Fromohio

Not too much of a deviation from Minutemen— just a bit more “pop” (accessible) in the melodies and vocals. Still doodley-doodley-doo, though! 😀

Paso mucho

there's something good here, but not good enough to warrant a higher rating,

The music is not bad, though it’s pretty forgettable.

I've not listened to this for years and I'd forgotten what a great album it is

I don't know why, but in places it reminded me of the early Red Hot Chili Peppers. Though without the Red Hot Chili Peppers' talent.

I was able to listen to this album. It didn't particularly appeal to me or leave a lasting impression. I forgot about it right away. 3/5

few good songs but mostly unremarkable

Such a positive surprise! What an album! That funky bass and jangly guitar!

2.5/5

Love it

I don’t really know why I didn’t connect with this. Nothing struck me as very memorable, but the sound wasn’t ever too bad?

nothing special, didnt hate it just forgot it was on

Only in Ohio, euuuh hawk tuah man

Surprised by how much I liked it

At first I hated this, but really enjoyed it as I got into it. What Gets Heard is my favorite track

Was not familiar with them…really liked it! I was surprised this was late 80s.

Primarily familiar with these guys from getting them confused with the sub shop. Not bad, feels like an outtake/b-sides album. Guitars a little tinny for my taste on a lot of tracks but some worthwhile stuff here for sure.

Cool ideas, just not my bag

Only in Ohio,

Never heard or heard of this before. Reminds me of the Minutemen and a little of R.E.M. A pleasant enough listen.

Feels like watching an episode of Pete & Pete.

Loose and mostly fun, or mostly high-energy at least.

80’s Alternative Rock ⭐️Time With You

Lite varken eller, aldrig dåligt men heller aldrig särskilt bra. Betydligt mer sympatiskt än samtida attitydstyrd gaprock (läs Pixies) och Seinfeldbas blir man ju alltid på gott humör av. Saknar en hel del punkenergi för att det skulle bli bra på riktigt men finns ett gäng hyfsade låtidéer. Trumsolon sänker den förstås men klarar tvåan med marginal

Jag har aldrig hört talas om varken artisten eller skivan. Men jag har inte missat något väsentligt heller. Låter emellanåt mer sent 60-tal än sent 80-tal. Gitarrexercis utan några egentliga låtar och helt ointressant sång.

Och jag läser ur den andra Moseboken: Och Heren lät den 11e plågan falla över Faraos folk. Den kallades ” den amerikanska indien. Och Herren sade ”Och den skola vara fruktansvärd och sätta skräck i män, kvinnor, barn, djur och allt levande.”

Humorlöst trams blandat med usel folkrock, hårdrocksinfuenser och trista trumsolon till mellanakter. Inte ens wikipedia vill ha med det här albumet att göra.

God energi.

It's fine. A lot of different stuff on here, and most of it sounds just fine without really standing out to me with a few notable examples. I'm missing some energy or purpose to really capture me. Standouts Mas Cojones Liberty For Our Friend 3/5

A little too undercooked for my liking. Not bad though.

The face on this album cover will haunt my dreams for the next year

Funky 90s music cool sound

Alternative rock.

Iwie random aber eig no nice gsi

Being a fan of Minutemen this was a great surprise.

The way I read this as "from-oh-hee-oh" instead of "from ohio." Sounds like a lot of stuff at warped tour. It's ok, not sure it should be on here.

Gets better towards the end

Yayyyyy San Pedro California I love it. This album I don't love but I think it's pretty interesting compared to a lot of stuff on here.

This was just fine but entirely forgettable.

gets better as it goes on.

The guy singing is not articulating its almost like mumble rock, I also do not like his singing. The instrumentals tho! That's a whole other story. They are the highlight of this entire album. They are hampered by the terrible vocals.

Bizarre and totally abstract, blending a multitude of genres into a complete, borderline schizophrenic package. No idea how it ended up on this list but I'm glad it did.

Always wanted to like this on principle but it’s not for me

Sounds much older than it is on the surface but sounds like it belongs with what came after it in the 90s on closer listen. I enjoyed the first listen of this and will listen again.

Fromohio has this little RHCP vibe going on, especially in the bass lines — Mike Watt really drives the songs with that funky, percussive groove. But honestly, the record feels like it never fully takes off. It hints at something bigger, like it’s warming up for a blast of energy, but then it pulls back and stays halfway. There are cool moments, sure, and the band’s chemistry is undeniable, but overall it feels more like a sketch of what could’ve been rather than the full picture. It’s solid, but you’re left thinking it had the potential to hit harder than it actually does

Non mi è dispiaciuto, non ho capito però che genre è

Kind of rolled over me and don't remember anything about it.

Some nice moments to this, but it started off with more promise which wasn't really sustained through out the rest of the album.

perfectly listenable, just not very interesting

Oh great, another obscure indie rock band. At least they're American and from the 80s rather than 2000s British crap. It honestly sounds like a worse version of Husker Du to me; while they can clearly play, they just don't have the songs that the Du or REM had. I don't find myself particularly moved by anything these guys made; the vocals aren't that great and there's no real hooks that stick with you. The songs are all very short, which compounds their lack of staying power. This isn't really a genre where you can cast songs aside to showcase instrumental virtuosity, and that's exactly what this album does. And it's not even virtuosity; it's just mildly impressive playing. No college rock record should have drum solos, but this has two. Leave the drum solos to 70s hard rock bands, people! I've heard better playing from bands, especially metal bands, that have better songs(at least in my humble opinion). With that in mind, while this is far from a terrible record, it just isn't good or distinctive enough to be worth my while. Given the band's obscurity, I wouldn't call them essential at all. So why are they here?

I like this. Was not familiar with them, which is a shame because their punk-adjacent ethos combined with great guitar work, sick bass and adept drumming sound great together in this album. Can’t wait to hear more, including this album a few more times. For now it’s a 3, although I can see this growing on me.

I really enjoyed this and I’d never heard of them. I did listen to minutemen but this was totally new. I will listen to more of this- it’s right in my wheelhouse of folk punk or acoustic punk. Solid album! 3 1/2 would be my vote

3.5 rounded up to correct the low global average. Would've benefitted from more direction but it's like being part of a fun jam session with some very talented friends.

There’s undeniable musicianship here, especially in the up-tempo tracks where the rhythm section really locks in. The bass work stands out, and when the band finds its pocket, the energy is tight and intentional. That said, the vocal delivery didn’t resonate with me, and some of the tempo shifts and structural turns felt chaotic rather than compelling. It’s clearly a thoughtful, skillful record—but not one I connected with on an emotional level. I respect it more than I enjoy it. A solid three.

It's fine. It's chill. Nothing more, nothing less. Already forgot about it

Again, why is this here? Just some rather drab indie rock?

Forgettable.

Meh, it didn’t interest me. Next

Its not bad, it just is. I cant imagine someone going home specifically to put on this album because it speaks to them on some deep level. The good news is this is better than about 70% of the absolute ass on this list. So theres that.

The album was fine. Nothing really grabbed me, so it is not an album I'll be purchasing, but there wasn't a song that I really hated either.

So this is kind of fun. Certainly don't expect anything life-changing, but there are some decent hooks, and no song seems to overstay its welcome.

Well, yeah, I guess??

Very forgettable album, albeit fine to listen to. Nothing to hate and nothing to love.

More bullshit

I was wondering why I didn't listen to the album whole and it was forever left in a limbo, but now I remember. It is just that boring.

I read in other reviews that the drum and bass players are from Minutemen, so it probably fits that I generally enjoyed the backing again, as I did with the Minutemen album that came up on this list for me just 2 albums ago. In contrast though, I found the vocals on this album much better (still not my favourite, but preferable to Minutemen). This album was also a sensible length, so I didn't get fed up with it part way through. Pretty decent background music with some nice guitar, decent hooks and actually a fair amount of variety in sound. I saw people in other reviews complaining that there are "2 drum tracks" - they total less than 2 minutes, and they blended into the rest of the album to the point that I didn't even notice they were separate tracks. Not in a rush to seek out more by fIREHOSE but perfectly happy with the listen I've just had. Solid 3.

hows this ended up on here then. a little interesting i guess but mostly just bad

Incredicly genric punk not trying to do anything with their sound... At least it was short mid 2

very short, very forgettable. the only thing this album has going for them well is the instrumentation, the vocals and lyrics are whatever. the album feels fast but not really energetic.

Never heard of them, but I like them! Kind of a proto vampire weekend

it's alright if not slightly irritating at times. no idea why this is here and not any of their way better albums but ok i guess. "what gets heard" made me want to blow my head off.

Okay, fun. Stoked that I was introduced to this. 3.5

Pretty good and unique album. Kind of sounds like a mix of The Minutemen and The Meat Puppets. A lot of groovy bass lines. In My Mind, What Gets Heard, Liberty for our Friend, Time With You, and Understanding are all really good songs. There's a lot of experimentation going on here though, leading to dull parts. Not really a positive or negative here, but songs just abruptly end a lot. Just a random observation there. I can see this album getting better the more you listen to it, but it's a solid 3 off the bat.

Extremely boring album. Only two or three salvageable songs and the rest are some.of the boring and forgettable songs ever.

Good

2.7

old timey rock. im more of a 2000s rock but im still curious enough to want to listen to this a bit more (and thank god i did, cause this one got some beats on it). songs are very short in this album. In My Mind intro got a stank face just from listening to all those instruments. Overall 3 (in a good way)

Reminds me of what I liked at 14

A rather short album in spite of having more than a dozen songs. Nothing stands out greatly, but the energy is there. I bet they are better live (as in the flash, not a live album). 7/10

kind of feeling a firm 3. Not bad, but I am not sure at all why this is on the list. Relatively boring album though the tunes are decent.

Ik vind dit eigenlijk best aanstekelijk. Het klinkt als hobbymuziek uit een garage, maar dan van het betere soort. In een half uur knallen ze een stel energieke songs op de plaat. Soms hoef je niet megabekend te zijn of er een berg bombast tegenaan te gooien, gewoon even je best doen en je bent er.

Krijg dit album direct na Tina Turner. Dan hoor je wel een kwaliteitsverschil. Ik kom van een doordacht, tot op de puntjes uitgewerkt album, dat zijn respect ruimschoots verdiend heeft en beland nu op een album dat vooral een band met potentie laat horen. En het is niet eens een debut. Het is best aardig af en toe. Maar dat is het dan ook. Waarom moet iedereen dit nou weer horen? Ga gewoon eens naar je lokale poppodium voor een streekbandje. En je hebt waarschijnlijk dezelfde kwaliteit en meer plezier. 2,5 ster.

Dit lijkt me typisch van die artiestenmuziek. Dus zo'n bandje dat door andere artiesten heel tof wordt gevonden, maar niet echt doorgebroken is bij het grote publiek. Het klinkt wel geinig en er zitten wat nummers in die iets herkenbaars hebben, maar het had ook gewoon door het lokale puberbandje gemaakt kunnen zijn. De bassist schijnt dan wel weer een inspiratie voor Flea te zijn geweest, dus ik ga daar dan wel weer extra op letten. Wat vaak meer opvalt is het catchy gitaargeluidje. Ze spelen graag met tempowisselingen, waardoor het soms wat chaotisch en rommelig wordt. Ze houden dat gelukkig nog enigszins beperkt, maar het is denk ik wel muziek die even nodig heeft om te groeien. Misschien als ik dit vaker zou luisteren, dat ik het plots heel vet ga vinden. Voor de eerste keer luisteren zit het tussen de 2 en de 3 in denk ik. Ik zal morgen nog eens een poging wagen, scheelt dat het maar een half uurtje duurt. Bij het horen van de tweede keer, vind ik het eigenlijk nog meer een rariteitenkabinet dan de eerste keer. Namen als Zappa en Capt Beefheart komen in me op, en dat is niet best. Dus het worden 2 sterren.

fIREHOSE formed after D. Boon's accidental death brought an end to Minutemen. The remaining members brought in a new guitarist and started fIREHOSE. Their music was good but not great. Not on par with Minutemen. It's not bad music, but it has no place on this list. As such, I'm giving it 5 out of 10 and rounding down. Sorry fIREHOSE, I actually like you, but you're simply "good not great". (I saw these guys my freshman year at UNC at the Student Union of all places (not a normal place for concerts), while The Cat's Cradle was temporarily closed. I believe they performed with the Screaming Trees.)

disappointing

I knew the name fIREHOSE but didn't realise their connection with Minutemen. This is a bit stop-start at times but I definitely enjoyed it

Mid imo

A great discovery for me. This would have done really well in the UK in about 1981; it reminded me in places of bands like the Higsons. I didn't know the album or the band before, but I've now read that they're the surviving members of the Minutemen, whose album Double Nickels on the Dime I liked as part of this project. I really enjoyed this, too, but it definitely seems to belong to a slightly earlier time; John Peel would have been all over this in the early 80s. Fab bass, fab energy, some tunes, echoes of the origins of new wave. What's not to like. The title of the drum solo track made me giggle, in a good way. A fairly epic final track, too.

It was okay but not up my lane.

IndIe aF

I know people love it. But I didn't

I like the bass and drums. In my mind is my favorite track. Also liked what gets heard and some things. Reminds me a little of moe, more Ike Moe is like them I guess

Different

This is a weird one. The songs range from pretty fun and creative (In My Mind, Time With You, If’n) to honestly pretty stupid (Liberty For Our Friend, Mas Cojones, the two completely unnecessary drum interludes). I appreciate the tight grooves and awesome basslines that backline most of these songs, but there just isn’t really that much keeping me engaged apart from a few standouts. Every song has like an awesome part or two, but kind of lags in the other sections. Like Understanding: if the songs was all like the groovy melodic part then I would be totally on board—but it’s momentum just dies when all the instrumentation cuts out for long portions.

Seemed to be a good album, especially on the back end. But I did not have a chance to give it as much of a review as I'd wanted. I might return to it some day.

2.5 stars. Short (30 min run time) early alt-rock with a folky feel. Experimental punk/jazz sounds (a la The Minutemen) that understandably never got popular but is an interesting bit of history, if not a super grabbing album. Standout is "Time With You".

not my thing

Du rock avec des bonnes instru

M’oui

C'est sympa, sans plus

Funny we would get Firehose so soon after Minutemen. If I remember right, the story behind Firehose is that this guy Ed, subsequently known as "Ed From Ohio" (hence the name of this album) was a huge Minutemen fan from Ohio who was so distraught by D Boon's untimely passing that he drove out to San Pedro and convinced the surviving Minutemen to start a new band. Anyway, I like Firehose but this isn't the album I woulda picked for this list and actually I probably woulda picked a second Minutemen album instead of any Firehose. But if there was one Firehose album I woulda picked, it woulda been If'n, their second album. My favorite tune on here is the Elizabeth Cotten tune. I just realized that on If'n they have a song about her, too. She was a great finger picking guitar player white people discovered during the 1950s folk revival and was influential to 1960s rock guitar players like Jerry Garcia and Bob Dylan. You might know her song "Freight Train." She is worth checking out. In fact, it will be greatly disappointing if her Smithsonian Folkways album from the late 1950s isn't on this 1001 list.

A bit of a shame that this album came so close to the Minutemen album--I think I would have enjoyed this more without having just heard a longer and more dynamic and rougher (in a good way) version just a few albums ago. Ed Crawford does an admirable job filling in D. Boon's sizeable shoes, and I liked it that they clearly had branched out by this album away from just ersatz Minuteman stylings, although the hooky jazz/rhythm aspects are still there, thankfully, but this time in a much more folk/indie oriented cast. Some of the more quirky tracks midway through kind of reminded me of a great Portland band from around the same time, Slack, which of course made me wish Slack could have taken fIREHOSE's place, but I know that's not fair to this album or band. A largely entertaining album overall, though, and nice to see/hear that Mike Watt found his groove after D. Boon's death, and kudos to Ed Crawford for orchestrating this comeback and getting to play with his idols for several years, plus a great ending track to the album ("The softest hammer", very Jane's Addiction-esque).

A little too rambly jangly for me but they are solid.

Meh. Didn't finish. It started off OK but I got annoyed about halfway through. It felt whiny/need or something like that.

An interesting listen. Surprising at every moment. I enjoy an album with so much on it. That being said there wasn’t any single track that stood out for me.

Okay I guess. It was pretty unfocused, switching between post-punk and 70s era rock. Didn't love it.

This music happened while I was away from listening and raising children. Probably why I don’t like it.

This was very much a band on the cusp of grunge form the 80s transition. They feel like a better version of The Minutemen, almost cooler. Not bad at all. Good pick.

First half felt too 80's cheesy rock to me. Got better the second half of the album when it felt more 70's.

- kieltämäti vähä kiinnostaa että millä meriiteillä tää on päässy listalle - tästä kuuluu semmosta 80-luvun grungehenkisyyttä mutta hyvin kesy lähestymistapa kyllä siihen ajatusmaailmaan - ihan kivaa kikkailua mutta ei tätä ehkä koko levyllistä jaksa kuunnella

only okay

Nice mesh of styles for the late 80s/early 90s with a Midwest chip on its shoulder. These guys were tight in their playing and succinct songwriting made it a nice commute listen. Grooves, folk, and abrasive stabs kept the attention on point. However, as an album statement it was a little forgettable in the noise. Probably won’t come back to it much.

Ray of sunlight on a cold winter day. Very much enjoyed this listen

A case study in just because an album contains a lot of great elements, doesn't mean it's enjoyable

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but sometimes you should judge an album by its cover. This is the case. Completely unrelated, hastily stitched photographs on a sleeve, and the same goes for the music. Half an hour of sound, like a budding band rehearsing in a garage, with a bleating vocalist, an electric guitar strummed as if they'd never picked it up before, and two drum solos as separate tracks. This is probably how the Pixies would have played if everyone in the band had been on desomorphine. This album wasn't included in the first edition of the book. Who later decided that I should listen to this album before I die? What is this person's life like now, how are they doing?

Album 39 Top 3 favorites off the album: In My Mind, Time With You, Vastopol Initially read the title pronounced as you would Pinocchio. Realized it was From Ohio. Stared at a wall for a minute. Moved on. Goooo Midwest!!!! I think I've heard them before? They feel so familiar. Didn't expect that. After the first tune, the feeling went away. After a second partial listen, I think they reminded me of REM. I was surprised by the funk in some of the tracks. Excellent work on the bass in general. This was a good album!

Bien mais clairement pas dans le top 1000

This album was not bad, but not super. Compared to last week’s albums it seems great though. Lyrics were ok, but music play was solid.

It didn’t trip my trigger

This was cool. Never heard of them, wasn't sure about this one off the rip but this was great. They sound great, love the feel to the songs, love the baselines and guitar overtop. Love that they gave the drummer two songs to himself found that really amusing. Overall thought they sounded really good. Maybe not great territory but definitely really solid.

they kinda reminded me of Squeeze. enjoyed the music, vocals were "meh". still best album we've had in a very long run of super bland listens. 3.5 stars

It wasn’t bad at all but made basically no impact on me. Nothing too engaging.

This is pretty cool. I never listened to fIREHOSE before but knew that they existed. I will definitely listen to it again.

They sound like REM and then later sound like Grateful Dead. Interesting stuff here and probably needs another full listen from me.

Not bad. Sounded a lot different than I expected to based on the year/artwork.

Never heard of them but loved it! Great mix of different moods/tempos.

An interesting album and not something I would have chosen to listen to, but am glad I did. Love the energy and expression.

the first few secs had me thinking this was going to go a completely different way but it was very 80s and fun 6.5/10

If it were 10-20 years earlier it might be notable, but as it is…

I don't know, pretty meh album for nowadays' standards because it seems a little bit too little is going on, although I feel like this was also the case when this album came out. If it was released 20 years earlier, it would've maybe been pretty big, but I feel like this just is not that exciting.

I remember one or two of these tracks from back in the day. Ironically when playing it was followed by Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet which I enjoyed much more.

The most 3 star album that ever was. Perfectly listenable, if completely forgettable. The bluesy parts were nice. I recollect no choruses or lyrics.

Total background alt-rock music. Seemed nice but totally forgettable.

jangly, boring college rock. 2.5 rounding up.

Bit of a shrug of an album, really. There’s some genuinely tidy guitar work—bright, nimble, and occasionally surprising—but it’s paired with vocals that feel slightly off‑kilter in a way that doesn’t always land. Nothing here is bad, but not much sticks, either. The saving grace is the runtime: it breezes by quickly enough that the quirks never get time to turn irritating. Pleasant in patches, forgettable overall.

Enjoyed more than I thought I would

More like a 2.5 I did like this

Nieko nepamenu, bet nebuvo blogai.

No me gustó en nada, no se como entro en los discos que deberías de escuchar antes de morir.

This band has come up in random playlists for me so it was nice to hear and read up on context here. Interesting to hear how their sound shifted from The Minutemen.

Amateur hour. Way too all over the place and screamy. Although at the end of the album, another song came on by them from a different album. It wasn't too bad. This one gets a 1

Half funky 80s college rock, half...Eagles? An easier comparison would be the Meat Puppets due to the acoustic guitar and alt rock combo, but there's a distinct classic rock feel on songs like "Time With You" that's key to this album's sound. The acoustic guitar is an interesting companion to the funky bass that's prominent on tracks like "Whisperin While Hollerin." It's a cool combo, but the album mostly leaves me thinking about what could have been. Much like the Minutemen's songs, the tracks here feel more like sketches than songs, playing around with cool sounds and creative playing but lacking memorable or exciting moments. The desire to experiment also comes through on the drum solo and instrumental folk interludes, though those also don't add much and kind of disrupt the flow. A lot of interesting ideas here, but not all that much substance.

Nice bass rifts

Didn't expect this sound from an 80s album.

Fro mo he oh

The 2nd best use of a firehouse in 1989. It would take a lot to dethrone Joel Miller getting to drink from the firehouse for finding the marble in the oatmeal on Stanley Spadowski’s Clubhouse.

Legends! Shocked to see this pop up! Watt forever!

4.5

Nothing about this is very memorable. I liked "Time With You" but everything else just blended together. I am not sure why this made the list. Not bad, necessarily, just forgettable. 3/10

Hadn’t heard of them but liked it. Late eighties, early nineties indie sound with some solid writing. Could have easily played this in college radio at the time.

I messed heavy with this album, especially Understanding.

Weirdly before its time.

I was curious to hear this as I've heard of the legend of fIREHOSE but never heard them, and also because I too am (famously) Fromohio. And I currently live about 20 miles from where the rest of the band started in San Pedro. I was expecting something more punky like Husker Du, and was not expecting a garage band level Rush vibe. Which hey man that's cool in my book.

Knew very little about this band except Mike watt was in it. No tracks really stood out to me though.

had some good ideas Will I listen to again: 50%

Meh

Closer to a 3.5. Fun album.

I love when Albums just sound like a bunch of friends having fun with music and this falls solidly in that bracket. Every track feels different with two of them literally just being tracks with just drums to have the drummer have some fun. I highly enjoyed my time.

4/5 Very fun album, you can tell that they had fun making this. The songs all stand out individually and none of them struck me as "samesy". The basslines went hard. Underrated AF.

Hmm… this is hard to really love. There are moments on here, but they are few

Really great blend of indie, punk and art influences on this album. Just edgy enough to be edgy, just standard enough to be easy to listen too. Feels like a mix of the Clash, Pixies and Violent Femmes. Can really hear the influence on modern indie / folk punk too. Enjoyed this one!

Hell yes, this is why I’m doing this project! So far two of my best discoveries have been the Violent Femmes and the Minutemen. Both were bands I’d been aware of, but had never really explored. Firehose on the other hand, I’d never even heard of, but they sound like a mix of the Violent Femmes and Minutemen. Great album!

Mike Watt is just different. I'm sure independent critics think this is the greatest album of all time... next to the other albums you've never heard. This album is ok. It's listenable and there are some good songs but nothing spectacular. Wasn't really any songs that I thought "Oh, I need to play that one again."

извините, но очередной ноунейм, безвкусно

I have never heard of this band before. Album is fine. Sounds good but not really hooked.

Not for me. 1/5

meh

Enjoyable if not entirely memorable. This really felt like Minutemen, lo-fi and short songs, but just not as good.

Some irrelevant Rock.

Mike Watt Rules!

This album is fire!! Had never heard this….totally enjoyed it! Agree with Jim…Mike Watt crushes!

Forward thinking and expansive album for 1989. Great experience for the challenge, but what came after i find to be much better. Thanks firehose for breaking the nu wave punk mold and allowing some midwest emo and garage rock to gain a foothold in american music.

Came across as good improv jamming, quite a tidy unit and pretty good

Had to drop this down one as it's a bit of a slog despite its short length and disappointing considering this kind of angular indie rock (a-side) and jangly power pop (b-side) is completely up my street

Slightly less spazzy, slightly less weird than the Minutemen. If nothing else, it’s evidence that good things can still come after a tragedy.

51/100. A pretty forgettable ride. Feels like a conveyor belt of mid-tempo punky alt rock tracks that never really lift off. Nothing offensive, but also nothing that sticks. Just kinda there.

on peut pas vraiment faire plus basique, c'est pas mauvais mais pas transcendant

mouaif

En vrai sympa, chaque instrument a eu son moment de gloire mais c’était un peu trop freaky par moment

So many new wave post punk albums in this list that feel like they cover similar ground. This one didn’t resonate with me at all.

What this lacks in interest it makes up for in brevity. Hints of Primus, Tom Waits, but the most positive thing I can say about this is that it was a fairly painless 31 minutes.

The band name looks familiar. Definitely have not listened to them. Don't even know what they're about. Noticing this is a late 80s release, I actually thought these guys were from today and were an indie-pop-dance type of band. way off. Interesting rock band.

À la fois catchy, mais expérimental également parfois, groupe inconnu mais qui mérite plus!! 3-/5

Ihan kiinnostava ja ei missään nimessä ylipitkä. 3.5/5, ehkä tsekkaan bändin muuta tuotantoa.

ja ganz cute but nothing special either. 3.5.

Overall pretty decent Alt Rock record.

I love these types of albums, when you just have no idea what to expect but end up really enjoying it. If someone asked me to put a genre to this album I wouldn't be able to. I could hear punk, funk, rock, blues, folk influences, to name just a few.

Sounded like a mess. Not for me.

I was happy to see the album length and song durations. This sounds like some other stuff on this list, parts reminded me of Kings of Leon. Also they have like 20k listeners on Spotify.

Fine

Nope.

very average

Unique album, Ok, not much theme to it, some toe tappers. I liked the vibes of “in my mind”. Very Simon & Garfunkel meets vampire weekend song.

I don’t understand this one, really not sure how it made the list. Pretty boring with some good riffs. Doesn’t even really feel before it’s time.

Given that this 2/3 of the Minutemen this felt like a letdown when it was released and I'm still not a fan of it

Excellent, jazzy, need to listen again.

Well after a quick little search to see wtf this even is im surprised it didnt do all that much for me in the end. The minutemen are hands down the best new to me thing ive found from this site. No questions asked. I have not stopped listening to their record since I got it. But the magic isnt here for this. Don't get me wrong its still good just nowhere near the same impact. The perfectly concise songs are in a way still here but they more resemble short songs rather than quick punchy ideas. The playing is still great for sure. It just dont hit the same way in this package. I sound like i hated this but I promise I didnt. Maybe it gets better with more listens but only time will tell that one. For now its just OK

Struggled to get through it and listen fully. I'll come back to it one day.

Love the Minutemen so I was a bit biased coming into fIREHOSE, and this did not disappoint, except for the pointless drum solo songs, which are throwaways. Take those 2 out and this album is a solid 3.5 / 5. BUT, I'm being fair here, they were included so they dragged the album rating down to a 3.39 / 5 stars. I do like the music and Mike Watt is really good on the bass. Nice and quick album too, 32 minutes is perfect.

I can absolutely see my 18-year-old self El-Oh-Vee-Eeee loving this—fast, funky, indie-punk energy with that college-radio looseness. Today, though, it hits more as an interesting listen than a lasting favorite. I like the spirit and the musicianship, but the songs don’t quite stick, and the jangly, jammy vibe feels more nostalgic than essential.

Literally no.

This sounds like if AI created a 90s band. – Some Rusted Root, some Primus, some Chili Peppers.

Notes of early REM, Violent Femmes. Great musicianship. Songs ok. My rating 2.3

Favorite tracks: Whisperin' While Hollerin', Time With You, Let the Drummer Have Some What a fun album! I love the energy, but it felt like it dropped off as the album went on. The band seems to be genuinely having a good time and I'm sure they would be a blast to see live. (Also yay Ohio!)

English 80’s ish beat

Garage / grungy feel

So, whatever one-hit-wonder came from this album, I don’t believe justifies its place on this list. Or maybe the band is related to one of tue book editors, and they were like “you know, Jeff and Bill have been out in the garage practicing those songs so much. They deserve to have everyone listen to this album before they die.” It wasn’t very good, it wasn’t very exciting, and it wasn’t very unique.

3/10

Meh. The Minutemen were better. I'm totally gonna forget this in two seconds.

Outside of "In My Mind" this was forgettable. When the final few tracks started I thought this was making a turn for the better, but ultimately those songs also we're forgettable.

3.5-maybe 4. It was fine, maybe would enjoy more on re-listen

3.5 I quite liked a few of the songs, kinda an indie alt vibe. Some of the songs played with tempo and vibes, like up and down, and some were just a little too weird

😰😰😰no bops?... No feels no badump badump??... Don't waste my goddamn time

It's okay. Good 2.

Surprisingly fun! Added one song to my liked list

2 - some cool guitar but nothing memorable

This was hard for me to nail down. It’s eccentric and energetic but there were times where I felt like they could’ve brought in a bigger sound. I don’t know if it’s worth coming back to, but I had a good time listening to it.

Haven't heard of them before. God, it wasn't music, it was random sounds 1/5

Baffling as to why this is here

I like 80s alternative music, this is good 80s alternative music, and it sounds messy but charming. High three point something!

Favorite tracks: In My Mind, Time With You, If'n, Some Things, Understanding Liked this on first listen, liked it even more on repeat listens. Really just the kind of vibe I like. Fun, interesting, catchy alt music.

Not my thing at all

This was alright, really good instrumentation throughout, singing and lyrics are fine. You can definitely tell there's a Talking Heads influence here, and it was quite interesting to dig into their history a little bit and appreciate where they're coming from. Not something I'd revisit but a neat lil post punk album

weird in a bad way

This was much better than I expected and probably something I would have listened to if I had been a teen or young adult at the time. Low-key, but with some solid skills.

3.5

A fun discovery. Exciting, compelling post-punk. Not sure how essential it is, but a good listen nonetheless.

For a punk band this was better than I expected. Less discordant and more melodic.

Not bad, but nothing remarkable.

Fine midwest indie rock circa 1989, very inspired and influenced by REM. Not that familiar with the Minutemen, which sired this band, but I really enjoyed this. Some of the songs seem a little unformed/unfinished but there's a strong melodic sensibility throughout. Love Mike Watt's bass playing and the guitarist also has a unique style. This made me want to listen to more of them.

Didnt know this project existed.. you can see the clear line from the Minutemen to this for sure, its pretty cool. A bit hit or miss for me though, while some songs like Time With You and Some Things were great, the kind of formlessness of a lot of the songs kind of took me out of it. Some great basslines and percussion especially, but it left me wanting a bit more. Maybe i just need repeat listens

This is actually great. I thought it was ok but I would probably move on quite quickly but I liked it more as it went, especially with the vocals, which I wasn't particularly fond of but they grew on me. I'm not keen on the opener, I don't think it introduces the album very well The guitar playing is cool, I like the frenetic yet tight style. Mike Watt's bass playing really brings this sound together. He does a lot of different styles, sometimes kind of Primusy on Mas Cajones and What Gets Heard I'm sure I've heard Time With You before This album is another reminder of what makes this challenge enjoyable Highlights: Whisperin' While Hollerin', Let The Drummer Have Some

Started out promisingly enough with Riddle of the Eighties and In My Mind. Of course the bass sounds good because it's Mike Watt. And upon re-listen, I feel less harshly towards it than I did on the first go. I'm rounding up with this 3. I can appreciate the playfulness when it occurs: two different drum solo tracks, their penchant for genre-bending.: jangly power pop, anthemic 70s arena rock (The Softest Hammer), some reggae-ish vibes on In My Mind. Sure, have at it.

Eh was fine

perfectly fine

Not sure about that folky twangy sound.

Eh, not my favorite.

most tracks in this album sound good at first... then when I hear words, i'm immediately taken out of it. i appreciate the midwest math rock instrumentation a lot.

springt beetje alle kanten op... maar voor het overgrote deel de goeie kanten

Great guitar work, good sound, but ultimately forgettable.

Being from Ohio myself, I can attest that nobody there talks about this album. I’d never heard of it until today, even being a minor fan of The Minutemen. In fact, a good pal of mine, also from Ohio, is a tremendous Minutemen fan, and even he’d never heard of this! It tracks though, since we came of age long enough after this touched down to be forgotten. It’s subtle, low-production, and doesn’t foster enough to have ‘epic legacy’ status, but it is a fun and chill listen. It makes me want to skateboard, and that’s literally something I’ve never done before. I’m glad I got to hear this album, and learn the story of the little guitarist who could, fromohio.

I love the Minutemen. I love Mike Watt. I really liked Ragin' Full On (even though it was quite clearly NOT the Minutemen). I really wanted to like this just as much, but I just... don't. It's not bad, it just doesn't have anything that sticks to my ear. Some interesting parts here and there but mostly forgettable. Maybe it's a multiple listens type of album before it gets you?

Bass rules, otherwise there's really not much here to talk about. Definitely didn't deserve the spot on this list.

Different to anything I've listened to so far on the list. Very experimental, garage-band style with a variety of sounds. Most of it wasn't for me, but a couple of cool tracks enough to give it a rating of 2.

Good album. I liked it. I was also impressed that it was recorded at Suma Recording Studio, right here in Northeast Ohio.

3.5. Totally a fan of Mike Watt, one of the best bass players not many know about.

The music is great, but I don't care for the vocals. You can tell they were having fun!

Liked the music thought it was very catchy

Really good. I don't think I've heard of them before. I should listen to more of them.

Actually, not too bad at all. Never heard of them but the music is tight and funky and heaps better than many albums on the benighted list.

Good, but A little lack of style

Not sure how to feel about this. It's boring but also kinda fun at the same time, the music style changes a lot throughout the album. I kinda.... like it? 3.1

Okay album. Never heard of it before. Nothing spectacular, but was a decent listen. 3/5 Might listen again

Interesting, not compelling.

Alt rock, with a little folky lean

Interesting. Kind of good college or maybe even high school rock band stuff. But not amazing.

Had never heard of this group before so after enjoying my first listen, I did some reading up on them. Turns out Mike Watt and George Hurley formed the band after their bandmate D. Boon from Minutemen tragically passed away in a car crash. What a sad story that was. Anyways, this was an interesting listen. 80’s indie rock, a touch of funk here and there with their punk roots shining thru. It’s a genre bender of an album that does some really daring stuff here, we even get some jazz drumming, followed up by a folky Celtic track. It’s gritty but the musicianship on display is really tight with a wide range of flavours that works well as a cohesive album. It’s from 1989 but it still sounds fairly fresh to my ears in 2025. Really cool stuff. 4 stars

Combining folk/country licks with punk ethos and a funky bass, there’s heaps packed into half an hour here, and I’m already on a third listen by midday. Hook me up for more.

Track 5 on this, Mas Cojones, translates as More Bollocks. And it doesn't get much more bollocks than this disjointed, discordant jam session. Someone likes a bass guitar... My teeth were already on edge when I saw how the band name was written; such pretentious wankery cannot go unpunished by these hands - automatic 1-star deduction (Pvris, Chvrches, k.d. lang - I'm coming for you too). The best thing I can say for this album is it's mercifully short, about 31 minutes. One star. Less the mandatory deduction, should give zero, but alas I have to give it one. You jammy gets.

Synes det er godt. Det har post-hardcore lyd som er rå energi med komplekse riffs. Der er også nogle akustiske elementer indenover så det bliver folk-rock/americana. Kan godt lide punkens energi med de korte numre som er sådan lidt ustrukturelle. Band som mistede et band medlem og skulle reinvent sig selv, så jeg tror lige jeg sætter noget minutemen på. Angiveligt skulle navnet fIREHOUSE komme fra en spydig kommentar om at det tidligere bandmedlem ikke kunne erstattes og det var ligesom et slukke ild i et hus med et eller andet urealistisk. Så blev de til fIREHOUSE. Det føles meget håndlavet og det kan jeg godt lide, men jeg synes ikke nødvendigvis det skiller sig ud for mig. så jeg giver det en 2'er fordi jeg tror jeg måske ville værdsætte det en anden gang. så GENBESØG/TILBAGEVEND

Nice and short thankfully.

This was dogshit at times and nice at others. Don't really know how to feel about it, might need another listen. 5/10

It was alright. Liberty for Our Friend is a great song!

Hey, some contributor snuck their college band's album in here.

6/10… 80s Indie / College Rock

Cool record, hadn't heard it before. somehow exactly what I expected from post minutemen Mike Watt but also not at all.

Interesting

One of the more coinflip albums I’ve gotten in recent memory, parts of it felt truly forgettable or middling, and other parts I really grooved with. Depending on the day, and how I’m feeling this could’ve been anywhere from a 2 to a 4, today it caught me on a good day, so it gets a 4.

Thought this was pretty good - felt it started stronger than it finished

This flies in the face of what I usually like, but lo and behold it grew on me. The back half I found a lot more listenable, and it made the experience fairly enjoyable. Time With You strikes that weird spot of a rock classic but alternative enough to stand on its own. This album gave me memories of driving to small towns as a kid to play hockey, falling asleep in the backseat while this kind of music played through a rough quality AM radio broadcast.

An absolute shocker of a 5. I loved this weird little album. Liberty For Our Friend made it all click and wow yeah this album was a delight

Started out with more jangly pop than I expected at first. And then it became something else. I remember a bass-playing friend in the 90s was a fan of Minuteman/Firehose. I can see why - a lot of "cool" bass riffs (that impresses aspiring bass players)( and pounding drums, but lacking in songwriting. The influences ... could come from anywhere – Fela Kuti, funk, new wave, Television. Maybe that's the point but to me it sounds disparate and not cohesive. It's quite hard to see a red thread - a taste and a vision. Just three people making sound, bassplayer and drummer a little too keen to show their abilities. 2/5

Quite forgettable

interesting album. there are some moments on here that are really great power-poppy tracks and there are lots of more noise-y, harsher tracks. i appreciated the power pop stuff more than the more rough around the edges stuff. the vocals here are kind of all over the place. sometimes they're nice and sometimes it's like they can't hold a tune. a real mixed bag.

3.5 I owned this album and heard of this band ONLY because in the Marine Corp a buddy of mine meant to buy a Firehouse (glam rock band out at the same time, a lot of radio hits). He couldn't find the one he was looking for and bought this album by mistake. He immediately said, "what is this shit!?!" and, since I was known for eclectic musical tastes, it wandered down my way. I Liked it then - still do. Note - if you're a Firehouse fan - I'm guessing this isn't your project - just sayin' but I can see why Firehose ins't for you :-P

This was not what I was expecting. Half of it was good, half of it was not. One of the singers had a good voice, the other did not.

Este álbum se va en un respiro, lo recomiendo en una tarde donde planes beber un par de cervezas mientras esperas al atardecer, aunque cualquier bebida está perfecta.

Never listened to fIREHOSE before this. I’m glad this is my introduction. I love the opening track. I’ve followed Mike Watt on his solo projects and like his playing. This album, had I not known it was him I would not have guessed it was him. I like being surprised like that. On “vastopol”. I can’t believe I haven’t listened to this record before. But at the same time I can because my mood needs to match. Today is cool morning in October so this album will be forever associated with October for me. How is this album just so good? My teenage mind in 1989 was not equipped for this. Today is the right day to hear this album. Not only do I love it but it’s giving me musical inspiration as well. Love this album. On the last track now.

It's definitely early indie rock! My least favorite part was when they got one of the band-mate's dad to record some weird ass vocal to mix into the track like five times. "Fetchin' beats retchin' like scratchin' cures itchin'" ????? That being said, the album did make me feel like I was in Ohio! Unfortunately, Ohio fuckin sucks.

This is horrible, just because you are good at guitar and can produce noise with your buds does not mean you're good (much less "essential") music

Not my jam.

Las intros de las primeras canciones me han dado mucha esperanza, pero en cuanto empiezan a cantar, se tuercen. Mas cojones? La verdad que cuanto mas avanza el disco mas mejora, me ha acabado soprendiedo porque me lo esperaba peor, pero al final pasa lo mismo que al principio.

It’s a cool album that gives classic college rock vibes. The cover of “Vastopol” was totally unexpected but nonetheless awesome.

3.75 When I saw this was basically a Minutemen extension project, I wasn’t looking forward to it, since I had the Minutemen album just last week and ended up pretty disappointed with it. But I liked this a lot more! The song writing was more complex, there was more variety in the type of music they played. Reminded me of great 80s college radio rock.

Short, poppy, folky, jazzy tunes adjacent musically to Pavement and Neutral Milk Hotel, but only in their low-fi folky nature, not in artistic merit. There's a laid-back approach to polish in their songs that reminds me of the feel of Pavement's recordings especially. Switching genres every song or two, there are some catchy songs here, with some unexpectedly indulgent guitar solos, crazy drum fills, and the most rushed pronunciation of the word "Liberty" you'll ever hear. Decent enough, but nothing overly interesting.

01) Riddle of the Eighties - 6,0 02) In My Mind - 6,0 03) Whisperin' While Hollerin' - 5,5 04) Vastopol - 5,5 05) Más Cojones - 5,0 06) What Gets Heard - 6,0 07) Let the Drummer Have Some - / 08) Liberty for Our Friend - 6,5 09) Time With You - 5,5 10) If’n - 5,5 11) Some Things - 5,5 12) Understanding - 6,0 13) 'Nuf That Shit, George - / 14) The Softest Hammer - 6,0 TOTAL: 5,75 (58/100) Current ranking: 588/709

Spiel hammer

Started off great but fizzled out for me. Would not mind listening again though.

Really liked this. Definitely worth another listen

This was unmemorable and fine. Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 2/5

This was fine. Not great. Not bad. Just fine. Won’t likely ever listen again. So I’m going just below the line at 2.95

This is the most brown album I’ve heard on this list so far, and I mean that in the best way possible. IYKYK. Several of these tracks went straight to my playlist immediately, I was pleasantly surprised and I’ll be digging further into their whole discography soon.

This was fine

I could tell this musically was a good album but just wasn’t my thing. I did enjoy the guitar, tho!

Yeah. You know how the Americans are always whingeing about Britpop on here? Well there an awful lot of unmemorable underwhelming American ‘alternative rock’ offerings Just saying

S'alright, decent vibes but overall pretty middling.

Kind of breezed past me. I didn't dislike it, it was just there

totally unknown to me, a good discovery

Funky, stage, good.