Archive for the 1990s Category

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Idle Rood- Tolerance Bride 7”

Posted in 1990s, 1992, florida, idle rood, post-punk, US on June 16, 2020 by Frankie Teardrop

Sorry for the delay, everyone… Easy enough to say the world’s been weird all around, and while everyone’s fine over here at SOR headquarters, it just hasn’t felt like a priority to post lately. That said, I’ve been spending a lot of time quietly ripping and cleaning up some of the more rare records in my collection, some as updates to previous posts, some for future posts, and some just for posterity. I’ll try to be a little more proactive about uploading, if you all are still out there and thirsty for more rare tunes.

With that in mind, here’s one that Goutroy originally turned me onto a few years back, and I’ve since tracked down myself. This is the lone 7” by Idle Rood, a post-punk band from Tampa, Florida. This 7” dropped on clear blue vinyl in 1992, an interesting time for such incisive synth and guitar-driven post-punk (remember, this is the same era where bands like Nirvana, Jane’s Addiction, and Lush were at the forefront). That said, this record definitely has much in common with early Modern English, Razor Penguins, and as my quarantine-mate puts it, Husker Du.

While the band formed in 1988, they released this 7” the same year they split up. The band briefly reunited a few years back to play some local gigs, and have issued a handful of additional recordings on their Soundcloud page. For those interested in following the band and checking out some older photos of the band in action, they have an extensive Facebook page as well! Otherwise, here’s the info for the 7”:

Idle Rood- Tolerance Bride 7”
1. Tolerance Bride
2. Manifest

*download it here*

6 Comments »

Emerald Vein – Existence & Land of the Living LPs

Posted in 1980s, 1988, 1990s, 1991, dreampop, emerald vein, ethereal, post-punk on April 9, 2019 by Frankie Teardrop

Just spotted a photo of one of these LPs come up in a recent memories post, as I picked up a copy of this based on the cover art alone during my last trip to Boston a year or so ago. Here we have both vinyl releases by Emerald Vein, aka the solo project of Boston-based musician Robert Young. Previous bands of Robert’s included alternative band Uzi and post-punk band A Scanner Darkly, whose 1988 LP This Is the Way serves as a solid Sisters of Mercy-esque guitar record.

As for Emerald Vein, Young took things in a more ethereal direction, mixing a few post-punk tracks in with neoclassical and dream pop influences. Kind of my sweet spot for when the air has a bit of a chill in it still. Both of these LPs are unique listens, calling the likes of In the Nursery, Into a Circle, Breathless, Mark Renner, Eden, Black Tape For a Blue Girl, and maybe even a little Gilmour-era Pink Floyd to mind here and there. Land of the Living has a track or two with some co-harmonies from Colleen Nichole Jacobucci, and has an overall more experimental touch but is still very much in the vein of the first LP. Terence Donahue, drummer of A Scanner Darkly, also performs on a handful of tracks across both releases. Donahue was also involved with IPR stalwarts Deception Bay.

Here’s the details for both LPs. Note: will be taking better quality album photos shortly, please stand by!

Emerald Vein- Existence LP (1989)
1. Worship
2. Existence
3. Completely Nothing
4. The Messiah
5. Promise
6. Out Of My Head
7. Take Hold
8. In His World

Emerald Vein- Land of the Living LP (1991)
1. Land Of The Living
2. The Difference
3. The Living End
4. Memory Inside My Head
5. Breath
6. Father Of Lies
7. Light
8. My Maker
9. Bury This Void
10. Colors

*download both here*

Robert has also made a digital download of his favorite cuts from both albums available here, if you’d like to upgrade some of the tracks from vinyl rips to crystal clear digital copies. Definitely worth grabbing the link above for the full discography, and even though Robert’s Bandcampo is pay-what-you-want, I deeply encourage purchasing the tracks and supporting Young’s work.

4 Comments »

Various Artists- Woke Up Smiling & Kindred Spirits CDs

Posted in 1990s, 1994, 1995, dreampop, ethereal, shoegaze on December 19, 2018 by Frankie Teardrop

For the last post of the year, I’d love to share two excellent CD-only collections of exclusive dream pop, ethereal, and shoegaze tracks from Bedazzled, released in 1994 and 1995, respectfully. I can’t help but get nostalgic during this time of year, and listening to these comps make me miss Bedazzled and the centralized US/Canadian dream pop scene that thrived in the late 80s and early 90s.

With that in mind, these compilations showcase the majority of the acts on the label, and include rare or otherwise exclusive tracks across the board. Most notable are repeat SOR-offenders An April March, as well as tracks from Mistle Thrush, Viola Peacock, Underflowers, The Curtain Society, Ultracherry Violet, This Ascension, and of course, Monica Richard’s pre-Faith and the Muse project Strange Boutique. Kindred Spirits extends a little further past the immediate Bedazzled family and includes tracks from Switchblade Symphony, Purple Ivy Shadows, and extremely underrated band The Garden, who are worth price of admission alone.

Of course, let’s get to the listening! Thanks for an excellent year, y’all!

Various Artists- Kindred Spirits CD (1994)
1. This Charm- Strange Boutique
2. Clown- Switchblade Symphony
3. Adrenaline- The Curtain Society
4. Pontus- Siddal
5. Falling in Love- Ultracherry Violet
6. Whispers- Mistle Thrush
7. Pocketful (Remix)- Big Hat
8. As I Hit the Floor- Twelve Tone Failure
9. Shave Your Head- Viola Peacock
10. Blackwell Road- Opium Den
11. Admire- This Ascension
12. Blithe Spirit- The Garden
13. Carry Nation for the First Time- Purple Ivy Shadows

Various Artists- Woke Up Smiling CD (1995)
1. She Is A Flower- Mistle Thrush
2. Cradle- The Curtain Society
3. In The Lonely Trees- Strange Boutique
4. Sense Of Skin- Where I Wake Warm
5. An Angel A Week- Viola Peacock
6. In Galleons Lap- Feast Of Saints
7. As Far As Forever- Johanna’s House Of Glamour
8. Shindo- Chainsuck
9. Wayve- Ultracherry Violet
10. Halo- Blueshift Signal
11. A Glendale Melody- Siddal
12. Delirium- An April March
13. Psalm To The Sun- Underflowers
14. Falling- Lanterna

*download both here*

8 Comments »

Dawn Fades- Demo K7 & Nine Thorns CD

Posted in 1990s, 1993, 1997, dawn fades, italian, post-punk on February 12, 2018 by Frankie Teardrop

Back in 2011, I posted the debut EP from Italian post-punk band Dawn Fades, who invoked the spirit of Killing Joke, Lucie Cries, and even early Modern English. I’ve updated the original post with a 320kbps of the CD, but what better time to post the rest of the band’s discography, which includes an earlier demo as well as a full length album.

I’ve been sitting on the full album for some time, as it took me a few listens to really appreciate it. While the band’s trademark heavy guitars and post-punk fury are still intact, there are a slew of late 90s electronics at play here, which may or may not be to some folks’ liking. The record came out in 1997, and definitely channels much of that alternative/industrial sound. If you don’t mind a little Nine Inch Nails/early 90s Killing Joke in your post-punk, it’s a great listen!

The demo tape precedes the original EP and was released in limited quantities in 1993 (and repressed in 1994). The majority of the cassette is live, but there are two studio cuts (and an intro) to kick things off. The live cuts are a mix of originals and covers, two of which were originally by Joy Division, the band’s clear namesake. The version of Sixteen Days is identical to the one that appears on the EP.

I’d like to thank Marc, the drummer of Lucie Cries, for contributing a rip of this cassette! If you aren’t already familiar with his band, please make it your first priority to check them out! There have been several reissues of the band’s catalog – a LP of selected cuts as well as a deluxe CD package of the full discography. Thanks again, Marc, and hope you all enjoy these releases!

Dawn Fades- Dawn Fades K7 (1993)
1. Intro
2. The Rape
3. Young God
4. What Use? (live)
5. Sixteen Days (live)
6. Coil (live)
7. Shadowplay (live)
8. The Rape (live)
9. Transmission (live)

Dawn Fades- Nine Thorns (1997)
1. Nine Thorns
2. Anger
3. 1.6
4. She Will Be
5. Loop
6. Collapse And Confusion
7. Lust
8. Control
9. Off

*download both here*

9 Comments »

An April March- Memory Gardens & Scarlett Bliss K7s

Posted in 1990, 1990s, 1991, an april march, canadian, dreampop, shoegaze on April 4, 2017 by Frankie Teardrop

I remember the first time hearing Canadian dreampop band An April March. I was deep in my shoegaze phase in my freshman year of college, overdosing on Slowdive for the most part, posting on forums everywhere. I caught wind of this band and remember seeking out a lone mp3 of “Lava,” one of the bands early singles, on Audiogalaxy of all places… It was love at first listen. Just a few weeks later, I was digging in my college town’s record bins casually when I came across a gorgeous looking gothic cover. Sure enough, it was the Lava single, a red colored slab of perfection sitting there for a dollar, discarded among a bunch of sleeveless pop singles. I believe I posted the single in the very first year of this blog, as the obsession still ran deep.

Since then I’ve obtained all of their discography in various forms, with the exception of the elusive Scarlett Bliss demo tape from 1991, which I’ve always had my eye on. However, a kind collector by the name of Paul Evans offered to rip it for me, and included a bonus- a never before logged demo tape from 1990 called Memory Gardens, the band’s first official release. Funny enough, this is the real treat here, as the Scarlett Bliss tape features very similar (if not the same) recordings of these three tracks that would appear on 1993’s Impatiens, the band’s debut album.

However, the songs on Memory Gardens showcase a band just getting their feet wet, though the band’s trademark dark dreampop sound is still in full effect. Mostly I’m pleasantly surprised by the ample use of saxophone on this tape, a sound they abandoned after release, apparently. Saxophone player Ian would go on to play with The Dervishes, who I haven’t heard but sound like a more soul/funk band according to their discogs page.

Anywho, four of the six tracks on this cassette are exclusives, while “Gates Within Us” and “Of Leaves And Sweetness” are early versions that have since changed drastically in subsequent recordings.

Thanks again to Paul for ripping these! Hope you all enjoy them as much as I do:

An April March- Memory Gardens K7 (1990)
1. Justine
2. Misunderstanding
3. Of Leaves and Sweetness
4. Memory Gardens
5. Gates Within Us
6. Hollow House

An April March- Scarlett Bliss K7 (1991)
1. Scarlett Bliss
2. This Silence
3. Stains

*download both here*

12 Comments »

Various Artists- Faces and Images LP

Posted in 1990s, 1991, ebm, minimal, minimal synth, Schmaalhans Weltraumm, swedish, synth, synthpop on January 23, 2017 by Frankie Teardrop

Straight out of the mailbox, onto the turntable, and to your ears all within the span of a weekend, here’s a rip of the wonderful Faces & Images compilation, which features a slew of lo-fi EBM, synthpop, and minimal treats.

This comp. hails from Sweden and was released in 1991 on Limur, who also released the Schmaalhans Weltraum 7”. Their signature track appears here, as well as an amazing lo-fi synthpop cut from Sidewalk Cindy. Other highlights include the Bites-esque band + Christ (their only known track), Kiethevez’s “Female Trouble” (which is heavily indebted to Depeche Mode’s pre-Music For the Masses era), Art Domination’s “Remember,” which channels D.A.F.’s electro period, and the killer Pet Cemetery tune “Set Right All Right,” which also owes a lot to early Skinny Puppy. There are also a few experimental cuts by Grönlandsbruttan and Verschwende Deine Jugend, which remind me of Factrix and a more out there Nitzer Ebb, respectfully.

Despite all the traceable influences and genres, there’s not really a dud on this comp., so please press play and enjoy!

Various Artists- Faces and Images LP
1. The Outcast- White Coat Compassion
2. Boiling Brain- Real World
3. + Christ- Filtering Vision
4. Grönlandsbruttan- Häxans Otäcka Dröm
5. Kiethevez- Female Terror
6. Schmaalhans Weltraum- Montagne De Boeuf
7. Pet Cemetery- Set Right All Right
8. Sidewalk Cindy- A Hundred Things To Say
9. Verschwende Deine Jugend- Source Of Conflict
10. Art Domination- Remember

*download it here*

5 Comments »

The Severance- Dreams Of Youth 12”

Posted in 12'', 1990, 1990s, ebm, synth, synthpop, the severance on June 24, 2015 by Frankie Teardrop

Sometimes I forget just how much I love synthpop. We’re talking giant beats, huge hooks, almost shameless use of electronics and a tremendous command of melody. Mostly I just love stuff that sounds like classic-era Depeche Mode. Meanwhile, I picked this one up in a cheap-o bin in the bowels of NYC, and with just one glance to both the front & back covers, I knew exactly what to expect and knew it would hit that sweet spot…

This particular German 12” kicks off with a killer four-on-the-floor track. This track could have fit nicely in a set with “Strangelove,” Cetu Javu, Few Boys, Secession, Celebrate the Nun, and so on and so forth. While hearing three tracks of solid synthpop without any variation would have suited the works just fine, there’s a bit more to this record than meets the eye. While “Dreams Of Youth” will satisfy even the most thirsty of palates, the second track is the clear winner in my book, a more aggressive track with a little EBM flavor. Fans of The Arch, Aimless Device, and A Split Second should adore this one. The third track falls back to the synthpop sound, but is just as catchy as the A-side, with a slower tempo and a chirpy arpeggiator running throughout.

This is the first of three releases from The Severance, released in 1990 (arguably the peak of this sound), and I haven’t heard their 1994 LP to see how the band evolved over the years. Two members would reconvene as Winterkälte in the mid 90s, with a harsher, more industrial/ebm sound.

That all said, hope you enjoy!

The Severance- Dreams Of Youth 12”
1. Dreams of Youth
2. Electrocult
3. Crying Child

*download it here*

In other news, I just returned from San Francisco, which after a few days of record digging with Goutroy, I found some more gems to share, as well as a few to re-rip in higher quality. Stay tuned over the next few weeks for some West Coast goodies and some other surprises!

6 Comments »

Mélopée- Mélopée & Lyelle K7s

Posted in 1980s, 1990, 1990s, coldwave, france, french, goth, goth-rock, k7, mélopée, post-punk on March 9, 2015 by Frankie Teardrop

Two fantastic, rare, and undersung cassettes up on the slab today from Mélopée (translation- threnody), a coldwave band from France. Very little to be found on the net about this band, as both tapes were self-released in very limited numbers. One of the tapes (Lyellle) dates back to 1990, while the self-titled cassette doesn’t have a year attached to it, but is likely around the same time period, give or take a year in either direction. Outside of a handful of compilation appearances, the band also released a CD in 1995, but I haven’t heard it aside from the track that appears on the excellent Beaucoup, compilation alongside Lucie Cries, Ellysgarden, Résistance, Babel 17, and more, to say the least…

Fans of all the aforementioned bands (as well as the slew of Mémoires D’automne tapes from a few years back) will find lots and lots to love here!

Screen-Shot-2015-03-09-at-5.31.56-PM

Mélopée- Mélopée
1. Le Vide D’Un Cœur Solitaire
2. A L’Aube De La Vie
3. Les Tempes Blanchies
4. Mémorial
5. Ignaledre

R-2608753-1293385991.jpeg

Mélopée- Lyellle
1. Petite Vieilles Fanées
2. L’Arbre
3. Lyellle
4. Vision
5. Niomée
6. Procession
7. Inwradness

*download both tapes here*

8 Comments »

THX- Luv ‘N’ Trust 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1990, 1990s, ebm, german, new beat, thx, voyou on December 1, 2014 by Frankie Teardrop

A few weeks ago, I posted an excellent New Beat 7” from Iconoclass, an obscure, but solid genre classic. You guys wanted some more of that sound, so I’m happy to deliver! Thanks to Andi, fellow DJ and co-author of the excellent Some Wear Leather, Some Wear Lace book for originally turning me on to this one, which has been an obsession ever since.

THX were a German New Beat/EBM duo consisting of Andy Düx and Peter Schmidt. Düx gets credit here as a member of Jack U Rebels, a techno collective, but I know him best as a member of Voyou, who released one of the best tracks in the genre just a few years prior. This particular 12” was released in 1990 and features three mixes of tracks otherwise available on the band’s full length LP. While the full length is available on CD (and is generally easier to find), the mixes here are exclusive to this 12”. The real winner is the title track, a 7-minute romp chock full of thundering EBM beats, haunting synth melodies, and gritty, almost whispered male vocals with just the right mix of sensuality and distortion (see also: Tricky, though the comparison only extends to the vocal effects). It definitely never fails to get the blood going, and I hope you guys dig it as much as I do!

THX- Luv ‘N’ Trust 12”
1. Luv ‘N’ Trust (Trustworthy Mix)
2. Luv ‘N’ Trust (Devon Mix)
3. Sedation (Call 3-4-8…) (Euthanasia Mix)

*download it here*

6 Comments »

Bloody Ice- Bloody Ice 12”

Posted in 1990s, 1993, bloody ice, ebm, electro, electronic, industrial, placebo records on November 18, 2013 by Frankie Teardrop

Second post in one day, this one as a request from Goutroy over at A Viable Commercial, who featured one track off this scarce 12” on his latest various artists compilation.  The song “Dying in Arms” was my favorite from the compilation, and I’ve since tracked down the full 12”, which employs the same bleak industrial/ebm sounds throughout.  If you like Front Line Assembly and the Klinik, this one is definitely for you…

Bloody Ice was the moniker for German musician Eini, who co-founded Placebo Records in 1993 to release his own recordings.  The label is also responsible for the amazing New Dimension 12” (which has since disappeared from the blogosphere).  This appears to be the only Bloody Ice release, though “Dying in Arms” also appears on the Nyctalopia Compilation from the same year and an “Intro” track appears on To Be Stun, a CD compilation.  Eini was also involved with Kabelbrandt, who were even less prolific.  You can find a track of theirs on Strange Sounds Vol. 2.

According to a website run by Eini, The Bloody Ice tracks were recorded in a span of two years before being released in 1993.  At this point in time, vinyl was on the decline, and with only 300 copies pressed, this one is hard to come by.  The LP was released on Blood Red vinyl (naturally), and both sides of this 12” have different playback aspects, depending on where you drop the needle.  Side A only has the first two songs back to back, and you can only listen to the “Senses in Crossfire” and “French Girl” by placing the needle elsewhere.   Meanwhile, Side B is a double groove, so there’s a 50/50 chance of hearing either “Dying In Arms” or “Firehouse.”

The question here is, “do you feel lucky…?”

Bloody Ice- Bloody Ice 12”
1. Bloody Ice
2. Rullas Gyros
3. Senses In Crossfire
4. French Girl
5. Dying In Arms
6. Firehouse

*download it here*

1 Comment »

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