Artists starting with S

Daydream Nation

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Sonic Youth, “Daydream Nation” (Blast first/Enigma, 1988)
Summary masterpiece from their great decade; the noise-torrents have been sanded down to something like melodic rock and roll, but this actually kicks harder than anything they’d done since “Confusion Is Sex.” A vision of pre-Giuliani NYC unmatched for grandeur and force by anything except “Marquee Moon.” All great; my current faves are 4, 5, 9, 12, 13, 14.
4/19/13

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Mainliner

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Social Distortion, “Mainliner” (Time Bomb, 1995; original recordings 1981)
Explosive first works by these So.Cal. punk pioneers, hardcore by virtue of scene association and sheer frenetic intensity, but with the Johnny Cash/roots rock’n’roll features that would distinguish them later already discernible here.
Try 1, 5, 10.
1/13/13

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The It Girl

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Sleeper, “The It Girl” (Arista, 1995). Second album by this punk-inflected Britpop group finds their songwriting flourishing into a distinctively English romanticism that recalls the Jam at their most lyrical, as well as Heavenly’s then-contemporary work; and they rock harder than ever. Try 6, 7.
11/12/12/

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Jessica Rabbit

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Sleigh Bells, “Jessica Rabbit” (Torn Clean, 2016)
Four albums in, on a smaller label, their hip cachet fading fast and their prospects for indie-breakout stardom in ruins, these two come with . . . arguably their best album yet. A genuine departure and an experiment that actually works. The triumphal keyboard heraldry, processed-to-hiss spray-cheez-metal guitars and rollercoaster-techno-glam beats are all still there, but intercut with mournful acoustic-strum disorientation, hall-of-mirrors dub passages and more. Song structures shift abruptly halfway through, leaving you feeling like you woke up drunk in a house you’ve never seen before. Laugh at them if you must, but this cements their status as a band people will come back to ten years from now to remember how the ‘70s sound/felt.
Try 2, 5, 6
11/10/16

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Reign of Terror

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Sleigh Bells, “Reign of Terror” (Mom & Pop, 2012)
The hype machine is really cranking re: these guys, and this is slicker than the debut, but it also rocks harder and has better songs (though nothing as perfect as “Rill Rill”). Processed sheets of candy-colored guitar scree that burst in mid-air like fireworks, driven by rolling late ‘80s-hiphop-inflected beats and spectoresque bang-chime effects.
Try 4, 6, 9
4/30/12

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Mirage

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Smegma, “Mirage” (Important, 2010)
Approaching their 40th (!) year of bandhood, L.A.’s multiple-members-play-whatever’s-around rock/improv weirdos (actually in Portland for a while) send another sonic missive to the world.
1 and 3 are chaotic and rocking, excellent as you might expect.
4/4/11

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Nattering Naybobs of Negativity

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Smegma, “Nattering Naybobs of Negativity” (Harbinger Sound [undated]; originally released 1987, 1988)
Unclassifiable LA-to-Portland noise/improv collective, active since the early 70’s. These recordings feature some excellent examples of their tape-manipulations, along with queasy sonic-bad-trip spew in a variety of textures.
Try 1, 6, 7, 8, 11.
2/14/13

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Gymnastics

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Sneaks, “Gymnastics” (Merge, 2016)
One of the pleasures of long-run rock-watching is happening upon the return of lost but worthy sounds, just when you least expect it. The ghost in the house here is Oh-OK early ‘80s Athens GA postpunkers featuring Mike Stipe of REM’s sister and playing sharp/spooky/twee guitarless minimal funk. Sneaks (one person) is a bit less twee and more aggressive, but features the same eerie, girl-dancing-in-the-attic toybox charm.
Try 6, 9
11/10/16

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Fickle Heart

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Sniff ‘n’ the Tears, “Fickle Heart” (Chiswick, 1978)
UK pub-rockers with a spiky, spooky grasp of nocturnal rock-and-roll melodrama that fit nicely with the burgeoning new wave.
Try 1/ 1
11/10/16

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Will Anything Happen?

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Shop Assistants, “Will Anything Happen?” (Overground, 1997; original release 1986)
As much as or more than the Reid Bros., this is the template – girl groupish melodies filtered through rumbling/ringing drums, hazy/pretty vocals and chiming/roaring guitars – that launched Vivian Girls, Best Coast, Pains of. . .., and pretty much everything else on Slumberland over the last few years. And while those inheritors have turned it into something different and often wonderful, there’s a beauty and purity to the original that really must be heard.
Try 2, 3, 7, 8, 13
1/23/4

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