MICHAEL NAU – “MOWING” CD/LP
“We did some full band stuff live in Burlington, Vermont, some of it was done in Connecticut, another song was tracked on a back porch in Nashville, others in Maryland,” says Michael Nau when asked about piecing together the material for his debut album, Mowing. “I was just recording songs. I wasn’t sure about really doing a record.” Nau’s casual attitude towards songwriting certainly suits the warm bucolic vibe of Mowing, but his nonchalant approach belies his tireless work ethic and formidable artistry. For the past eight years, Nau has written songs with his wife Whitney McGraw under the name Cotton Jones. Along with their rotating cast of auxiliary members, Nau and McGraw kept a busy schedule of releasing records, rehearsing, and touring. Along the way, Nau would track song ideas. There was a stockpile of these recordings—little sonic experiments, layering exercises, the occasional fully-formed song—nestled away in the Cotton Jones compound in the tiny Appalachian city of Cumberland, Maryland, waiting to be pulled from the shelf and ushered into the sunlight.
AUDACITY – “HYPER VESSELS” LP
When Fullerton, California’s brash quartet Audacity first started churning out EPs and ripping up basements, it was hard to not get swept up in their adolescent exuberance. When a band can boast their ten-year anniversary before their members are legally old enough to rent a car, then one can only assume that their battle plan hinges largely on the rebellious energy and fearless charisma that comes with youth. Their last full-length, 2013’s Butter Knife, confirmed that strategy. It was the perfect encapsulation of a band brimming over with pop hooks, caffeinated chops, and a rabid repurposing of rock’s various primitive permutations. But young bands grow up quickly. Those deliciously sloppy riffs often get cleaned up. The petulant invincibility gets tempered down to cautious clichés. The rough edges get buffed down and glossed over. They stop exploring and opt to settle into the tried and true.
Fortunately, Audacity don’t seem to be the least bit interested in slowing down or sprucing up. If anything, their fourth album Hyper Vessels hits harder and meaner than any of their previous releases. Yeah, maybe the gear involved in making the record sounds a little better, but every drum hit, every guitar strum, and every tuneful shout sounds like there’s more heft behind it.
THE COATHANGERS – “NOSEBLEED WEEKEND” CD/LP
Be leery of any punk band with initial ambitions that go beyond just playing shows with their friends. Sure, great bands ascend beyond basements and handmade demos all the time, but the best acts start with little consideration for the outside world. The groups are their own insular worlds, where the reward comes from the process, not accolades and riches. And the bands that thrive on their own artistic satisfaction usually wind up being the bands that are able to grow beyond the donation jar into sustainable successful musical careers. Their charisma is contagious, their songs exist outside of fads, and their spirits can weather the inevitable ups and downs of life as touring musicians. Such is the case with the Atlanta trio The Coathangers.
Nosebleed Weekend kicks off with “Perfume”, a song that marries sultry pop vocals with toothy guitar riffs in a manner that would make Ann and Nancy Wilson proud. It’s hard to imagine The Coathangers writing a song this accessible in their early years, but in 2016 it fits perfectly into their canon. From there the band launches into “Dumb Baby”, which harkens back to the gritty neo-garage rock of Murder City Devils. Longtime fans who still clamor for their brash post-punk angle will be immediately satiated by “Squeeki Tiki”. And after hearing the noisy loud-quiet-loud bombast of “Excuse Me?” it’s no wonder that Kim Gordon has become an outspoken fan of the band. It’s an eclectic album inspired by life on the road, lost loved ones, and Kugel’s recent move to Southern California. “We always say that each record is a snapshot of our life at the time,” Kugel says. “As far as style… it’s just what came out of us at that point.” So whether it’s the foreboding garage rock of the title track, the post-punk groove of “Burn Me”, the stripped-down pop of “I Don’t Think So”, or the dynamic grunge of “Down Down”, The Coathangers command their songs with passion and authority.
VHS – “THE GIFT OF LIFE” CD/LP
Violent Human System is better known by their acronym VHS. And while Violent Human System does seem like an appropriately nihilistic name for a pessimistic punk band, VHS also serves as a good indication of the new Seattle band’s grainy aesthetic, early ‘80s nods, and analog inclinations. Imagine watching an early Killing Joke video on a deteriorated VCR, and you get a good idea of VHS’s general vibe. This isn’t some kitschy throwback, though. The band’s modus operandi follows the economic pragmatism of punk’s formative years. Eschewing proper studio recordings and the increasingly prohibitive vinyl format, VHS got their start by cranking out home-recorded cassette tapes. The results were the Art Decay, Everything Looks Boring and Vultures & Hungry Spirits cassettes, which conjured the primitive howl of Dead Moon, the driving wallop of The Wipers, and the gloomy deathrock of Rudimentary Peni in one fell swoop.
MODEST MOUSE/764-HERO “WHENEVER YOU SEE FIT” 12″ REISSUE
The mid-‘90s were an interesting time in Seattle. The city had just experienced its brief period in the rock n roll limelight, but it was still a lonely outpost in a largely ignored corner of the United States. Touring bands were reluctant to make the trek up from San Francisco, or across the mountains from Denver, or from across the Great Plains from Minneapolis. There were barely any all-ages venues to play in town. Bands like Modest Mouse and 764-Hero helped fill the rainy void with a relentless schedule of writing and playing out. That creative thirst and no-one’s-watching mentality prompted a lot of artistic exploration and experimentation, a phenomenon best captured on the collaborative single “Whenever You See Fit”. Marrying Modest Mouse’s jagged blowouts with 764-Hero’s pensive songwriting, the track slowly came together over the course of a tour together, with the bands taking the stage together nightly and dueling over a few fleshed out chords. The resulting 15-minute marriage of sparse pop and guitar sturm-and-drang perfectly captured the wistful artistry and punk turbulence of Northwest indie rock at the close of the century.
PEDRO THE LION – “PROGRESS” 2X7″ REISSUE
Pedro the Lion’s first full-length It’s Hard to Find a Friend and subsequent EP The Only Reason I Feel Secure cultivated a dedicated fanbase for songwriter David Bazan’s bittersweet melodies, somnambulist instrumentation, sparse arrangements, and introspective lyrics. When Pedro the Lion issued their second album Winners Never Quit, fans were challenged with a concept record with a heightened pulse, bolder guitars, and a long-form narrative that replaced Bazan’s trademark truncated parables. Any concerns that Pedro the Lion were heading into more turbulent waters were quelled by the Progress EP released by Suicide Squeeze Records three months later. “June 18, 1976”, a humble minor-key ballad that follows an unwed mother’s postpartum tragedy, harkens back to somber simplicity of earlier tracks like “Secret of the Easy Yoke”. Companion track “April 6, 2039” is a lush marriage of Pedro the Lion’s singer-songwriter predilections with newfound electronic components. The song would later turn up as “Progress” on the Control album. The CD version of the EP contained acoustic renditions of classics “Of Up and Coming Monarchs” and “Letter From a Concerned Follower”. As part of their 20th anniversary celebratory series, Suicide Squeeze is proud to offer a limited expanded vinyl repress of Progress containing all four songs from the CD version of the EP.
MINUS THE BEAR – “INTERPRETACIONES DEL OSO” LP REISSUE
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. The LP 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.
THESE ARMS ARE SNAKES – “TAIL SWALLOWER & DOVE” LP REISSUE
Seattle’s art-core outfit These Arms Are Snakes never really fit in anywhere. Over the course of their 2003 debut EP they vacillated between epileptic fits of ‘90s DIY post-hardcore, woozy narcotic jam-outs, fortified classic rock riffage, and slow-churning cataclysmic dirges. The band continued on a path made even more confusing but undeniably invigorating by the jarring synth hooks and four-on-the-floor pulse of their first album Oxeneers and the prog-rock forays of their sophomore full-length Easter. When it came time to record their final album Tail Swallower & Dove, the band was less interested in charting out new territories and more focused on turning their myriad of approaches into one cohesive sound. From the chugging thrust and Heldon-esque breakdown of dueling synth and guitars on “Woolen Heirs”, to the jagged noise rock of “Red Line Season”, to the 8-bit sludge of “Lucifer”, to the climactic twang-and-crunch of side closers “Ethric Double” and “Briggs”, These Arms Are Snakes managed to retain their broad palette of sound while reigning it all in to a cohesive style that continues to defy categorization.
KING TUFF – “WILD DESIRE” 7″ REISSUE
Kyle Thomas’s work under the name King Tuff is a far cry from his primary gigs belting out stoner rock wails with Witch and conjuring lilting freak-folk with Feathers. With King Tuff, Thomas delivers no-nonsense, über-posi, guitar-driven pop. His 2008 album Was Dead was a hit among fans of jubilant, fuzzed out rock n’ roll, including the bigwigs at Sub Pop Records, who promptly snatched up King Tuff and Thomas’s related project Happy Birthday. While the world waits for King Tuff to whip out another full-length dose of righteous tunes, they can find temporary satiation with the two-song Wild Desire 7” on Suicide Squeeze. Both the title track and B-side “Hole In My Head” revel in the sound of guitar jangle and unmitigated stokedness cranked into the red. As part of their 20th anniversary celebratory series, Suicide Squeeze is proud to offer a limited repress of the Wild Desire 7″ on 500 white vinyl copies with a download coupon.
ELLIOTT SMITH / PETE KREBS – “SHYTOWN” 7″ REISSUE
All profits from the record will be donated to Outside/In, a Portland non-profit that provides services for homeless youth.
In 1994, Portland’s idiosyncratic punk pop group Hazel and hushed indie band Heatmiser were providing a less aggravated alternative to the big riffs and howling frontmen of their grunge peers in Seattle. Both bands had strong albums that helped highlight the diversity of Northwest’s rock scene, and both bands had guitarists that were dabbling in solo material. Heatmiser’s Elliott Smith had just released his critically acclaimed album Roman Candle, and Hazel’s Pete Krebs was preparing his debut for Cavity Search Records. It’s no surprise that the tiny burgeoning indie label Slo-Mo Records pounced on the opportunity to release a split 7” by these developing talents. Smith’s “No Confidence Man” is a classic example of his early, stripped-down heartbroken ballads while Krebs’ “Shytown” is a gorgeous acoustic number that deftly navigates between somber passages and the buoyant melodies he was known for in his work with Hazel. Long out of print, it’s Suicide Squeeze Records’ proud honor to repress the 7” as part of their 20-year anniversary celebratory series. “No Confidence Man” b/w “Shytown” is limited to 500 copies on opaque blue vinyl and 500 copies on opaque yellow. Additionally, the 7” features all new artwork by Grammy nominated designer Jesse LeDoux and includes a download coupon. Remixed by Larry Crane at Jackpot! Recording Studio, Portland, OR. Tape transfers by Mr. Toad’s, SF, CA. Mastered by Roger Seibel at SAE Mastering, Phoenix, AZ.
VARIOUS ARTISTS – “SSR20″ CD PROMO
MICHAEL NAU – “LOVE SURVIVE” DIGITAL SINGLE
DAVID BAZAN – “CHRISTMAS BONUS” 12″
David Bazan’s Christmas Bonus is a limited edition one-sided 12” that serves as a companion piece to Bazan’s Dark Sacred Night. Pressed on white vinyl, the b-side features an etching of a wreath. Artwork by Grammy nominated designer Jesse LeDoux.
DAVID BAZAN – “DARK SACRED NIGHT” CD/LP
“There is something that is underrepresented in Christmas music, and that’s just how uncomfortable the holidays can be for a lot of folks,” David Bazan says about his collection of holiday songs Dark Sacred Night. Back in 2002, David Dickenson of Suicide Squeeze Records approached Bazan and asked if he would be interested in doing a 7” of Christmas carols. The result was the “I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day” b/w “Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel” single released under Bazan’s Pedro the Lion moniker. He followed it up with “The First Noel” 7” in 2003 and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” in 2005. Even after retiring the Pedro The Lion project, Bazan continued his run of Yuletide singles for Suicide Squeeze under his own name. These limited edition 7”s are all long out of print, but David Bazan and Suicide Squeeze have chosen ten of the fourteen tracks, remixed and remastered the material, and collected them on Dark Sacred Night.
