RAPEMAN was formed by Steve Albini after the breakup of Big Black. The band released two 7-inches, a four-song EP (Budd), and the album Two Nuns and a Pack Mule. The album showcased the most forward-thinking, hair-raisingly exciting sound to come out of American post-hardcore until Slint’s Spiderland album. For fans of the more incendiary and visceral areas of indie rock, immersion in Two Nuns and a Pack Mule is obligatory.
# Post-hardcore
Exploded Drawing by Polvo is a final work of brilliance that showcases the band's trademark guitar work, with drums and bass taking prominence at times. The album is heavier than any other Polvo release and features Middle Eastern intermissions that hold together the proper songs. The album is spellbindingly great and should be put in a rocket or time capsule as the ultimate proof that indie rock could reach perfection. The band reformed in 2008 to release two more amazing albums that pick up where Exploded Drawing left off.
Polvo's unique sound, influenced by Sonic Youth's guitar investigations, is characterized by alternative tunings, Beefheart-ish looseness, pretty hooks, and air-moving heaviness. Their debut album, Cor-Crane Secret, is a powerful, heartfelt, and progressively experimental example of indie rock's natural impulse to shut out the rest of the world and follow whatever feels right. This record is essential for any indie rock, noise rock, post-hardcore, or math rock fan.
"Eucalyptus" is the only full-length album by Pitchfork, a San Diego band that featured Jon Reis and Rick Froberg. The album was released in 1990 and is a mix of post-punk, hardcore, and post-hardcore. It is highly recommended for fans of Drive Like Jehu and other similar bands. The album is incredibly accomplished considering the band members' ages at the time of its conception and recording. The album includes the fantastic tracks "Rana" and "Flatland Farming".
NoMeansNo's 'Wrong' is a heady and intensely angry album that packs a mighty dose of charm and magnetism. The album is heavy, hooky, and tied to no single tempo, with a hint of prog-rock. Jello Biafra’s Alternative Tentacles recognized the band’s potential early on, as the label did with many other prescient wunderkinds of post hardcore.
The Jesus Lizard's album 'Down' marked a subtle shift towards traditional and accessible song structures while still maintaining their unique sound. This was the last album recorded with Steve Albini and the final title on Touch and Go before the band moved to a major label. The Jesus Lizard's classic Touch and Go material was reissued in 2011 after the band reunited in 2008. Check out their other albums: Head (1990), Goat (1991), and Liar (1992).