California

San Francisco-based, poetic Alt-rock with echoes of jangle-pop, a Paisley Underground approach to Americana. R.E.M. was the most commercially successful of the folk rock weirdoes, but there were other equally talented and morose new romantics Winter Hours and American Music Club. Mark Eitzel had been a name in the back issues of my Rolling Stone magazines and the used copy of Spin's Alternative Record Guide that expanded by tastes in many unanticipated directions. But, until this list recommended California by American Music Club, which is only available digitally via their bandcamp these days, that I connected the name Eitzel to an unfamiliar album and band. There is a slight twang on the passionate "Lonely" but it still sounds like the Byrds and honestly Winter Hours is the best comparison for the persistent swirling melancholy. Other reviewers have evoked the ghost of Nick Drake and music periodicals which branded Eitzel the best songwriter of 1991 see visions of U2, neither sounds apt to me. "Bad Liquor" is a manic and grinding hardcore take on honky-tonk music, ominous bass, harmonica solo, gritty and shouting vocals I am reminded of Lone Justice with their underground Americana grit-punk spirit. Mark Eitzel is a profound storyteller, wandering the San Francisco streets from a dissatisfying sexual encounter to a brief connection with a serial killer who wonders what song he is whistling. "Jenny" is a bleak acoustic guitar song, it reminds me of adolescent Kristin Hersh (The Letter and Delicate Cutters). Western Sky is uplifting by comparison and reminds me of the Magnetic Fields, except the beauty of the object has also been tarnished. This is a somber and sad affair, not likely to inspire a lot of repeat listening. "Highway 5" more road weary blues with feedback "a beautiful California landscape dead ends in the sky." The closing "Last Harbor" is all Red House Painters, but Eitzel doesn't sound like his Slowcore or Sadcore peers, there is a sweet timidity and self-loathing to his voice and lyrics.

Pleasant

It was worth going out of the way to search it! The first song started a bit worryingly generic, but as the album went on it developed a sense of unique personality

I'd definitely play this more often it it was on spotify

4.5

Their best work. A sad, but real album, full of melancholic songs, but the occasional upbeat one. The last song is a real tear-jerker.

i need to buy this album on cd. this is beautiful i haven't heard music so good in a while. such mellow and cool tracks. the guitar is beautiful.

вау!

AMC bring back so many memories. Western Sky is a perfect song. I don’t hear too many references to them any more, so I’m glad they’re represented here.

I've never knowingly heard of American Music Club or this album before but I really enjoyed it.

I really liked this! It was very chill but interesting enough to keep my attention. Great background music for work but could definitely see myself having this one in the rotation.

Have never heard of this one. Wikipedia basically says, "This is an album that was made. Here are the songs. Here are the members of the band" I don't even know what I'm getting into... Two songs in and I guess that's all that's on Wikipedia because that's all there really is to say about this album. This was an album I listened to today. It was made by people playing instruments and included some songs. Some cool arrangements here and there. I quite liked Pale Skinny Girl. Bad Liquor too. I feel like if the whole album had gone more in the direction of those two songs this would have been something special. Honestly this album kind of grew on me as it went on. I ended up liking this way more that I thought I was going to at first. 3.5/5 and rounding up because it really did grow on me.

Impressive showcase of styles here. One track is alternative rock with a steel string guitar. Another is a romping blues rock track. Yet another is intimate acoustic guitar. And so on. You’d think given the album art and titles it would be surf rock, but that was surprisingly absent. Chalk up another great 1001 discovery.

this is for me!! this is my kind of shit!!!

Funnily enough my first album that wasn't on main streaming, good listen tho

love melancholic rock so much. slow but it doesn't waste your time

Pleasant surprise

Interesting mix of genres here

I truly enjoyed this one. Great indie rock, that has an obvious influence of so much 90s alternative rock. Absolute blast.

I really vibed with this. It started out feeling kind of “generic-weird”, but after a second listen it really started sticking with me. Probably one I’ll come back to semi-regularly.

Never heard of these folks--thank you 1001 Albums! Exquisitely produced; seamlessly expert musicianship. Singer's balance between mild vocal fry and clear pitches--gorgeous. A bit too much snuggling up to the pop dude singers of the moment, whom I was disgusted by at the time, and still have a distaste for. I'd love to hear how folks encountered this music back in the day. Was this band on repeat in high school for you? What did you connect with?

I liked this more than I was expecting. It's refreshing to actually hear a new album and this holds up way better than so much more on this list. Would recommend.

I once bought a Mark Eitzel CD that I discovered in one of those listening booths Tower Records used to have. I remember almost nothing about that album, but I did learn that he was from AMC, and made a mental note to check the band out. Now I have (I guess it just took me ~20 years to do so). I quite liked it. It came out pretty hot; "Firefly" is definitely my favorite song on here. Lots of different styles and very much in my wheelhouse. If their stuff was on Spotify it probably would have hit my algorithm a lot sooner. Let's call this a 3 1/2 that I'm rounding up.

Great stuff

If you were to be asked what Slowcore is, you could do worse than "The saddest tendencies of indie, americana, and punk". But regardless, a certified sad sap myself, I enjoy it. And this is a rare, pre-Codeine example of the genre, when this would have probably been marketed as "College rock", if it was marketed at all. This is a particularly country flavored strain of the genre, the kind of thing that took a back seat to more indie stuff for a while, then kind of came back with late '90s Songs:Ohia albums and Bonnie Prince Billy. It's admittedly kind of a double edged sword, because it puts American Music Club in good company, but also places California in competition with several of my favorite albums *EVER*. But I am glad to say that California does easily stand out on it's own, even if it isn't necessarily operating on the genre's very highest echelon. The first couple of songs here are compelling Americana, but they don't quite capture what I was looking for with this. But from Lonely, pretty much until this ends, American Music Club *really* locks in. We basically get 8 incredibly compelling, fragile, *VERY* sad songs in a row, with a brief interruption from the album's sole punk song, which isn't as bad as it is out of place. But these 8 songs are really the heart of this thing, and there are several songs here that really reach for the heights of some of my favorite albums ever. The cumulative impression is a *touch* uneven, but incredibly fulfilling. I will definitely be coming back to this hidden gem. I really think that once you get into the meat of this album it may be one of slowcore's best kept secrets.

The Cure and Hootie and the Blowfish had a crazy night and produced a baby. That baby then took its prescribed medicine and made this album. The beginning I did not like, but the further it went the better it got. I guess the medicine wore of. I was sure it was a 90s album but when I saw it was from 1988 I understood that this album really was ahead of its time.

Pretty enjoyable Americana indie rock with a country twinge. Not as annoying as I expected!

soft country rock music. or maybe it's indie? i'm not too sure what you'd really call this kind of music. it sounds like a whole bunch of young cowboys got together in a dingy bar and blurted out every heavy feeling that had been rattling in their brains before they went in the building. it's a neat little gem. funny thing is, i turned it on the other day and it was kinda background noise to me, but today i actually sat down and listened to it again and i like it a lot more. it's moody but it's not theatrical or bonkers. quite the opposite... i feel like this sorta "emotionless" way of singing songs helps the album sound as good as it does. gimme another beer, bartender. it's gonna be a long night.

This album was not what I expected. I was expecting something a bit more like R.E.M. that was more post-punk indie, but this reminds me more of Red House Painters and some alt-country, somewhat like Uncle Tupelo but with a more sparse and somber presentation. However, I do like it and really respect their mix of rock, americana, that 80's indie sound; there are parts that remind me of The Church, as well. I definitely want to listen to more of their music, as I'm surprised they have never come up or been given to me before to listen to.

I thought I was the only person who remembered this band (except for all the hipster Brooklyn bands who stole this sound. Here’s looking at you, National.)

This was pretty good. Mellow alt/folk-rock. I guess they're from San Francisco but they have a Texas sound to me.

Really enjoyed a lot of the tracks. Never heard of these guys before but worth checking them out.

Based on cover and release date this got a meh from me, but ended up really liking it. Bit of slow core which I'm realizing I'm something of a fan of. Also maybe some influence on Wilco - the alt country thing which is growing on me..

Overall a very good collection of AMC songs (maybe their best album overall?), mostly in their brooding/ REM-on-downers style, but the band was always so erratic song-to-style, both in quality control and genre experiments (witness the plucky county tune that starts this otherwise mopey record!), that I prefer to just put on their Greatest Hits rather than delve into the albums.

4/5. This is a much better album than reviews on here suggest, and it feels way ahead of its time. You get a lot of introspective and quizzical guitar chord riffs/progressions, with a mixed bag of lyrics. Some are hard hitting, others are simple. The vocalist is a better singer than people give him credit for. He's very much in the indie vein of someone who might not be classically trained but still has something to say and says it well enough, a la Camper Van Beethoven and Vampire Weekend. It's definitely not a daily driver or a party music album, but if you're looking for something more personal, direct, and honest, I think "California" checks all those boxes while being a pleasant listen the whole way through.

Tonight's The Night Neil Young Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret Soft Cell Beauty And The Beat The Go-Go's California American Music Club

Right in the wheel house of acoustic rock/alt-country. The vocals are a little weak however but I expect to get used to them.

An album that seems way before its time. It’s seems like it’s influential in many of the artists that are prevalent now. They probably could have been bigger now because of the “Americana” surge. I enjoyed the music. I think this was their high water mark and I’m glad I heard it.

always liked AMC. great album

Неожиданно, но очень хорошо. Альбом создан для задумчивых прогулок по холмам или по улицам. К сожалению остался только на ютубе. Такой альбом можно смело покупать на CD или виниле в коллекцию.

didnt think i was gonna like 9 of 12 songs out of this album, maybe i needed some calm chill style today

420/1089 - This was an enjoyable experience. Spacey and mellow with some cool guitar bends and a mostly pleasant voice.

This was nothing like I expected. Kind of a Indie meets Americana vibe. Heavy on the Americana. A nice listen.

Firefly - 4 Somewhere - 3 Laughinstock - 3 Lonely - 4 Pale skinny girl - 3 Blue and grey shirt - 3 Bad liquor - 4 Now you're defeated - 4 Jenny - 4 Western sky - 3 Highway 5 - 3 Last harbor - 3

7/10

This was fun. I dug the sound and vibe of this album. Pity it is not on Spotify because I could definitely see myself coming back to it.

I liked this, mostly mellow chill rock, which I can appreciate. More energic songs like bad Liquor feel a bit out of place, but still good.

Doesn't exist on Spotify or Deezer, less than 10k views on Youtube, and somehow one of my favorite finds from this project. This guy's voice is like Morrissey on a good day, the guitar solos are great, and the different genres in here make it so fun to listen to.

I liked this for the most part. Although I absolutely hated Bad Liquor. It just felt so out of place. California felt like an album that was ahead of its time. If you would have told me that it was released in the early or mid 90's, I wouldn't have been surprised. But, that could just be because of my lack of knowledge when it comes to indie rock.

I have one Mark Eitzel's solo album (The Invisible Man) but I probably haven't listened any American Music Club albums previously. This seems like a very strong album after the first listen.

LOVELY. WHY ISNT IT ON SPOTIFY

this is pretty much just the smiths without the glaze.

3.5 Quite enjoyed that, some slightly meloncholy American rock, like a few of the grunge era bands but without the heavy side (well apart from one song, which was shite and cut out half way through, not sure if my design or the person uploading to YouTube gave up with it!). Shame it's not on Spotify as I'd add a couple of tracks for sure. As it is, nice to know you, but I'll never see you again..

The 1,001 book quotes hyperbole-prone Melody Maker saying that American Music Club was "the most criminally underrated band in the world." Personally, they neither under- nor overrated for me, because I only knew the band's and Mark Eitzel's names. But California makes a powerful case for digging into their discography, because this is great. I'm a sucker for sensitive-guy Americana, and I appreciate how this dabbles in a few genres while still feeling distinct. More please.

7/10… heartland / alternative rock / *1988

Bit difficult to locate this lp on streaming services. It’s not one of the American Music Club albums I own a physical copy of. I found it to stream on bandcamp. This is a perfectly fine AMC / Mark Eitzel lp. I’d have preferred San Francisco, East or Love Songs For Patriots. But the difference in quality between any of their albums is small. I think AMC’s standing might have declined since the book was published. Part of the problem is Mark Kozeliek seems to fill the space that Mark Eitzel used to dominate. Perhaps his the more obviously personal songs fit this cathartic century better. Wiki tells me that MK’s first band Red House Painters were signed by 4AD upon recommendation from Eitzel. Good work!

Good mellow rock - nice for work background. Not on Spotify but on YouTube.

It's always a little extra annoying to have to listen to a full album upload to YouTube for an album in here but this one was so pretty I didn't mind as much. Some of it was just kind of Rock Music Okay but some of the melodies were hitting for me and instrumentation flowing

Nice listen. 4 stars

This is super cool, slowcore with almost an alt country vibe

Was not familiar with this band. Really dug the vocals and sound of this band. Solid 4.0

3.8/5 I think this has great potential to be a favourite. I can't believe its not available on spotify so that means i won't be able to easily listen to it. I will have to remember to listen to it on youtube.

this is pretty great! reminds me of counting crows, but ten years earlier. great music, that is unfortunately not easily available, but that makes in honestly a special experience to seek out, which is pretty much lost with the regular streaming service use.

Oh, this is directly in my wheelhouse right now. I have heard bits and pieces of this band, but not this album. Can hear potential influences on a lot of the alt-country and downbeat Americana stuff that came later, and its pretty amazing on first listen. Occasional missteps (the loud bluesy tune in the middle, some unavoidably 80s production in spots) aside, this is a definite re-listen for me.

surprisingly good - never even heard of the group

Var är min spotify-länk?? Nämen faktiskt ganska najs, är inte riktigt min typ av genre men känns som dom gör allt rätt!

Cool album

Out of left field, never heard ofnit. I loved it.

Not bad can’t go wrong w indie rock

it could be in top 3 rock albums i've listened in this list so far. it's a shame that you can't play this on spotify, I definetely have some favorite picks. something I definetely wanna go back someday. 4/5

Nice blend of americana, pop/rock and slowcore. 4 stars

first listen twas good

Actually loved this. I tried YouTube because you can’t stream it and bad liquor was the first song for some reason. At first I thought it was some sort of Lou reed adjacent thing, wasn’t grabbing me, but then Jenny came on and I was hooked. I went back and found it’s actually more of a Springsteen meets smiths Americana thing and I loved it. In context bad liquor isn’t all that bad, just a weird way to start. I think there’s a bandcamp high quality download of this, I’m gonna get it and give this another go. It was good.

Folk rock flavored slowcore, on the more upbeat side as opposed to the more popular anemic, droney subgenre. A lot of songs tell some kind of story, with a lot of them having a bittersweet quality about the breakdown of the human spirit to the different burdens in life. Eitzel's voice sometimes seems directly broken with only a faint whisper to convey the message, but sometimes jovially depressed. His tone to some is annoying, but I find his voice comforting in a sense that it's familiar and not bombastic or unique, which fits the aesthetic of an everyday man down on his luck in a world that's changing in an unfathomable speed. I think it's the best AMC album. Mark easily paints pictures of the world, and the songs flow seamlessly into different moods.

Das Lied „Jenny“ hat es mir sehr angetan. Es hat mich inspiriert wieder einen Text zu schreiben.

Never heard, really liked, rocky punky kinda country ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Finally got round to listening to this. Had to borrow a mates CD. What a fabulous album. Really enjoyed it.

I liked it. Good songwriting, good music, a bit dark.

Enjoyed this, good mix of rock/alternative genre. Worth another listen and explore. 3.5/5 (if I can!)

Lemppari: Pale Skinny Girl Vähiten lemppari: Bad Liquor

Pretty good album from an otherwise forgotten band. Certainly a pleasant listen.

Fireflies is a nice entrance. I liked the atmospheric ones. They are like songs you would hear on the radio just one time on the road. Western sky gives this vibe a more defined image.

I actually really liked this! I enjoyed his voice and how beautiful the guitar was. It felt a lot newer than nearly 40 years old. Favorite tracks: Lonely, Highway 5, Last Harbor

Based on the other reviews I thought this album was going to be bad or at the very least boring. But it was surprisingly pretty good. A subdued and mellower album to be sure, but enjoyable nonetheless. I’m actually disappointed this isn’t on streaming so I can’t add some of the songs to my regular playlist. I will be checking out some of American Music Club’s other stuff to see if it’s as good as California

Oddly enjoyable! Listened to it twice.

Very good mix of mellow tunes. Always heard of this band but never listened.

Worth revisiting

On YouTube no spotify

cool bridge between earlier styles and the underground rock that got big in the 90s. this is a good choice for an albums you might have missed list. seems like it was a big deal for a bunch of cool bands. it's uneven but the less interesting songs do something neat somewhere. lots of little moves I thought were original to later artists. music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)

At first, I wasn't that excited about this record. I thought is was derivative. "California" sounds like a pastiche of 1990's AOR highlights. With each song, another 90's songwriting style is represented. Right away, I heard The Tragically Hip, Elliot Smith, Jon Spencer, Wilco, Afghan Whigs, and Toad The Wet Sprocket's underrated debut represented. Then I looked at when this album was released. 1988?!? Holy shit... Mark Eitzel and company predicted and guided the future of Indie Rock throughout the 90's and beyond (Sufjan Stevens anyone?) All those artists I heard in this music owe American Music Club a serious debt of gratitude. Color me impressed.

Enjoyable alt-country. Clever writing but feels a little more produced than I care for.

Hard to find. Spotify said no Prodigy said no. I found a You tube download. I enjoyed listening to the album. I placed it in my rotation of stuff to liten to.

Better than their other stuff, but a bit depressing.

had to find the album on YouTube. I liked the diversity. A little bit of indie, country, and soft rock. Surprising to hear from the 80s.

Surprised I was unfamiliar with this album. Early alt country every, before alt country was a thing. Didn't have the bombast that would come later. Reminded me of The Jayhawks. Really great album.

Never heard of this band but really liked this. Some really nice songs and varied throughout

I know they came before and probably influenced Duritz, but the smack in the face jolt I got from picturing Counting Crows was wild. Hard to separate the two. It’s that uncanny

It’s such a dumb idea to give your band a generic name when your sound is also pretty basic. Bad band name, bad album name and cover. No wonder this shit just isn’t registering with most people. That said, I was very taken with this record. The songwriting and performances are good and earnest. The guy’s voice is really not unique or attention-getting, but that helps with the down to earth quality. I could see myself seeing these guys at a local bar and getting really into the show by the end. Just kinda good vibes. I wouldn’t call this a must-listen, but it is very good.

This album took me by surprise. I was not expecting much but found myself jamming out to the album from the beginning to the end. The only complaint I have is that it ended too soon!

Very sweet and wistful. Really liked 'Laughingstock', and the words to 'Lonely'. Real Dire Straits sound to 'Blue and Grey Shirt'. Love the Elliott Smith sound to 'Jenny'. Love 'Western Sky' - gorgeous final notes/chords on 'crying' at the end. Hard to pick out favourites because it's all cohesively a lovely mournful sound (except for 'Bad Liquor' which is the one I like the least). 'Last Harbor' - "Are you gonna be my last harbor?" is such a gorgeous line. Great end to the album.

Pretty great listen, chill vibes along with nice slow guitars. Makes you feel like you're sitting in a field maybe an abandoned farm but feeling rather happy with where you are. Maybe sitting in a quiet city watching people walk past you and feeling content in where you are and where you're going.

Good indie rock album. To bad Its only available on Youtube as a full album. Would love to add a few of the songs on my playlists.

So good – humane and heartfelt, warm and contemplative. Maybe the invention of Americana, maybe not – but still great, with skillfully modulated vibes and tasteful, nuanced playing, honest/earnest vocals, Streaming services – let's get with it and add this.

Passing along the Bandcamp link to hear the album (may not be on other platforms): https://americanmusicclub1.bandcamp.com/album/california-digi-only-release I was greeted warmly by the opening track (“Firefly”), a pleasant surprise of a song. Ended up enjoying the album overall; just a few weaker tracks on first listen. For 1988, quite good…

This was a musical time capsule for me. The only think missing was me tuning my radio to find the signal as the first song starts to play. The music is good, and it transports me to a late 70's classic rock band kind of place. I don't think this band was going for nostalgia, I just think that this take on the genre is in their bones. While I can't really tease out hits (not sure they had any), the whole album rings true. I wish they had garnered more recognition when they hit the scene.

4/5

Tasteful instrumentation. The singing isn’t my thing, but it’s a worthy listen.

Well, that's a weird one... I had really never heard of this band, although it kinda fits my taste. This is really obscure, and no, you can't find it on Spotify (but you can find it on YouTube). It's a 6,5/10 for me and I'll round that to a four-star-rating but that is a bit too positive. It's really erratic, that's my biggest problem. Oh no, that's not true. My biggest problem is the opening track: 'Firefly'. That's by far the weakest track of the album, I would almost call it horrible. How could they choose this as an opening track? These were the old days that people went to a record store and tried listening to them... Some songs are genuinely nice and beautiful, 'Blue and grey shirt' is probably my favourite, 'Pale and skinny girl' is very nice as well.

I really liked this! I just wish the recording played in higher quality on YT. Very charismatic, multilayered and sparkly leads and 90s alt-rock groove throughout most tracks. Favourite: Western Sky, Laughingstock, Highway 5. Least Fav: Bad Liquor 7.5/10

I was very surprised to see this was released in 1988 and not ten or twenty years later. I couldn't derive from the little info about the band on Wikipedia about who exactly they influenced (I didn't try very hard) but you can definitely hear a lot of 90s acts can trace their DNA to this album whether they (or I, clearly) know it or not. It is much more fun to listen and read about the kind of music that may have influenced bands and genres you like in this project, a lot better than the alternative which is like finding out a portion of your ancestry were Nazis or rockabilly fans. On the third and fourth tracks I realised it, this band is basically The Smiths if you replace beans and Thatcher with high fructose corn syrup and Reagan. Jangly English guitar tracks swapped with REAL Americana (the blessed and trusty pedal steel guitar, my beloved). There are a couple of dud/forgettable tracks on here but as a whole album experience this was novel and a pleasant discovery. It's not surprising to me that this group isn't bigger though, it seems they came in at an inopportune time and would have probably killed it if they came in twenty years later. Highlights - Firefly, Pale Skinny Girl, Western Sky, Highway 5

eu achei que seria bem melhor pela capa. aí começou a primeira musica eu falei pqp, vai ser mto ruim. mas aí no meio eu ate que gostei. indie rock com americana daquele naipe. tem umas barulheira boa, umas mais introspectiva. eh bacana, dá pra ouvir!!

Enjoyed it more than I expected!

I’d love this on vinyl

I actually really liked the sound of this. 4/5

Really enjoyed this, I definitely enjoyed American Music Club's sound! The album was kinda fire tbh and western sky has a really nice feel to it

Sounds super ahead of its time. Excited to go back to this one. 3.5/5

Not on Spotify

Good album. Never heard of them before. Not on radio Playlist.

It may have been the point to have a generic sounding band name, but it certainly does not help this band stand apart. Bad Liquor is a bad song. Not sure why it was included on the album, as 11 tracks would have been fine and there's no reason an outtake (any outtake) could not have been included if 11 tracks were deemed insufficient. I am not 100% sure how this album ended up in the book. Not because I did not enjoy it, rather was this a hugely influential album? I had not ever heard of this band and this feels like some of the college radio station music I listened to when I was in college. The songwriting is fairly strong and the lead singer's voice could be an acquired taste. I enjoyed: Firefly Somewhere Lonely Blue and Grey Shirt (best song on the album) Now You're Defeated Jenny Western Sky Last Harbor This is not on Spotify, so it makes it more difficult (for me, at least) to listen to regularly but I enjoyed the album.

De zang verraadt iets over het decennium waarin het gemaakt is, maar verder is het redelijk tijdloze countryrock, niet onvergelijkbaar met bijvoorbeeld Chris Isaak. Niet per sé opvallend, maar eigenlijk best goed. Ik hou wel van platen die een sfeertje neer kunnen zetten.

I weirdly liked this one Some songs were a bit bland, or had weird lyrics. But the good songs were really good! Balanced out to an overall enjoyable album 4 ⭐️

Never heard of them. Not something I would pick, but I enjoyed the album. Somehow it just resonates with me. I read the reviews. A lot of people think it's boring. I don't agree, but I understand. Favorite song: somewhere.

Don't have that much to say, honestly. It's just fine, so 3.5 bumped up to 4 it is.

Never heard this of this before and could only get it through YouTube. It was kind of Americana soft rock but with a bit more to it than most, reminded me of counting crows and the verve at various times. Liked it well enough but an overdone sound Checking the wiki before reviewing says it was released in 1988, so it must have been a frontrunner for this sound that was prevalent in the 90s and just be why it made the list. In those terms it sounds as good as anything that came after so fair play. Last song stands out but that might be because I heard it most recently, also liked bad liquor as it was a little bit noisy and unhinged. Not sure if I'd come back but it was well worth one listen, 3.5.

I thought this sounded firmly from the mid nineties, not from the late 80s, so I guess they were ahead of their time. I quite enjoyed it, kinda soft rock, almost reminded me a little of Springsteen, or counting crows, or maybe even tuung in parts?? I liked "Jenny", "western sky", "last harbour" I think this is at least a 3.5.

This was an unexpectedly enjoyable album. Honestly, this is what REM should sound like. Shame REM got famous while American Music Club faded somewhat into obscurity.

album wasn't available but the rest of their songs slap

speak up please

Daft name for a band, but a good album

Compelling, bracy and intermittently lovely. The opening cut is warm and approachable, setting a mood of near-lightness (or at least not pure bleakness as one expects). Hard to overrate the influence of this release – one hears Wilco, Sun Kil Moon, Counting Crows, Buffalo Tom, etc. "Firefly" and "Last Harbor" and "Blue and Grey Shirt" are the peak tracks here. An under-appreciated (if minor) masterpiece that suits this list and needs to get on to streaming services soon.

Interesting Americana guitar parts but with more apathetic vocalist. Not what I was expecting! There's parts that remind me of Bruce Springsteen, like "Somewhere" sounds like "Born to Run" in a good way. I'm also hearing a lot of "Okkervil River" in this band which I'm happy about. This band came out first but "Now You're Defeated" sounds like it could be a song in both band's catalogues. I really enjoy how dynamic the tracks are. The third song, "Laughingstock" is really soft and mild compared to the first two tracks and this is something I really appreciate so early in a rock album. I often dislike when rock bands try other things but then shove those tracks to the ends of records. I really didn't know what to expect song after song but as I was listening I did however start to get an expectation that the next track would also be good. I do feel bad because this album could easily be skimmed over for me; it appeared on a Monday, and a day when I was traveling / returning home from a trip, so it's Tuesday when I'm listening to it and already looking at the generated albums list to make sure that I'm not skipping or forgetting an album. Not only should this album be given proper attention, I think it should be in a rotation for me. It's really really solid and I'm only bummed that it comes in at around 40 minutes in total duration; I want more! It's a clear 4/5 and I'm really happy to discover the band. The distorted guitar parts in the chorus of "Highway 5" confirmed that it's a high 4 for me when I heard them.

Very enjoyable!! reminds me kind of REM and replacements combined maybe. Definitely a great midwest vibe to it... makes me want to find it on cd since its not on spotify.

The song starts out strong. “Marcello Semeraro” I seriously thought this track was a Springsteen track between the voice and music. I’m enjoying this album. I’m curious how I have never heard of this band. Ok. This was a great album. It does not sound like the 80s even a little. It could be from almost any time, and I hear Radio Head in here. I wonder if this album had an influence on them.

I’ll admit, I’d never heard of American Music Club until today. With that name, I might have overlooked them entirely if California hadn’t been included in the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Though missing from most streaming services, the album is available on Bandcamp—so there’s no excuse not to give it a listen. Once I finally pressed play, I was gripped by AMC’s haunting, spacious sound. These tracks feel delicate yet temperamental with an almost cinematic quality. Mark Eitzel’s vocals have an intimate, confessional edge, shifting from a weary whisper to a cathartic wail that perfectly complements the album’s sombre themes. The arrangements mirror his emotional intensity, creating a slow, reflective experience where melancholic melodies dominate, allowing the emotional weight of the lyrics to sink in. Guitarist Vudi’s reverb-soaked riffs and subtle strumming lend texture without stealing focus, letting Eitzel’s voice and introspective lyrics shine. Highlights like “Firefly” and the gorgeous “Western Sky” capture the album’s sense of longing and disillusionment, while “Blue and Grey Shirt” digs into themes of love and regret. The closer, “Last Harbor,” leaves a lingering sense of melancholy. At times, this feels like the sound R.E.M. might have pursued without major-label polish, though Eitzel’s lyrical approach is far darker than Michael Stipes'. Recorded with minimal production, California is intentionally sparse, capturing heartbreak and self-reflection against the ghostly backdrop of a fading California dream. In a parallel universe, this band are probably huge, but conversely, their underdog status makes them more appealing to me. Did/Do I own this release? No Does this release belong on the list? Sure Would this release make my personal list? I'm still processing it, but I've enjoyed listening to it. Will I be listening to it again? For sure

\"Laughingstock\" is a beautiful tune. As is "Blue and Grey Shirt," "Now You're Defeated," "Jenny," (possibly my fave), and "Last Harbor" (or maybe it's this one). All the beautiful tunes are great, there are just some less-than-great ones mixed in. I'm gonna go ahead and round up to 4 stars because this album is getting an unnecessarily bad rap. Also because they are not on Spotify and Spotify can go to hell.

I quite enjoyed the album.

Couldnt find this album anywhere so just listened instead to their stuff generally. This was quite up my street. Nice easy Weat Coast vibe. A bit nondescript. Just enough rock, folk, punk, loose mush to keep most happy ish. Admittedly it’s been done a thousand times, and probably quite a bit better by others later on, but decent and I would listen again.

Enjoyable :) I liked this more than I thought I would

Very British sounding folk tinged indie Gonna listen to more of their stuff Not something I expected to like but this list can be full of surprises sometimes.

pretty fire big fan

Gutes Indie Album. Es lohnte sich die Recherche in YouTube und das Reinhören. Gelungene abwechslungsreiche Kompositionen einer Band der die Musik wichtiger erscheint als das Business. Der Song „Jenny“ ist grandios, gefühlstarrk und authentisch. Ich würde es auf jedenfall Wiederhören.

Too bad this isn't available to stream because I enjoyed it a decent amount. My favorite was Western Sky. It's a softer indie rock album, a style I like much more than the Dinosaur Jrs. and Lemonheads of this era. Good song writing, the others I liked here were Lonely and Firefly.

this band has 11 thousand monthly listeners on spotify. this album isn’t even on spotify - had to listen on youtube. and it ended up being REALLY GOOD and it’s a shame i’ll probably never go back to it since it isn’t streaming anywhere. maybe i’ll check out their other stuff

Reminds me of groups like American Football or Pinegrove. Really liked it, though wish it was on Spotify, haha.

4/5

didn't listen to this earlier bc its not on streaming services. im not sure if me not being able to put this on Spotify is making me want this more or what but I feel like I would totally listen to some of these songs. I liked this

Had never heard of them before but I really enjoyed this album. Great vibe. Great for a long drive. Firefly was my favorite

I like the lyrical themes, and kind of like the overall sound as well, but I just find the playing and singing style a bit boring and repetitive for my taste. I like more variation within the form of a song. A few songs, like Highway 5, do have a bit more going on instrumentally, if not in form. I was going to give this a 3, but I liked the last few songs, and I have a feeling it might grow on me and work well if I'm in a bit more of a laidback, meditative mood, so I'll bump it up to a 4.

Good

Enjoyed this one a lot, I'm a sucker for folky Americana and pedal steel guitars.

I liked this album. Good early-mid 90's softer type rock. The guitar strum is so recognizable to the era along with the intentional lyrics that speak of times and people gone by. Best song is Western Sky. Honorable Mention: Jenny

I had no idea what to expect, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Lonely, Jenny

Not on spotify obvs, which I get, but it is still a shame, might have to buy a CD... I do enjoy it, and I think I could like it more if i could listen to it more.

Hidden gem

Indie slowcore.

being hard to get made it better?

Couldn't load on spotify, but listened to it on youtube and thoroughly liked it

Really good!!

It was hard to track this one down -- it's not on Spotify so I ended up streaming it from random YouTube uploads, not exactly the best way to listen to something new. I was impressed! I liked the tunes, found them reminiscent of Wilco, and then looked at the year, and wowzers, this was way ahead of its time. Definitely a great inclusion on the 1001 and a band I'm going to have to check out more thoroughly.

Good enough that I should have heard of it before, but never heard of them before.... 5/5: Blue & Grey Shirt, Jenny, 4/5: Firefly, Somewhere, Laughingstock, Lonely, Pale Skinny Girl, Now You're Defeated, Rating: 4/5

Not on Spotify, had to find on YouTube.

Sadly not on the streams where I am (at least not any more). AMC feel like a band that time forgot. They're so good, but never got their due credit. First time listening to this album and it's really good.

Indie slowcore.

Beautiful in many different ways. Definitely a slow burn, but satisfying when you warm up to it

De va nog rätt swäg

Solid indie-rock from Mark Eitzel and his band. An easy listen that is straightforward and low key, though not terribly exciting, has some fine moments with above average songwriting. This style of music isn't something I would normally rate high, but it's so much more satisfying that a majority of the albums that made this list. Nice to see it recognized.

Genre: Indie rock, slow-core Americana 1988 Standouts: Jenny, Laughingstock, Pale Skinny Girl, Firefly, Somewhere, Blue and Grey Shirt, Now You're Defeated Really need to hear more of this! 3.5

Reminds me of the Trashcan Sinatras. This isn't a bad thing.

This album was great but oh my god it was so annoying to find

This album wasn't on Apple Music which is a shame. I did find it on YouTube music but it was a fan playlist. I did really like this album and wished I could find it easier.

This one is really special, I can feel that It's bot on spotify sadly, but it is at least a strong 4

Un clàssic perdut entre les obres de culte del rock alternatiu nordamericà. Va ser publicat al 1988, però no pot sonar menys associat al seu contexte. De fet, sona totalment atemporal, una petita joia a conservar fruit del geni de Mark Eitzel, probablement en un moment personal força obscur, però a la vegada en el seu moment artístic més brillant

Spotify does not have this album, I hate that. Had to listen on Youtube which cut up the flow with stupid ads every so often. Despite that, I quite liked this album! It felt like a perfect blend of indie/alternative with little splashes of country and blues throughout. It did not feel like an album from 1988, that's for damn sure. This could have very well been released in 2010 or 2014 instead and it would have fit right in. They were either lightyears ahead of their time or genuine time travellers who decided to go back to the 80's to enjoy life again at a simpler time and just chill, making music. And if that's the case, please SHARE YOUR BACK TO THE 80'S TIME MACHINE WITH ME!!! I wanna go too.

I put off American Music Club’s “California” because it was hard to find. Their 80s albums are not streaming on Amazon or Spotify. So I finally sought them out on Youtube. And I wished I hadn’t waited. With the exception of the vibe-killing “Bad Liquor,” the album is a welcome entry into the world of the slowcore genre they pioneered. I can see how this could lead to dream pop and Low, which should be on the list. Good on someone for adding “Things We Lost in the Fire” to the user list.

Really, really nice. Soft and gentle, a little bit country, and reminded me of Band of Horses quite a lot. I didn't even mind that I had to scour YouTube for it. I was staggered not to have heard this album before, because it felt right in my zone. I'd hope to buy the record, given that I'm unlikely to proactively find it on YouTube again.

It was difficult to hear all of it as it's not on any streaming services, which is a shame because this is one of those rare finds that I think I would like a lot. I might download it and listen properly.

Anachronistically evocative, this sure as sugar doesn’t sound like 1988. Slow/sadcore pioneers, eh? Maybe that’s why this sounds like the logical stepping stone between Husker Dū and Elliott Smith. Some of these tracks gave me goosebumps. That’s good, right? How have I never heard of them??

Enjoyable.

This album sounds like a lot of other things (Elliot Smith comes to mind at certain points on the album because of the lead vocalist's voice), but it certainly doesn't sound like it came out in 1988. I would have put it at least 5 years later than that. I liked the album, but didn't love it, but it deserves a lot of credit for doing the folky alt-country thing much earlier than a lot of the other bands that ended up sounding like them in the decade after this 4/5

Hard to find, but I found most of it on YouTube. I had never heard of these guys, but this was a nice surprise. Really nice!

Probably my fav of theirs.

Quite liked this one

Pretty solid americana adjacent music. Weird mix of 80s style vocals and more countrified vocals. Like this alot. Reminds me of Counting Crows.

Couldn’t find this on streaming but it was easily available on YouTube If you’re looking for great songwriting, this album is a great example of it The slow and dense instrumentation also adds to the depressive atmosphere Favourite tracks: Laughingstock, Lonely, Pale and Skinny Girl, Western Sky, Highway 5

Their alt-rock is more obvious and less valuable than the song architecture that stretches, emerging from words unstately laconic. So the songs get big and slow. American Music Club marks a thin and gritty lane for the record, which falls apart in the middle to be reconstituted. Home state advantage does work in the retrospective.

An intriguing blend of roots rock and Americana that would soon seep its way towards soon-to-be established hands for refinement, California by American Music Club is a signpost that would define most bands, but for AMC it is another pit stop on what would be a adventurous journey. Favorites: Firefly, Somewhere, Laughingstock, Pale Skinny Girl, Bad Liquor, Now You're Defeated, Jenny, Last Harbor.

"California" is the third studio album by San Francisco indie rock band American Music Club. This music is an early example of Americana and alt country combining rock, punk, folk and country. All songs were written by vocalist and guitarist Mark Eitzel. The album opens with "Firefly." Slide guitar. Easy rock and you definitely get that alt country vibe you'd hear a few years later. He's losing a girl as she slips through. "Somewhere" is more rockin.' A great vocal chorus and a searing guitar solo to end the song. Eitzel delivers more sad, lonely songs in "Blue and Grey Shirt" and "Western Sky." More slide and acoustic guitars with the music creating a yearning atmosphere. They change it up a bit and go pyschedelic in "Highway 5." At this point, they needed to open it up and they did with some hard feedback guitar closing the final minute. I knew some Neil Young would show up at some point. This is a really good album. A lot of songs build slowly. It reminded me a lot of the Red House Painters and Silver Jews in that respect with the slowcore approach to songs. Very earnest, heartfelt lyrics and music. Maybe, they were a few years ahead of the Americana curve. But, who knows if this would have ever gained a widespread audience. Anyway, an album most everyone, I think, would like to some extent.

A response to a comment responding to a top comment Part 1: "I agree" I agree that you agree Part 2: "I disagree with Spotify being for "background" music "casuals". I think it is one of the greatest tools for easily discovering lots of music. For me, I have been able to discover and listen to so much with Spotify. Without it, the barrier to entry to my level of listening would be very very high. Before Spotify, the kinds of people who would have used Spotify as background music would then tend to just listen to pre-selected radio. Spotify gives "music listening superusers" so much more of an ability to explore. I think it is very easy to hate on Spotify and be closed-minded to all that it has opened up. There are issues of course, specifically for artists, yet I think saying Spotify has caused people to use it as background music is quite dismissive. In fact, I would argue more people customize and explore their music now than in the time of radio" I disagree with your disagreement. Anyone who uses Spotify is basically a little baby and probably just listens to Baby Shark on repeat all day. You should be obtaining the sheet music for every album and creating it yourself at home with improvised instruments made from household objects. Kids these days. You just want music handed to you. The album was okay btw if anyone cares about that 3.5/5

California is not for everyone. It is not dynamic in the normal sense. It can feel airless if you are not tuned into its frequency. Some songs are more atmosphere and confession than conventional payoff. If you want big choruses, sharp tempo changes, or easy catharsis, this album will probably feel too gray, too static, too defeated.

Meh... it wasn't THAT bad.

22.06 Cool vibes

Hmm. It's anyone's guess as to what this album cover could be. I have a certain, faint idea in my head, though no genres are immediately jumping out to me. Alternative rock would have been getting started around the time this album released, but then again "American Music Club" invokes the image of a country band. Fuck it - I'm going with alt rock. Here goes. Ah, FUCK. This music is Americana. So close, yet so far. I favour this album, though it's hard to say if I definitively like it. The mopey, sadsack murmurings of this vocalist really have to sit with me before I can decide if they're objectively good. What's most impressive to me about this album is how ahead of the curve it sounds. I heard a bit of Elliott Smith in this music at points along with the other acts that would adopt this folky, minimal, indie style throughout the late-90s and early 2000s. Speaking more on the music itself, it has a solid foundation but can be a little shaky. The alternative-sounding guitars are generally adept and pair excellently with the reverbating, atmospheric country guitars which linger in the background. Mark Eitzel isn't a knockout vocalist, though his depressive style carries this music along nicely and is bolstered by the solid songwriting. My only real gripe with this music is how restrictive it is. I do like the emptiness which hangs over these songs as it meshes well with the country sound, though it grows to be a little fatiguing and samey by the end. I also generally didn't like the songs with more aggressive instrumentation, like that of "Bad Liquor". Overall, however, I'd say I had a good time listening to this. Book time. The first edition of this book erroneously has their "San Francisco" album as the cover artwork for this release, which was promptly corrected in the 2008 update of the book. I would say that I hope someone got fired for that blunder, though in all fairness I'd be gutting half of the editing team given that the curators of this book add an average of 10 albums per revision. Anyways, the book entry opens with "Melody Maker once called American Music Club "The most criminally underrated band in the world." A pretty accurate description, as this band seems forever condemned to obscurity." American Music Club were an Americana band long before the genre name was coined. R.E.M. stole this band's thunder when their "Document" album achieved breakthrough success around the same as "Engine", which was this band's attempt at going mainstream. In response, this follow-up album is more reserved and muted. The frontman of this band apparently broke down crying when performing "Western Sky" on a live solo album of his. Wikipedia has fuck all on this album, with it having all of two sentences to its name (aside from the paragraph detailing its spot in the 1001 Albums book). The reception to their successive and preceding albums has been a bit shaky, though the critics generally like these guys. I'm favourable to this pick. I appreciate the honesty from the curator about this being more of a niche offering and I liked this album, so we're letting it through. I cosign this inclusion.

I was a big fan of this band in the 90s - the dour and sinister Americana vibe was transcendent. Now years later imitators have made the sound less distinct and the melancholy can get a bit punishing. But there are still great songs here, even if as a whole its a bit fatiguing emotionally and stylistically.

sounds very Counting Crows to me. Might dig a bit deeper.

I tried, but was bored.

Very middle of the road. Also a pain in the ass to find.

Pretty slides and twangy guitars paired with earnest indie vocals, alt rock distorted riffing, and college rock jangly acoustics and pop song-writing. A pretty obscure album in the scheme of things, but a document of another moment in the articulation of country and American rock over decades.

1001 Albums Your Gen X Uncle Listened to in College.

No está mal. Bastante interesante para 1988. Tampoco es algo rupturista. Ahí anda. 5/10

Not on Spotify. Pretty good music though.

Could’nt stream it so had to hunt it down on YouTube, but very glad I did. Really liked it… bits of tindersticks and gene in there on the stronger tracks.

it's a weird journey. overall it's a solid dreamy album with a nice composition. but there are also a lot of squeaky and cheesy passages...

Wasn’t on Spotify. Found the artist on Apple Music, but not the entire album.

American Music Club has always been one of those bands that were just around (mentioned in press or conversation) that I never got into. During some stretches in my life that'd be due to deep differences between their sound and what I was into at the time. But I've gone through my share of indie, slowcore, and alternative americana phases and while this album touches all of these so-called genres the band still managed to be elusive. Maybe it's because they delivered a more eclectic experience on their records rather than picking a single lane but a record with "pale skinny girl", "highway 5", and the like on it in 1988 ought to have been bigger. Or maybe you'd pick "blue and grey shirt" and "jenny" (and this split in tastes is the issue). Further complicated now by the tangled mess of rights issues you've either got to go looking on Youtube or Bandcamp for other streaming options for their first 4 records. It's a shame something so good as this album (a very high 3 stars, easily could be 4 on a more generous day) is so hard to check out. And yet, wasn't that true at the time of its release as well? You could have a map and maybe you'd hear it on college radio but you'd still have to find California in a store somewhere.

No Spotify??!??

Chill and pretty melancholy music

Never heard of these guys, but this was easy listening. It's a little Americana, mixed with some country and a bit of indie rock. Interesting. Need to listen to a few more of their albums to get a feel for who/what they are.

Solidly average.

If an album isn't on your favorite streaming service, and/or you don't like ads, consider looking it up on BandCamp. This on is available there for easy, ad-free streaming. I can empathize with reviewers who can't get into this one. This record starts slow and spends more time meandering than building towards anything in particular. That said, I can hear the post punk/new wave/shoegaze places it came from and the places where this sound will go later - namely: post rock, emo, and indie of the 90s (and beyond, but one step at a time). "Pale and Skinny Girl" is totally 'grunge band does a soft song'. "Blue And Grey Shirt" sounds like the seeds of American Football "Bad Liquor" is just a fun blues rock jam. Nothing before it suggested they had that kind of song in them, but I'm here for it. I also hear early pieces of Slint in here. It's harder for me to pin down exact references for this one, but the front of the album made me think of "Spiderland" a few times. Rating on context would push this into 4 star territory, but on it's own I don't think it climbs above 3 at the most. I've going to go like 3.5? 3.25? and round down.

Getting real "late 90's-early 00's ensemble rom-com" vibes from this. Dianna is runing back to confess her love to Craig, finally realising that Chet was actually just a jerk in a fancy suit, and Louise was just about to start the journey back to Kansas when Anthony steps out the bus door holding roses, and Somewhere is playing over it all. In the pre-release version of the movie Steve never kicked his needle habit, but that was removed from the final edit, but remained in the soundtrack. That is not to say this is bad - soundtracks to bad rom-coms are often good. I don't see myself ever listening again, but if someone ever does make my screenplay "Love Stories From New York" and uses this in the soundtrack then cue the Leo pointing meme. I just hope they leave Steve in, he was the heart of the tale.

The first track sounds a lot like a stardew valley song. So that's werid. Most of these songs feel the song that plays at the beginning of a sappy movie. Like here are the good moments of these peoples lives, cut aways of people doing things. Then as the opening credits are wrapping up, the music fades, and a character put a thing down and says, 'boy howdy being a person is hard work, time to throw my life into a blender so that I find the right person' Western Sky or Somewhere would likely work best, but laughing stock or really any song besides Bad Liquor or Jenny would work.

2.8 Fine but nothing really original. My thought was if Wilco and Bruce Springsteen had a baby, and that baby grew up to be a musician, but not a particulary interesting one.

I couldn’t find much here that I’d call above average. The songwriting and lyrics clearly carry a lot of personal weight, but they just didn’t resonate with me on any meaningful level. Enjoyable enough in the moment, though not something I see myself revisiting anytime soon.

eh. kinda sounds like a bar band. a good bar band, don't get me wrong. I like the use of pedal steel throughout, and Mark Eitzel wears his heart on his sleeve in an endearing way. but as far as late 80s/early 90s indie rock, I think there's far more essential stuff to find. decent 5/10.

I recognized the name of the band from the No Alternative compilation but I am not at all familiar with the group's other work. The tone of the songs on California is all over the place. Some numbers sound VERY similar to other late 80s, early 90s alternative/college rock groups but the singer's voice and the instrumentation is different enough that it sounds unique.

worth a listen

I think they could've released this in 2008 and done really well. The combination of a near country twang, and hollow feeling lyrics would've fit well in that era, like a proto-Mumford and Sons. Its also a fairly short runtime, 34 minutes and you're done, although I was fairly glad to be done. It does get up its own ass a little and some parts tend to drag out a bit, but overall a fair enough listen. I think this would be good overcast/rainy day drives through a forest type music. I really do enjoy the arrangement of sounds they have here, definite mood setting.

you know it was kinda chill Will I listen to again: 15%

could not listen

Never heard of this before. Some of it has a bit too country twang for me and the rest was a mix, a few interesting stuff but some not.

Could not find alblum to listen to

The vocals reminded me of counting crows in some songs, and I guess so did the melodies. Interesting album, very 90’s

It's fine.

Helt grei. Jenny skiller seg ut og høres ut som proto-Sufjan Stevens.

Fikk kraftige First Price R.E.M.-vibber av det her, og det inntrykket forsterkes av Wikipedia. Det er mye med Mark Eitzel som sammenfaller med Michael Stipe, og i 1997 ga han ut til og med et album skrevet sammen med Peter Buck. Men AMC er ikke R.E.M., dessverre, selv om dette albumet har sine sider.

No me encantó o no estaba en el mood

Pretty fine album, with only one track standing out. Don't really think this should be on the list, but getting way more hate than it deserves Favorite Song: Bad Liquor

This was pretty calm and chill. It was okay. Three stars

Didn't really excite, but wasn't bad to listen to. A bit too neutral for me.

3/5. First album I’ve had on the generator which isn’t on streaming. Luckily there was a decent rip of the album on YouTube so I listened there. And it’s a decent time. Feels like a blend of folk-rock and Springsteen-esque heartland rock. Its strongest songs though are at the start and end of the album, leaving a pretty flabby and forgettable middle section. My favorite song is probably “Jenny” which is a very skeletal tracks only featuring vocals and guitar.

First half was an underwhelming 2, second half it found its feet, laid down some interesting tracks and was pushing a 4, so I think I have to take an average of both and give it a nice solid 3. Can’t comment on songs as I do t know their names.

When reading the name of this band, I thought this was going to be such a drag. Actually turned out to be exactly what I needed. Still not my kind of thing, however I think it really pulls off what its trying to do.

This one has pretty good atmosphere and vibe to it. It kind of sounds like Nebraska's (Bruce Springsteen) long lost sibling who got all muddled up in some prairie near NowhereVille (idk I'm trying to use some American terms.) It's quite country in terms of it's sound with the jangely guitars of indie rock. It's melodies are hauntingly beautiful like in "Pale Skinny Girl" and "Jenny" which reflects the album cover and the covers desolate feel to it. It's also quite a 'sleepy' album, it's very chill and relaxing AND soothing right up until the song "Bad Liquor" which woke me up from my very needed slumber. After that the singer seemed to be more erratic like he had gone mad from all the despair and gloominess from beforehand and decided to let out his psychobilly-ness that's hiding deep inside of him. This was a solid one, it has a unique vibe to it. If you like songs with country overtones with indie elements and occasional psychobilly freakout moments I'd recommend it wholeheartedly, if not still very much worth a listen. Highlight Song/s: "Firefly" and "Jenny"

Good indie rock/folk. Nice variety, and a few excellent songs. 3.5/5

Wow they named an album after a US state? They should've tried to do the Sufjan Stevens thing where they make an album for each state. Maybe these guys would've made more than two. Oh who am I kidding? Besides, even if they did do that, it's not like any of them would be better than Sufjan's albums. This one's just okay. I really don't have much that I can talk about. The album's wikipedia article says two things about this album. It released and it's on the 1001 Albums list. Also it's not on streaming. But, I did listen to it and it definitely wasn't bad. Dare I say, I actually enjoyed it. I didn't love it, but I liked it. There's a nice moody atmosphere behind a majority of the album that's fairly pleasant. Why the hell that atmosphere is interrupted by "Bad Liquor" before immediately going back to slow stuff is beyond me, but okay I guess. Mark Eitzel's vocals are fine. Not great, but not bad. The writing is alright. Nothing crazy. "Western Sky" was good. California is a decent album and not much more. Enjoyable, but not a must-listen at all. High 3/5.

Gave this a few listens through, but didn’t note anything too special outside of it being an easy listen.

Day 245 Fine, but don’t think I’ll be rushing to listen again Highlights Firefly

The first album not available on streaming! I enjoyed this more than I thought. Has to be said I enjoyed the mellow moments a lot more than the heavier content here

Could not listen ....

I like it. It reminds me of 90s indie a bit. Since it's from 1988, I wonder if this influenced any of the sound I'm thinking of. If I listened to it multiple times, I think some of the songs might stick. It's too soon to say if I'll come back to it.

3/4

First time I heard this. I immediately checked to see if Bruce Hornsby is on this list and there is not..

No estab disponible en Sporify, lo escuché no oficialmente por lo que no tenía la mejor calidad, rescaté un par de canciones.

Вцілому добре, але нічого незвичайного. Одна пісня мені сподобалася. 2,5

6/10

Very mixed album for me. Some great stuff and some absolute misses. Not sure I would revisit it.

Pleasant listen but not very remarkable. Vocals sounded like Springsteen but less unique. I did appreciate the various genres throughout, but it all felt like surface level representations.

Decent. Nothing groundbreaking.

Spoczko, ale nic porywającego. Bezpieczne 3. Na pewno nie odrzuca.

Chill album to listen to, nothing special but easy enough listening

This was not really for me but I totally get and feel its nostalgia, and vibe from a particular era. Solid 3/5

Better than coldplay

Thoughts before listening: I don't know much about this band or album. Based solely on the names here, I'd assume some sort of alt-country indie rock thing, but I don't feel great about that guess. Review: So this album isn't on Spotify, but I was able to find it on Youtube. I basically nailed the sound. Catchy rock n roll songs with a hint of country styling. In the vein of something like the Jayhawks I guess. I'm not sure this deserves a place in this list, but it was a fine listen. 3-stars

On the one hand, quite listenable. On the other, entirely inoffensive.

Довольно приятный рок, но на этом всё.

Quite a pleasant album from a band I hadn't heard before. 3.5 stars, rounding down. The overall affect was a bit downtempo / monotonous.

The I’d album wasn’t available on Spotify so I listened Everclear

I couldn't get this album on Spotify so I listened to their 1990 album Everclear. I like the vibe of this group. The vocals get a little repetitive, but enjoyable. I think I will dig a little deeper into their catalog.

Mix of country, R.E.M., punk, and the Smiths. Apparently this is a slow core album. I've never heard of that name before, but it sounds like the stripped-back, sad songs in this album.

Solid I guess, nothing special

No encontré el disco, pero escuché otro disco de la banda. No está mal

Available in Bandcamp (you can stream for free)

This is dollar CD bin at the record store core. Music that is totally fine but it just sorta blends in the background. I agree with that review talking about the Feelies. I’d rather a Feelies album be on here.

This was great! I really liked this! Will be going back! 3 stars for how unfamiliar I was with it. I expect it to go up.

It gets better towards the end. It’s almost as if Nick Cave came to visit the studio. I like the track Pale and Skinny Girl, Jenny, Western Sky and Highway 5

niet beschikbaar

Rv

These tracks are not available on Spotify. But I listened to an album from a couple years later - based on that it's a 3 "sound."

This is my third album not to be on American Spotify and the first since the Jungle Brothers at album #64. It is a fairly good alt-rock album with some guitar jangle. However, many of the lyrics feel rather stupid and trite, which is a shame as these are otherwise good songs. Basically, these guys sound like REM for hipsters who refuse to be caught listening to REM. The vocalist sounds like any new wave vocalist, and the rest of the band is only OK. Is it a good album? Yes. Is it essential listening? Not in the slightest.

2.5 stars I had it in the background and didn’t love it but would probably like more with more listens. That being said, I don’t think I’d ever love it.

- ok, doesn't hold up. Maybe I need more time with it but I came away feeling like the writing was middling, almost try hard ..... -

Uneven, but I did kind of enjoy the vibe at points.

Solidly inoffensive

3/5 is me being generous. This album is pretty mid.

Not available on Apple Music

Nice chill album. Deep ass lyrics. Nothing special really.

Exactly what I expected from a band names American Music Club. The fact that you can't make 0.5 rates it's really bothering me more and more, it's a 2.5

would not join this club

Ok, didn't really stand out.

Actually quite enjoyed the album, though I understand why some reviewers have said it sounds like listening to your mate's band. I think I would listen again if it was easier to stream.

Evan Dando was certainly taking notes before he decided to make the Lemonheads more country/punk/pop. Anyway, this is a great album; little sadsack teenage freshly dumped me would have probably loved this album if I'd heard it then AND it sounds like it was leading the way with the alt-rock/alt-country/Americana genres AND I was wrong to just pick on Dando; to be honest it sounds like many bands that became big from the alternative community were listening and taking this lead and running with it. Though many probably haven't heard this album before (me included), and it doesn't really keep up the quality as there is a bit of a dip in the middle, I can definitely say you should listen to this as it's obviously a touchstone for many, many albums and artists that followed. Best Tracks: Firefly; Somewhere; Last Harbor

This was pretty cool! Weird to describe this as "ahead of its time," because in execution its playing with a lot of old timey elements; folk, country, Americana. So by nature, it feels timeless. And in a lot of ways, it is. I could listen to almost any one of these songs at any time and be okay with it. The reason it feels "ahead of its time" is that it feels like The National, or Wilco, or even Death Cab for Cutie. There's also some really cool punk elements that feel like Joy Division. I was a little distracted listening to this, because I had to listen on YouTube, so I couldn't jam out while cooking breakfast or working out. But I really did enjoy this record thoroughly.

This sounded rather lovely but I think I'll need to give it a second spin to be sure

It has certain moments, but on the whole the album is a little bit insipid, and I feel like they are not sure what genre they want to be in. I did not mind it, but it certainly did not make me want to go find out a bit more. Standout track was Pale and Skinny girl. 3 stars

Feels conceptual. The album starts strong and confident, the second song "Somewhere" is a rocker. Then it gets a bit tenative and introspective, finally ending with this dismal character breaking up or losing "Jenny" (possibly and just leaving the world behind, hitting the road,. Feeling sad. A bit of a trope, especially layering in the Americana feel instrumentation (slide guitar, slow tempos).

A nice mellow indie-Americana vibe. Liked it.

started off decent, became grating and annoying as it went. too long

Bad Liquor was fun and the rest is totally fine but hard to imagine coming back to these days.

Was okay. I feel like I should be more into this than I actually was. Late 80s (1988) indie style rock. Had to go to YouTube to listen to it.

A couple of songs reminded me a little of You Am I. Would probably rate it 3.5 stars if I could. Not bad but not really special either

It's not bad. 2,8

Another introduction to me. Nothing unique but solid in the best way. I really enjoyed it.

Good 3

This felt familiar and enjoyable.

‘California’ from 1988-ish was not available so listened to ‘Everclear.’ A little more rocking Cure sound.

Pretty standard

I liked this song about "another party .." Why is this album nowhere to find?

New one to me. Was solid enough but not as good as other contemporary "indie" types. 3/5

Apparently, this album is not available from my provider. Instead, I listened to another album by the band. That gave me an impression of the band. The music was okay, but it didn't really stick in my mind. 3/5