Knumears - Directions - CASSETTES

Velocity Girl formed in 1989 or so at the University of Maryland outside Washington DC, and shortly thereafter settled on the lasting lineup of guitarist Archie Moore (Black Tambourine), guitarist Brian Nelson (Black Tambourine), drummer Jim Spellman (Starry Eyes, Foxhall Stacks, High Back Chairs, Julie Ocean, Piper Club), bassist Kelly Riles (Starry Eyes), and singer Sarah Shannon (Starry Eyes, The Not It's). The band combined English-inspired noisy shoegaze fuzz with scrappy US indie rock and classic '60s-style pop songwriting. A killer single on Slumberland and non-stop touring grabbed the attention of the indie-rock cognoscenti of the day, and, following a heated courtship involving both dinner AND dessert, Velocity Girl signed a contract on a car hood in Hoboken, New Jersey, making Sub Pop their home. In 1992 the band began work on their debut album, Copacetic, at Easley Studios - once home base to the Bar-Kays and other classic soul bands - in Memphis with Bob Weston (Volcano Suns, Shellac) at the helm, and then mixed the album with Weston in Chicago. While the album had strong songs - pop tunes like InchAudrey's Eyes,Inch InchPop Loser,Inch and InchLiving WellInch alongside ambitious explorations like InchPretty SisterInch and InchHere ComesInch - the band had little experience with production and lacked the skills to Inchdrive the boatInch in the studio. As a result, the album turned out to be a rather stripped-down affair, lacking the lushness of their prior recordings. To the band's ear it was jarring, and they soon realized this wasn't the record they hoped to make. Bob Weston had done exactly what was asked of him and captured the sounds, but the band didn't do it's part to articulate a clear vision. But the band's slot in the studio was over, and Polvo had just showed up to work on their album, so off Velocity Girl went to shoot the video for InchAudrey's

One of the most expansive instrumental Hip Hop series to date, MF Doom's lauded Special Herbs collection assembles a mountainous collection of his beats, ranging from series exclusives to slightly reworked favorites he produced for himself and others. Released under the alias Metal Fingers, Special Herbs succeeds at capturing DOOM's highly influential sound which continually breaks and reinterprets the rules of the game in favor of the super-villain. The world is a treasure trove of sounds, and the Metal-Fingered DOOM accepts no limits; '70s Soul/Funk classic, '80s R&B hits, rap nostalgia, and even soundbites from children's records & TV all find their place in the ingredients needed to perfect his recipes.

The last few years have been quite a whirlwind for Scottish pop duo The Cords. Sisters Eva and Grace take their cues from forebears like Dolly Mixture, Shop Assistants, Heavenly and Tiger Trap, reinvigorating the C86 sound with style and infectious enthusiasm. Since starting in 2023 they've released a cassette single and a Christmas flexi that garnered airplay and breathless press from around the International Pop Underground, and played with everyone from The Vaselines (their first show!) to Shonen Knife, BMX Bandits, The Go! Team and Camera Obscura.Recorded over the course of six days with Jonny Scott (CHVRCHES), their self-titled debut album is some of the most vital indiepop we've heard in years, bursting with boundless energy, youthful confidence, lively melodies and most importantly terrific tunes. From album opener (and first single) InchFabulistInch to the heads-down rush of InchOctober,Inch from the punk-ish thrill of InchYouInch to the instant classic InchI'm Not Sad,Inch The Cords have crafted a debut that handily transcends their influences and shows their firm grasp of all that makes great, timeless *pop*. By the time the dreamy slow-dance closer InchWhen You Said GoodbyeInch rolls around you can't help but have fallen in love with indiepop all over again, and the only thing to do is lift the needle, flip the record, and start it over.