Sub Pop Vinyl, CD & Tape 245 Items

This 10 song collection is a home-fi construction with a more subtle, brain-tickling character than its predecessor & somewhat reflects a realist take on the flower power fantasy of 1967

This is the new album by Mike And The Melvins. It was supposed to come out sixteen years ago. Whatever the reasons, these recordings, unfinished since 1999, languished on a shelf until 2015, when much to everyone's surprise, the involved parties reconvened, finished the damn thing, & delivered it post-haste to Sub Pop HQ. MIKE's (Godheadsilo) signature bass crunch & vocals are all over it & The Melvins are in fine form

Limited white vinyl edition.

Listening to this album feels like sitting in a lovely meadow in the shadow of a dam taht's gonna heave-ho any minute. Featuring MEG BAIRD on vocals backed by members of COMETS ON FIRE, SIC ALPS, SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE, HOWLIN' RAIN, ASSEMBLE HEAD IN SUNBURST SOUND, WATERY LOVE among many other acclaimed bands

Written and recorded in 2014, after two years of constant touring behind their rightly-adored, self-titled debut, II is METZ at their most true to form-as pure an expression of what they do as can currently be committed to tape.

The guitars are titanic, the drums ill-tempered, the vocals chilling, and the volume worrisome.

II is the sound of an already monstrous band improving in both subtle and terrifying ways.

“We sound possessed on these songs,” says guitarist/vocalist Carrie Brownstein about Sleater-Kinney’s eighth studio album, No Cities to Love. “Willing it all–the entire weight of the band and what it means to us–back into existence.”

The new record is the first in 10 years from the acclaimed trio–Brownstein, vocalist/guitarist Corin Tucker, and drummer Janet Weiss–who came crashing out of the ’90s Pacific Northwest riot grrrl scene, setting a new bar for punk’s political insight and emotional impact. Formed in Olympia, WA in 1994, Sleater-Kinney were hailed as “America’s best rock band” by Greil Marcus in Time Magazine, and put out seven searing albums in 10 years before going on indefinite hiatus in 2006.

But the new album isn’t about reminiscing, it’s about reinvention–the ignition of an unparalleled chemistry to create new sounds and tell new stories. “I always considered Corin and Carrie to be musical soulmates in the tradition of the greats,” says Weiss, whose drums fuel the fire of Tucker and Brownstein’s vocal and guitar interplay. “Something about taking a break brought them closer, desperate to reach together again for their true expression.” The result is a record that grapples with love, power and redemption without restraint. “The three of us want the same thing,” says Weiss. “We want the songs to be daunting.”

Produced by long-time Sleater-Kinney collaborator John Goodmanson, who helmed many of the band’s earlier albums including 1997 breakout set Dig Me Out, No Cities to Love is indeed formidable from the first beat.

Sleater-Kinney was an acclaimed, American rock band that formed in Olympia, Washington in 1994. The band’s core lineup consisted of Corin Tucker (vocals and guitar), Carrie Brownstein (guitar and vocals), and Janet Weiss (drums). Sleater-Kinney were known for their feminist, left-leaning politics, and were an integral part of the riot grrrl and indie rock scenes in the Pacific Northwest.

The Woods is the seventh and final studio album from Sleater-Kinney, released on May 24, 2005 by Sub Pop. It was produced by Dave Fridmann and recorded from November 2004 to December 2004 at Tarbox Road Studios in Cassadaga, New York. The Woods reached #80 on the US Billboard Top 200 chart and #2 on the Independent Albums chart. The album appeared at #4 in The Village Voice’s “Pazz & Jop” critics’ poll for 2005.

“They bash Eighties nostalgia, tell a feminist fairy tale and even quiet down for a couple sensitive love songs – needed breaks from music so intense you wonder how they can contain its explosiveness.” [100 Best Albums of the 2000’s] - Rolling Stone

“To survive these days, you have to be either suicidal or superficial. Sleater-Kinney, meanwhile, get by simply sounding fucking supersonic.” [9.0/10] - Stephen Deusner, Pitchfork

The album has been freshly remastered by Greg Calbi for this release.

Sleater-Kinney was an acclaimed, American rock band that formed in Olympia, Washington in 1994. The band’s core lineup consisted of Corin Tucker (vocals and guitar), Carrie Brownstein (guitar and vocals), and Janet Weiss (drums). Sleater-Kinney were known for their feminist, left-leaning politics, and were an integral part of the riot grrrl and indie rock scenes in the Pacific Northwest.

Sleater-Kinney is the first effort from the group, recorded by Nick Carrol at 486 Victoria Street in Melbourne, Australia, and produced by Tim Green and the band at the Red House in Olympia, Washington. The album was originally released in 1995 by the independent queercore record label Chainsaw Records. The line-up featured Corin Tucker (vocals, guitar), Carrie Brownstein (guitar, vocals) and Lora Macfarlane (drums).

“While their same-sex one-on-ones aren’t exactly odes to joy, they convey a depth of feeling that could pass for passion.” [Grade: A-] - Robert Christgau, Consumer Guide

The album has been freshly remastered by Greg Calbi for this release.

Sleater-Kinney was an acclaimed, American rock band that formed in Olympia, Washington in 1994. The band’s core lineup consisted of Corin Tucker (vocals and guitar), Carrie Brownstein (guitar and vocals), and Janet Weiss (drums). Sleater-Kinney were known for their feminist, left-leaning politics, and were an integral part of the riot grrrl and indie rock scenes in the Pacific Northwest.

One Beat is the sixth studio album from Sleater-Kinney, originally released on August 20, 2002 by Kill Rock Stars. It was produced by John Goodmanson and recorded between March and April 2002 at Jackpot! Studio in Portland, Oregon. The album peaked at number 107 in the United States on the Billboard 200 and entered the Billboard Top Independent Albums at number five.

”[Sleater-Kinney’s] sharpest statement yet” [#12 / Albums of the Year 2002] - Caryn Ganz, SPIN

“Years at the top haven’t dulled their willingness to take risks, and that’s just what they do, spectacularly, on One Beat”. [9.1/10] Brendan Reid, Pitchfork

The album has been freshly remastered by Greg Calbi for this release.

Sleater-Kinney was an acclaimed, American rock band that formed in Olympia, Washington in 1994. The band’s core lineup consisted of Corin Tucker (vocals and guitar), Carrie Brownstein (guitar and vocals), and Janet Weiss (drums). Sleater-Kinney were known for their feminist, left-leaning politics, and were an integral part of the riot grrrl and indie rock scenes in the Pacific Northwest.

Dig Me Out is the third studio album by Sleater-Kinney, originally released on April 8, 1997 by Kill Rock Stars. The album was produced by John Goodmanson and recorded from December 1996 to January 1997 at John and Stu’s Place in Seattle, Washington. Dig Me Out marked the debut of Janet Weiss, who became the band’s longest-serving and last drummer. Dig Me Out made several publications’ best album lists. The album appeared at #4 in The Village Voice’s “Pazz & Jop” critics’ poll for 1997. In 2001, Spin placed it at #19 on its list of “50 Most Essential Punk Records”. In 2003, the album was ranked #272 on Rolling Stone’s list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” In 2005, the album was ranked #24 in Spin’s “100 Greatest Albums, 1985–2005”. In 2012, Spin also ranked it at #74 on their “125 Best Albums of the Past 25 Years”. In 2008, the song “Dig Me Out” was ranked #44 in Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time”.

“Now [delivers] the punch their words describe…If [Sleater-Kinney] wanna be our Simone de Beauvoir, Dig Me Out proves they’re up to it.” [9/10] - Ann Powers, SPIN

The album has been freshly remastered by Greg Calbi for this release.

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Special limited edition pressing of the recent Shins "Chutes Too Narrow" 20th anniversary LP on opaque orange Colored Vinyl.

What Do We Do Now is the fifth solo studio LP recorded by J Mascis since 1996. This is obviously not a very aggressive release schedule, but when you figure in the live albums, guest spots, and records done with his various other bands (Dinosaur Jr., The Fog, Heavy Blanket, Witch, Sweet Apple, and so on), well, to paraphrase Lou Reed, "J's week beats your year." What Do We Do Now began to come together during the waning days of the Pandemic. Utilizing his own Bisquiteen Studio, J started working on writing a series of tunes on acoustic with a different dynamic than the stuff he creates for Dino. "When I'm writing for the band," he says, "I'm always trying to think of doing things Lou and Murph would fit into. For myself, I'm thinking more about what I can do with just an acoustic guitar, even for the leads. Of course, this time, I added full drums and electric leads, although the rhythm parts are still all acoustic. Usually, I try to do the solo stuff more simply so I can play it by myself, but I really wanted to add the drums. Once that started, everything else just fell into place. So it ended up sounding a lot more like a band record. I dunno why I did that exactly, but it's just what happened." Two guest musicians are playing this time out; Western Mass local Ken Mauri (of the B52s) plays piano on several tracks. Since J himself has some experience with keys, when asked why he needed a hired gun, he says, "Ken is great, and he plays all the keys. I tried playing some keyboards on the first Fog album, but I'm really only comfortable playing the white notes, so it's kind of limiting. [laughs] Nowadays, I could just turn the pitch on a mini Mellotron to play different sounds, but black keys just seem hard. For whatever reason, I just like banging on the white ones. Seems like it's harder to figure out how to stretch your fingers around the other ones." Mauri has no such qualms and plays all the keys very damn well. He sounds especially great on "I Can't Find You," where he is Jack Nitzsche to J's Neil Young, creating one of the album's loveliest tunes. The other guest musician, Matthew "Doc" Dunn, is also prominent on this track. Dunn's steel guitar manages to both widen and soften the musical edges of the music, giving it a full classicist profile. Dunn is an Ontario-based polymath who J met through Matt Valentine. After J played on Doc's great 2022 Sub Pop single, "Your Feel," he figured it was time for payback. Both Dunn and Mauri add beautifully to the songs here, helping to transform them from acoustic sketches into full-blown post-core power ballads. What Do We Do Now is the finest set of solo tunes J has yet penned, and the way they're presented is just about perfect. Asked if he would be touring to support the album, J says he'll be doing some weekend dates, but he probably won't be putting a band together. And I'm sure these songs will sound great solo and acoustic, but the arrangements on this album are truly great and put a cool, different spin on Mascis' instantly Recognizable approach to making music. So, what do we do now? Not sure. But apparently, what J does is to make one of his most killer records ever. Hats off to him. - Byron Coley

What Do We Do Now is the fifth solo studio LP recorded by J Mascis since 1996. This is obviously not a very aggressive release schedule, but when you figure in the live albums, guest spots, and records done with his various other bands (Dinosaur Jr., The Fog, Heavy Blanket, Witch, Sweet Apple, and so on), well, to paraphrase Lou Reed, "J's week beats your year." What Do We Do Now began to come together during the waning days of the Pandemic. Utilizing his own Bisquiteen Studio, J started working on writing a series of tunes on acoustic with a different dynamic than the stuff he creates for Dino. "When I'm writing for the band," he says, "I'm always trying to think of doing things Lou and Murph would fit into. For myself, I'm thinking more about what I can do with just an acoustic guitar, even for the leads. Of course, this time, I added full drums and electric leads, although the rhythm parts are still all acoustic. Usually, I try to do the solo stuff more simply so I can play it by myself, but I really wanted to add the drums. Once that started, everything else just fell into place. So it ended up sounding a lot more like a band record. I dunno why I did that exactly, but it's just what happened." Two guest musicians are playing this time out; Western Mass local Ken Mauri (of the B52s) plays piano on several tracks. Since J himself has some experience with keys, when asked why he needed a hired gun, he says, "Ken is great, and he plays all the keys. I tried playing some keyboards on the first Fog album, but I'm really only comfortable playing the white notes, so it's kind of limiting. [laughs] Nowadays, I could just turn the pitch on a mini Mellotron to play different sounds, but black keys just seem hard. For whatever reason, I just like banging on the white ones. Seems like it's harder to figure out how to stretch your fingers around the other ones." Mauri has no such qualms and plays all the keys very damn well. He sounds especially great on "I Can't Find You," where he is Jack Nitzsche to J's Neil Young, creating one of the album's loveliest tunes. The other guest musician, Matthew "Doc" Dunn, is also prominent on this track. Dunn's steel guitar manages to both widen and soften the musical edges of the music, giving it a full classicist profile. Dunn is an Ontario-based polymath who J met through Matt Valentine. After J played on Doc's great 2022 Sub Pop single, "Your Feel," he figured it was time for payback. Both Dunn and Mauri add beautifully to the songs here, helping to transform them from acoustic sketches into full-blown post-core power ballads. What Do We Do Now is the finest set of solo tunes J has yet penned, and the way they're presented is just about perfect. Asked if he would be touring to support the album, J says he'll be doing some weekend dates, but he probably won't be putting a band together. And I'm sure these songs will sound great solo and acoustic, but the arrangements on this album are truly great and put a cool, different spin on Mascis' instantly Recognizable approach to making music. So, what do we do now? Not sure. But apparently, what J does is to make one of his most killer records ever. Hats off to him. - Byron Coley