Slovenly - The Shape of Unease

 

Short bio:
Emerging from the vibrant Los Angeles underground scene of the early 1980s, Slovenly quickly aligned themselves with SST Records, joining the ranks of genre-defying acts like Minutemen and Saccharine Trust. While rooted in post-punk, Slovenly’s sound was distinct—jagged guitar lines, off-kilter rhythms, and abstract lyrical explorations defined their music, eschewing hardcore’s aggression in favour of cerebral tension and melodic dissonance. Their lineup, solidified around Tom Watson (guitar), Steve Anderson (vocals), and Rob Holzman (drums), evolved through six albums between 1984 and 1992, carving a subtle but enduring place in the SST catalogue.

Slovenly never courted wide attention, and that was part of their appeal—their music felt like a quiet rebellion against both punk orthodoxy and mainstream accessibility. Over time, their work has earned a cult appreciation for its restless invention, poetic lyricism, and emotional restraint. Their final album, Highway to Hanno's, remains a fitting capstone: mature, moody, and uncompromisingly them.


As I mentioned in the "Slivers From the Spine" SST compilation, here's the Slovenly anthology I'd been thinking about. I also stated that they're rather an acquired taste. If you’re after straightforward verse/chorus/verse structures, this band probably isn’t for you! Steve Anderson's vocals can be a stumbling block for some too; he's often compared to Ian Curtis, another singer who tends to divide opinion. Sure there's similarities but I think Anderson shows more variety, even in his off-key moments!

Compiling these tracks, it was tough deciding what to include, and what to leave out. I'm sure there'll be some comments regarding about what's missing, I can only apologise but after a lot of deliberation this is how it panned out. My favourite Slovenly album, "Riposte", features most heavily here, 6 tracks in total, but I have included tracks from all of their album/single/EP releases. 

The majority of these tracks are ripped from vinyl, some by me (tracks from the albums "Thinking of Empire" & "Riposte"),  the other excellent vinyl rips I found from various sources. Big thanks to those who took the time to rip these hard to find records. Tracks from the last 2 album releases are ripped from CD. As ever, origin of each track & year of release is tagged in the music files and noted in the download folder. Hope you enjoy this one. Cheers!


  1. Dialogue (5:04)
  2. Movement (3:01)
  3. Temp. Struct. (2:34)
  4. Old/New (3:20)
  5. What's It Called (3:02)
  6. Instability (3:33)
  7. Seeking Equilibrium (3:58)
  8. Now (2:23)
  9. Emma (2:09)
10. Enormous Critics (2:32)
11. Today or Ck (2:59)
12. On the Beach (3:41)
13. Running for Public Office (3:56)
14. The Way Untruths Are (4:13)
15. Plug (2:41)
16. Where Are My Friends (4:55)
17. To Tito With Love (2:49)
18. Distended (2:56)
19. On the Surface (3:00)
20. A Year With No Head (2:59)
21. Even So (3:35)
22. No Shore (3:02)
23. Cartwheels of Glory (2:57)
24. Prejudice (2:21)
25. Sleep From the Eye (2:10)

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Slivers From the Spine (SST Records)

 

Hello again! This latest compilation is in celebration of SST Records, one of my favourite record labels from the 1980s. It's by no means a definitive overview; rather, it features tracks from SST releases I personally bought back in the day. I thought about including something from Opal’s "Happy Nightmare Baby", but the version I picked up was released on Rough Trade in the UK, so it didn’t feel quite right for this comp. Also no Henry Rollins era Black Flag are here, the only release I bought of them was "The First Four Years", which covers their early stuff before Rollins joined.

Some albums I still cherish, notably the albums released on SST by Minutemen, Hüsker Dü, Volcano Suns, Screaming Trees and Slovenly. I really should do a Slovenly anthology one day, they're a bit of an acquired taste but I've loved every album they released. Maybe a Volcano Suns collection too, that'd be quite a noisy affair! Another possibility is Pell Mell, in fact the final SST album I bought was their 1991 release "Flow". Like most of my comps, this one’s a mix of some better-known bands and a few more obscure ones that you might not have heard of before.

Jusf for the fun of it, I posted this mix to ChatGPT and asked them to write up a description of the contents. Here is the result!
"From the vaults of America's most relentlessly uncompromising independent label comes a collection so raw, so real, and so recklessly non-commercial… we’re amazed it exists at all.

Presenting a once-in-a-lifetime sonic journey through the hallowed halls of SST Records, where melody feared to tread and song structure was merely a suggestion. This essential anthology assembles the all-stars of underground iconoclasm: the blinding fury of Black Flag, the melodic mayhem of Hüsker Dü, the sunbaked surrealism of Meat Puppets, the econo-genius of Minutemen, and the art-damaged charm of Slovenly—bands so ahead of their time, they’re still broke.

This collection crackles with the unfiltered electricity of an era when indie meant indigent, and “tour support” was just sleeping on a stranger’s floor.

Are you ready for 80 minutes of music that changed everything, and sold almost nothing?
Then step into the van, crank the volume, and embrace the noise.

SST: Sounds So Tremendous. Or Something."

Not bad, I must say! As usual origin of each track & year of release is tagged in the music files and noted in the download folder. Hope you enjoy!


  1. Black Flag - Nervous Breakdown (2:05)
  2. Hüsker Dü - I Apologize (3:36)
  3. Angst - Red Wing (2:43)
  4. Minutemen - The Glory of Man (2:57)
  5. Saccharine Trust - We Became Snakes (5:21)
  6. Würm - I'm Dead (3:24)
  7. Bad Brains - Sacred Love (3:36)
  8. No Man is Roger Miller - Calling the Animals (3:56)
  9. Lawndale - Interstellar Caravan (2:49)
10. Das Damen - 555 (ESP With a Fender Version - Long Mix) (6:07)
11. Screaming Trees - Transfiguration (3:55)
12. Slovenly - The Way Untruths Are (4:16)
13. Volcano Suns - Noodle on the Couch (3:56)
14. Dicks - Rich Daddy (2:27)
15. Sonic Youth - Shadow of a Doubt (3:32)
16. Trotsky Icepick - Big Dreams (4:03)
17. Pell Mell - Aero (3:54)
18. fIREHOSE - The Candle and the Flame (3:11)
19. Descendents - Impressions (3:06)
20. Meat Puppets - Away (3:25)
21. Dinosaur Jr. - Lose (3:07)
22. Grant Hart - Twenty-Five Forty-One (4:40)

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Songs from Beneath the Spaghetti Tree Vol. 102

 

Back to "normal" for this volume, all tracks picked by me. My next collaboration with Man Erg will most probably be for Volume 105, but if you'd prefer it to sooner please let me know! Once again thanks for all the lovely comments, and I hope you enjoy this latest volume!

  1. Cocteau Twins - Rococo (3:04)
  2. Population II - La Trippance (3:39)
  3. The Cyclist Conspiracy - Virility (6:28)
  4. Robyn Hitchcock and The Egyptians - Never Stop Bleeding (2:44)
  5. Mazarin - Hello Prudence (5:54)
  6. Manfred Mann - A "B" Side (5:12)
  7. The Flat Five - This Is Your Night (2:55)
  8. Monde UFO - Sunset Entertainment 3 (3:50)
  9. Pylon - Cool (3:17)
10. Patti Whipp with The Infinite Blue - It's Gone (2:22)
11. Kendra Smith - Space : Unadorned (4:59)
12. Open Head - House (3:55)
13. Crumb - From Outside a Window Sill (2:36)
14. Bill Nelson - Living in My Limousine (4:10)
15. Bingo Sputnik - Celluloid (2:34)
16. Gulp - Silver Tides (5:27)
17. The Smell of Incense - The Golden Knot (5:48)
18. Traffik Island - Ulla Dulla (2:34)
19. Edwards Hand - Characters Number One (3:55)
20. MIEN - Empty Sun (3:54)

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Songs from Beneath the Spaghetti Tree Vol. 101

 

 

I had originally planned to stop making the Spaghetti Tree compilations after volume 100, but since they're quite popular, I'll continue as long as there's interest. For the landmark 100th volume, Man Erg selected all the tracks, and it turned out to be quite monumental! For this new volume, Man Erg is contributing again, but this time, we're collaborating. I chose the first track for the mix, then Man Erg picked the second, back to me for the third, and so on. The tracklist follows the exact order in which we selected them. I like to think it turned out well, but, of course, that's for you to decide!

Since the very first volume of Spaghetti Tree began with a track by Felt, I thought it was only fitting that they should have the honour of opening Volume 101. Hard to believe it's over 10 years since I compiled volume 1. Where did the time go?!?! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!

  1. Felt - Tuesday's Secret (2:28)
  2. That Petrol Emotion - Lettuce (2:18)
  3. Olivier Depardon - La Bonne Distance (3:44)
  4. Boards of Canada - Roygbiv (2:28)
  5. Oneida - Rose and Licorice (3:05)
  6. Fantastic Something - If She Doesn’t Smile (It'll Rain) (3:11)
  7. Futuropaco - Poliziesco (4:08)
  8. Lunophone - Ametista (2:12)
  9. Karen Beth - Something to Believe In (2:21)
10. Bridget St. John - Lizard-Long-Tongue Boy (3:04)
11. Jack Cheshire - Heavy Rotations (3:34)
12. Merrell Fankhauser & H.M.S. Bounty - Madame Silky (2:37)
13. Vivian Stanshall - Smoke Signals at Night (3:15)
14. Timebox - Gone Is the Sad Man (3:43)
15. Nick Lowe - Big Kick, Plain Scrap (2:42)
16. Dyr Faser - Nothing Above (4:01)
17. Carla dal Forno - The Garden of Earthly Delights (4:17)
18. Mick Ronson - Billy Porter (3:33)
19. Tall Dwarfs - Get Outta the Garage (3:03)
20. David Sylvian - Orpheus (4:46)
21. All Seeing Dolls - Non-Waltz (3:34)
22. John Cale - Mr. Wilson (3:14)
23. Salaryman - Graze the Umbra (3:34)
24. The Pink Fairies - Do It (3:00)

Slugbucket picks: Tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23
Man Erg picks: Tracks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24

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Wire - Partial Exposure 2002 - 2020

 

Short bio:
Wire formed in 1976 in Watford, England and after splitting in 1980, have reformed three times. They consist of Colin Newman (vocals, guitar), Graham Lewis (vocals, bass) and Robert Grey (aka Robert Gotobed; drums). Founding guitarist Bruce Gilbert left in 2004. In 2008, Margaret Fielder McGinnis of Laika joined the band as their touring guitarist, but as of 2010 has been replaced by Matt Simms.

Wire are considered a definitive and highly influential art punk and post-punk band, due to their richly detailed and atmospheric sound and obscure lyrical themes. They steadily developed from an early noise rock style to a more complex, structured sound involving increased use of guitar effects and synthesizers. The band gained a reputation for experimenting with song arrangements throughout their career.

 Click here for full bio

Wire have featured prominently on this blog, appearing multiple times in my "Spaghetti Tree" or yearly "Best of" compilations. Over the years, several compilations of Wire’s music have been released, the most notable being "On Returning (1977-1979)" released in 1989, and "1985-1990: The A List" in 1993. However, no compilation has yet celebrated Wire’s later period. To rectify this, I've picked a few favourite tracks from their various EPs/albums from 2002's "Read & Burn 01" up to their most recent (final?) release, 2020's "10:20" which contains reinterpretations of a few old songs from their back catalogue.
As always, each track’s origin and year of original release are tagged in the music files and in the download file. I hope you enjoy this latest anthology!


  1. I Don't Understand (3:17)
  2. A Flat Ten (2:14)
  3. Hard Currency (3:50)
  4. Underwater Experiences (10:20 Version) (2:15)
  5. Unrepentant (4:56)
  6. Fishes Bones (3:02)
  7. Brio (3:37)
  8. Trash/Treasure (5:07)
  9. In the Art of Stopping (2:46)
10. Re-Invent Your Second Wheel (3:45)
11. Oklahoma (3:05)
12. No Warning Given (5:24)
13. Sleep-Walking (7:27)
14. Four Long Years (3:45)
15. German Shepherds (10:20 Version) (4:28)
16. Clay (3:12)
17. Sleep on the Wing (2:57)
18. Forward Position (4:48)
19. 23 Years Too Late (9:43)

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21st Century Psychedelia - Volume 8

 

 

 

  1. The Polvos! - Going Down (6:59)
  2. Infierno de Dante - Inseguridad (4:42)
  3. MOOON - Living in the Night (4:18)
  4. Magic Fig - Goodbye Suzy (3:43)
  5. Traum - Shoeshine (4:45)
  6. Bananagun - Gift of the Open Hand (2:25)
  7. Hamada - Mirror (6:09)
  8. Sand Pebbles - Honey Rush (3:16)
  9. Magick Brother & Mystic Sister - The Fool (5:19)
10. SANAM - Bell (5:54)
11. Black Market Karma - Mellowmaker (6:13)
12. LAIR - Pesta Rakyat Pabrik Gula (3:39)
13. Melody Fields - Indian MC (3:12)
14. The Asteroid No.4 - Silhouette (7:15)
15. ORB - Can't Do That (5:22)
16. Ghost Woman - Juan (6:35)

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Songs from Beneath the Spaghetti Tree Vol. 100 (Man Erg Special)

 

Here, at long last, is volume 100 of Songs from Beneath the Spaghetti Tree. As I started off DJing back in the day with Man Erg, for this special volume I asked him to pick a few of his favourites from the past few years/decades/century. Hope you enjoy!


Part 1:
  1. The Clean - Point That Thing Somewhere Else (5:25)
  2. Broadcast - The Book Lovers (3:32)
  3. Markley - Little Ruby Rain (2:59)
  4. Peter Cook and Dudley Moore - The L.S. Bumble Bee (2:42)
  5. Supersister - She Was Naked (3:42)
  6. Wire - Outdoor Miner (2:48)
  7. Television - Days (3:11)
  8. Cockney Rebel - Such a Dream (5:00)
  9. Hüsker Dü - The Girl Who Lives on Heaven Hill (3:04)
10. The Chills - Flamethrower (3:12)
11. Traffic Sound - Simple (3:29)
12. The Search Party - The News is You (4:39)
13. Another Sunny Day - Kilburn Towers (3:07)
14. The Action - Brain (4:21)
15. Keith Christmas - Forest and the Shore (7:03)
16. Mighty Baby - Egyptian Tomb (5:28)
17. Subway Sect - Ambition (3:07)
18. Delia Derbyshire & Anthony Newley - Moogies Bloogies (2:24)
19. Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band - My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains (2:51)
20. Shudder to Think - Rag (3:11)
21. Tapir! - On a Grassy Knoll (We'll Bow Together) (4:17)


Part 2:
   1. Faust - Jennifer (7:08)
  2. Magick Brother & Mystic Sister - Echoes From the Clouds (4:06)
  3. The Mice - Little Rage (4:47)
  4. Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action (3:34)
  5. Bird Nest Roys - Joringel (3:18)
  6. The Beautiful Daze - City Jungle (5:39)
  7. Susan Christie - No One Can Hear You Cry (2:20)
  8. Kevin Ayers - Song for Insane Times (4:01)
  9. A Certain Ratio - Do the Du (Casse) (2:49)
10. Look Blue Go Purple - Cactus Cat (3:18)
11. Downliners Sect - White Caterpillar (2:27)
12. The Factory - Try a Little Sunshine (3:32)
13. The Chesterf!elds - Ask Johnny Dee (2:57)
14. The Moles - Bury Me Happy (3:02)
15. Stereolab - Ping Pong (3:01)
16. The Poets - That's the Way It's Got to Be (2:33)
17. Dorothy Ashby - Soul Vibrations (3:19)
18. Anona - The Boy and the Lion (5:40)
19. Love - August (5:03)
20. The Fall - New Face in Hell (5:39)

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Triptides - Leave Your Body Behind

 

Short bio:
Influenced by the sunny jangle of the Byrds, the warm psychedelia of Pink Floyd, and the bouncy melodies of the Beatles, Triptides never sound in thrall to their heroes. Instead, their music sounds like a modern, kaleidoscopic continuation of the magical sounds of the late '60s, spiced with a little bit of the Paisley Underground and dipped in modern, reverb-heavy production techniques. Their early albums saw the band learning their craft, and by the time of 2015's "Azur", they were making assured psychedelic pop on par with any of their contemporaries. A move to Curation Records in 2021 for the LP "Alter Echoes" coincided with their biggest, most professional-sounding effort yet, which they followed with the wide-ranging, jazz-fusion-tinged "Starlight" in 2023.

 Click here for full bio

Formed in 2010, Triptides had already released several albums by the time I first took an interest in them. That moment came when I heard their sixth album, 2018's "Visitors", and was immediately captivated. So much so that it made my top 10 albums of the year, "Mary Ann" being the opening track on my Best of 2018 mix. Though the band has since refined their sound, incorporating even more influences, "Visitors" remains my favourite release, though their last album, "Starlight" from 2023 comes a close second. I’ve never been particularly drawn to their earlier work, which leaned more into surf and garage rock with noticeably rough production. Because of that, this isn’t a comprehensive anthology, none of those early tracks feature here.

Unsurprisingly, "Visitors" features most prominently here, with three tracks included. I highly recommend starting with their 2013 album, "Predictions", which was remastered in 2022 and now sounds significantly better. Perhaps their earlier releases could benefit from a remaster as well? Time will tell...
As usual, origin of each track & year of release is tagged in the music files and in the download file. I hope you enjoy this latest anthology!


  1. Colors (3:47)
  2. Sundown (3:01)
  3. Gone for a While (2:58)
  4. Hole in Your Mind (4:14)
  5. Blow Away (3:58)
  6. It Won't Hurt You (3:01)
  7. The Illusion (2:51)
  8. Unwound (4:19)
  9. Undone (2:07)
10. Not Mine (3:50)
11. Clementine (2:55)
12. Heavy Cloud (4:08)
13. See Her Light (2:29)
14. Free Fall (3:08)
15. Slip Away (4:41)
16. Shining (5:05)
17. Another Shore (2:51)
18. Resolve (3:37)
19. Nirvana Now (4:53)
20. Mary Anne (4:19)
21. Never Asking Why (3:28)
22. Thinking About the End (3:43)

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Man Erg's ∞th Monumental Mix

 

Happy New Year, everyone! To kick off 2025, here is Man Erg's ∞th Monumental Mix, a selection of some of his favourite artists and tracks from 2024. While Man Erg and I have quite similar wide tastes in music, each year his song selection features a few artists I'm not familiar with, plus a few I somehow missed. I'm never disappointed, and need to check out their other releases. I hope you enjoy diving into this mix as much as I loved putting it together. Here's to discovering new favourites and celebrating another year of amazing music. Cheers!

Part 1:
  1. Louis Fontaine - Insalata Russa (4:05)
  2. Kit Sebastian - Odyssey (3:40)
  3. Astral Bakers - Within a Heartbeat (3:40)
  4. Isobel Campbell - Do or Die (2:34)
  5. Beak> - Hungry Are We (5:00)
  6. Magick Brother & Mystic Sister - The Tower (3:15)
  7. Brown Spirits - Mind Rocker (Part 1) (3:34)
  8. Stick in the Wheel - Steals The Thief (7:20)
  9. Jane Weaver - Happiness in Proximity (3:44)
10. BaBa ZuLa - Arsiz Saksagan (Cheeky Magpie) (6:10)
11. Goat - Dollar Bill (5:46)
12. Trust Fund - New University (3:03)
13. The Greek Theatre - Who Was That Man (4:58)
14. Kim Deal - Summerland (3:01)
15. SHOLTO - The Pony (3:05)
16. Aquaserge - Le Saut du Tigre (3:08)
17. Sababa 5 & Yurika - Empty Hands (3:20)
18. Julia Holter - Who Brings Me (3:30)
19. Club Kuru - Before the World (5:43)

Part 2:
  1. Asher White - Downstate Prairie (4:02)
  2. The Rowan Amber Mill - Keep On (6:10)
  3. La Luz - Poppies (3:29)
  4. The Panturas - Lasut Nyanggut (4:20)
  5. Beautify Junkyards - Here Everything is Still Floating (3:58)
  6. Cosmic Analog Ensemble - The Patterns of a Hand (2:14)
  7. The Bookshop Band - Dirty Word (3:40)
  8. anaiis & Grupo Cosmo - Toda Cor feat. Luedji Luna (3:47)
  9. Mdou Moctar - Imouhar (5:06)
10. Georgian - Soleil (3:28)
11. Fievel Is Glauque - It's So Easy (2:08)
12. Cabane - Italian Mysteries feat. Kate Stables (3:25)
13. Christopher Owens - White Flag (5:01)
14. Stephen Pastel and Gavin Thomson - We Have Sex (2:56)
15. Dummy - Minus World (2:32)
16. The Soundcarriers - Wider Arcs (3:45)
17. Bananagun - Free Energy (4:35)
18. Chrysanths - Fleet (3:49)
19. Laetitia Sadier - Une Autre Attente (2:38)
20. Tapir! - Mountain Song (7:12)

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