roots rock. I
can't imagine a Scorchers fan not liking this one.
OK, I've gone on too long...:)
Steve Kirsch
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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