Sub-Pop Gems.

Pond - ST
Hazel - Toreador of Love
Any and everything by the Thermals
Any and everything by Mark Lanegan
Les Thugs - Strike

 

Ups... I wasn't aware that "Go The Hack" came out on Sub Pop stateside. Back in the day Cosmic Psychos were a fantastic band but I never heard anything after "Oh What A Lovely Pie" which is almost 20 years old. But up to that I think their albums are ace!

 

Also (some already mentioned):
The Grifters, Father John Misty, Codeine, Sebadoh, Zumpano, TAD, The Notwist, Beat Happening, Jeremy Enigk, Green River.

 

Anyway, this bad boy is one of my fave SP releases - the CD version being best, as it contains most of the God's Balls album (which never got a CD release outside Germany) and the original grunge anthem "Loser".

 

WOW...so much to respond to! Sensory overload!

1. I friggin love SEAWEED. They were a fantastic band. Great songs. FOUR and WEAK are seminal albums for me. Also agree on The Walkabouts. immensely underrated.
2. To the poster who commented on 120 Minutes.... yes I am VERY familiar with it. I rarely missed an episode back in the day. However, I think the one in England was different than the one in the U.S., was it not? Im not entirely sure, but I think we were watching different shows with the same name. Two different hosts.
3. I also own that Fluid record Clear Black Paper on vinyl. They had been functional for a while on Glitterhouse before Sub-Pop, but man, were they friggin amazing.
4. I absolutely love and ADORE The Afghan Whigs, but their best records were the two they made for Elektra. GENTLEMEN and BLACK LOVE are two monster albums, and they are identified by those two and for good reason. 1965 is good, and their reunion record on Sub Pop has some good moments on it, but those two Elektra records are undeniable classics and their signature records for me.
5. POND!!!! YES!!!

Thank for the replies everybody!

 

Does that one have "Behemoth"? I can never remember as I have the SL/GB reissue. "Behemoth" is my favorite TAD song.

 

It does indeed. Here's the track listing, which IMHO makes the case for Tad as the definitive "grunge" band:

1. "Axe to Grind" – 2:10
2. "High on the Hog" – 2:28
3. "Wood Goblins" – 3:13
4. "Hibernation" – 2:56
5. "Glue Machine" – 3:43
6. "Potlatch" – 3:26
7. "Loser" – 3:26
8. "Behemoth" – 4:08
9. "Pork Chop" – 4:19
10. "Helot" – 2:54
11. "Sex God Missy" – 4:26
12. "Cyanide Bath" – 3:35
13. "Boiler Room" – 4:47
14. "Satan's Chainsaw" – 3:10

 

Hm, you know, looking at the track listing, it's "Helot" that's my favorite.

I agree that TAD personifies the "grunge" label better than any other band. The SP stuff was right in that wheelhouse while stuff like Inhaler and Infrared Riding Hood moved away from that sound.

 

I think 120 minutes was the same format in both countries but with different hosts!

 

yeah i think you're right...but the UK version played a lot of uk based bands as well i think. Dave Kendall? Was that the dude? I think he was before Pinfield in the early 90s.

 

I love a lot of the Sub Pop stuff but 2 of my favorite releases are pretty atypical for them - Dot Allison "Mo' Pop" 7" and Saint Etienne's "Good Humor" LP....

 

Nirvana- Bleach
Mudhoney- Superfuzz Bigmuff
Sebadoh- Bakesale
Codeine - Frigid Stars
Walkabouts- New West Motel
Sleater-Kinney - The Woods

 

I think it was Paul King. Yes there was lots of UK stuff but also lots of American bands. That's where I first heard Afghan Whigs, Tad, Rollins Band, Helmet and a few others!

 

With Afghan Whigs I think it is one nice flow from "Congregation" through "1965", the transformation from sweaty grunge to more sophisticated tones was seamless. Never liked the comeback album though...

 

So many favorites from that label, but my knee jerk reaction always goes to Velocity Girl's "Simpatico".

 

As a whole album, I agree. You can't not have Rick McCollum and be the Whigs. His slide is so important to their sound and you can tell somebody else is laying down those parts. The album had a few nice moments, but as a whole, its definitely their worst record post-Congregation I think.

 

THE GRUNGE YEARS.
Sub-Pop 200.
Two excellent compilations.

 

I have that Green Magnet School/Six Finger Satellite split, but it's been years since I listened to it, so I don't remember what GMS sounded like.

6FS were thee Sub Pop band for me, and the only one I saw live during their heyday ('96). The best Sub Pop album for me was of course Paranormalized, but the others that I loved were Beat Happening-You Turn Me On, Afghan Whigs-Congregation and of course Earth-3: Thrones and Dominions. I owned many Sub Pop albums over the years, and many bands who flew past the Sub Pop label via the singles club were also loved. Such a diverse and long-lasting non-major label is unparalleled in my books.

 

could not agree more.
if you want a quick refresher on GMS, check this out: HERE
you can download everything for free via their Bandcamp.
bonus tunes with each record.

 

"Simpatico" and "Copacetic" rock!

 

I used to endlessly stare at the Sub Pop paper catalogs when I was a kid in the early 90's.
Although I never heard most of these bands, I am familair with the names and covers,
so this brings back memories.

One thing I recall doing around that time - I actually called Sub Pop (long distance call), because I needed to know what "b/w" meant in regard to singles! I think it took a minute for the Sub Pop guy to register what I was asking. That's where I learned "backed with."

Also, if I recall correctly the EMP Museum in Seattle had a good bit of Sub Pop stuff on display.
It was a few years ago when I went, took a glance, but I was mostly looking at Hendrix stuff.

 

HAHAHA!
thats a great story about calling Sub Pop.
But, if you need to know something...the best thing to do is ask.
DO you remember if it was a woman you talked to?
If so, it was probably Megan Jasper, who's a bit of a celebrity in her own right.

 

I think it was a guy. Ha, yeah I was kid and didn't have many resources.
I probably tried to talk fast to keep the phone call short. Long distance calls
were charged by the minute back then!

 

SP10 through SP100, give or take a few.
The Fluid were a particular favorite.