Down Aussie way there’s a record label, and its name is Bedroom Suck. Small but diligent, the imprint has been in operation now for half a decade; to celebrate, a 2LP compilation has appeared sporting a plain but aptly descriptive title. Collecting rare and exclusive tracks from a wide spectrum of acts, 5 Years of Bedroom Suck Records is available worldwide this week through the label’s fruitful partnership with Fire Records of the United Kingdom.
Whenever an independent label withstands the frictions and complications (the arguments, eccentricities, mishaps, disappointments, etc.) that will inevitably arise upon conspiring to add an indeterminate number of releases to an already huge and ceaselessly accumulating mountain of sound, the endeavor deserves a tip of the cap.
In this case “independent label” refers to the grassroots kind; those started by one, two or a handful of individuals and run, at least initially, out of apartments, dorms, garages, or yes indeed, even bedrooms. As these ventures manage more than mere survival, prospering far beyond expectations and immediate geography (though it’s difficult to think of a substantial independent success story that didn’t begin with a predominant or partial regional emphasis), upon attainment of a milestone a little festive commemoration is surely appropriate.
Bedroom Suck began in March of 2009 when Joe Alexander and Sam McCabe whipped-off a few cassette copies of their band’s demo and handed it out at an event that according to Alexander “might have been a fashion show.” That was BSR001; between it and BSR050 Bedroom Suck has taken the lead in documenting a reliably interesting Australian musical movement and in a manner fostering occasional comparisons to the Flying Nun label of neighboring New Zealand.
Those similarities are graspable but not overly apparent, belonging more to function than to specificity of sound. However, the arrival of 5 Years of Bedroom Suck does stir memories in this writer of the outstanding Tuatara, though to be accurate that ’85 Flying Nun label sampler wasn’t a birthday compilation; it appeared during the Kiwi linchpin’s fourth year of existence.
A more apt association might be to Merge Records of Chapel Hill, NC, a label that did gather assorted tracks onto disc to mark a five year anniversary, and time spent with 5 Years of Bedroom Suck finds it comparing pretty favorably to the Merge collection Rows of Teeth, particularly in range. And it opens with Blank Realm, a group that’s given the Aussie label a considerable hunk of its international success, first through a stateside deal with Philadelphia’s Siltbreeze and then via wider distribution courtesy of the aforementioned relationship with Fire.
“Digging up My Bones” offers a solid excursion into well-trod territory, inhabiting the drowsiness of rock-era Royal Trux, a zone that partially defined Blank Realm’s rise beyond home shores, and accentuating it with another established influence, specifically a mid-tempo groove recalling the jam-friendly elements of Sonic Youth’s NYC Ghosts & Flowers.
But the exhibition of Bedroom Suck’s breadth comes early and often, both in the label’s discography and on this 2LP; the knotted and wiry “Dealin’ in the Dark” by Slug Guts kicks up beaucoup post-hardcore/noise rock racket and is immediately followed by the torrid punk spillage of Loose Grip’s “County Cop.” Notably, each unit features the drumming of label co-founder Alexander.
These efforts contrast sharply with the sleek post-punk velocity of Terrible Truths’ “False Hope,” a selection that’s more remindful of late-‘70s Rough Trade than prime-era Flying Nun. Likewise, the anxious riffing and nervy, borderline adenoidal emoting of Bitch Prefect’s “Special Boy” lands halfway betwixt Stiff Records and the b-side from a once obscure and now far too expensive ‘80s DIY 45.
Ears eternally aching for Flying Nun will get some needed satisfaction through Boomgates. Highly melodic and guitar-loaded with a sly injection of the shambolic to electrify the atmosphere, the production of “Tight Knit” is simply impeccable, every instrument easy to discern; it makes perfect sense that Boomgates’ shared a split single with Kiwis The Bats.
“SYBIMH” from Scraps is a filly of a different hue, the long-running solo project of Laura Hill specializing in warm and in this instance extended (and appealingly scaled) synth pop ambiance. Directly after is an even lengthier slice of edgy folk from Ela Stiles, “Misplaced Charity” distinct yet still reminiscent of the a cappella material found on her intriguing and brief self-titled LP from earlier this year.
Ela Stiles and Scraps’ Electric Ocean benefited from Bedroom Suck’s arrangement with Fire, an affiliation assisting this writer in not only hearing both but also reviewing them for this very website, but it’s from right here that my lobes soaked up their inaugural exposure to Hissey Mayake’s angular funk. Idling at the busy crossroads of Rough Trade and No Wave, the tandem vocals of twins Mei and Lei Gryffyd deliver an unusual and welcome twist in “Waste Time.”
As the sequencing enters its latter portion the links to prior labels are mostly set aside. “Glistening Bliss” from Melbourne duo Superstar is a nifty jaunt into gradually paced guitar/keyboard moodiness, and one quite pretty, especially when the femme voice emerges at the mid-way point. Peter Escott’s “The Missing O” is a nice extension of his worthy 2014 effort The Long O; heard in this context he resonates a bit like a smoother John Darnielle (of the Mountain Goats, don’tcha know) exploring some piano ballad introspection and with a left-field arcade-gamey keyboard segment tacked onto the end.
The rare and unreleased concept (as opposed to a Greatest Hits/Best Of-style approach a la Tuatara) does undeniably lessen the impact in spots, but Totally Mild’s standout entry “Take Today” is airy gal-fronted ’60s bent indie pop possessing superbly brittle plucked notes and upwardly gushing choruses. It should knock partisans of early Best Coast onto their bottoms, and I eagerly look forward to Totally Mild’s album slated for 2015.
Along with a dash of slighter tracks, the set’s sheer length, 27 songs stretching to over 90 minutes (probably explaining its vinyl/digital-only status), lends major weight but also brings a smidge of unwieldiness; in terms of compilations brandishing severe durations I’m reminded of the 2LP version of Homestead Records’ Human Music from ’88, though there are crucial differences.
5 Years of Bedroom Suck ends with the mildly damaged goth-pop of Angel Eyes’ “Bed.” Human Music closes on GG Allin’s “I’m a Gypsy Motherfucker.” And furthermore, while international in scope the Homestead collection was composed of guitar bands; if limited to one continent, Bedroom Suck is broader, sourcing the BPM-mining of Folk Foulk and the straight up hip-hop of Silly Joel and the Candymen.
Neither is amongst the comp’s strongest moments frankly, but they do add flavor and illustrate Alexander and McCabe’s disinterest in getting painted into any stylistic corners. Also worth mention is the strings/sticks/voice duo spasm of Marl Carx, the full-bodied guitar pop of Peak Twins and Full Ugly, the loose folky strum of Scott and Charlene’s Wedding, the sturdy indie rock of Love of Diagrams, and more.
5 Years of Bedroom Suck’s shortcomings (or better put overextensions) as a sampler are largely replaced by the spirit of the occasion. Rather than fall victim to laziness inspired by self-congratulation, the profusion assembled here is a working celebration; it indicates the likelihood of another healthy five years.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
B+
