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)
Download FLAC
Download mp3
