Supergrass: In it for the Money (1997)

Considering that I have nearly a 5-week break from school, I should be able to post a few albums. I may even write up the previous post, like I said I would do forever ago.

First up: a classic album that I've just recently rediscovered. I went through a huge Britpop phase during my sophomore and junior years of high school (which, even then, was a decade too late), and Supergrass was one of my favorite bands throughout those years. Back then, I preferred their first and last album to anything in the middle of their prolific back catalog, but as my music tastes have matured a bit, I have come to realize that 1997's In It for the Money may very well be my favorite of theirs.

On the heels of their successful first album I Should Coco, released in 1995 to much acclaim (even gaining some American fanfare with the classic ode to youth, "Alright"), Supergrass returned two years later to offer a brilliant sophomore album. This time around, they brought more ambitious experimentation, broader instrumentation, and all the ostentation one would expect from a Britpop band, without sacrificing an ounce of the energy and fun that made their first album so great.

Anchored by four strong singles, the album hit #2 on the British charts, while selling more than one million copies worldwide. "Richard III," the second single and an album highlight, calls to mind the urgency of such Coco tracks as "I'd Like to Know" or "Lenny," adding a horn section to a catchy, almost "Nevermind"-esque melody (watch a brilliant 2004 live performance of this song in the video link below). Such songs as "Tonight" and "Going Out" recall the youthful whimsy, and no less whimsical instrumentation, of "Alright," though with a bit more of an edge. "Sun Hits the Sky," another fantastic single and one of my favorite tracks from the album, shows vocalist Gaz Coombes channeling his inner Bono with a great big vocal performance over a soaring, impossibly happy song.

Considering that In It for the Money is a remarkably consistent album, I could easily spotlight all 12 songs with a favorable word, but I'll reserve one final mention for closer "Sometimes I Make You Sad." After not listening to this album for four years, I had all but forgotten about every track on the album, save for this one; I effortlessly recalled it, smile intact, while listening to it for the first time in forever. Definitely the most interesting song that Supergrass ever did, this track features a carnival-esque, organ-driven melody over a vocal beatbox percussion loop. Yes, that's right. Intrigued? You should be. (Check out "Richard III" B-Side "Sometimes We're Very Sad" to listen to a hilarious excerpt from the recording session for the "drum" loop.) Though on paper the song sounds like little more than a novelty, its infectious melody and head-bobbing rhythm has ensured that this song has stayed on repeat since I rediscovered it a few days ago.

When an album can be described by the phrase "more mature sound," this may be grounds for many core fans of old to turn away, though this is certainly not the case for this album. Supergrass managed to retain all of the fun and excitement of I Should Coco while strengthening it with tighter melodies and songwriting, making In It for the Money a Britpop classic.



Track Listing:

1. In It for the Money
2. Richard III
3. Tonight
4. Late in the Day
5. G-Song
6. Sun Hits the Sky
7. Going Out
8. It's Not Me
9. Cheapskate
10. You Can See Me
11. Hollow Little Reign
12. Sometimes I Make You Sad

Obscurity #2: Ultra Cindy

Finally, some 20 or so weeks after the first "Obscure Band of the Week" post, here is the second. This time, I'll be focusing on 90s "shoegaze" band Ultra Cindy.

The shoegaze scene was named, rather lazily by music journalists of the time, for the tendency of the guitarists to stare at the floor for the duration of their introspective performances. Shoegaze featured a guitar-driven "wall of sound" style that was simultaneously noisy and melodic, employing many guitar pedals to get the desired effects (another reason that they tended to stare down). Inspired by garage rock, psychedelic music, and dream pop, this sound started in the UK during the late 80s, quickly carrying over to the States.

Despite shoegaze's quick eclipse by grunge, America produced its share of quality shoegaze bands, such as the Drop Nineteens and Swirlies. While shoegazers in the United States typically had a more straightforward sound markedly influenced by their American indie rock contemporaries, their sound was no less ethereal than their counterparts across the pond, a great example of this sound being found in the music of Ultra Cindy.

If I remember correctly, I first discovered Ultra Cindy on a "mixtape" of shoegaze and dream pop music that I downloaded from a music blog. (I regret that I don't remember what it was called or where it was, because as I also remember, the rest of the compilation was quite good, and I discovered quite a few other lesser-known shoegaze bands.) Unfortunately, my research on this band has turned up empty. As far as I know, they released only 1 LP, 1993's The Mermaid's Paradise, though this album is certainly a worthy contribution to the genre.

Toeing the line between the dreamy and noisy ends of the shoegaze spectrum, Ultra Cindy had a smooth sound that provides a nice introduction to the genre, yet fits nicely with the rest of the American indie scene. From faster numbers such as "Fever Pitch" and "Crinoline" to slower tracks such as "Near Perfect," the swirling epic that served as my introduction to the band (which you can download below), the album's sound from song to song is pretty consistent.

That's not to say the album gets boring. There's enough variation to keep the album interesting from track to track, yet it remains comfortably familiar throughout. After one listen to the album, you should be able to pick out an Ultra Cindy song wherever you are (that is, if you do hear them anywhere else) and smile as you do so, for the sounds you hear are bound to be pretty sweet.


The two tracks I've included for download here are "Hoyt," the rather upbeat album opener, and "Near Perfect," a beautiful midtempo dream of a song that lives up to its namesake.

Download here:
Ultra Cindy: Hoyt
Ultra Cindy: Near Perfect

Grade-A B-Side: Radiohead - "How I Made My Millions"

Radiohead is arguably best known for their textured soundscapes and skillful experimentation (not to mention, their infamous pay-what-you-want scheme). Nevertheless, their back catalog includes a number of hauntingly brilliant-yet-minimalistic, piano-centric songs. I would count In Rainbows's "Videotape" and The King of Limbs's "Codex," both of which follow this formula, among my favorite Radiohead album tracks. Perhaps the most minimalistic of their songs is  "How I Made My Millions," the flipside to the OK Computer song "No Surprises," which will be spotlighted here.

This song seems to provide a bit of emotional redemption following its A-side, which may very well be one of the most depressing songs of all time. Unlike the aforementioned piano ballads, this track is just Thom Yorke and his keyboard, without any additional instrumentation or effects. There's no need for anything else. Yorke gives a strong performance, his unmistakable voice floating over a breathtaking melody that flawlessly transitions between darkly beautiful and beautifully uplifting.

Interestingly, Thom recorded this song on a 4-track at home. For proof, listen closely. Under the barely intelligible, cryptic lyrics and dreamy piano you'll hear doors opening and closing and some other sounds that almost seem to go right along with the song, at least in some parts. In fact, when I first listened to this song, I mistakenly thought that much of the domestic rustling was just a bit of sparse accent percussion.

As the story goes, this song was supposed to be fleshed-out in studio; however, recognizing the raw beauty in this demo recording, they decided to release it as-is. Don't let the recording imperfections fool you: this song is indeed perfect.

Watch on YouTube:

Bargain Bin #1: DGC Rarities, Vol. 1

One of my favorite places in the world is the 4-for-a-$1 bin that occasionally makes an appearance at Hastings. Admittedly, as far as most of the CDs in this section go, a quarter is overpaying. Probably 90 percent of the stuff in this clearance-on-steroids section is junk, but it's the rare gems that make 15 minutes of digging and looking like a total cheapskate completely worth it.

I thought I would kick off this series of posts with one of the first CDs I dug up back in January. DGC Rarities, Vol. 1 is a 14-track compilation of B-Sides, outtakes, and other rarities by DGC Records, David Geffen's record imprint, perhaps most known as a seminal 90s alternative rock label. As such, this album includes several tracks by legendary alternative bands, as well as songs from lesser known bands. The liner notes in the CD cover, in many cases written by the bands themselves, provide some interesting information on each of the tracks.

Naturally, because the compilation consists primarily of outtakes and B-sides, it's to be expected that the album might be subpar; however, there are a handful of pretty great tracks.

Weezer's "Jamie" is one of my favorite tracks on the album (sharing that title with Posies song "Open Every Window"). In fact, it's definitely among my favorite Weezer tracks overall, if not my absolute favorite. While the songwriting and singing is unmistakably Weezer (though slightly off-form), the production and instrumentation has a sound that calls to mind the sludgy-yet-dreamy sound of some of the more radio-friendly Smashing Pumpkins songs (i.e. "Today").

Among others, Teenage Fanclub, The Posies, and St. Johnny make great contributions to the set. Murray Attaway's track "Allegory" got on my nerves at first, but upon listening to the compilation in its entirety several times to write this post, this song has started to grow on me. Nirvana fans will recognize "Pay to Play" as an early version of Nevermind track "Stay Away," with a muddier production and a few lyrical changes being essentially the only differences.

Beck's "Bogusflow" is another song worth mentioning. This seemingly nonsensical acoustic rambling, of which the title is a play on a certain Pearl Jam song, calls to mind other Beck songs such as "Pay No Mind."

Overall, this is a pretty decent compilation that will make a good addition to any 90s alternative purist's collection. While the songs themselves aren't quite up to the big names and talent behind them, fans will appreciate the step back into the vaults.

Track Listing:
1. Teenage Fanclub: "Mad Dog 20/20"
2. Nirvana: "Pay to Play"
3. Weezer: "Jamie"
4. Cell: "Never Too High"
5. Hole: "Beautiful Son"
6. Beck: "Bogusflow"
7. Sonic Youth: "Compilation Blues"
8. that dog.: "Grunge Couple"
9. Counting Crows: "Einstein on the Beach (For an Eggman)"
10. The Posies: "Open Every Window"
11. Sloan: "Stove/Smother"
12. St. Johnny: "Wild Goose Chasing"
13. Murray Attaway: "Allegory"
14. The Sundays: "Don't Tell Your Mother"

DGC Rarities, Vol. 1

Instru-mental #1: Hüsker Dü's "Reoccurring Dreams"

Hardcore punk of the 1980s was marked by songs of minimal length. Like an eerily quick pizza chain, many bands seemed to promise delivery of a complete song in two minutes or less (or your money back). For instance, an oft-repeated anecdote claims that influential punk band Minutemen were named as such for the length of their songs, which rarely topped the one-minute mark in their early days. This may or may not be true, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a song in the far reaches of their back catalog longer than 60 seconds.

Basically, the songs were short. And for good reason: their blistering fury was enough to melt faces in large doses.

Accordingly, the last thing any mosher would expect would be a swirling 14-minute instrumental epic, but that's exactly what legendary band Hüsker Dü does. The last song on their classic 1984 album Zen Arcade, "Reoccurring Dreams" is an exhausting aural assault (in the best way possible) that seems to never end, and yet the listener feels cheated when it finally does. Aside from intermittent breaks that blast the listener with a wash of feedback and noise, this marathon song hardly lets up. The hypnotic ascending riff over a backdrop of jazz-infused-drumming-on-speed (provided by underrated drummer Grant Hart) combines for a dizzying listening experience. Admittedly, the song may drag on a few minutes longer than it should, but this one-take jam is a must-listen anyway.

Here is a condensed live version. Though this version is just half the length of the album version, it makes up for the missing 7 minutes with raw fury.





Watch on YouTube: