Can't Get Enough of Sleater Kinney?

(Jonder:  one more for today from Big Scott's inbox.  This is one of his favorite bands, and another welcome share from Mr. Milner!)

Here's three boots I think you may dig: a Sleater-Kinney set from Austin last year (I think it's the Austin City Limits gig? Not 100% sure), a set by Corin Tucker's band from 2012 (a great record, I can't recommend picking up a copy enough if you haven't heard it!) and finally, a set from Janet Weiss' long-running band Quasi from 2010, when it was still a trio. 

Finally at last..... Boogie On Reggae Woman Part 2

Cliff, a longtime Grow Bored contributor, writes:  "In the mists of time I sent our main man Scott a reggae post featuring female reggae artists. Ill health intervened, but I have finally got round to sending a follow up to it."

"Reggae has always been a male stronghold, but when you dig out some of the female artistes you will soon see that they had much to offer as well. Rita Marley and Judy Mowatt were two-thirds of Bob Marley’s backing singers I-Threes. Although they will probably always be better known for this; they were however fine artists in their own right and had already had long established careers before joining Marley.  For me, the Judy Mowatt album is the stronger of the two. Her sweet, rich, alto sings the praises of Rastafarianism, spouting positive vibes and female-empowering themes."

Rita Marley - Harambé (1982)

1. There Will Always Be Music/ 2. My Kind Of War/ 3. Harambe/ 4. King Street/ 5. Love Iyah/ 6. Retribution/ 7. One Draw/ 8. Fussing And Fighting/ 9. Who Is Your Neighbour/ 10. Who Can Be Against Us

Judy Mowatt - Mr. Dee-J (1981)

1. Mr Dee Jay/ 2. Glad Song/ 3. I Am Not Mechanical/ 4. Big Woman/ 5. Trade Wings/ 6. On Your Mark/ 7. Think/ 8. Get Happy/ 9. Only a Woman/ 10. King of Kings










"Phillis Dillon was a rocksteady singer with soul and pop mixed in to form the complete package. She recorded for Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle label in the late 1960’s, early 1970’s. Her One Life to Live is a fine album, although the covers of the Beatles’ "Something" and The Carpenters’ "Close To You" do nothing for me; they seem a bit out of place and come across as just filler tracks. The cover of Stephen Stills’ "Love The One You’re With" is much better. Although the album sounds a bit dated today (it was released over 40 years ago), it is still worth a listen as Dillon’s voice is worth hearing."

Phyllis Dillon - One Life to Live (1972)

1. One Life To Live, One Love To Give/ 2. Love The One You're With/ 3. Long Time No Nice Time/ 4. Something/ 5. I Can't Forget About You Baby/ 6. Picture On The Wall/ 7. Woman Of The Ghetto/ 8. Close To You/ 9. Eddie Oh Baby/ 10. We Belong Together/ 11. The Love That A Woman Should Give To A Man/ 12. You Are Like Heaven To Me

"Sister Carol was one of the dancehall era's few successful female DJs. Leaning heavily on socially conscious material, Sister Carol delivered uplifting and cautionary messages drawn from her Rastafarian principles, while always urging respect for women. She was more of a singjay than a full-time toaster, capable of melodic vocals as well as solid rhyme."

Sister Carol - Jah Disciple (1989)

1. Ram The Party/ 2. A No Me Name Peggy/ 3. Jah Disciple/ 4. Potential/ 5. Get It Straight Africans/ 6. Lost In A Space/ 8. Intelligence/ 9. A No Me Mommy & Daddy/ 10. Wicked Collie/ 11. Remember When



In case you missed it, here is Part 1 of Cliff's "Boogie On Reggae Woman": growboredbigscott62.blogspot.com/2016/03/from-cliff-boogie-on-reggae-woman-part-1.html

An unexpected collaboration from first-time contributor Eric Impakt!

Eric writes, “I'm a huge fan of the blogsite, love the music i find on here. It has gotten me into a lot of great bands and helped me find stuff i wanted anyway. I sometimes grab live concerts from SugarMegs.org but hate how they download as one long track. So on my own I use MixPad and fix the volume and track out each song. I'd like to contribute one I've just finished for your blog and hopefully some more in the future.”

"Being a fan of the re-emerging Psychedelic scene, I love the new collaboration of Les Claypool and Sean Lennon, The Claypool Lennon Delirium. The group is currently on tour and this is a live show I've tracked and cleaned up from SugarMegs originally."

Eric has done a great job with this one! His work will be appreciated by anyone who has gone through the laborious process of taking a concert recording and splitting it into individual tracks, fixing the volume, identifying and tagging each song, etc.  And who would have imagined Sean Lennon and Primus bass virtuoso Les Claypool making music together?  They have an album out called The Monolith of Probos, and they are on tour through October.  Here are the details on this live set from Eric Impakt:

"Recorded at the Crossroads Club Kansas City on 6/06/16. It's a great show featuring some awesome covers as well. Here's the set list and ENJOY!”  

The Cricket And The Genie Movements I & II
Breath Of A Salesman
The Monolith Of Probos
The Cosmic Highway (Frog Brigade)
Bubbles Burst
Mr. Wright
Boomerang Baby
Ohmerica
Oxycontin Girl
Astronomy Domine (Pink Floyd)
Captain Lariat
Tomorrow Never Knows (Beatles cover – Amazing!)
Southbound Pachyderm (Primus encore)

Welcome to the crew, Eric.  Hit us up with more good stuff soon!

Pebbles from the Spanish Garage Rock Era!

(Jonder here, helping out Big Scott by posting some of the excellent guest contributions that have been submitted recently.  Keep 'em coming and we will post 'em!  As Scott wrote a few days ago, your support of the blog means a lot to him.)

All the way from Spain, here's Jose K!  Jose says that he wants to "contribute to the greatness of this blog, in these difficult times" (according to Google Translate).  Today he is sharing what he calls the Spanish equivalent of the "Pebbles" series.

The series covers the years 1964 through 1973, and each of the five volumes is dedicated to a particular style.  It's a carefully curated bootleg selection of rare vinyl records made in Spain during those years, that are sought out by collectors.  Google translates "cosecha" as "harvest".

The titles of the volumes aren't easy to translate, but Wikipedia says that yé-yé music (yeah yeah) was a Beatles-influenced movement popular in France, Spain and Italy, with rock songs sung in the native languages of those countries.  The style gradually lost popularity as the blues revival and psychedelic rock captured listeners' attention, just as it did in Britain and the States.  Volume 3 features "rough" yé-yé songs, and Volumes 4 and 5 focus on the later years of the original Spanish garage rock era.

Jose recommends all of the tracks, and this certainly sounds like something cool and unique that you won't find easily on other music blogs!    You can find the tracklist here (and see cuánto dinero these vinyl comps are selling for these days!):  discogs.com/label/924473-Viñedos

Jose, hicimos todo lo posible para traducir fielmente sus palabras a través de la magia de internet!  Muchas gracias por su contribución rara y única a Growing Bored!

Brian - This Is A Hijacking!

(Brian here)

Since I'm briefly at the helm of Growing Bored, I want to stump for some old links of mine, including some comedy that was hidden. But first something Scott wanted put up...

"Day Of The Dead" comp

Three disc set of Grateful Dead covers from 4AD Records. While Scott and I aren't Deadheads at all, this is a great listen. I mean, it's 4AD! Check it out.

PURPLE ODDITIES

When I did that P Covers post awhile ago, this was one of the files that I'd hidden a link for. It is a compilation of P songs from all over: B-Sides, movie tracks, odd mixes, latter day singles....there's also him doing a live version of R•diohe•d's "Creep" at Coachella. Please check this one out.

Adam S - They're All Gonna Laugh At You!

Great comedy album from back when he was funny.

Stevens & Grodnic - Somewhere Over The Radio

Great 70's comedy album based around FM radio. A lost classic.

David Brenner - Excuse Me Are You Reading That Paper?

Funny shit. Kind of a comedy concept album about growing up in Philly.

Roy Orbison - Greatest Monument Hits

You all need more Roy in your life, so get to it.

Redd Foxx - 2 Albums

The ultimate smartass.

G.G. Allin Compilation

That ugly little masterpiece I made. I listen to this one on shitty days. Give the world the finger.

Important notice to all my guest submitters

In the event you think I am done, guess again...

.I will get my Internet service back, GOD what a cunt.... anyway, if you submit stuff here PLEASE CONTINUE TO DO SO. WE ARE WORKING ON THE PROBLEM, and all will be as normal soon...... just continue to send stuff and when I straighten this out, I will have a BUNCH of stuff for you........ I'm not EVER leaving you, trust me, I know that feeling quite well and none of you deserve it

Let us talk for a minute

Ok, let us discuss the current situation.......the blog, which,

incidentally, has had 106 posts thus far in June, has been temporarilly, somewhat, sabotaged...... I will go into full detail, as best as I need to.

As some of you may know, myself and my wife of 30 years,  have been having big marital problems for the last few months.....I'm not going to assign blame, there is plenty of that for all, but here is how it relates to this blog.......I came home from work Thursday night and found that she had removed half of our furniture.... ok, boy your problem, but she had also shut off my Internet service..... not that big a deal, either, I will get hooked up again sometime during the week, for now, though, all I can use is my tablet from work, and, as all of my music files are either on cd or on the hard drive of my pc, I'm kind of screwed as to posting.... the only option I have, for a few days, is to use guest submissions, which must me converted to zippy in most cases.... if anyone wishes to volunteer to help, please contact me at csgmiller@sbcglobal.net and I will tell you what I need..... not much, really, my great all star blogging team submits plenty of stuff, and, with help, I could continue to post until I get  new WI fi.........

I have NOT abandoned you, nor would I ever.... this blog is important to ME, it is my "legacy", so to speak..... it crushes me that I have not been able to share, even for a few days......my personal life is out of control, and all I had left, to give me purpose and enjoyment, was this blog, which, trust me, I DO care about....... a lot, in fact, why? Not sure, really, but to me it's like a "contribution" to the lives of some great people I will never meet.. you will never understand, but over the last couple of months, it has given me a reason to keep on going.

OK it will just be a few days, but, I feel I owe the people who follow me/this blog an explanation.......I LOVE YOU, really, I do, you mean much more to me than I do to you.......there is still TONS more stuff I plan to share with you, not to mention my all star team of helpers (god I hope I don't forget someone), brian, Jon s, John n, studkid, jonder, jose, apantabapanta, MD milner, and I KNOW I have forgotten someone, and I'm sorry..... these are the folks who have made this blog what it has become.

Anyway, I will be back to regular posting later in the week, I hope at least....... if you wish to help me with guest-post submissions, email me at the address mentioned before, OR phone me at 937 906 9022, and I will tell you what you can do to help. I guess I am rambling a bit too much, as I said, I hope to be back later this week, but I feel bad...... damn, man, this blog is ducking IMPORTANT to me..... that's why I feel this explanation is in order.

OK that's enough for now...... if you wish to help until I am back up, contact me...... I just want you all to know that I DO love you, and in a million years you will never understand what you all mean to me.

Truly

A lesser-known grunge classic from the late-great Seattle era, "Fast Stories....From Kid Coma" was a fave of mine back in the early 1990's.....studkid submits it here, as well as the rest of Truly's collection.....Truly were vocalist/guitarist Robert Roth, bassist Hiro Yamamoto (late of Soundgarden) and drummer Mark Pickerel (Screaming Trees)......"Fast Stories" is one you will like, if you are a fan of the classic Seattle grunge sound.

FAST STORIES FROM KID COMA-01 Blue Flame Ford/02 Four Girls/03 If You Don't let It Die/04 Hot Summer 1991/05 Blue Lights/06 Leslie's Coughing Up Blood/07 Hurricane Dance/08 Angelhead/09 Tragic Telepathic (Soul Slasher)/10 Virtually/11 So Strange/12 Strangling/13 Chlorine

EP-01 Heart and Lungs/02 Color and Madness/03 Truly Drowning/04 Married in the Playground

FEELING YOU UP-01 (Into) Public Access Girls)/02 Twilight Curtains/03 Wait Until Night/04 Air Raid/05 It's On Your Face/06 EM7/07 Come Hither/08 Leatherette Tears/09 The Possessions/10 Repulsion/11 Untitled

TWILIGHT CURTAINS (RARITIES)-01 Twilight Curtains/02 Leatherette Tears II/03 Aliens on Alcohol/04 Wait til the Night/05 I Hit Ignition/06 Our Lips Are Sealed/07 Girl Don't Tell Me You'll Write/08 Queen of the Girls/09 20th Century Voluntary Slaves/10 Mellotronica Symphonica

Live at the Vortex, Volume One

YEAH! Haven't heard this one in years, I think somebody made off with it a long time ago.....TOTALLY obscure UK punk ca. 1977-78, from a buncha great bands we've all never heard of......The Wasps, Art Attacks, Maniacs.......thanks to John N for this one, you GOTTA love ya some obscure Brit-punk from the REAL scene!

LIVE AT THE VORTEX VOLUME 1-01 THE WASPS-Can't Wait Til '78/02 MEAN STREET-Bunch of Stiffs/03 NEO-Small Lives/04 THE WASPS-Waiting For My Man/05 BERNIE TORME-Living For Kicks/06 ART ATTACKS-Animal Bondage/07 BERNIE TORME-Street  Fighter/08 ART ATTACKS-Frankenstein's Heart/09 NEO-Tell Me the Truth/10 SUSPECTS-nothing to Declare/11 MANIACS-You Don't Break My Heart/12 MANIACS-I Ain't Gonna Be History

Brian's R*dioh*ad Contribution

(Scott)-again, I try not to mention this band by name, we've had quite a spate of their (unofficial)
stuff of late without any problems.....I just get nervous about certain bands that think so highly of themselves and these folks certainly fall into that category. Brian has some interesting thoughts on the band, can't say I agree with a lot of them, but we have here some stuff that I believe to be quite rare (I've not seen it before), and as I always say about this band, if you want these you may wish to hurry......thanks to Brian for this one! Hope all is well Brother!
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During my "off weeks" last month, I was noticing the deluge of R•diohead rarities and live shows being put up. I have two things to add that I don't think were in the pile. But first, my brief opinion....

My intense love for the group goes all the way back to high school in '93. Yet, I've never gotten my head around anything kid-A or after. Any of it. Understand, I've bought every album since, hoping to find a kernel that would rekindle my faith. Nope. I don't care how "transcendent" their concerts now are, I still feel abandoned. If I want Autechre or Aphex Twin sounds, I'll fucking listen to them, OK?

They were THE group for me in the 90's. They were Nirvana without the smug self hatred, they were classic U2 without the pomposity, and they rendered the entire Britpop "argument" null and void just by their mere existence. And I still regard OKComputer as probably the best 90's album, or at least the most rich. But once they left the guitars behind, they lost me.

What I've got to offer is two things from this prime early period. The Golden Unplugged Album is a bootleg consisting of different acoustic performances from their first few years. Most of the first album is represented, along with a lot from Bends. Some of this stuff may have been in last month's pile, but I like this configuration.

This next one is the jewel. I actually had it up briefly last year. Live At Tramp's was recorded in 1995, but was unreleased until 2013, when it was put out on CD by Paste.com Magazine (who???). That CD now runs for $100 or more. It's criminal that it sat in a vault for so long, but it's even worse that it instantly became rare!

The band was at the height of their guitar-driven power back then. JustLISTEN to the squall Greenwood summons during "Anyone Can Play Guitar"! Or how at one point Thom says "This one's personal. Sort of..." before the band tears into "Black Star", with Thom capping it off with "You're very kind, thanks." After almost two decades of obtuseness, electronic blips, and clinical-level detachment, I miss this band!

These are essential, trust me. For theBONUS, I'm gonna stump for an old comedy link. Patton Oswalt, two of his funniest albums. Download 'em.

Hop Along

(Scott)- and yet another band that comes recommended to me/us by Jon S......Hop Along is another
one with which I am unfamiliar, but I do respect Jon's tastes in general, and it's pretty exciting that he calls their release from last year one of the best albums of the year.....sounds intriguing, it's a damn good thing I get to listen to music my entire eight hour shift each night or I wouldn't catch up with a third of this stuff. Thanks a million Jon S.
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Hop Along is a Philadelphia band, like Waxahatchee. Painted Shut was one of my favorite albums last year, and this band is on the short list of those I most look forward to their next release. Like Car Seat Headrest, this started as a solo project, not becoming a band until a few years after. I'm just sending the band stuff but if anyone wants the earlier stuff, just say (really, for completists only).

Painted Shut (2015)

01 The Knock/02 Buddy in the Parade/03 Horseshoe Crabs/04 Waitress/05 Happy To See Me/06 Texas Funeral/07 Powerful Man/08 I Saw My Twin/09 Well-dressed/10 Sister Cities

http://www98.zippyshare.com/v/zX0QAMVd/file.html

Get Disowned (2012)

01 Some Grace/02 Tibetan Pop Stars/03 Diamond Mine/04 No Good Al Joad/05 Kids On The Boardwalk/06 Laments/07 Trouble Found Me/08 Sally II/09 Young andHAPPY!/10 Get Disowned

http://www33.zippyshare.com/v/ggs8Rfy4/file.html

Wretches (2009)

01 Bride and Groom/02 Sally/03 Second Voice/04 For the Bonzai Tree You Bought 4 Me

http://www17.zippyshare.com/v/oWgIyCkO/file.html

Car Seat Headrest, slight redux

John N submits a piece of the Car Seat Headrest puzzle from yesterday, the EP "Starving While Living"..... honest to God I have the greatest team of blogging helpers, a veritable all-star team.... ALL OF YOU please keep up the marvelous work!

01 It's Only Sex/ 02 Reuse the Cels/ 03 I Hate Living/ 04 Devil Moon/ 05 Oh! Starving

MORE Waxahatchee

(Scott) Never dreamed that when I saw Waxahatchee open for Sleater Kinney last year, that they would come to dominate the blog for the better part of a week, but, thanks again to Jon S, this is I think the third post on regarding them this week, and, really, I know I at least am much more well informed of them than I was a few days ago.

Couple of cool live sets here from nyctaper.com, which is a site I recommend if you are looking for concert recordings by some lesser-known bands.
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Saw the Waxahatchee posts and remembered a couple of live sets from last year.

Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn 4/9/15 (recorded by nyctaper.com)

01 Breathless/02 Under A Rock/03 Misery Over Dispute/04 Lips and Limbs/05 Waiting/06 Less Than/07 The Dirt/08 Lively/09 Poison/10 Brother Bryan/11 Blue/12 Grey Hair/13 Air/14 Coast To Coast/15 La Loose/16 Peace and Quiet/17 Bonfire/18 [encore break]/19 Grass Stain/20 Summer of Love/21 Noccalula

http://www43.zippyshare.com/v/pUHpzqA9/file.html

Pitchfork Music Festival, Chicago 7/19/15

01 Under a Rock/02 Misery Over Dispute/03 Waiting/04 Lively/05 Brother Bryan/06 The Dirt/07 </08 Poison/09 Lips and Limbs/10 Grey Hair11 Air/12 Coast to Coast/13 La Loose/14 Peace And Quiet/15 Bonfire

http://www80.zippyshare.com/v/hJe3FVNy/file.html

And, in case anyone wants or needs to fill in a blank:

American Weekend

01 catfish/02 grass stain/03 rose, 1956/04 american weekend/05 michel/06 be good/07 luminary blake/08 magic city wholesale/09 bathtub/10 i think i love you/11 noccalula

http://www108.zippyshare.com/v/KN1d53pR/file.html

Cerulean Salt

01 Hollow Bedroom/02 Dixie Cups and Jars/03 Lips and Limbs/04 Blue Pt. II/05 Brother Bryan/06 Coast to Coast/07 Tangled Envisioning/08 Misery Over Dispute/09 Lively/10 Waiting/11 Swan Dive/12 Peace and Quiet/13 You're Damaged

http://www15.zippyshare.com/v/eubu1yp9/file.html

Jon S with a brief couple of thoughts on Elliott Smith

(Scott)-We've had so much emphasis on sad music of late, that a link (see below) for over 100 Elliott
Smith shows should me "heaven" (or hell, dependent upon one's point of view) to we manic depressives......anyway, I already have a couple of them, I'll see about getting a couple more and posting when I complete the Elliott Smith multi-part post. And, wow, if I could list thing I would thought I would NEVER see, high on the list would be a video of Elliott Smith performing in a Devo tribute........
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There's not a lot I have to add to the Elliott Smith conversation but there are over 100 shows available for listening andDOWNLOAD at archive.org for those interested. Also, here is the greatest thing Elliott Smith ever did - appear as part of a Devo tribute band (end sarcasm).

https://archive.org/details/ElliottSmith?&sort=titleSorter&page=2

http://www76.zippyshare.com/v/upyfYp8Z/file.html

The Melvins "Basses Loaded"

A clever concept here from an always fine band.......The Melvins are Seattle legends, we all know that, they have been featured here before.....this project is interesting. On their latest release, the  band utilizes various bass players, most notably Steven McDonald of Red Kross and Krist Novosoelic )of Nirvana of course).......to be honest haven't listened to it yet, likely will tonight or tomorrow, but I love the Melvins (one very inventive, imaginative band), and I think the concept is a good one.....if this sucks (experiments sometimes do), well, sorry, but at least again we strive for variety!

BASSES LOADED-01 The Decay of Lying/02 Choco Plumbing/03 Beer Hippie/04 I Want to Tell You/05 Captain Come Down/06 Hideous Woman/07 Shaving Cream/08 Planet Destructo/09 War Pussy/10 Maybe I Am Amused/11 Phyllis Dillard/12 Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Wooden Shjips

Yes their name looks like a typo, but I think this is one of the most underappreciated bands of the 00's, some really fine droning, spacey, psychedelic rock........from San Francisco, Wooden Shjips consist of singer/guitarist Ripley Johnson, bassist/trumpet (!) player Dusty Jermier, drummer Omar Ahsanuddin, and organ player Nash Whalen.... their sound often recalls maybe a blend of The Velvet Underground, Suicide, blended perhaps with the  keyboard-driven psychedelia of some of the mid-60's garage rockers, with a healthy smattering of some of the great early 70's krautrock mixed in.

Their first, self titled album is deliberately sloppy, and combines short, concise garage rockers with long, experimental pieces.....generally, the vocals are garbled and hidden behind droning guitar fuzz and shrieking organ, check "Losin' Time" as an example of the former, "Blue Sky Bends" as an example of the latter.

Next we have "Volume 1", which is actually a collection of singles the band released prior to the debut LP....an excellent collection, actually, with standout tracks like the long "Shrinking Moon For You" as well as shorter (and still quite cool) stuff like "Space Clothes" and "Death's Not Your Friend".

The next "official" release was "Dos" (2009), is an even better effort, check that feedback buzz on "Motorbike", and, of course, more of their trademark droning stuff, such as "Down By the Sea" and the organ dominated "Aquarian Time"

"Volume Two" is yet another collection of singles, not nearly as solid as "Volume One", but still
worth your time to listen to.

"West", from 2011, continues improvement, the sound is cleaned up but the droning/rocking combination remains intact..... check out "Flight", perhaps their best track, but don't miss the rest of it.

The most recent issue, "Back to Land", is actually fantastic as well, another rocking, droning, hypnotic epic......in other words, if you are a fan of psychedelia, these guys are for you if you don't know them....obviously they wear their influences on their sleeves, but when your influences are as solid as these guys' are, that is really not an issue.

WOODEN SHJIPS-01 We Ask You To Ride/02 Losin' Time/03 Lucy's Ride/04 Blue Sky Bends/05 Shine Like Suns

VOLUME ONE-01 Shrinking Moon For You/02 Death's Not Your Friend/03 Space Clothes/04 Clouds Over Earthquake/05 Dance, California (Radio Edit)/06 SOL '07

DOS-01 Motorbike/02 For So Long/03 Down By the Sea/04 Aquarian Time/05 Fallin'

VOLUME TWO-01 Loose Lips/02 Start to Dreaming/03 Vampire Blues/04 Death's Not Your Friend (live)/05 Contact/06 I Hear the Vibrations (E-Z Version)/07 Outta My Head

WEST-01 Black Smoke Rise/02 Crossing/03 Lazy Bones/04 Home/05 Flight/06 Looking Out/07 Rising

BACK TO LAND-01 Back To Land/02 Ruins/03 Ghouls/04 These Shadows/05 In the Roses/06 Other Stars/07 Servants/08 Everybody Knows

Some more Waxahatchee

After yesterday's posting of their early stuff, John N submits the most recent "proper" album from
Waxahatchee, whom I mentioned opened for Sleater Kinney in December. I did enjoy the set opening for SK, also enjoyed the EP from yesterday and figured maybe I should learn bit more about Waxahatchee.......so here's some info on Katie Crutchfield, and this album, "Ivy Tripp"....
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Katie Crutchfield is important to a lot of people. She's just 26, but with more than a dozen releases to her name courtesy of projects like P.S. Eliot, collaborations like Great Thunder, and assorted guest spotsHERE and there, she comes off like the leader of a DIY folk-inflected indie rock/punk scene, a spokesperson for a realm usually against spokespeople.

Crutchfield grew up in Alabama, naming her project after Waxahatchee Creek, where her parents have a house on a lake and where she's made a lot of her music. She's in PhiladelphiaNOW, an East Coast city that's cheaper than New York and that allows for more time to make music and just live. It follows, then, that there's a thriving scene there, too, with groups like Radiator Hospital (featuring one-time Waxahatchee member Sam Cook-Parrott) and members of her twin sister (and ex-P.S. Eliot bandmate) Allison's band Swearin', among others.

Ivy Tripp, her third album as Waxahatchee,FINDSher fronting a band featuring multi-instrumentalists Kyle Gilbride and Keith Spencer (both from Swearin') and still coming off very much like she did on 2012's lo-fi solo effort, American Weekend. She's managed to bring in contributors and a greater range of instrumentation without losing that approachable intimacy. 2013's Cerulean Salt technically had morePEOPLE playing on it, but Ivy Tripp just FEELSbigger, in part because Crutchfield is growing steadily more confident. The songs are more cohesive and accomplished—polished isn't the right word, butNOW and then, there is a kind of shine. Ceruleancame off like an extension of American Weekend: it surfaced just as many people were discovering the earlier record, and someLISTENERS were confused by the timeline and which came first. Ivy Tripp, her first album for Merge, feels more like a next step, something that exists on its own, and a move toward something else entirely.

In a statement about the album, Crutchfield said the title of the record is "just aTODAY, lacking regard for the complacent life path of our parents and grandparents." She added: "I have thought of it like this: Cerulean Salt is a solid and Ivy Tripp is a gas." ThisMAKES sense. Cerulean was an album about growing up and losing your innocence and Ivy seems to be about knowing yourself as a grown up, being in the middle of that, and figuring out what comes next. The past is definable and relatively solid; the future is more amorphous and trickier to capture or pin down. You get that sense, ofSEARCHING, of grasping at something you don't entirely understand, in the album's lyrics and overall narrative.

The exact "Ivy Tripp" line on the record is "Travel the world ivy tripping/ With no spotlight," and it's interesting to see where she's at now, as the spotlight finds itsFOCUS. On "Grey Hair" she sings: "You might, wait and see me become/ A candle, precarious psychically among/ The ill at ease, the summer breeze/ But sugar soda pop songs play on the radio." And, as she noted about the record, "I think a running theme [of Ivy Tripp] is steadying yourself on shaky ground and reminding yourself that you have control in situations that seem overwhelming." She doesn't deny the ambition either: "IGET short of breath because I can’t slow down," she sings ("Grey Hair").

Many of Ivy Tripp's song titles—"The Dirt", "Half Moon", "Bonfire"—are dusky and colored like earth tones, and that's the setting of the songs as well: moments in transition, the realm between night and day and relationships that have that same kind of momentary feeling. The lyrics feature many maybes and more than a few temporary situations ("You can lean on me forNOW" in "La Loose"), unread books, and things that may or may not have already ended. "I’ll try to preserve the routine/ And I don’t want to discuss what it means," Crutchfield sings on "La Loose". People "pretend to be strangers/ Lamenting a means to an end" ("Air") and "imitate some kind of love" ("Stale By Noon") instead of just being in love. Music's an "imperfect escape" ("Half Moon").

A low-levelANXIETY pervades, and on a song simply titled "<" she offers an update on the Blank Generation: "You’re less than me and I am nothing," goes the chorus. Earlier, in "The Dirt", she sings "I’m a basement brimming with nothing great." In "Summer of Love", a photo of people, and not the actual people, are the subject: "The colors allure me but I can’t make out/ A face in the picture of palm trees/ The summer of love is a photo of us." "Sugar" comes up a lot—a sweet thing without a lot of substance, but that tastes good. There's a penchant for finding beauty in small gestures and situations like sleeping or refusing to leave the beach. As well as bigger ones: "You’ll deliver a fable I couldLIVE/ And I’ll throw it off the nearest cliff," she sings in "The Dirt".

The one thing that can drag Ivy Tripp down a little is that the lyrics are at times a bit vague or interchangeable. It turns out discussing emptiness can maybe feel a bit empty, and the wordsHEREdon't always hit as hard as some of her prior work. That said, the way the words are delivered is essential, and with a voice like Crutchfield's—both rough and clear with a slight Southern twang—a lot gets said simply in how these things are enunciated.

That, and the album features a few of Crutchfield's best and catchiest songs. She's mentioned anINTEREST in the New Zealand lo-fi pop band Tall Dwarfs; Ivy Tripp has the feel of classic indie rock. You'll be reminded of other groupsHERE and there: "The Dirt" sounds a lot like the Vaselines, at least compositionally, and much of it would fit in very well at the original International Pop Underground Convention, on Simple Machines, or with '90s Merge acts like Butterglory or Bricks (the fact that she did sign to MergeMAKES perfect sense—Crutchfield and her cohorts carry the same torch as Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance). She's mentioned Joni Mitchell time again, as well as Cat Stevens, though on Ivy, you may think more about Cat Power'sWhat Would the Community Think.

Maybe as aRESULT of the cross-pollination and familiarity, there's a casual feel to Ivy Tripp, something about it that's unhurried and relaxed. Which doesn't mean it isn't ambitious or accomplished. This is one way it's most reminiscent of the best '90s indie rock: it never feels forced or like she's making some kind of push. It's unhurried and natural and real. You also get a feeling listening to these songs that Crutchfield is justGETTING STARTED, and it's exciting to hear a young voice rising so assuredly above the fray, one you can imagine inspiring kids years from now, and inspiring them to pick up guitars and sing and take control of their direction, too.

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01 Breathless/02 Under a Rock/03 Poison/04 La Loose/05 Stale By Noon/06 The Dirt/07 Blue/08 Air/09 Less Than/10 Grey Hair/11 Summer of  Love/12 Half Moon/13 Bonfire