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Coral's pillowtalk
Arcwelder's xerxes
Wedding present's Watusi
Rollins band's Weight.
Testament's Low.
Killing Joke's Pandemonium
Meices's Tastes like chicken
Mule's If I don't six.
SDRE's Diary
Thinking fellers' Strangers from the universe
Bedhead's Whatfunlifewas

The Flaming Lips were cresting in 1994. It felt as if they could do no wrong with releases that felt singular and brash for a pop band infatuated with noise and experimentation. In retrospect Mercury Rev was the weirder and more genuinely drugged-out, noisier counterpart, but the Lips had already made the mainstream jump by 1994 giving their music a wider reach. Their ep Due to High Expectations...The Flaming Lips Are Providing Needles for Your Balloons filled with b-sides, singles, Alan Vega, and Smog covers got a lot of play in my circle.

Lots of great bands and records already mentioned. Chicago (the city) remained hot shit in '94: At Action Park, Down, Jimmywine Majestic, Fresh Breath, Ursa Major, self-titled debuts from The Sea and Cake, Tortoise...just a wealth of local music which felt unparalleled. Even the alternarock of American Thighs and Whip Smart felt effortlessly boastful in a city filled with "next big things" as it were.

Shout out to Orphans Tragedy from Cows. I was deep in Cows shit by '94. Sin and Tonic from Mono Men, Teengenerate's Get Action, Howl from The Makers and probably a lot of other Estrus releases I'm forgetting.

Vibracobra wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2024 4:37 pm Coral's pillowtalk

Forgot about the existence of this completely. Loved this band's debut 7-inch EP from a couple years before. The album disappointed me a little b/c it didn't live up to that promise plus they lost their incredible original drummer. Still, it definitely had some moments. (Even though the second album, which hardly anyone remembers, might have been better, or, at least, uglier.)

While we're in the "C" section of the record bins, Circle's full-length debut, Meronia, and Circle X's swansong, Celestial, spent much time on my turntable in 1994.

Recorded years earlier, but does Slint's untitled 10" released that year count?

rsmurphy wrote:In retrospect Mercury Rev was the weirder and more genuinely drugged-out, noisier counterpart... Lots of great bands and records already mentioned. Chicago (the city) remained hot shit in '94:

I was never much of a Flaming Lips fan, just a few songs here and there. But man, Mercury Rev w/the original singer was some wonderful, crazy shit. I remember hearing "Chasing a Bee" for the first time (although this song already felt pretty old by 1994) and being like, what the fuck?

Chicago was indeed the place to be circa then. NYC was arguably more interesting culturally as a whole, but wild-ass rock bands were in steep, steep decline compared to even a year or two before. But yeah, it seemed like there was definitely something exciting happening in Chicago around 1994 (label-wise, Skin Graft, Atavistic, and Drag City all seemed pretty triimphant at the time, never mind T&G), which would carry on thru the next few years.

Beck - Mellow Gold

Another big one for high school zircona1. Though at the time, I was like, "why don't all the songs sound like 'Loser'?" It's held up well.

A_Man_Who_Tries wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2024 8:03 am In the Nightside Eclipse

Enough right there for a solid NC.

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2024 11:15 am I was never much of a Flaming Lips fan, just a few songs here and there. But man, Mercury Rev w/the original singer was some wonderful, crazy shit. I remember hearing "Chasing a Bee" for the first time (although this song already felt pretty old by 1994) and being like, what the fuck?

I'm in complete agreement that David Baker injected an almost lethal amount of weirdness in early Mercury Rev. Boces is an all-timer; what a magnificently fucked-up and turbulent pop record. But like mid-period Lips I get the most enjoyment from mid-period Mercury Rev, sans David Baker. See You on the Other Side, Deserter's Songs, and All Is Dream are near perfect to my ears. Also, no disrespect to David Baker but I saw his band, Variety Lights, over ten years ago and they just weren't my thing. In bands I think there sometimes needs to be a bandmate that provides a foil or counterpart to keep the self-indulgence in check. In Variety Lights it was all Baker

Though technically not a 1994 release Gimmick from Barkmarket is from the era. I fucking love that record.

Stuff that I don't believe got a mention...

Richard Buckner/Bloomed - Ain't just a great record from that year. It's an "All-Time..." great record. "This Is Where" might be the best tune anyone put out that year.

Idaho/This Way Out - It's Idaho.

The Afghan Whigs/What Jail Is Like ep - That Ass Ponys cover is a keeper.

Quicksand/The "Divorce"/"Voice Killer" single - It's a barn burner.

Danzig/4 - Ain't exactly the first three records, but it is solid.

Pantera/The "Tour..." version of the "Planet Caravan" CD single. The "Biomechanical Mix..." of "By Demons Be Driven" that Justin Broadrick did still holds up.

The Crow OST - Everything from "The Badge" on out is a keeper. Just the version of "Time Baby" that is essentially a Cocteau Twins tune...

Also...

The Dambuilders/Encendedor - Probably worth it for just what Joan plays on it.

Come to think of it...

Unbroken/Life. Love. Regret. - It will still set whatever you are playing it on ablaze.

numberthirty wrote: Sun Mar 17, 2024 11:18 pm The Dambuilders/Encendedor - Probably worth it for just what Joan plays on it.

OH!

Man, "Shrine" and "Slo Mo Kikaida" were stuck in my dome for months.

I don't think anyone mentioned Orange