Up Records was one of the most key labels to steer the landscape of American indie music. Started in 1994 by Chris Takino after he left Sub Pop to do his own thing with Phil Elk manning the production booth. If Sub Pop was the “grunge” label, then I suppose the argument could be made that Up was the new alternative sound that would take over the Pacific Northwest. I guess after Kurt Cobain’s death and the decline in grunge’s quality and level of coolness, Seattle turned towards the more sensitive sounds of the new wave of bands. Up Records included one hell of a roster, Built to Spill, Modest Mouse, 764-HERO, Butterfly Train, and Caustic Resin to name a few. Also Duster, never forget about Duster. Anywho, these bands and others helped to craft a different kind of soundscape that was never able to be coherently defined under one genre. This album is perfect for anyone even remotely interested in indie or alternative rock because of how diverse it is. You got a rare track from Built to Spill that is awesome in how it handles a sophisticated quality in a sloppy punk fashion, it’s one of their best songs. Also Built to Spill teams up with psychedelic friends, Caustic Resin, to jam on a song. Butterfly Train, with Built to Spill’s bass player also has a standout track, the intro to Blame Weight is an alien trophy. Not all music on Stacked Up! Is from Boise, you got some more light-hearted stuff from Land of the Loops, Oswald Five-O, and Violent Green. Nothing is inherently in your face or over produced. Reverb and layered sounds aren’t used as a crutch to stand on, if that makes sense. The music and the lyrics are strong enough to stand on their own and still be enjoyable many listens later. As far as label compilations go, this is just about as good as it gets. First time I listened to it was earlier this year and it was amazing that to think that it was thrown together right off the bat. It’s literally UP000. If your first release looks like this you are doing something right.
Various Artists - Stacked UP!
Up Records was one of the most key labels to steer the landscape of American indie music. Started in 1994 by Chris Takino after he left Sub Pop to do his own thing with Phil Elk manning the production booth. If Sub Pop was the “grunge” label, then I suppose the argument could be made that Up was the new alternative sound that would take over the Pacific Northwest. I guess after Kurt Cobain’s death and the decline in grunge’s quality and level of coolness, Seattle turned towards the more sensitive sounds of the new wave of bands. Up Records included one hell of a roster, Built to Spill, Modest Mouse, 764-HERO, Butterfly Train, and Caustic Resin to name a few. Also Duster, never forget about Duster. Anywho, these bands and others helped to craft a different kind of soundscape that was never able to be coherently defined under one genre. This album is perfect for anyone even remotely interested in indie or alternative rock because of how diverse it is. You got a rare track from Built to Spill that is awesome in how it handles a sophisticated quality in a sloppy punk fashion, it’s one of their best songs. Also Built to Spill teams up with psychedelic friends, Caustic Resin, to jam on a song. Butterfly Train, with Built to Spill’s bass player also has a standout track, the intro to Blame Weight is an alien trophy. Not all music on Stacked Up! Is from Boise, you got some more light-hearted stuff from Land of the Loops, Oswald Five-O, and Violent Green. Nothing is inherently in your face or over produced. Reverb and layered sounds aren’t used as a crutch to stand on, if that makes sense. The music and the lyrics are strong enough to stand on their own and still be enjoyable many listens later. As far as label compilations go, this is just about as good as it gets. First time I listened to it was earlier this year and it was amazing that to think that it was thrown together right off the bat. It’s literally UP000. If your first release looks like this you are doing something right.
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