GUANTANAMO BAYWATCH DARLING IT’S TOO LATE CD/LP
With “Darling… It’s Too Late”, Guantanamo Baywatch sought to harness
and manipulate the sparkling sounds from yesteryear, all while staying
true to the tape hiss and rough takes of analog recording. “We really
wanted a mixtape compilation sound to the record,” says Powell, and that
approach can be heard in both the songwriting and the production.
According to Powell, each individual song was approached with all the
amps and the EQs on the recording console zeroed out. That meant that
every song was recorded with a new template. The title track and lead
single, “Too Late”, perfectly captures this new aesthetic. With Burger
Records soul singer Curtis Harding contributing backing vocals and
rounding out the classic Motown ballad vibe of the track, “Too Late” is
an enormous departure from the trashy Mummies-esque ruckus of their
earlier recordings. Of course, the band hasn’t completely abandoned the
rowdy surf rock of their previous releases–Powell put the finishing
touches on the album back at his Jungle Muscles Studio in Portland to
keep that rough-hewn feel intact. But even when he and his bandmates
Chevelle Wiseman (bass) and Chris Scott (drums) tread on their familiar
territory with songs like “Raunch Stomp” or their cover of Eddie &
The Showmen’s “Mr. Rebel”, there’s a newfound clarity, punch, and
swagger to their sound. Throughout the course of “Darling… It’s Too
Late” the trio continues to fuck with various sub-genres, from the dusty
Western twang of “Corey Baum’s Theme” to the straight-outta-Sun Studios
rocker “Do What You Want.”
FULL ALBUM STREAM
“TOO LATE” OFFICIAL VIDEO
MODEST MOUSE “A LIFE OF ARCTIC SOUNDS” EP (reissue)
There was a period in the ‘90s when you could argue that 7"s were more
important to underground upstarts than full-length albums. Seven inches
were cheap, and young bands stood a better chance of unloading a small
run of EPs than pricier LPs. Consequently, they became the preferred
format for putting your best foot forward, and as a result many indie
stalwarts’ finest moments were initially packaged as 7"s. Case in point:
Modest Mouse first stormed onto the scene with a series of now classic
EPs and singles. Among those early masterpieces was “A Life of Arctic
Sounds” b/w “Medication”, which perfectly captured the celebratory
chaos, melodic introspection, and pensive piss-and-vinegar of these
indie icons. Pressed on White vinyl.
ELLIOTT SMITH “DIVISION DAY” EP (reissue)
Elliott Smith’s “Division Day” is not only one of the late artist’s most
beloved fan favorite songs, it’s also one of Smith’s first departures
away from the soft-spoken melancholy of his first two albums and into
the more sophisticated pop that led to his breakout success. B-side “No
Name #6” is a classic in its own right, encapsulating the humble
brilliance of one of our generation’s greatest singer-songwriters.
“Division Day” b/w “No Name #6” is now back in print with its first
pressing on colored vinyl. Limited to 1000 copies on clear vinyl, this
7" single is a crucial document of Elliott Smith’s musical evolution,
and a vital piece of Suicide Squeeze history.
ELLIOTT SMITH “PRETTY (UGLY BEFORE)” EP (reissue)
“Pretty (Ugly Before)” b/w “A Distorted Reality Is Now A Necessity
To Be Free” holds the distinction of being the last recording by
Elliott Smith to be released while he was still alive. Originally
released as a single in August 2003, the songs were a part of the
recording sessions that would ultimately yield the acclaimed posthumous
album From A Basement On The Hill. The two songs serve as a powerful
reminder of why Smith became the voice for a dejected generation.
Limited to 1000 copies on opaque yellow, this is the first time the 7"
has been available on colored vinyl.
SHANA CLEVELAND & THE SANDCASTLES “OH MAN, COVER THE GROUND” CD/LP
Shana Cleveland is a rare artist who seems dismissive of time.
She’s been performing with a rotating batch of musicians tagged as The
Sandcastles for over six years, and yet Oh Man, Cover The Ground is
their first proper album. It would be easy to chalk up the delay behind
the debut to a slacker lifestyle–Oh Man, Cover The Ground’s laid-back
vibe certainly suggests an extremely casual approach to songcraft. But
Cleveland is no slacker. In the years since she first started playing
out under her own name, she’s helmed a number of other music projects;
most notably her revered Girls In The Garage-inspired band La Luz. In
her downtime, she’s crafted a set of 37 trading cards dedicated to
obscure acoustic guitarists and a calendar of drawings depicting rock
bands of yesteryear. The glacial pace of Oh Man, Cover The Ground’s
development has little to do with work ethic and everything to do with
doing things in a way that feels right. “I don’t really think of it as a
proper band,” says Cleveland. “The line-up has been different for
almost every show depending on which arrangements I thought would be
best for the atmosphere. Some shows I played alone; some with bass,
clarinet, and backing vocals; some with the addition of drums, cello and
piano. We’ve played shows really selectively throughout the last few
years–just sticking to shows that I thought sounded really interesting.
Like, I’d rather play these songs for people in their bedrooms or in a
field at night than on a three band bill at a bar.” In an industry
fixated on striking while the iron is hot, getting an artist in front of
as many people in as short of a time as possible, Cleveland’s
insistence on atmosphere over arbitrary numbers is a bold move.That
insistence on operating outside of its pressures and tedious reminders
has enabled Cleveland to make something that feels, well… timeless. Oh
Man, Cover The Ground came together according to its own clock and
calendar, and consequently feels removed from the bustle of everyday
life. “I think these songs have a lot to do with the weirdness of being
inside your own head all the time in the outside world. Sort of an
internal monologue of thoughts I have but wouldn’t say. It’s about
laziness, and lust, and wanting to eat other people’s food when it looks
better than mine.”
FULL ALBUM STREAM
“HOLY ROLLERS” OFFICIAL VIDEO
“ITCHING AROUND” OFFICIAL VIDEO
HEADPHONES “HEADPHONES” LP (reissue)
10-year anniversary LP pressing! Headphones is the new band featuring
David Bazan (Pedro the Lion), Tim Walsh (Pedro the Lion, TW Walsh), and
Frank Lenz. The self-titled album was engineered and mixed by Jared
Hankins in Seattle in the early days of 2005. The band’s debut is built
wholly from synthesizers (no guitars!), live drums, and the familiar
warmth of Bazan’s syrupy vocal delivery. Headphones kindly tips their
hat to modern stalwarts like Depeche Mode, The Flaming Lips, Kraftwerk,
and Radiohead who seamlessly integrated electronics into the fabric of
rock and pop music. But here, Bazan and company defy easy assumptions
about music made electronically avoiding kitsch and cutesiness,
delivering deft arrangements with timeless melodies and uncanny lyrical
depth. The LP is available in a limited pressing of 1000 copies on white vinyl. Digital download included w/ bonus track.
CHILDBIRTH “WOMEN’S RIGHTS” CD/LP
Childbirth is a “supergroup” in the sense its members are all in other
hit bands (Julia Shapiro of Chastity Belt, Bree McKenna of Tacocat,
Stacy Peck of Pony Time) and also that they do good for the world while
in costume. Childbirth’s forthcoming album, Women’s Rights, is
piss-your-pants funny – subject matter includes a trashy friend bringing
coke to a baby shower (“Baby Bump”) characteristics that warrant an
instant “swipe left” on Tinder (“Siri, Open Tinder”) and dating vapid IT
douches (“Tech Bro.”). Lyrics on Women’s Rights are highly quotable –
from “Tech Bro”: “I’ll let you explain feminism to me/If I can use your
HD TV.” Like the majority of effective political art, Women’s
Rights shows rather than telling. The songs describe what is fucked up
in the world so evocatively that it needs no commentary, and always with
a biting sense of humor. The LP is limited to 1000 copies on Dish Glove Yellow vinyl. A digital download card for MP3s is included.
FULL ALBUM STREAM
“LET’S BE BAD” OFFICIAL VIDEO
BLACK LIPS / THE COATHANGERS “FREEDOM FRIES” EP
How is it that we’re only now seeing a split 7” between Black Lips and
The Coathangers? Shouldn’t this have happened years ago? It’s as if both
bands were locked in alternate garage rock orbits, making elliptical
runs around the globe, rotating around the same hometown center of
Atlanta, Georgia, but only rarely crossing paths for a short tour or a
random one-off show. Given both bands’ prolific output of 7” singles and
split EPs, it seems crazy that it’s taken nearly a decade of
coexistence and mutual admiration for the Peach State’s two favorite
troublemakers to team up on a slab of vinyl. Well, the stars finally
aligned and the result is a fleeting, glorious cosmic event. Black Lips
deliver “Freedom Fries”, an instant classic combining the countrified
piss and vinegar of cowpunk with the immediate gratification of Southern
power pop icons Big Star. The Coathangers once again remind us why
they’re our favorite heirs to The Raincoats’ throne with their indignant
anthem “Watch Your Back”.” This one-two punch of a split 7” is limited
to 1000 copies (download cards included) and comes out Friday, November
13th courtesy of Suicide Squeeze Records. Keep your eyes peeled for
this one—who knows how long we’ll have to wait for the trajectories of
these two bands to cross again.
“FREEDOM FRIES” STREAM
“WATCH YOUR BACK” STREAM
“WATCH YOUR BACK” OFFICIAL VIDEO
MINUS THE BEAR “MENOS EL OSO” LP (reissue)
When the members of Minus the Bear first convened in a dingy
practice space in 2001, there were few expectations for the project other than providing
a reason for the five drinking buddies to hang out, have a few laughs, and
write some idiosyncratic pop songs. Seattle had just closed out a decade of
living in a cultural spotlight due to their city’s penchant for loud, earnest,
brooding rock music, and the guys in Minus the Bear seemed to take pleasure in
writing songs that were the antithesis to the ‘90s heavy-handed big-riff gloom.
All the members had done their time pedaling angst and frustration in other
music projects, so it seemed to make sense to offset that vitriol with cerebral
pop songs. Their debut EP, This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic, with
it’s nimble guitar work, observational lyrics, complex hooks, and
four-on-the-floor dance beats, proved to be a breath of fresh air in a city
that lived under a bank of black clouds nine months out of the year.
Over the
course of the next four years, Minus the Bear demonstrated that they were more
than just some flashy playful indie pop act. Sure, their first full-length
album Highly Refined Pirates still displayed some levity in its
aesthetics, as if the band was one-degree removed from the often overly serious
indie rock world, but the frivolous elements of the band belied their
forward-thinking instrumentation, razor-sharp chops, and forthright lyrical
vignettes. Even still, the band were on a mission to shed the remaining
vestiges of their whimsy when they released their sophomore album Menos el
Oso in the late summer of 2005. The lush, intricate two-handed tapping
guitar lines that defined their early work were replaced with glitchy guitar
samples and effects pedal manipulations. The big, boomy room sounds of their
previous records were ditched in favor of air-tight, in-your-face drum tones.
Their melodies took a turn toward minor keys. Even their lyrics seemed to hint
that the late night parties and escapes from the city described on their past
records were now tainted by some hard life lessons. Minus the Bear had always
taken their craft seriously, but Menos el Oso was their first record where
the overall tone of the album matched the stern discipline of their
musicianship.
It was a
bit of a gamble to follow up the buoyant guitar gymnastics of their debut album
with a full-length that throbbed with staccato riffs, sepia-toned lyrics, and
an almost electronic pulse. But it wound up being a pivotal album in Minus the
Bear’s trajectory. Not only did Menos el Oso propel the band to bigger
audiences, it set a precedent for the band’s future fearlessness in exploring
new sonic frontiers. To commemorate this landmark album, Suicide Squeeze is
offering a 10-year anniversary vinyl edition of Menos el Oso. After
years of being out of print in the vinyl format, Menos el Oso is being
repressed in a gatefold jacket with a matte finish and UV gloss. It includes a
printed inner sleeve with expanded liner notes about the creation of the record
provided by longtime friend of the band Brian Cook (Russian Circles, These Arms
Are Snakes) and includes quotes and insights from the members themselves. The
10-year anniversary edition of Menos el Oso has a limited first pressing
of three thousand copies (1k on clear vinyl with a green high melt, 1k on
yellow marble, and 1k on clear). This is the first time the album is available
on colored vinyl and the first time the LP has included a download card.
