Reviews (page 6 of 8)
Seems like a fine Indie Rock album, very reminiscent of Sonic Youth but a little more punk and less experimental.
There were some fine songs, but very unfocused and I wouldn’t glance twice at the stage of these guys were playing at a local bar. I’m not sure what about it earns its place on the list.
Know a bit of Sebadoh but had never heard this one. This is rad. The bass-driven songs especially rock. That move of having guitar only come in parallel to the bass on the chorus in Homemade is so cool. am I going to bump a sprawling inconsistent album up to 5 for the change of pace from unremarkable 70s sludge? of course I am. music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)
New to me, neat and cool. I could see going back to this many times, and checking out more. That’s what it’s all about, babyyyy
Feels like a precursor to what 90s grunge and indie would become.
A really fun indie rock discovery.
the first 2 tracks were a bit of me and then it just turned into awful whiny crap
Crap
I like the experimental nature (they are definitely not going for a slick hit record) and the album has got tons of ideas and personality, but often these elements just clash, rather than compliment each other. Some tracks are top notch, like the menacing 'Happily Divided', propulsive 'Sacred Attention', the catchy pop of 'Bouquet For a Siren' and the extended 'Homemade'. But all too often they sound like an amateur band that forgot to check their guitars are tuned or play in the same key or agree on a tempo. It's deliberate, but it detracts rather than adds any value. I don't get it, don't they want to display themselves at their best, as they're obviously capable. I'm on the fence how much I actually enjoyed it; I certainly need to be in the right mood.
Scraping the bottom of the bubble barrel. Lazy and shite.
I like the discordant sort of sound of this, but it does jar a little at times. Good album though
I am sorry to all my dear friends in their Sebadoh tees; I have tried, but I don't get it. The lyrics on Spotify have comments from the person transcribing despairing at trying to understand what's going on. It's just some arty discordant noise: fun basement homemade stuff, which is probably more enjoyable to make than to listen to. If Sebadoh were a mate's band, or if it were cheap and local, I'd go to the gigs, but honestly, I'm sighing and eye-rolling my way through this one.
It was weird, I kept wanting to dislike it, but I really didn't. Angsty yet subdued, a bit like Dinosaur Jr with a hint of Mclusky, but felt that they kept pulling their punches. Could have been more edgier, although overall, I enjoyed it. On a side note, I couldn't help think that Placebo ripped off "Soul and Fire", felt a lot of similarities with "Burger Queen" and "Lady of the Flowers".
Fairly standard alternative 4/10
This was okay. Representative of alt rock during the time.
Awful
I really didn't like this album. I don't know what's so good about it. I had to look up why it was a good album and even then couldnt get many answers. I will say that the songs were different from one to the next which can be hard to find on this list. But I didn't enjoy my experience.
Decent sound but not my style
not bad but not super interesting. Sounds like a lot of other acts from the era.
Not sure I understand the appeal
Depressing Indie-Rock, the opening track "Soul and Fire" sets the mood for the rest of the album unfortunately. There's nothing fantastic about the track "Fantastic Disaster", but it is a disaster.
Decent, reminded me of Black Flag and something else...
Bog standard 90s rock. Fine and inoffensive, but didn't do much for me. Not sure what was so special about this.
some good songs, mostly not my taste but in a live setting i see myself enjoying it more. many songs remind me of nirvana which makes sense, since this came out in 93.
Good
Some type of American indie.Not for me at all
3,5
Hadn’t heard this - very much in my wheelhouse but didn’t do a huge amount for me. A VERY generous three.
who made elliot smith do awful emo rock bruh 😭 no but fr this album is a let down, i could do see this being something i liked if the singer was different and if the production was different on every song and if some of the songs on here didn’t exist at all and if it was a completely different album strong 2
Pre-listening thoughts: I feel like we’ve been getting a lot of 90s lately. Also an American band - maybe it’ll be different than the sea of brit pop? Post/during listening thoughts: 17 songs is a lot. My perfect album length is 8-15 songs. I think if you’re over that you have things to cut. Woof this is already boring I’m sorry. Distorted guitar and vocals that seem to drone without expression or liveliness. The mixing is dookie. Wow this isn’t just boring it’s straight up terrible! This is the sort of music Mordecai from Regular Show would listen to (also lead singer sounds a little like him imo). Pretty standard indie rock (I am an indie rock hater) 1/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no. Like why does stuff like this make the list. What makes it so special that I HAVE to hear it. Fav tracks: Happily Divided Least fav tracks: literally all of them (besides any listed in favorites, those are tolerable). I cannot stand this. First two tracks were not the worst but it gets SO MUCH WORSE from there. Convinced people who enjoy this don’t actually like music sorry.
Mah, una review dice che l’album migliora con ogni canzone ma per me è stato l’opposto
Easy to listen to but no really catchy or interesing songs.
The first couple songs are pretty good but I didn't like the next couple after that. Somewhat bizarre change of dynamic, much more dissonant and harsh sound with an off key harmonica in Fantastic Disaster. No. It's certainly an eclectic mix of styles. I generally don't like most of it, whether it's lo-fi, garage rock, punk, alt rock or indie or whatever. Sacred Attention is a bright spot, I like the riffing. The acoustic Think as well. Overall, too many songs too, felt incredibly long for only 46 minutes. Not for me.
Sebadoh is a gem in the 90s indie landscape. They are sensible and harsh, sleazy and angry, experienced and naive, all at the same time. Bubble and scrape was released when alt rock was soaring, but for any reason, they did not reach mass popularity. They deserved, and now this album lives in the hearts of those who wanted to scratch the surface and go deeper in music. The album is an experience. Tones and vibes unfold song after song. No filler. You may need to be in the right mood to flow with it, thou. But it’s not its fault. 4.5/5
A little too experimental for my taste. But unlike Captain Beefheart, they know where the business end of their instrument is...
Although I can appreciate how seminal this album might be, in 2024 it sounds like every single grunge band from the 90s.
Completely blown away. Had heard 1 song back in the 90s and thought they lacked that hard metal rock edge or alternative punch as Nirvana and the other guys were hogging the airwaves. They deprived us of a great side band which kicks ass. They are like a indie rock nirvana. Great songwriting amd arrangements and love the experimental aspect of the band. A surprising 5 stars for me and an add to my heavy rotation.
Menee nopeesti huutamiseksi kuulemma oo mitäön sanottavaa... Vähän saa tunnetta peliin.. Noh Noh..
“Homemade” saved this messy garage band album for me, but there’s still the rest to deal with.
Indie rock med en massa punk och heavy drag. Gillar dom mera lugna, melodiska låtarna bättre.
This band sounds like a bunch of 14 year old boys in a garage. The singing and the instruments are frequently out of tune. Much of this album was painful to listen to due to this. I can handle punk style screaming but maybe not in a key that clashes with the guitars. You must listen to this before you die to know that you too, no matter how tone deaf you are, can make an album.
This is why I do this. What a gem of an album.
Good songwriting that showcases the more gruff indie sound of the early 90's. I especially enjoy the variety of songs and sounds
1.5 ok-ish nonsense with some of the worst guitar tones possible
Bubble and Scrape starts off nicely enough with Soul And Fire, a decent indie style tune with some familiar sounds and elements that made me think of a dozen groups that came along later and did similar. Unfortunately, almost everything that comes after that is a mess of out of tune music, terrible singing, misused instruments, all thrown together and excused as lo-fi experimentalism. Happily Divided is the only tolerable song outside of the opener, this doesn't deserve any more than a 1.
Very, very patchy. There are a couple of songs that are more than half way decent (Soul & Fire the obvious one), but a lot that is less good, alongside some really tuneless crap. 2/5 on the strength of the better songs, there are a lot of tracks on here that barely deserve a 1 though.
get a job 2/10
Correcto
3.6
In the 1990s, at the left end of the radio dial -- between the conspiracy theories and the fire 'n' brimstone -- there was college radio, and it sounded just like this.
You can tell that this band suffered from the fate of having three songwriters working separately. Their styles clashed. And some songs seem half-baked, more like vague ideas than fully articulated pieces. That said, some of these songs are worth a listen: "Soul And Fire", "Two Years Two Days", and "Think".
Liked this
Dope indie!!! Never listened to Sebadoh all that much, but it seems I should!
This album is a mixed bag. Some songs are great, but some are just horrendous. Unfortunately it leans more in the bad category...
I liked the sound, but didn't connect with a few of the songs
I actually think this is bland to the point of almost being offensive. The first song is okay, but it deteriorates quickly into background noise.
a couple of OK tracks, quite a few bad tracks - 2 stars
Noteworthy songs - 808080808 Magical Dream - Kinda catchy synth, but the rest is bland. Ancodia - Good background noise. Cobra Bora - Actually kind of cool, reminds me of Bomberman Hero. Pacific 202 - N64 vibes, but melody isn't great. Donkey Doctor - Nothing too special, weird ending. 808080808 - Really cool beginning. A little slow in the middle but stays interesting enough. Sunrise - Nothing remarkable. The Fat Shadow - Eerie. Very short.
No lo terminé, no me gustó
Didn't hate it.
Don’t have a lot to say about this album. Felt very mediocre to me.
3.36 rym chitarrino indie di merda individuato mi annoio terribilmente 1/5
Liked this a lot! Garagey, kinda messy, very much my thing. 3.5
Weird but mostly good! I can hear it in the basement with a lot of other inspirations of a lot of the music I really cherish
This was fine. It wasn't the best album I've ever heard, but I didn't hate it. It was pretty unremarkable.
okay, with the caveat that i only listened to what was available on spotify: rly surprised that the tail half of this grew on me. i really thought i was gonna despise the whole thing. 2.5
indie rock boys take even a single vocal lesson challenge, I promise you can continue to sing with grit and you can choose to be off key if you want to but you can do it without all of those warbles and unplanned cracks baby!!!!!!! the instrument/music part was good
I guess they were highly influential but this album unfortunately lacks proper recording
A very conflicting album. I didn’t mind the dreary emo style songs, but I wasn’t a fan of the messy punk/ska/metal influenced ones.
????????
Bland and uninteresting
The first song was so good. And then it just went a bit off the rails. Some parts were enjoyable but overall too experimental for me.
This really did not do it for me. In fact it kind of annoyed me. So much so that I am not in the mood to say anything more. It nearly went down to a 1 at one point
Pretty cool lo-fi rock. The first track is definitely the best by a country mile, but the rest of the album is interesting as well. I probably won’t go back to this often, but still cool.
I was really hoping that I would enjoy this one. Was a band I hadn't heard before signed to a label that I like. Seemed like the perfect recipe for me to find a hidden gem. Pretty disappointed overall. Nothing really stood out for me here.
I don’t know whether this is a slow burning indie classic or a bit of a ramble. I’d have been listening to Pixies at the time so would probably have considered this a bit second rate.
A weird ass record but still enjoyable, reminds me a bit of early sonic south.
Where has this been all my life. This album is incredible. It leans largely on indie rock sensibilities but often veers into other genre blends. Just a kick-ass album.
It's ok, I guess. I feel like albums like these are dime a dozen in this list.
A little too long on the indie video. Bakesale is better
Kind of fun I guess
Really cool take on indie rock. I can picture these fellas in their garage writing these songs. Raw and unrefined, good craic
Completely forgettable
Loved the start, went off it a bit
Experimentele indierock uit de vroege jaren '90. Sommige nummers zijn gewoon heel prima, bij sommige nummers gaan ze een stap te ver met experimenteren en gaan ze een beetje lelijk op hun bek wat mij betreft. Ik weet niet of het gepast is om huismerk Nirvana te zeggen, maar een klein beetje huismerk Nirvana is het wel. En dan net wat meer verlegen om aandacht. Door die mislukte experimenten gaat dit niet hoog scoren, want dit album wil je door bepaalde tracks niet nog een keer aanzetten. Ik noem een 'Fantastic Disaster', maar zo zijn er meer tracks met terecht amper streams. Een grap die ik niet begrijp en die te lang duurt. Vanaf ongeveer track 4 drijf je als een veerpont op en neer tussen verveling en irritatie. Ik ga voor 2 sterren, ondanks een paar aardige tracks.
1. zoul - 0 2. tuuo yearz - 1 3. alchemy - 0 4. dizazter - 0 5. divided - 1.5 6. zizter - 1 7. cliche - 1 8. zacred - 1 9. elizir - 0 10. uuild - 1 11. zizteen - 0 12. homemade - 0 13. forced - 0 14. out - 0 15. ziren - 1 16. think - 1.5 17. flood - 0
You know I have never really dug in to Sebadoh--just more been aware of them because of Dinosaur Jr. This album is great. Has a distinctly 90s indie feel to it, and a bit rough around the edges. Very much dig it.
Sloppy brilliance
Solid Indie Album. Liked the slower songs more than the faster songs.
4.1 - What a clashing album, not sure why I enjoyed it so much. I think it felt so off, that when it was on, it sounded so great. It was as if it gave you something harsh to hear so that you appreciated the other songs more
I like this album when it has interesting dissonant tones of bass and guitar, like in Elixir Is Zog - beautifully scruffy slacker rock. In general it struggles from the usual problems that plague slacker rock and 90s alternative in general - unrefined punky energy creating uncohesive and/or bloated albums. Fave Tracks: Soul and Fire, Sixteen, Homemade 3.4/5
Pleasant. Listened to during lunch.
Gets better as it goes. If you're going to take a break from Dino Jr., then at least make it worth it!
nothing noteworthy here. it’s a fun album that suffers from what a lot of bands did back in that era… a lot of 90’s bands kind of sounded the same.
It started boring, then got my interest a bit. Then the last half was just boring.
it was okay
A bit too noisy for my tastes.
This album stinks and it boring.
This album stinks and is boring
Likably slack and raffish, with some interesting moments but maybe too DIY-ly unambitious for its own good. The winning cuts include "Cliche," "Homemade" and the opener. "Flood" is a bad closer.
POV: you are in a play wrong notes and sing off key challenge and this is your opponent. Interesting album though, the off key notes definitely added to the mystery and weirdness
This is pretty good. I like how off-kilter it sounds at times
Holy crap whoever put that on a list of any kind was straight smoking crack. If that's music then I'm Prince. This was so bad, the idea that anybody has ever listened to it is ridiculous, and the spins on spotify are proof of this.
1993 alternative. I don’t think they know what lane they’re in. The description says lo-fi folk. It’s not that.
Did not enjoy listening to this...not cohesive at all.
Never heard of this band or heard this album. Bad songwriting performed by bad musicians. Completely forgettable. "There's no need to say a word"
Music for ADHD?
3.5/5
Pareceu-me um roquito com algumas intenções em ter algum peso nas guitarras. Só que o vocal é muito típico desse rock inofensivo.
Really don’t understand the appeal, nothing really drew me in, just seemed like generic at best, boring indie rock
I've got to admit that this was a tough listen to begin with. It is not exactly top of the list for harmonious, pleasant-sounding music. It did kinda grow on me, but I have to say that having heard it once was probably enough.
There is a real 90s University nostalgia to this. It sounds like being 20 years old. One of the more interesting US garage albums.
If Dinosaur Jr. and Pavement had an emo baby, it would sound like this. This album is fantastic, and the songs energy's changes a lot throughout the album, making it always sound fresh and never stale. Great album, never would have found it on my own
In parts 90s grunge, in other parts channelling their inner Captain Beefheart and taking the piss. That’s when ‘Bubble & Scrape’ is probably at its most interesting and genuinely good in my opinion. It’s kind of bog standard and forgettable alt rock the rest of the time.
Enjoyed the first song - Wasnt huge fan after that tho
Dull, when it isn't being actively unpleasant. Second time through was marginally less grating but that will be my last listen ever, thank you very much.
I really like some parts of this album but other parts not so much
Never heard this one, but I have heard some of their next album Bakesale and I prefer that one
Another in one ear and out the other
Some pretty cool alt-rock stuff, nothing really spectacular to suggest why the inclusion, but quite a few tracks I dug enough to keep so no complaints. Some quirky instrumentals mixed in, and that's not always a bad thing. Favorite tracks: Fantastic Disaster, Emma Get Wild, Homemade, No Way Out. Album art: Really cool, a sort of burned-out painting or something with more art beneath it. Not entirely sure what I'm looking at, but I like it. 3.5/5
Meh. Its not bad, but its pretty boring. 2/5
Qui dit grunge ne nécessite pas forcément que le son soit super dissonant pour faire rageux ! Je comprends qu'on s'amuse avec les sonorités et la "justesse" mais certaines chansons ont été presque pénibles à écouter (Fantastic disaster, Elixir is Zog). Selon moi un album inégal même si certaines chansons sont très cool. Je ne mets que 2 parce que pas pleinement transportée, même si j'emmène néanmoins quelques chansons avec moi (Soul and Fire, Happily Divided, Sacred Attention).
Not too bad, but when it did sound different from bands of the time it didn't sound good. There were a couple songs that were okay! Just not my style, probably.
Nice one
I always liked Sebadoh. Never listened to this album though.
Just fine!
This is everything I like about 90s indie rock: dissonant, lo-fi, and tinged with punk energy.
This thing is noisy and a bit all over the place. My favorite moments on this tended to be the softer and more melodic tracks which is not the point of this record. I like some noise rock punk type music but this was a bit too dysfunctional for me to get into. I can totally see people really enjoying this but it isn't something I'm enjoying right now.
Not for me.
Never heard of them before, which is cool. I like the idea that they all write and perform all of the instruments, but one or maybe two of them are much worse than the other(s). This album goes from good 90's indie/rock to just atonal messes of bad shit. Songs like "Sacred Attention" are awesome, give me an album worth of those. "Fantastic Disaster" is true to it's name I guess. It's literally hard to listen to because it's all out of tune. If you ignore the turds (and there are a lot) this is a pretty good album. I've always liked guitar/bass/drum trios and this is no exception. Jut tell the one guy to get his ears checked.
The only thing consistent in this album is inconsistency. Sad acoustic, fast electric, this song needs a harmonica!!! I thought I was really going to like this but ended up mediocre. Best points are like bad Weezer or Bad REM.
I was a young man back in the 90s and I remember this band and a slew of other "indie" bands that were almost universally loved by music "hipsters." Pavement is the king of these bands. None of them were that good? I should be nostalgic for this stuff, but I'm not.
Boring... Yawn
Can definitely hear the Meat Puppets in this. Not much unique here though.
This is interesting. Not my favorite, but interesting to listen to.
Sounds like a highschool band except soul and fire which sounds like a sophomore college band
Twas ok, but not for me. There is a lot of slacker core on the spectrum from the Lemonheads up towards the pixies amd this sat in the middle without really standing out. I enjoyed the first couple of tracks before it starts to lose me.
Empezó bien pero todo se fue plp después
Muy muy bueno, muy buen rock. High 8/10.
Nice sound, but it feels like I've heard that sound a hundred times before. And after, seeing this is from '93.
Eh, it’s fine. I was excited to see a Sub Pop album that I had never heard before come up, and it was an ok listen, but there wasn’t anything that grabbed me enough to want to come back to it. Soul And Fire, Sacred Attention, and Bouquet for a Siren came close, but otherwise, nothing specific stands out. To its credit, it’s unique - my favorite part of the album is how it borders on pure chaos at points. That’s ultimately what I’ll remember about this album, is how well they strike the balance between traditional songwriting and chaos. They remind me of the Meat Puppets in that sense, but I feel like the Meat Puppets stick the landing better. Overall, some good moments and a unique listen - but as a whole, doesn’t really land for me. Side note - after writing this, I was intrigued enough that I went to their main page on Spotify and checked out their top tracks. Actually really like some of their other stuff, might have to revisit this one at some point. I’ll admit, I didn’t like the Meat Puppets at first, and now I love them, so maybe these guys will grow on me like they did.
As a child of the nineties I feel I was pretty much predestined to like this one
Angry American kids. 3/10
Not really my cuppa. I like the harder punk songs like Sister and Flood. Soul and Fire was good too. Not too sure why it's on the list 2.5
A sound that veers too heavily into the atonal, but strikes gold with Cliche, Forced Love, and Think.
Absolutely nothing catchy about this.
This album was so confusing every song was completely different there was no cohesiveness.
Today’s album started as something I felt I was going to really enjoy, as it sounded like something I like to call “apathy-rock”. However, perhaps around halfway through the album I found myself becoming more and more apathetic to listening to more. Usually, this doesn’t affect me with this type of music, but I did find myself slowly growing bored here.
Some good stuff but mostly not.
The songs that I liked seemed to be on some kind of slow mo speed. Most of the vocals are just not good. Only a few songs made this album worthy of a listen.
The first song is the best. Everything else just feels a bit empty. Crazy how this grunge rock just took over. Some of it has glimpses of indie rock and what’s to come but it just doesn’t quite hit like nirvana or the strokes. Ya I keep skipping songs and just wanna listen to nirvana Sacred attention is alright. That’s what the album is coming off as. It’s alright. It’s not amazing it’s not bad but it’s background. I appreciate the challenge of listening to all these albums I was just waiting for it to get bad. And ya this is just meh. It’s like stereotypical rock music for “guy who does action movie”. And the vocals don’t punch he sounds a bit lazy. Maybe that’s the style. Idk it just isn’t hitting. Oh nevermind there’s some songs where they go crazy vocal wise. It’s like a weird mish mash of genres they want to try out but it doesn’t go in any direction. Emma get wild is fun. But vocals mehhh Again best song is Soul and Fire the first song on the album First mehh album of the 1001
Love the 90s Sebadoh albums and this is no exception.
A few good songs but too much simple punk.
It wasn't bad, but none of it caught my attention. I feel a little bad because this is becoming a very common review for me but I guess with 1001 albums it's inevitable to get a lot of samey stuff that doesn't do it for me.
Bakesale or Harmacy would have been a better choice. Not wildly different but just better executed than this.
Favourite: Happily Divided
good but not 1001 good first track fav
Enjoyed this, will listen again
Some interesting early indie sounds from a band who never seemed to really take off in the way they probably should’ve, especially when compared to some peers from the same time. Not something I’m in a hurry to revisit, but cool enough to have a few tracks charm their way into a playlist.
Lo-fi rock's frill-free ethos captured but lacking the thrills to keep one fully enraptured.
An interesting listen but no real standouts.
This doesn't do it for me. The highs aren't very high (2/3 decent songs), and if I'm not in the mood it grates.
Kinda like Superchunk meets Pavement. Definitive 90s alt rock. Nothing short of good music but, lets be fair its not *groundbreaking*. Just a fun new listen.
I would eat up most of that wooshy '90s alt-rock sound that felt like maladaptive daydreaming while on road trip on a cloudy day. At the first few tracks, I thought this one is, but it turns out it's just a mildly interesting '90s indie rock effort. There are some punkier, messier, and more interesting albums than this for sure.
Just read the band name in Homer Simpson's voice, and you've about summed it up.
I can see how it progressed music, but never did they stick the landing between aesthetic perfection and harmonic dissonance. Some cool ideas, but the purposeful lack of polish felt more amateur than avant-garde
I'm giving this 5 because I really want to return to these guys. Spotify is missing half the album
Not for me.
3.5/5
Soul and Fire 3.5 Two Years Two Days 3.4 Telecosmic Alchemy 3.2 Fantastic Disaster 2.8 Happily Divided 3 Sister 3.3 Cliché 3.6 Sacred Attention 3.8 Elixir Is Zog 3.2 Emma Get Wild 3.4 Sixteen 3.3 Homemade 4 Forced Love 3.6 No Way Out 3.3 Bouquet for a Siren 3.4 Think (Let Tomorrow Bee) 3.4 Flood 3.1 Score: 3.370588235
Started okay but became a bit too much for me
This album went downhill with all the grace of a sack of bricks after the first few songs. Barely a 2.
Some catchy song titles for some standard issue grunge.
Quite good album. Wasn't sure what to expect.
Why
erittäin tylsä 46 minuuttia pitkä joka tuntui parilta tunnilta , hlyhytitä biisejä jotka tuntuivat 5+minuuttisilta kaikki. täysin turha listallaolija, verorahoilla maksettaan tälläset listalla ja ei mitään saa takaisin.. kadulle mars.. ehkä kaksi kuunneltavaa biisiä yhteensä seitsemästätoista, ei oikeen voi mitään positiivista tästä puhua, kirjotanpa vaan tekstiä kun muutama rivi kaikissa muissakin arvosteluissa... täytettä turhaan, sokeria sokeria pumppaa pumppaa pumppaa pumppaa sacred attention
I really like independent rock. I liked parts of the album. However, there was nothing on it that made me want to listen to the music more often. 3/5
3/5. Gotta appreciate the uniqueness of the sound, and the willingness to try sounds that normally don't go together. Sometimes it works, a lot of the times it does not. There are some great punk/pop songs on here, but it would require a re-listen to see if I actually enjoyed the listen or if the shock was the main thing that drew me in. Best Song: Soul and Fire, Sister, Emma Get Wild
I kept waiting in hope that I’d like one of the songs, I’m afraid that never happened. I’d never heard of these guys before and I think that’s for a very good reason.
кто вообще эту хуету слушает
Every once in a while an album will come along that I’ve never heard of before that really surprises me. It’s not that common of an occurrence, which makes it all the more better when it does happen. This is one such case. I’ve never heard of Sebadoh before. I took one glance at this cover and assumed I was in for something pretty rough. But that is not at all true. The best way to describe this is the music that plays in the wet dreams of Kurt Cobain / Pixies fans. I believe this would probably appeal to most indie rock fans in general. I usually associate slacker rock and noise pop with bright tones and songs written in major keys. So that’s what I was anticipating. But this album is much gloomier and solemn than I was expecting. But it also has its moments where things pick up. Like imagine Tame by Pixies, just turned into multiple different songs. This was also far heavier than I was expecting. This doesn’t really fit the conventional definition of heavy music. But many of the main guitar riffs use these fantastic distorted tones. And some of the vocal performances are also super grunge inspired and intense. I was listening to Slipknot, and then I put on Telecosmic Alechemy, and I swear for like 20 seconds I thought I was still listening to Slipknot. I had to check to be sure. This album shocked me in many ways. And it stands out as a genuine piece of unique indie music that very few probably know about. Which is sad, since this deserves way more attention than it’s gotten. Rating: 9/10
Loved it! Wasn’t familiar with the band, and I really enjoyed it.
Indie rock. Ni fu ni fa.
Indie rock.
Started and stopped this album several times. It turned out ok though as the repeat listens kinda got me into Soul and Fire had become familiar
First song was good, plus a couple others, but the atonal songs annoyed me. It also seemed the songs were all over the place in terms of style
It leans dangerously close to wimp-rock, but the short sharp bursts of Dinosaur Jr-esque energy save it from damnation. I hear a lot of Violent Femmes influence here. I wish I heard more.
Some good songs
2.5. Here's what I've decided about this album: I like this album fine when they go for a more acoustic sound/slower/more low-key songs. Songs that I thought were fine/overall enjoyable include: Soul and Fire, Happily Divided, and Cliche. I did not like at all the songs included in this album that took a stab at more high-tempo, loud, "rock" sounding music. I love rock music, it's one of my favorite genres. But songs like "Telecosmic Alechemy", "Fantastic Disaster", and "Sister" almost made me consider giving up on this album; they are BAD.
recommended if you like: nirvana, mac demarco, talking about how you used to go to basement shows, the mountain goats, owning ancient chuck taylors, lo-fi
Ordinary and forgettable.
Beetje te wacky, maar niet perse slecht
a forgettable indie album. makes me wonder why sebadoh was even included. there's so little to be remarked upon. i suppose it is early for that indie sound, so it is a predecessor, but ehh.
I actually kind of liked the opening track (Soul and Fire), but things tapered off quite a bit after this. Another album where I didn't hate it, but it also didn't really do anything for me. When I am not familiar with a band and am hearing their work for the first time, I often associate them with something I know. In this case, these guys gave me Nirvana vibes for days. That said, they lacked the Nirvana gravitas; the vocals and music both didn't have quite the same catch as Kurt Cobain and the rest of the Nirvana band, respectively.
What an unexpected treat this album proved to be. I can't believe I hadn't heard of Sebadoh before, especially as I loved Dinosaur Jr back in the day. These guys personify the sound of early 90s Indie Rock. There's a little bit of everything on this album. Sure, it's hit & miss across its 17 tracks, but there's a charm to the raw sound & energy this band offers. The entire album sounds like it was recorded on a tape deck in somebody's garage, with each song getting recorded in just one take. No messing around. Guitars, drums, vocals - the essence of Rock. Nevertheless, these guys have produced some awesome tunes. "Soul and Fire" kicks off the record and immediately tells you that Sebadoh know how to write a song. "Emma Get Wild" is just an unapologetic, lovable riot. And "Homemade" is a masterpiece that should be heard by anybody who enjoys Indie Rock. I'll happily listen to this entire album again. Sebadoh have secured their place on my Spotify playlist. 👍👍
I kept checking when the album would be over. Not a good sign.
Style of punk rock
While J Mascis does seem like a controlling bandmember, I much prefer the collaborative work that Barlow and Mascis produce together rather than separately. Long live Western Mass. 2.5/5
This.was.bad.
Yeah, no. First song sounded promising but, although I might have missed something in a somewhat distracted listening, I didn’t like the rest of this much at all.
I listened last night and did write a review then. Now, I don’t have any specific memory of the album. My vague recollection was it was tolerable at best and I had no interest in listening again.
As has happened before, when the album started I thought, "not another alt-rock band from the 90s that eschews tunefulness and feelings," but not long after I was feeling a lot and digging the dissonance in spite of myself. I kind of ended up loving it.
Some of it I liked and some of it I got bored with. It was ok.
Nope
Vieles unhörbar. Bei Einigen wippte ich mit.
I love this list on days like today.
Too noisy to complete the entire album but not really against it
The wiki article and the 1001 albums book blurb make a big deal of this album being a collective effort and I can see why - the quality difference of the contributors is massive. Pretty much all of the Barlow tracks are quite good, solid 4 stars. On the other hand, Gaffney's stuff is absolutely unlistenable, unredeemably 1 star. Loewenstein's tracks are somewhere inbetween, but mostly not bad. In conclusion, this could have been a good album if they hadn't let Gaffney meddle with it.
Never heard of this band, so I gave it a shot. I thought the first song showed promise and the second was ok. But after that, the next few songs made me stop listening. I can’t believe this is on the list.
Yeah this was totally fine! I felt relatively impartial about it. Reminded me of like Ben Folds or Death Cab I think, which put me off a little
Hmm, this was a bit too post-punk for me, but didn't hate it
More indie than rock for me. Just a couple appealing tunes for me.
A frustrating listen as the discordant parts just straight up suck. And that's not me disliking discordance, I listen to Industrial Drone for fun... these guys just aren't good at it. The actual songs are decent though
Forgettable album but wasn’t bad
At first I wondered how this band made it out of the garage. It got better, except for Elixir is Zog, which I skipped due to the screaming. The rest were all good enough songs, but it seemed like they never figured out what kind of band they were.
About as low key as you can get. It was done lickety split
This is very early 90s, it's got indie rock written all over it. I like the vibe more than the individual songs.
It reminds me of the alternative music that the artsy kids would listen to in the early 90's. It's not bad but probably not for me. It's kind of experimental.
Junior school band meets angry teen angst. A nasty noise zero star offering.
Wow this was an awesome find! I love discovering a lot of these old indie rock albums from the late 80s and early 90’s. I will definitely be listening to this one more in the future.
Bubble and Scrape is a bit of a sloppy mess at times but there’s beauty in the slop and I really enjoyed it. 4 stars
This is the kind of album I was hoping for from the list; a really good album from a band I have never heard of. I am shocked that the rating for this is so low. Going in I thought it would be unlistenable, but there are some really good indie / alt rock tunes on here. Sure, there is a little bit of noise rock and screaming at times, so I understand why people wouldn't like those songs, but in between those are some really solid songs. It is like Sonic Youth met Pavement met the Foo Fighters debut with a tad of the Pixies. This album is far from perfect and it does have some stinkers, so realistically it is closer to a 4, but I feel I need to give it a 5 out of spite.
Never heard of this band before, but there were enough interesting songs on here that I feel like they should be better-known than they are. I have to take off a couple stars because there are several real clunkers on here, and one of the singers kinda sounds like Morty and I couldn’t unhear it once I noticed.
It started okay, then dipped straight to the bottom, with few terrible songs I couldn't stand, and then finally it recovered a bit with few generic alt rock songs, whatever that really entails. The band sounds very 90s, quality straight from garage, but in my opinion not in a good way, more like St. Anger kind of way. Few redeeming songs, but honestly, I just want to forget everything about this album.
Genre: Indie rock 1993 Standouts: Soul and Fire, Sister, Two Years Two Days, Great sound! 4/5
Got a bit cloying after a while... ok but not my cup of tea
I did not need to listen to this before I die. It's mixed like shit, the lyrics suck, there aren't any cool or interesting riffs and at least half the songs sound exactly the goddamn same. What's to like here dawg. Shoutout to the last third of No Way Out for being one of the worst pieces of music I've heard in a long while.
I hate this kind of music. An absolute mess. Garbage mixing, weak ass vocals, meh lyrics, an all around bad experience. Truly a terrible album, which I certainly did not need to listen to. Why is this on the list? There are millions of better albums then this. Disappointing.
Not my normal listen
I get that this isn't a masterpiece, but why such a low rating? This album is still pretty solid. It has great energy, is very diverse, and had decent enough performances from every instrument. It's certainly nothing that special, but there is nothing to actively dislike here.
Not my cuppa
I genuinely have no idea what I think about this album. Bubble and Scrape is all over the place. At times it hits something really special. There are moments of scrappy, lo fi brilliance where the melodies shine through the fuzz and the emotion feels raw and honest. Then, almost without warning, it veers into something that feels half formed or deliberately messy to the point of frustration. That unpredictability is probably part of its charm. It feels unfiltered and personal, like you are hearing ideas as they spill out rather than neatly packaged songs. But it also makes for a stop start listening experience. Just as I was getting pulled in, a track would come along that completely lost me. There is definitely something here though. Enough strong moments to make me think it deserves another listen. This feels like one of those records that might click properly with time rather than on first listen
A lot of it sounds heavily inspired by Sonic Youth. Rating: 3.1
Peak "teenage dirtbag" energy. Raw sounds, discordant tones, and the overall sweat-and-grit feel of a Harmony Korine film (or maybe an early Kevin Smith flick for those with a lighter palate). Captures a solid chunk of the psychic feel of the early 90s. Some of this LP can prove harsh on the ears, which some may not appreciate - but it's mixed to thrill, like a smoke cruise in a used sedan with a group of good friends.
trash trash trash trash 1 star
Garage/niche 90s rock for sure. Little punk but not great.
I didn't want to like this, I really didn't at the beginning. But the lyrics are actually quite good, and the music has this nice grunge-like sound that is really indicative of 90s indie. A happy surprise.
Sebadoh might be the most inconsistent of the big names in the 90’s lo-fi scene. Their records seem to vacillate between excellent and frustrating frequently within a 40 minute runtime, at least in my experience. It’s due in no small part to having 3 vastly different songwriters. Where Guided By Voices and Pavement records tended to be more consistent - even in their variety of songs and experiments - Sebadoh records often feel exceedingly uncompromising and overly serious. Bakesale or Harmacy would probably have served as better introductions for the uninitiated (Go listen to “Beauty of the Ride” from Harmacy - excellent song), but Bubble & Scrape might be a more fitting representation of the band. The peaks and valleys are on full display here: the highs are high and the lows are low.
Started off promising but turned middle of the road pretty quickly
Wasn't the biggest fan of this
Fine.
New to me, but I had at least heard of Dinosaur Jr. and of J Mascis as a legendary indie guitarist. The legend goes on from there that Lou Barlow meandered away and founded Sebadoh due to artistic differences with Mascis. Or maybe one of them preferred Pepsi while the other opted for Coke. This record, perhaps just a different brand of cola, relays the lo-fi headspace of scruffy low-key aggro bedroom bands in the realm of Sonic Youth, Slint and Beck. Not meant as a jab, clearly this record rocks. I genuinely enjoy metaphorical envigorating bubbly beverages, so cheers to the boundless, though less differentiated, creative expression.
Can't remember much about it, but it was pretty cool
Very Emo.
I like Sebadoh, but I've never really found an album that I felt was listenable the whole way through. Sebadoh III might be the closest, but this album suffers from the same problems - mostly three songwriters with vastly different visions that makes for a disjointed album. There are some very good songs on here, as well as some unlistenable tone experiments. It's a good album overall, but I definitely skipped some tracks.
I’ve heard this comment recently, so I may have even stolen it from this chat…but this sounds exactly like the kind of forgettable rock that would be playing in The Bronze in Buffy the Vampire Slayer to a group of bored extras.
what a load of shit...
Not for me-repetitive and blah
What an amazing album -- I was delighted to hear this
When I started this project I was hoping there would be a lot more albums like Bubble And Scrape, an album I had never even heard of but that I liked. Doesn’t have to be a 5 star album but ever unknown to me albums that I’d get 3 are pretty rare. Bubble and Scrape is a low fi version forbearer of 2000s indie. Think is one of the best songs I had never heard. Love Homemade as well. 6.7/10
It was ok I suppose. Didn’t have the charm of some of its contemporaries but I’m sure a lot of disaffected teenage boys would have lapped this up.
This started strong but on track four, "Fantastic Disaster" (well, they got the title half right) everything dramatically fell apart and never came back together. It's a mess. The whole album is a mess. There's nothing redeeming here, sadly.
On the plus side, this is one of the few albums of the 1001 that I haven't heard before. On the downside, it sucks. Sebadoh sounds to me like they wanted to be a grunge band but they just couldn't figure out the bite that Nirvana or Soundgarden did, and they also couldn't figure out how to be as interesting or introspective as Sonic Youth or other similar bands from the era... AKA Sebadoh suck. A few of their other albums are tolerable, and I thought this was going to be the same way based on the first track, but it was all downhill from there. Garbage album, absolutely should not be included on this list.
Reminds me of some of Beck's work, but not as unique or memorable. It was OK. Starting to think this list should be "1001 forgettable and mediocre albums no one will remember".
Kinda generic 90's alt grunge kinda sound. Didn't catch my ear much but wasn't bad. 2.5
I loved this. Listened to it 3x today.
It was just alright. Good songs here and there, not the biggest fan
The guitar part in Homemade sounds like an European ambulance sometimes. Album was alright some songs were much better than others. Sometimes the vocals were too quiet or were purposefully off key. Favorite songs were Soul And Fire, Sister, and Emma Get Wild
I was enjoying this album, but then they started doing this weird screamy little bit. Eh? It sounds weird. I HATED the song "Fantastic Disaster" because of the clashing instruments.
First song was great and then it was all over the place from alt to grunge to hardcoreish? Bad 2/5
I always wanted to listen to more Sebadoh but never did. I love Pavement and GBV but just got into Sebadoh. Not sure why not, this album was awesome.
First artist I've been assigned that I have no experience with! Liked not loved! I might revisit one day but nothing particularly grabbed me, and some actively pushed me away.
90s indie. Bit whiny at times, raw at others.
OK
Sonic mayhem abounds - well worth repeated listenings.
Better than Dinosaur Jr
Very typical rock album. Nothing overly great, but nothing overly poor. Main themes involving breakups, but as the songs were pretty short, I felt it lacked the chance for each song to develop properly. Sonically. There were some good attempts with utilizing some experimental instruments and sounds, but to me it ended up sounding a bit like noise. Not super aesthetically pleasing to me and nothing lyrically standing out to redeem it.
Scraping the barrel in terms of albums that could be considered great.
Massachusetts grunge? I don’t think so. Didn’t finish
At its best, on par with other grungy fare from this time. But overall less polished than many of their contemporaries. Feels like music folks cling to because it makes them different...
Not my taste
Good lord, some of those songs were bad. I normally like harmonica, but ideally the player would know how to play the harmonica. I had to take a few breaks during this album. High highs and low lows. I do appreciate some chaos, but when I actively don't like what I'm hearing, I just can't rate it highly.
Starts strong but evens out towards the latter part
Not the best. Bleh.
Many of thectracks sounded the same as the others
The Wiki on this album says it’s the first album they did in a pro studio. You’d never know. This is the worst sounding album I’ve heard in a long time. Maybe they should start with everyone playing the same tempo and go from there? Plodding, untuneful, meandering on top of totally terrible production. Hey I get the whole Albini raw sound thing, but this is another level. A level below, a few below really. This is time I’ll never get back in my life. Unless you like listening to your neighbour’s kid’s garage band bleeding through a wall, just do yourself a favour a skip this.
This is right up my alley, nostalgic indie lo-fi rock with a hint of grunge. Time to listen to Sebadoh’s whole discography…
Started off strong and enjoyable then it was over Spotify only had 2 tracks. I liked the first song did not care for the second.
I actually liked this. Kind of an indie punk rock feel to it which worked pretty well for me. 4/5
Sebadoh stands out not for being particularly good, but for being a pioneer.
I did enjoy this album, but for my personal taste Wilco is where I’m at.
Hmm, niet voor mij. De eerste song/single vind ik leuk omdat 't meeste pop is. Voor de andere songs ben ik niet kwaad of depressief genoeg vrees ik. Behoorlijk weirde dissonante indie trip, ook een beetje typisch 90's met niet altijd mooie distortions en een harde sound. Weet niet of dit de tand des tijds zal doorstaan.
I had a great time listening to this record. Sebadoh are a band I knew by name, but haven't listened to much - after listening to this, I definitely want to check out more of their work. There are certainly grunge elements on this record, but they experiement and expand into many other genres too. It kept me on my toes. Whilst some tracks didn't resonate with me, many of them were great.
Can't figure out why this album from Sebadoh, instead of Bakesale or III or even Harmacy. Not that this is a bad album it's just that Bakesale is clearly superior and more accessible. This album does point to the better things on the horizon for these darling of the indie-rock scene. 3.5 stars
I’ve heard Bakesale a couple of times and enjoyed it but never really checked out any more Sebadoh, so was interested to give this one a try It was really fun and a lot more varied than expected, with some gorgeous shoegazey moments contrasted with some energetic slacker rock and whatever the heck was going on during Elixir Is Zog
weird. there are a few songs here that are totally fine and even pleasant to listen to, but the other ones are atonal, meandering, intentionally bad (?) suckfests.
weird album but i enjoyed it overall. pretty hit and miss in terms of individual songs, like it started out strong and then just went off the rails into experimental, less tonal nonsense after a few tracks. would listen to these again as i like some of the other lo-fi indie groups from this time but i have a feeling this will not bode well with the general listening public on 1001... can't wait to check the reviews after this! favorites: soul and fire, two years two days, happily divided
Classic indie noise rock, I love how dynamic this one is from angry squalls of noise to very tender breakup/depression songs. Some might call it disjointed, but it's got 3 primary song writers and honestly... That's a lot of the charm. For fans of Pavement, Dinosaur Jr., Built to Spill, Hüsker Dü, etc. Maybe also if you like Midwest Emo, I feel like a lot of those bands were heavily inspired by all of the bands listed. Anyway, I love it. Maybe not as great as the high points from the other bands I listed, but I feel like Sebadoh are sorta under rated in general as far as 90s lo-fi indie stuff. This rocks.
Just not feeling it
Rock indie
Here I am, on my knees With nothing to blame but my curiosity It got the best of me
3.5
A new one on me. Discordant and dissonant at times, but an enjoyable kind of chaos that pulls you through rather than leaving you behind.
Listened to this a few times and nothing really stuck, just found it very middle if the road. Surprising, because I really like Dinosaur Jr and a lot of 90s slacker rock.
Wish there were half stars. 3 seems like an insult, and 4 too generous. Little to lo-fi sounding for my general taste.
I've always liked the idea of Sebadoh more than the actual music they produce. I definitely prefer their more melodic stuff. Happily Divided is nice.
The songs are definitely quite interesting. I like the lo-fi DIY vibe of all the songs, but not too sure about the atonal elements in some of the songs. Those sound like they could be part of the artistic intent, or it could just be poorly played parts. Guess we'll never know which it really is.
I liked it a lot, but it's not special.
whinyyyy
I'm pretty sure this is the same as a lot of mid-90's Grungey/Alty/Rocky Garagey-type bands that existed? Not that it's unpleasant. Just samey.