Dreamy II

Earlier this year I picked up a Beat Happening LP. I'd never really been interested in the band before but got around to listening to them as a part of my journey into the early Sub Pop catalog. 'Dreamy' was their fourth album from 1991 and it turned out that the turquoise vinyl copy that I picked up was quite rare. I've really enjoyed the LP this year, and not long ago I stumbled across a copy of the more common grey vinyl version for sale at a much lower price than it usually sells for, and I couldn't help but grab it.

This is absolutely top condition, with shrinkwrap intact as well as both stickers still present.

This copy also has a Sub Pop singles club subscription form included. A lot of the 7"s had these things built into the folded covers that were printed on the same glossy paper as they were kinda part of the sleeve. But the ones that came with 12"s were just photocopied pieces of paper. They don't look as good, but seem generally rarer. This one is advertising releases from February to July 1991.

As I mentioned in my last post, this is unlike anything else I have ever listened to, but I'm loving it. I'll definitely get around to investigating more of their catalogue at some point.

Dreamy

Another installment in my journey into the old Sub Pop catalogue, 'Dreamy' is the fourth full length from Beat Happening, an indie pop trio from Olympia, WA. They were active from 1982 - 1992, and this record came out towards the end of their life, in 1991.

There were a couple of different colours pressed by Sub Pop. This one is turquoise, and the other is grey. I have it on pretty good authority that this colour is a lot rarer than the grey.

This is really different to the usual style that I would listen to. Even by early Sub Pop standards, this one kinda stands out. Some of the songs have a male vocal, and some female. I much prefer the female vocal overall, but the male vocal reminds me of, say, Nick Cave. Generally I would say that this is the kind of music I would expect to be playing in the bar in the Tarantino film 'From Dusk 'Til Dawn'. It's very different to anything that I would usually listen to, but I have become fascinated by it these past couple of weeks.

Just Beautiful Music

Back in 2024 I rediscovered the band Gas Huffer. I used to listen to them in 1992/93 and then a couple of years later sold their records and forgot about them for the best part of three decades. As often happens with bands you move on from, when you rediscover them you realise what a fool you were. Back then I picked up their third and fourth albums, and recently I added the fifth to my collection.

'Just Beautiful Music' was released by Epitaph in 1998. As the photo shows, the cover art on this seems like a slightly odd choice.

As with all other Gas Huffer LPs, this comes with a comic book, which also looks a bit like a birthday card made for a grandma in the 1970s.

This fifth LP continues in very much the same vein as the previous four. I'm very happy to have picked it up because, even though it is on Epitaph, it feels that there weren't too many pressed. I guess in 1998 vinyl sales were generally falling and given that this band wasn't exactly massive, they probably pressed a relatively low number. Well, low for Epitaph anyway.

In addition to this LP, I also snagged another colour of their Sub Pop 7" too, this time on blue.

There is also a brown vinyl version of this 7". And also, I really want the first two LPs back that I used to own at the end of my teens. I guess the moral of the story is 'never sell anything'.

Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em

Back in the early 90s I would sometimes spend a day record shopping in London. There were a few record stores dotted around the city, and it would take the best part of a day to travel around to them all. Back then there were about 5 different shops in Camden alone, and these were where I saw and held a lot of Sub Pop Records for the first time, many of which I ended up buying and listening to for the first time only a couple of years ago.

One of the records I used to see a lot back then was a 10" by The Reverend Horton Heat, 'Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em', with a cover that featured a photo of guitarist and vocalist James Heath looking very much like he had just arrived fresh in from the 1950s. The teenage me was confused as to why this would be on the same label as Nirvana, Mudhoney, Tad etc. and I would always think to myself 'who the hell would be interested in that?'. Well, it turns out the answer is me... thirty four years later.

There were three different colours of vinyl for this one, and at this point I was happy to just have any of them. This particular copy is in great condition, with the shrinkwrap still intact and the 'color vinyl' sticker is still there too. Oh yeah, and it's on some kind of swirl vinyl before that was even a thing. Records that looked like this in 1990 were rarely seen.

This is not the kind of thing that I would usually listen to, or would even have thought that I would like, but back in 2024 I picked up a Sub Pop 7" that featured two songs (both of which are on this record, annoyingly) and I really, really liked it. Ok, so it may be psychobilly or rockabilly or whatever, but it's just some damn catchy music. Hey, maybe I'd even like Hifi and the Roadburners these days too?

Sunshine, Lollipops & Rainbows

I gave up on Record Store Day years ago. I literally don't even look at what is being released for it anymore. Then last year my attention was drawn to a Dwarves record that sounded interesting which it turned out was being touted as a Record Store Day release. It sounded kinda cool, but then when it became available for sale, the price was utterly stupid (and I'm not referring to the second hand market). I decided not to bother chasing one down. However, a few days later, the band announced that they had 300 copies for sale directly in their online store for a much lower price than every other fucker. And even better, their version came with an extra limited, numbered cover. I was all in.

Ignoring the limited cover, this is a picture disc that comes in a gatefold sleeve, which is signed by the singer.

This version also comes with a few other extras - a copy of an old flyer, a sticker and a mock $100 bill (Bobby bucks) and a sticker:

So this record is actually an old recording. The story is that when the bane went into the studio to record their first two song 7", they also recorded twelve other songs, most of which then ended up being re-recorded and released as their 'Blood, Guts & Pussy' LP. So here we are all these years later and those 'demo' recordings of the first LP have been released. And what makes this so cool is that they have used original, unused photos from the first LP cover shoot, and also used the same layout style as the original release.

Here are some photos I took that show the orignal picture disc and the original LP sleeve (which did not come with the picture disc version) next to this new release to show the comparison. In all photos, the original is on the left and the new release is on the right.

Ever aspect of this is really well done. And because the recording is from back in the day, it sounds great. And even though I generally think that Record Store Day seems to be totally pointless, this is a good example of something that I am really glad was brought into existence.

Primal Rock Therapy

I pretty much had a year off in 2025, but I'm now right back on my 2024 mission to pick up old Sub Pop releases again. The late 80s and the early 90s were such a great and exciting time for music that there are so many forgotten gems out there that still sound good in 2026. And some of these things are really very affordable in the current day, which is a nice bonus.

Blood Circus was one of the first bands that Sub Pop put out. They had a 7" that was the second 7" that the label released. Their full length, 'Primal Rock Therapy' was then the ninth 12" that they put out, back in January 1989.

Apparently the first 1,000 copies of this LP were pressed on red vinyl. It also originally had some kind of hype sticker on the shrinkwrap, but sadly this copy doesn't have it. The sticker simply had the name of the band and the record, probably as whoever designed the front cover art didn't believe that text was in any way necessary.

Reading about this record all of these years later, it seems that the band didn't survive much longer after this came out, apparently partly due to the terrible reception this received. I'm really surprised by this because, to my ears in 2026, this sounds pretty good. It is without doubt a text book example of the late 80s Seattle grunge sounds that became huge just a couple of years later.

Blue Balls

Record collecting moves in funny ways sometimes. A couple of weeks ago, I had no idea that there were two very different blue vinyl variants of 'God's Balls', the first full length by Tad. I've owned a light blue copy for a long time, but only recently I saw a pic for a darker, greyish blue copy. I had literally never seed one before in my life. Then, as if by magic, a copy appeared for sale in the UK. I have loved this record since about 1992, so given that the price wasn't ridiculous, I felt that I couldn't really not buy it.

Even though this version is referred to as 'blue', depending on the light it can look greyish or slightly lilac.

Obviously as soon as I received this I had to pull my other copy out for a comparison. As the photo shows, the colours are quite different. And this is a rare example of the word 'variant' being used correctly, as these were both part of the same pressing.

Of course, having been happy with one copy of this record for years, I now feel that I am going to need to pick up a first pressing copy too. I was never overly fussed about one of these as they are on black vinyl. However, the crucial difference is that the first press copies come in a gatefold sleeve. So clearly, I need to find one. I mean, why have one when you can have three?

Four More Dicknails

I added a lot of Sub Pop 7"s to my collection in 2024, but the obsession began at the end of 2023 with a Nirvana 7", and this led me to pick up a Hole 7" on Pink vinyl. At the time, I seemed to think that one copy of this 7" would be enough, but then when the Sub Pop 7" purchasing got into full swing a couple of months later, I added another copy on and blue vinyl. Now here we are in 2026, and a week ago I was sat around one evening and ended up looking for more copies of this 7" for sale, and I ended up buying four copies, which all came a few days later.

I was happy to get this grey vinyl copy as this is a true first press. It comes in a foldover sleeve. Even though it is the most essential copy to own, it's also possibly the most common, with 3500 copies pressed.

Well anyway, as I mentioned, I also bought three other copies at the same time:

The green is a really nice colour, and also comes in a first press foldover sleeve and also has first press labels, although it is not a first press. The turquoise and purple copies are later pressings, denoted by the additional text on the label, and the fact that they come in a glued card sleeve.

Clearly I'm too far into this to give up now, having six different versions. As far as I can tell, there are another four or five copies to go, excluding black. But as with all Sub Pop 7"s, some of those colours are really hard to find, so I'm not expecting much progress on this one for a while.

Uncut

Next in my series of 'cheap records that nobody knows or cares about anymore' is a record that I discovered from my journey into the early Sub Pop catalogue in 2024. I heard some great (old) bands for the first time, and some of them I knew I would explore further at some point. I picked up a 7" by a band called Sister Double Happiness, and it was an unexpected gem. Recently I got around to looking at what else they had put out, and I found a green vinyl copy of their third LP, 'Uncut', for sale in the UK for a low price.

This was released by Sub Pop in 1993. The hype sticker on the cover says that there were 500 on green vinyl. There were also copies on black, but no idea how many.

This record is my current obsession. I played it three times today. At this rate I will be sick of it within three weeks, but for now I cannot wait to get up in the morning to put this on. On paper I would avoid this, as the band is described as 'an alternative blues rock band', but it's so good. The band was active from 1986-1995, and there are clues that they were a bit of a big deal in some circles back when. Their first LP was released by SST Records, then they jumped to a major label for the next one, then they were on Sub Pop. In addition, the band contained two members of The Dicks, a punk band whose debut 7" ('Hate The Police') will now set you back a couple of grand.

If you are remotely curious in any way, please check out 'Doesn't Make Sense'. I can't see how anyone could not like this song.

Punch N Judy

The Fluid is a band that have always been, in my mind, a b-list band. For the longest time it felt that the only reason that anyone had heard of them was that they once did a split 7" with Nirvana. But even with that in their armoury, it feels that they never really gained much recognition. I guess in recent years someone at Sub Pop must have thought the same, and decided that they wanted to try to change that, so a couple of years ago their catalogue got reissued. I wasn't interested in the represses of the records that I already have, but I was more than happy to pick up a colour vinyl repress of their first LP, 'Punch N Judy':

This LP was originally put out ni 1986 by a label called RayOn Records, which it turns out only ever released this one record. These days it sells for a reasonable amount, but it's not that expensive really. But still, it would likely cost me three to four times as much as the reissue.

I have two other Fluid 12"s (they were actually featured on here as the third post I ever made, back in Feb 2008), and this one sounds a little different. Being their first record, this one sounds a little more raw. It's really good stuff, if you like this kinda thing.

Well, you know how it goes... when it rains it pours, so to speak. So after picking this up I also stumbled on another copy of their Sub Pop 7".

The good thing about this record is that there are lots of different colours, and they are all pretty cheap. A collector's dream.

Return Of The Frog Queen

I'm a fairly patient guy. Back in 2018 I saw that Sub Pop had repressed the first solo LP by Jeremy Enigk on a very pretty purple marble vinyl, and I wanted a copy. Well, time passed by and eventually, seven years later, and I finally ended up with one.

I stumbled onto this on eBay UK. It was a brand new, sealed copy which cost less than half of what most new records cost these days.

Like a lot of people, I was absolutely obsessed by Sunny Day Real Estate in 1994/95, so when their vocalist came out with a solo LP in 1996, I was pretty excited by it. I have vague memories of regularly listening to it late at night, and every time feeling like I had been on an emotional journey. It's a beautiful record, and even though I do try my best (!) to not pick up additional copies of records that I already have, I could not resist this one. Interestingly, the original catalogue number for this one was SP323, but this remastered purple version is SP1208, so I could argue that this is technically a different record, which of course makes it all ok.

Sliver 1st Press

A couple of years ago I picked up a copy of the Nirvana 'Sliver / Dive' 7" and it started an obsession. I was checking eBay for copies almost daily, and over the course of the next year and a half I picked up 10 different copies of the thing. There are still a few I don't have, but those copies are much more expensive generally. The last 'affordable' copy out there is the first pressing, and after over a year of not picking up a copy of this record, one appeared in the UK for a good price.

The way to tell a first press from the many represses that followed is that it comes in a foldered paper sleeve, rather than a glued card sleeve. And of course, if you're going to go after a first press, you want to make sure that it comes with the Sub Pop Singles Club coupon still attached.

I acquired a copy last year which was a first press record in a second press sleeve. I pulled it out to show the two first press copies together. I think this latest copy is a much prettier and more interesting colour.

There are at least another four or five copies that I am missing - white, clear, red, hot pink, and peach. Despite the impressive speed with which I have picked up the ones I have so far, these other copies are going to take years. But that's fine by me. I've always been good at being patient.

Super Electro Sound Recordings

Last year (2024) I went through a major Sub Pop / grunge phase, which meant that I spent a lot of time listening to bands that I used to listen to thirty years ago, and records that came out thirty years ago that I had never heard before. I had a lot of fun, and bought a lot of cheap 7"s. Well, the rate of buying this gubbins may have slowed down in 2025, but I'm very much still pressing on with my journey.

Super Electro Records was a short lived label owned by Steve Turner of Mudhoney. According to the internet, he wanted Sub Pop to release two records by two side projects he had going, but instead Sub Pop convinced him to start his own label instead... although apparently Sub Pop handled the pressing and distribution (which begs the question, 'what did Steve actually do?'). Anyway, I picked up the first three releases by this label for less than one regular price LP these days. A big part of this was nostalgia as I used to own two of these way back when.

Super Electro 01 - The Sad & Lonelys self titled LP. This band features Steve Turner. This was the only thing that they ever released. The song 'You're A Pain' is the one I remember from being a teenager.

Super Electro 02 - The Fall-Outs self titled LP. Steve Turner was also in this band. They released lots of other records, but I'm not interested enough to check any of them out. 'Ambition' is a strong opener here.

Super Electro 03 - The Night Kings 'Increasing Our High' LP. Steve Turner did not play in this band, but it's a nice way to round out the set of cheap colour LPs. This one sounds very much like a garage band. It's kinda catchy, but not enough that I'm mad keen to explore the rest of their catalogue.

After these three records it seems that most of what the label went on to do was black vinyl only, and mainly bands more garage than grunge. As a set early 90s grunge / garage LPs these work well, each having a black and white sleeves, colour vinyl and low price tag. But I don't feel I need to venture further into the label's output.

Cat Butt

Last year I got really into early Sub Pop releases. It was a really fun time for me, discovering lots of bands I had never heard before many years after they existed, and picking up a bunch of cheap 7"s. I ended up buying 64 Sub Pop 7"s, but at some point I knew that I would turn my attention the 12" format. One of the early 12"s that I had somehow never heard of until 2024 shot straight to the top of my want list, based purely on the band name alone... Cat Butt.

This 12" is titled 'Journey to the Centre Of' and was released by Sub Pop in August 1989 with the catalogue number SP41. The first 1,000 copies were on green vinyl.

Cat Butt (sometimes written as one word, Catbutt) was a band from Seattle active from 1987-1990. They are absolutely from the same era and scene that spawned 'grunge' and this sounds like a text book example of a grunge record. I've done some internet reading and it seems that they were pretty popular in Seattle back in the day and apparently toured with Nirvana, Tad and Mudhoney... although I have no doubt that all of these bands played with each other week in, week out back in the day.

Anyway, there you have it... Cat Butt. Instantly the best band name in my collection.

Realize

Yet another Sub Pop record for the collection, and I was super happy to get this one. Earlier in the year I was obsessed by the band Codeine after I picked up their debut LP, 'Frigid Stars'. I then became aware that they had put out a 7" on Sub Pop and was keen to find one. Well, it took a while, but right near the end of the year, one fell into my lap.

'Realize b/w Broken-Hearted Wine' was released in July 1992 as SP155. Most copies were on clear vinyl, but there were also some on white, and I will definitely grab one of those at some point.

One of the benefits of listening to a label's output is that it forces you to check out bands that you otherwise wouldn't have. In theory I could have been listening to this band in my teens, but it has taken me to the end of my 40s to get around to it. Without doubt one of the great musical discoveries of 2024 for me, and there are some other records of theirs that I can check out eventually, which is one reason to look forward to 2025.

Clean As A Broke Dick Dog

The year is fast drawing to a close, and I have a few more things I wanted to put up here before 2024 is done. This year has been all about (re)discovering many of the old Sub Pop Records releases, and even though I have picked up a lot of them, there are still quite a few that I didn't get around to finding, so no doubt this quest will roll on into 2025.

One that I was keen to find, which I achieved about a month ago just before my last trip to the States, was the first LP by a band called The Monkeywrench, 'Clean As A Broke Dick Dog'. There were a few different colours of vinyl pressed for this record, but I wanted the purple marble version, as I used to own this very same colour back in about 1992.

The photo of the front cover isn't great as the shrink wrap is stuck more in some places than others. But overall this record is in absolutely top condition. It came out in 1992, and I used to own this but sold it when I sold a lot of my Sub Pop records when I clearly lost my mind.

The Monkeywrench is a supergroup of sorts, with Mark Arm and Steve Turner from Modhoney, Tim Kerr, a dude from Gas Huffer and an Aussie from Lubricated Goat. To me this sounds like Mudhoney (mainly due to the vocals being provided by Mark Arm) although some of the songs feature an organ and/or harmonica, giving it a more bluesy feel. I probably wouldn't usually go for something that sounds like this, but I'm a Mudhoney fan, so that helps.

Sub Pop always released a 7" by the band, which seems kinda weird as it came out after the LP, but the first song is on the LP and the second song is a slightly different version of one song on the LP. So in some ways this seems a little pointless. I didn't fully realise this until I bought one, although I'd probably have still bought one anyway as it sits in the range of Sub Pop releases that I have spent the year trying to collect.

This one also comes on pink vinyl, which seems harder to find. I'll hopefully pick one up at some point.