na: subpop
Yup.
Long time coming, eh? We couldn’t be more excited to welcome the legendary SubPop label to eMusic. With a label like this, it’s hard to know where to start: do you dive back to the pre-grunge ’80s for classics by Green River? The post-grunge ’90s for groundbreaking work by Sebadoh and Seaweed? Or do you start with the present, with bands like Iron & Wine and The Thermals, and move backward? The great thing about SubPop is there really is no wrong way to go about it. The label is so loaded with classics that almost any place you dive in is the perfect starting point.
To help you out, though, we’ve gone through and made our editor’s picks of the albums we think you’ll love most. Beyond that, the ever-reliable Douglas Wolk has assembled this hub compiling The 22 SubPop Records You Must Own. We’ve got a few new entries in our Six Degrees series, too: one on Green River, one on the Postal Service’s Give Up, and one on a little record called Bleach by up-and-comers Nirvana.
So which ones are your picks? Share your must-have SubPop albums in the comments, and also feel free to chime in with your SubPop stories — like the time you ran into Mark Arm at a coffee shop in Seattle, or the awkward blind date you had with Greg Dulli, or the time in 1993 when you were going to a conservative college in Philadelphia and all of your friends went to see Nirvana at the TLA and you decided to blow it off, because you’re a supergenius.
I am right now being reminded of how completely incredible Empty Bottles, Broken Hearts by the Murder City Devils is. Phenomenal.
Earth 2 at three credits is a steal.
I’m going to be starting from both the beginning and the end and working towards the middle that I already have. My first Sub Pop downloads will be Green River (Been meaning to get that for years and have just never gotten around to it) and the brand new Retribution Gospel Choir.
I also am in serious need of some more Mudhoney.
Craig
Iron & Wine’s The Creek Drank The Cradle is the “get” to me, but OTOH, I’ve already got it. TCDTC is among the best discs of last decade. You must hear “Bird Eating Bread.”
Quick heads-up: there was a glitch this a.m. — album-pricing on these titles will go into effect tomorrow.
Joe swoops in with bonus good news!
So now you seem to have made your US subscribers deliriously happy with this little bit of news, how about doing something for us folks on the other side of the Atlantic? I am assuming us Brits ain’t gonna get Sub Pop any time soon, so how about getting Domino Records on board for us, that would be nice…
Thank you for bringing this new addition to Canada. Or based on what’s been said in the past about non-additions, perhaps I should say thank you to Sub Pop.
leafs: as we always say, it’s up to the labels, so thanks go to them
nick: checking on this, but many of the titles that are on subpop in the US are licensed to other labels overseas
What no “God’s Balls” from Tad? That record got me through the summer of ’89 (along with cheap vodka and Sunny Delight).
I agree with nick; bring back Domino (will they ever decide to let UK download their releases…?). (…any big UK exclusives coming up…? …at all?) Hopefully there’s some other cool new arrivals.
Even though I already have both albums I’m really happy that Grand Archives is here. “Keep in Mind Frankenstein” got some major play from me last year. But where is Blitzen Trapper’s “Furr”? That was one of my favorite albums of 08.
pclark: more of these will be trickling in over time.
so glad to see Sub Pop here! One of my all-time favorites on Sub Pop is the trio of records Beachwood Sparks put out. So great.
Joe: I figured they would.
Is there rhyme or reason (like the Sony 2 Year Rule) or is it just at Sub Pop’s whim? I KNOW you can’t wait for more Blitzen Trapper. 
(Seriously, you should check out the Black River Killer ep…there’s some killer stuff on there that just might make a fan outta you.)
No real rules, to be honest, mostly just as it happens…
definitely some good stuff here. i’d just like to give a shoutout to one of the Sub Pop Albums I Think You Must Own, Micominature Love by Michael Yonkers, one of a few killer reissues sp has put out. don’t miss it.
Regarding the six degrees of Bleach: that Hole collection is some of the worst music I have ever heard. (and i do like the two major hole albums)
Mudhoney s/t album and Super Fuzz Big Muff are essential. Big fave of mine was Pond s/t album; a consistently good guitar album with less of the grunge and a hint of drone/pych
Oof. Where to begin – this is like half my CD collection.
Beyond the grunge (which you also want), say Wolf Parade, Vetiver, Low, Scud Mountain Boys/Pernice Bros etc, Codeine, Eric Matthews, Love as Laughter, Thermals… good good good news.
And sorry Canada/UK everywhere else, but freaking hell, do we really have to go over this every time? How bout we make all make a deal where if a nation gets a cool label the rest of us won’t come in and gripe on the parade…
The Mike Ireland & Holler album “learning How To Live” is an alt-country classic that was completely overlooked when released – I heard it barely sold 1000 copies. The song writing is devastating, and Jerry Yester provided some beautiful string arrangements.
apologies to US members enjoying their Sub Pop downloads.
but…
I suppose we should assume all significant label additions are going to be US only unless stated otherwise ( 3 out of 3 so far (Sony, WMG & now Sub Pop)).
(they make a big fuss above about adding Sub Pop, but forgot to make it clear it was US only.)
Maybe we should go and pester Sub Pop about this, since emusic probably can’t do anything about it.
Well, I’m off to see what emusic UK can offer lately…
this is so awesome. just dipping my toe in today and grabbed 2009′s The Ruminant Band by Fruit Bats. This is SERIOUSLY good stuff. happy happy happy.
First off: Thankyouthankyouthankyou! Very glad to have access to Sub Pop, and in Canada as well. Just amazing.
Greg, I hate to say it, but from where you’re sitting that’s easy to say. Although there ARE a few labels that the US doesn’t have access to, it’s mostly the other way around.
Much of the content, whether here on 17dots or on the site itself, is based on what’s in the US catalog, and sometimes it’s hard not to feel left out when that album you’re just dying to buy is not available in your country.
I’d rather see the griping here than in the album reviews.