All this talk of the Sub Pop 20th anniversary has got me thinking about my favorite lost gem in their back catalog. There have been literally hundreds of good to great records released by the label over the past 2 decades, and a few that I love more than Love Tara, but as far as ones go that you may not be familiar with - this one is it. I’ve actually written about it in more detail before, but this Eric’s Trip record was my first “lo-fi” experience way back before the term was (not) a household name. The songs are just brimming with beautiful bedroom-born melodies and angst-fueled guitar noise, like a shoe-gaze band with punk rock roots. I guess, in a way, this album shows exactly how consistently great Sub Pop has been for so long - that this, a record that would clearly be among many labels’ best, is all but forgotten among the Nirvanas, Wolf Parades, Shins, and Mudhoneys. Time for a discovery:
MP3 :: Behind The Garage
MP3 :: Secret For Julie
MP3 :: Sunlight
(from Love Tara. Buy here)
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3 comments:
You're not wrong either - I've often touted this as one of the most intersting albums of that era; I heard them on a sub pop sampler and bought the album on that basis. To be honest I didn't like them much at first, but over a few listens (I was young and poor so ever record had to get several listenings!) it became a favourite, and 15 years on I still give it plenty of airplay.
My hat is tipped to you for promoting a great album which is always swamped out by the big hitters of the time.
Teenagers of today - if you like 'grunge' put down your Nirvana records and purchase this!
Phil.
Eric's Trip is one of my favorite bands. I was a sophomore in college when Love Tara came out in 1993. Someone put it in my hand saying "you liked Nirvana and HUM before everyone else did, you'll probably like this too." Every song on that CD brings great college memories flooding back. I enjoy a lot of their other CDs as well specifically Peter and Long Day's Ride 'Til Tomorrow.
I lament the fact that I never got a chance to see them concert even during one of their reunion tours. I hit their MySpace and SubPop pages once a month so I won't miss them again. I would travel anywhere in the world for a chance to see them live.
I'm also a big fan. My favourite album is Forever Again. You also might like to know that Gooseberry Records is releasing an Eric's Trip tribute album in April. I contributed a cover of "blue sky for julie" recorded with some friends.
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