The Terminals, Uncoffined (side A)

My favorite Terminals albums come slightly later than Uncoffined—1992's Touch and 1995's Little Things.  The New Zealand group's 1990 debut has a somewhat different line-up and distinctly brighter (if still lo-fi) sound than the albums that followed it.  Uncoffined also includes acoustic guitar, which would not turn up again until 2007's Last Days of the Sun.  It has more of a 1960s garage feel, with some almost gentle pop in places—the obvious Ian Curtis influence in Steven Cogle's lead vocal is somewhat less prominent.  Buried underneath these nice melodies remains the dark, fiery intensity that was present in The Victor Dimisich Band (out of which the Terminals evolved) and prominent on the group's later releases.  In addition to lyrics taken from 1920s American experimental poet Harry Crosby and a cover of New Zealand 1960s garage heroes the Avengers, Uncoffined also features "Frozen Car", which might be the closest thing the Terminals had to a "hit".  The amazing cover painting aligns more with the music's underlying hints of darkness than the more rock elements that are often in the foreground here.

F.S. Blumm, Zweite Meer (side A)

I first discovered German electronic musician F.S. Blumm from a 1999 Sack & Blumm 7".  Blumm has continued to collaboate with Harald "Sack" Ziegler, who makes a brief appearance on Zweite Meer, but he's also made many solo albums, including this one from 2005, where he exhibits his skill on an impressively diverse array of instruments.  The tracks here are all instrumental except for one David Grubbs cameo on vocals.  Zweite Meer consists of a series of short tracks, each of which is sparse, simple and repetitive.  The atmospheric sketches sometimes fade into the background, despite the individual parts within each having a lot of movement, and they generally maintain a light mood.  The somewhat primitive digital recording is impressively mastered with rich midrange, though I sometimes wish the high frequency transients were tamed a bit.  The packaging features a beautiful cover image, strong design around it, and really nice reverse-stock paper.

Dadamah, This is not a Dream (side A)

New Zealand's Dadamah released This is not a Dream in 1992—a CD of the same title but a different cover design (that's definitely more impressive but probably less appropriate), which compiled the band's entire output, followed a few years later.  Dadamah owed an obvious debt to the Velvet Underground, with simple, repetitive structures that still owe a debt to rock song form, deadpan vocals, and muffled drums.  This is not a Dream is far murkier than anything from the Velvet Underground, due in part to the low-budget nature of the home recordings and unimpressive mastering.  There are also vague references here to early-80s post-punk, in the guitar sounds, vocal style, and generally dark atmosphere.  The memorable melodies, abstract lyrics that are surprisingly engaging, and strong musicianship distinguish Dadamah from the many bands that borrowed from similar influences.

Repulse Kava, Flow Gently Sweet Alpha (side A)

Repulse Kava hailed from Chicago, and 1990's Flow Gently Sweet Alpha followed a pair of 7" singles.  The album combines many prominent influences of its era.  Wiry guitars recall Big Black, propulsive and intricate basslines reference the Minutemen, and the thin, vaguely lo-fi recording is typical of so many recordings from 1990.  The song structures are particularly complex and confusing, and the shout-y vocals also provide little context in this movement.  Abstract instrumentals without drums occasionally break up the more typical band arrangements.  The packaging obviously predates digital layout, with a simple font over a blurry and tinted abstract photo of a woman.

Graham Nash, Songs for Beginners (side A)

Where CSN songs at the time could quickly grow anthemic, Nash's solo debut, 1971's Songs for Beginners, is very slight and understated, and also quite pretty.  It includes a solo aside and sparing use of orchestral instruments, but the arrangements and sound are generally typical of songwriter rock in their era.  Guests include regular CSN collaborators like Johnny Barbata and Calvin Samuels alongside celebrities like Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, and Chris Ethridge.  My vinyl pressing is an impressively bright and loud copy.  The packaging includes an excellent self-portrait on the front, and an inner sleeve with printed lyrics that emphasizes their political content.

The Real Bahamas in Music & Song (side A)

By 1965, when The Real Bahamas in Music & Song was released, Joseph Spence was already identified in the liner notes as "A Legend In His Own Time".  Spence appears on 4 songs here—one is solo and the others are collaborations with his wife Louise and sister Jenny (along with her family, the Pindar Family).  The Pindar Family also contribute the album's closer, "I Bid You Goodnight", an earlier recording than any I've heard by the Incredible String Band, Grateful Dead, or Charalambides.  Most of the songs here have spiritual lyrics, and most feature unusual tonalities similar to those employed by Spence on his solo albums.  The primitive recordings are well mastered and preserved.  The cover is the old-fashioned style of paper glued on thick cardboard—the painting has aged better than the series-standard design around it.

Labradford, Labradford (side A)

1996's self-titled album was Labradford's third full-length, and their last with vocals.  It moves back away from the more overt melodies of A Stable Reference, and feels closer in many ways to their debut album Prazision LP.  Experimentation with subtle patterned rhythms, which would grow more prominent on later records, first shows up here.  The clarity of the musicianship also sometimes moves into the background here in favor of a more pure ambient palette.  Labradford is mastered somewhat murkily with thick low-mids and de-emphasized high-end.  The beautiful packaging includes a die-cut cover with the choice of two images to show through the opening.