I spent a lot of time over the last few weeks looking back at the catalog of Chicago-based indie label Trouble in Mind, who recently announced they were shutting down operations after sixteen years of consistently excellent work. They released albums by some of the most interesting and exciting independent rock bands out there, putting their energy and time into spotlighting truly unique and exciting acts from around the world; underground music is undeniably worse off without them.
In a slight departure from the normal Horse Combs format, we're going to first take a look at five of my favorite songs from the TiM catalog before swerving back into the regularly scheduled assortment of blurbs about assorted songs, new and old, that I liked listening to recently. Check out writeups parts one and two from September if you've missed those, otherwise let's get right into it:
Omni - “Earrings”
Omni’s
debut LP, Deluxe, is one of two Trouble in Mind releases that are in my
personal canon of all-time great records. Ten songs of tongue-in-cheek
privilege, a charming young bachelor singing about going on vacation and
meeting pretty ladies at dinner parties backed by some of most the
intricate, no bullshit guitar playing you’ve ever heard. Indie rock
doesn’t get better than this, folks.
En Attendant Ana - “Wonder”
The
sprawling, multi-part centerpiece to En Attendant Ana’s hugely
underrated gem Principia, “Wonder” showcases several of the many modes
the band excels at: wistful shoegaze, propulsive Stereolab-core, and
swooning twee pop. In a just world, this would have been a breakout
album for these guys/Trouble in Mind in general.
Sunwatchers - “New Dad Blues”
One
of the most unique and prolific bands on Trouble in Mind’s roster is
NYC free rock band Sunwatchers, who released four LPs of mind-expanding
instrumental chaos between 2018 and 2023. I first got into the band
early into summer 2020, their noisy, fried jams soundtracking many
afternoons spent sitting on my balcony reading, trying to keep the bad
thoughts away.
Dummy - “Blue Dada”
One of my favorite albums of 2024, if Dummy’s Free Energy was released 20 years earlier, it would have been one of the most critically acclaimed records of the year but unfortunately it's the future and the nearly every facet of the independent music industry's infrastructure has been hollowed out to the detriment of artists like Dummy and labels like Trouble in Mind. Anyways “Blue Dada”
reflects the maturing of the band's sound into a coherent whole, refining the
collected influences (record store guy
favorites like Broadcast, My Bloody Valentine, and Yo La Tengo) explored on their debut LP.
Mikal Cronin - “Again and Again”
For
me, Mikal Cronin’s debut LP is the other canonical all-time great TiM
release and maybe the best single record to come out of the garage rock
boom of the early 2010s. It never got better than Cronin’s melodic and
thoughtful take on the lo-fi, retro ragers that would come to dominate
guitar music for the first half of the decade, exemplified by tracks
like “Again and Again,” one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite
records ever.
One last time, let's all say it together: thanks for all the cool music, Trouble in Mind!
Parts Work - “Trenton”
Hop Along’s Frances Quinlan has been sort of off the radar since the release of her solo LP back in January 2020; they popped up on the incredible soundtrack for I Saw The TV Glow last year but have been pretty quiet otherwise. They’re back with Parts Work, a new collaboration with Thin Lips’ Kyle Pulley, and the first song from their forthcoming self titled EP, “Trenton” is pretty unbelievable. Quinlan’s vocals are going crazy over absolutely gorgeous production, layers of manipulated strings and weird electronic textures, I can’t wait to hear more.
Mulatu Astatke - “Nètsanèt”
Ethio jazz legend Mulatu Astatke’s back with his first studio LP in over a decade, a collection of big band reinterpretations of some of his most familiar and beloved tracks. Mulatu incorporates more conventional Western instrumentation into arrangements that will be soundtracking many evenings spent making dinner after work in the months to come.
Stereolab - “Peng! 33”
I’m
seeing Stereolab for the first time in a few days and have been spending
more time than usual with their catalog lately. “Peng! 33” is a pretty
unbelievable song, huh?
Obviously I’m glad Young Thug is out of prison and the deeply fucked up clown show RICO trial is over but also I am not loving his new album, so to ease the disappointment I was revisiting the album that made me fall for him in the first place, 2017’s Jeffrey. His acrobatic, stuttering delivery over Wheezy's sparkling production encapsulates everything I love about the guy.Wednesday - “Candy Breath”
The new Wednesday album is pretty undeniable and maybe my favorite of theirs so far. I’ve been listening to the advance singles for months now leading up to the release of the full thing, it's nice to encounter them in a new context alongside a handful of songs that are new to me, like the excellent “Candy Breath.”
The Velvet Underground - “I Heard Her Call My Name”
POV sitting stonefaced at your desk doing your spreadsheet job listening to White Light / White Heat at too loud of volume.
That's all for September, check out the full month's playlist embedded below, now streaming EXCLUSIVELY on Tidal.
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