Mocket - Un-man 7"

Mocket's Un-man 7" was released as a part of the Kill Rock Stars Mailorder Freak 7" Singles Club in 1999. The a-side is a track off of their then-current album Pro Forma and the b-side is a remix of a track off of their previous record Fanfare. New wave-y punk rock weirdness at it's finest:

Un-man 7"

The Past - Imperfect (2000)

The Past were a mostly instrumental and entirely arty trio from Everett, two-thirds of which went on to form Display. With their giant Sunn amp cabinets and arsenal of vintage effects pedals, Jim Paschall and Jeremy Cooper unleashed waves of moody Sonic Youth and Krautrock-inspired riffs over Matt McLemore's spare but highly specific (and a bit funky, in a DJ Shadow sort of way) motorik drumming. One of my favorite memories of any show I've ever been to was at a house where The Past opened for FCS North. When their final song ("Agneta") ended, Jeremy tapped on his Echoplex, which then replayed his entire guitar part from the beginning. He and Jim peeled back the grillcloth of their amps, shoved their instruments completely inside, and as effects filtered feedback accompanied the ghost guitar, the band joined the crowd in watching the end of their set. Fantastic.
After a couple years and one short tape, they released this full-length self-released CD-R.  It was limited to 100, but I think only a few dozen were actually made, as they broke up just they put this out (my copy is number 1, by the way). I also have their cassette ep and a live video, both of which I intend to transfer soon, but keep encountering uncooperative equipment.

Download the full album with scans here.

Shoplifting - Cassette EP

Arthur has already posted some Shoplifting material in the past, but to get you up to speed, they were an art-drenched post-punk influenced band that was basically a rebranding of the original Chromatics. As Adam Miller took the reins of what had been his side project while in Soiled Doves, Devin Welch, Hannah Blilie, and Michelle Nolan recruited Chris Pugmire for vocals and some occasional bass work for the songs Michelle sang on. This is the CD-R "reissue" that was briefly available at shows. The original cassette, which announced their arrival, was passed around before their first show, and maybe available at that first show, in a Georgetown warehouse. I was at their second show, and many after that. They were instantly my second favorite band in town, moving up to the top spot when Display split up. 

Formed in 2002, the unpredictable nature of Shoplifting's early shows always kept them exciting. Once they passed out [optional] blindfolds to everyone, once they were joined by the local punk marching band The Infernal Noise Brigade. One time at the Vera, they didn't play any of their songs, but instead performed a Glenn-Branca-like improv set, where Hannah's drum kit was in the middle of the room, and everyone else, plus Jim Paschall and Jeremy Cooper from Display, played guitar from a different corner of the room, creating different blends of sound as you walked through the space. 

Eventually, Michelle moved out of town, and was replaced by Melissa Lock, who came up all the way from Australia. The band split up in (I think) 2006, when Hannah was asked to join the Gossip, then Chris and Mel moved to Australia, where they've started a family and a new band, New War. Devin has kept busy, starting now-defunct Past Lives with his old Blood Brothers buddies, as well as the not-defunct experimental dub project Flexions. Now a card-carrying Portlandian, he recently joined Vice Device.

Download the full EP with front and back scans here.

The Cripples / Aaiiee/ Toy Train / Eternal 13 - Split 7"

This 4-way split 7" was came out in the Spring of 1999, with a record release show occurring in May at The Velvet Elvis. Toy Train, which featured a pre A-frames/The Intelligence Lars Finberg, start things off with a burst of hyperactive shouty organ-driven hybrid of both punk and hip hop. Next up is Eternal 13 with a cut of almost radio friendly skate-rock. Next up are The Cripples with a blast of their trademarked lo-fi/high energy synth punk, which contains backing vocals that make the song sound an awful lot like the mutant offspring of a Cripples/Blood Brothers sexual encounter. Finishing up the disc are Aaiiee with a song that sounds awful lot like some of the mid to late 70's New York CBGB's rock bands (eg. The Shirts).

4-way Split 7"

Say 10 Hail Marys

Say 10 Hail Marys were a very short lived side project between Brandon of Teen Cthulhu, Jeff McNulty of Blöödhag and Brad of Burning Witch. They played three local shows, released one demo of experimental drone/sludge metal in 2004 and were never heard from again.

Say 10 Hail Marys demo

The Excursion Compilation

The Excursion Compilation was released in 1996 as a showcase of the bands that were then being released by the Excursion Records label. The record is basically split into two parts: the first half consisting the of poppier punk stuff and then the second half which contains all of the hardcore bands. A perfect snapshot of not-so-long ago era, this comp. serves as a fantastic reminder of the burgeoning and multifaceted local scene of the mid 90's.

The Excursion Compilation (with sleeve and insert scans)

Karp - Self-titled Cassette

Odds are, you already know already know KARP but, just in case you don't, here's a brief description: Melvins + Sabbath(Living in Tumwater) = some of the heaviest riffs the northwest ever produced. Karp formed in 1990 and lasted until 1998, producing three albums, five 7"s and appearing on numerous compilations in their lifetime. Members have also played in bands such as The Tight Bro's From Way Back When, The Whip, Bug Business, Dead Air Fresheners and also occasionally appeared with northwest art rock collective Witchypoo. Sadly, drummer Scott Jernigan was killed in a boating accident in June of 2003.

This cassette is one of their earliest releases, having come out sometime in the early 90's on Punk In My Vitamins. I've often seen it referred to as their demo tape but I'm not sure whether or not that's true. This has to be one of the coolest things I've ever found in a thrift store. Purchased last year for ten cents at the Goodwill on 145th, here it is:

KARP self-titled cassette (with artwork)