It came from the ’80s
Before reality shows became the staple of the summer television season, reruns were the modus operandi of the networks. NBC at one time attempted to lure viewers to watch previously aired shows with the slogan, "It’s new to you."
The sentiment is something that’s driven my exploration of catalog releases. If I haven’t listened to it, it’s new to me. That’s my cop out for not contributing to the hype machine. It gets tiring trying to get the scoop on what’s next.
For the time being, I’m content to live in the past.
Bulgarian State Radio and Television Female Vocal Choir, Le Mystère de Voix Bulgares, Vol. 2
The first volume of Le Mystère de Voix Bulgares was nominated for a Grammy Award but didn’t win. The second volume did. I’m much more attached to the first volume. Both releases, though, are spine-tingling beautiful, and "Ovdoviala Lissitchkata" has some terrific energy.
Camper Van Beethoven, II & III
Rather than naming subsequent self-titled albums in numerical order, Camper Van Beethoven self titled its third album, while naming its second album II & III. These guys have a sense of humor, don’t they?
Like Telephone Free Landslide Victory, II & III is stuffed to the hilt with snappy songs mashing together Middle Eastern melodies, country shuffles and absurd lyrics. II & III doesn’t seem to have quite the catchiness of its predecessor, but it’s still an enjoyable album.
Cocteau Twins, Blue Bell Knoll
If Cocteau Twins can be accused of recording the same album over and over again, then man — what an awesome album it is! Blue Bell Knoll finds the band cutting back on the heavy reverb, and while Elizabeth Fraser sounds no less incomprehensible on this album, her melodies sound more grounded than the leaps and whelps of Treasure.
I’m still pretty much a neophyte where Cocteau Twins are concerned, so the next stop after this one is Heaven or Las Vegas.
K.U.K.L., The Eye
Back in 1988, I thought the Sugarcubes were awesomely weird. Next to K.U.K.L., they sound like the conventional pop band they were. K.U.K.L. included many of the personnel who would form the Sugarcubes, including Einar Orn and Björk. The Eye sounds absolute unhinged, Björk and Orn making little to no sense and the rest of the band sawing away at their instruments with total abandon. Think early eX-Girl with more people and 10 times the noise.
I have this nagging suspicion K.U.K.L. would have gotten on my nerves as a teenager, but given Björk’s creative trajectory, it’s not hard to imagine K.U.K.L. somewhere on her résumé.
Love and Rockets, Love and Rockets
I don’t know why "So Alive" got stuck in my head, but there it was lodged till I downloaded Love and Rockets’ 1989 self-titled album. The album is split between robotic garage rock five cousins removed from Jesus and Mary Chain, and sparse, vaguely surfy ambient tracks ten cousins removed from Cocteau Twins. It’s not exactly the most cohesive album, and on a strange level, that contrast works. The garage tracks sound punchier next to their atmospheric brethren.
Throwing Muses, University
University was released in 1995, but I consider Throwing Muses a band of the late ’80s. 1991’s The Real Ramona was a turning point for Throwing Muses, with Kristen Hersh’s writing cohort — they weren’t exactly partners — Tanya Donelly leaving the band after the album’s release. University maintains the melodic muse ushered in with The Real Ramona, although a few tracks look back to the band’s more adventurous early days. The album starts to drag toward the middle before it recovers (somewhat) by the end.