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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Best of 2022 mix - Volume 1

 

Well, here we go again, time for this year's personal favourites of 2022. Due to work commitments unfortunately I've not been able to listen to as much new stuff as the previous few years, but still found plenty of excellent albums, though probably only enough for 2 volumes this year. Just one thing to add about my selections, each track I pick isn't neccessarily my favourite on each album, I usually go with how they'll fit on each mix.

My top 10 albums of the year...? Can't decide just yet but the albums by Gwenno, The Black Angels, The Cool Greenhouse and Gilla Band are definitely in there. After this 1st volume, as per usual I'll be posting Manerg's favourites this year, looking forward to hearing his selections. Hopefully that'll be posted before the year is out. So, Happy Christmas to all of you out there, and extra special thanks to everyone who has posted comments on the blog. Hope you enjoy this collection. Cheers!


  1. Ty Segall - Saturday Pt. 2 (4:06)
  2. The Cool Greenhouse - Musicians (5:27)
  3. Loop - Fermion (4:16)
  4. Gwenno - Kan Me (4:06)
  5. Nok Cultural Ensemble - Y.T.T.T. (5:03)
  6. Big Joanie - Insecure (3:17)
  7. Otoboke Beaver - Yakitori (1:44)
  8. Lalalar - Simülasyon Terk (4:15)
  9. O'o - Moon (3:17)
10. The Black Albumen - Tempters / Circle (5:47)
11. OCH - Silverstjärnan (4:57)
12. Psychedelic Porn Crumpets - Dread & Butter (2:53)
13. The Telephones - Arrow (4:18)
14. Derya Yildirim & Grup Simsek - Odam Kireç Tutmuyor (3:42)
15. Pedro Salvador - As Novas Aventuras do Mercado-Deus (5:06)
16. Minami Deutsch - Grumpy Joa (5:29)
17. GIFT - Pez (4:42)
18. Badge Époque Ensemble - Conspiring with Nature (7:12)

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Songs from Beneath the Spaghetti Tree Vol. 51

 

After the avalanche of the first 50 volumes in this series, further volumes will appear more sporadically, maybe one a month. To kick off this next batch, I will now be using for cover art photos taken by my lovely friend Sarah.  Again the same theme, many styles of music, mostly obscure artists with the odd well known thrown in. Enjoy!

  1. Churn Milk Joan - Just Bloody Lovely (3:57)

  2. Yellow Sunshine Explosion - Kaleidoscope (3:05)
  3. Fairfield Parlour - Free (4:16)
  4. Radio Birdman - Man with Golden Helmet (5:36)
  5. Bobby Hutcherson - Hello to the Wind (5:56)
  6. Toby Jug & Washboard Band - Wringing That Thing (2:49)
  7. Jesse Garon & The Desperadoes - The Rain Fell Down (3:31)
  8. Zolar X - Timeless (1:58)
  9. Claude Engel - West Coast Memories (2:20)
10. Pipi Caca - Mise en Abîme (3:00)
11. Automatic - Signal (3:03)
12. Ben Jagga - Hold on Pretty Woman (3:58)
13. Bongwater - What If? (1:47)
14. Denny King - Lucille (3:07)
15. Moondog - Dog Trot (2:22)
16. fIREHOSE - The Candle and the Flame (3:12)
17. Alex Chilton - Every Time I Close My Eyes (alt version) (1:45)
18. Dave Richmond - Confunktion (4:35)
19. PicaPica - Village Kids (3:05)
20. Orchestre Super Borgou de Parakou - Ko Guere (3:50)
21. Saccharine Trust - Longing for Ether (4:34)
22. Love - I'm With You (2:40)
23. Rose City Band - Wide Roll (4:23)

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Songs from Beneath the Spaghetti Tree Vol. 31

 

  1. Those - Raumpatrouille Orion (4:45)

  2. Flat Worms - White Roses (2:03)
  3. Adam & Eve - The Witch (3:56)
  4. Los Chorbos - Sones Del Chicharro (3:02)
  5. Gil Scott-Heron - Who'll Pay Reparations on My Soul? (5:13)
  6. James Holden & The Animal Spirits - Pass Through the Fire (6:26)
  7. Dagmar Krause & Marie Goyette - Your Star (2:48)
  8. Nick Drake - Northern Sky (3:43)
  9. Bonnie Dobson - Winter's Going (2:38)
10. Vintage Cucumber - Abflug ins Nichts (3:48)
11. Graeme Downes - Gucci (4:01)
12. The Greek Theatre - Still Lost at Sea (4:36)
13. The Clique - Superman (2:31)
14. Nathaniel Mayer - Leave Me Alone (3:18)
15. Los Acidos - Espejos (2:06)
16. Claude Lombard - Polychromés (2:25)
17. Duncan Browne - On the Bombsite (2:44)
18. Number 37 - Deo Notus (3:56)
19. Mohama Saz - Oro Cíngaro (3:11)
20. Loren Auerbach & Bert Jansch - Give Me Love (4:03)
21. Tyll - Morgenlicht (1:30)
22. Isabel Bond - Let's Find Out (3:28)
23. Principal Edwards Magic Theatre - The Asmoto Running Band (Hou'amih) (3:08)

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