Samiam - Billy LP



Thought about putting this in the punk thread, then I decided not to, because the band had really moved on from punk at this point, though there are traces of it here and there throughout the album.

This copy is a reissue on New Red Archives from a couple years ago, pressed on green translucent vinyl. The sound isn't bad, though there is a little bit of distortion (not IGD) on side 2 that I don't remember from the old NRA CD. I'll have to compare the two back to back later and see what my conclusion is. The album is just over 49 minutes long, so it may be that they just tried to cram too much on one LP. Ideally this would be spread out over two pieces of vinyl.

Here is a short review I wrote awhile back on another site:

Billy is my personal favorite Samiam album, mainly for its emotional intensity and powerful sound.

Compared to the previous album Soar, this one has bigger budget "rock" production that allows the instruments to breathe a bit more and the songs are generally longer and many feature less obvious hooks and song structures. Some people may see that as a dip in songwriting quality but to me it's very cathartic, much like the most tortured moments of first generation emo-core bands like Rites of Spring, Embrace, Soul Side, etc. The band does let in some lighter moments towards the end, but for the most part it's a pretty "down" sounding album.

Overall, Billy is an unfairly neglected classic that was lost in the shuffle amidst hordes of lesser, later bands in the 90s. Highly recommended if you like the aforementioned bands, stuff like Leatherface and Jawbreaker, or even older bands like Husker Du and the Replacements.

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Difference Engine - Breadmaker (St. Marie Records Reissue)



Recent reissue of 1994 album from this somewhat obscure group. The sound is basically an American take on "shoegaze", with all the requisite parts: soft male and female vocals, washes of gauzy guitar distortion, a general dreamy vibe, etc. However, it's well done and doesn't sound like they are trying too hard to rip-off a specific group or just doing something really generic, which is generally what I find with most shoegaze revival groups these days. The band also integrates a sampler into their sound, which is vaguely similar to the way early Mission of Burma would utilize tape loops or perhaps some moments of the group Disco Inferno (U.K.). A very good album. My copy is a 16-bit FLAC download, which I grabbed because I had some leftover Paypal credit. The label has also reissued the album on CD and vinyl.

Purchase Link With Soundcloud Preview

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Bailter Space - Robot World



What's up, I thought I'd share a cool recent find for my first post. I was talking with LionsMouth not long ago about Flying Nun bands, and while I still find many of the groups off this label a little lackluster I did find this band. Maybe it's because I've been on a noise rock kick lately, I'm not sure, however this album really clicked for me. I can't put my finger on it but something about the guitars just seem to have the perfect amount of warmth for me. I guess technically the band isn't a shoegaze act but the softly spoken vocals really give it a more atmospheric feel to other noise rock groups and this particular album has a greater amount of distortion than the band's previous releases giving it the signature wall of sound feel.

For my copy I've been listening to a flac download; I've seen Captured Tracks doing some flying nun reissues and I am not sure whether they have the rights to this particular record but I am hoping if the stars align they will give it the modern reissue treatment as the original LP is a bit expensive and hard to find, at least in my neck of the woods.

^That record has been on my list forever. The only Bailter Space album I have is a Matador CD reissue of Tanker + Nelsh from the 90s, which is quite a bit different in style. I agree I there should be a nice reissue of this record. I've heard mixed things about Captured Tracks vinyl reissues. Whomever gets around to doing this record - I'd like to see them do a premium job and not a half-assed one.

Good to see you on here.

Btw, re: Flying Nun, many bands on the label had long careers (or were made up of members that formed other bands down the line) and their sound changed considerably over time. If you hear an early release and don't like the lo-fi sound (common complaint), try one from a little later and it might click.

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Quote
Btw, re: Flying Nun, many bands on the label had long careers (or were made up of members that formed other bands down the line) and their sound changed considerably over time. If you hear an early release and don't like the lo-fi sound (common complaint), try one from a little later and it might click.

I'll be sure to go through flying nun's catalogue again at some point; Some of my favorite albums took a few listens before I enjoyed them (On Fire by Galaxie 500 comes to mind).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/12/2015 12:44AM by Khemikooligan.