Great Soundtracks/Compilations Vol. 2: Songs from Under the Floorboards, Vol. 1: A Compilation Benefitting Planned Parenthood (Accident Prone Records, 2018)

 

By Null 

Imagine it is 1990. You will be graduating from high school in a few days. It is late at night, and you find yourself at some party in a house in the woods. Some person hands you a mixed cassette tape. You head out to the car, light a cigarette, and slap the tape in your car’s cassette player. As you slowly roll down blackened country roads, the music begins to ooze from the speakers. You hear the influence of The Cure and Joy Division in great bass lines and some sprinklings of early Siouxsie and the Banshees minimalism. You smile. Some songs evoke motifs from 1980s goth bands, but it all sounds fresh. Nothing is overproduced. It all sounds very DIY, but all the tracks are recorded well. Occasionally, you hear male and female voices dueting on songs, which you’ve always had a soft spot for. Most of the lyrics seems solid. There is a continuity in the sound of the mixed tape, which is sort of shocking because the tape is full of 10 different bands you’ve never heard of. 

Above, I have described exactly what it felt like the first time I ever heard Songs from Under the Floorboards Vol. 1. The story above actually happened to me, except the cassette tape was a demo by the band Naming Mary, as opposed to a compilation by Accident Prone Records. Nevertheless, it felt the same.

All the bands on this record are contemporary, but I’ve never heard a compilation that sounded so late 1980s underground in my life. It is derivative, but it sounds authentic. How did Green Noise find so many good underground “goth” bands to fill this compilation? It’s fucking crazy. I loved this record instantly, and I am not a push-over for the myriad of “goth” bands that bore me to death. Did I mention that Mike Watt even shows up on this record? This compilation also feels a little punk rock. I love it.

Only 500 physical copies (vinyl) were made; however, it is also available as a digital download. Pick up a copy at the label’s bandcamp site: https://accidentpronerecords.bandcamp.com/album/songs-from-under-the-floorboard-vol-1.

Also, the proceeds go to Planned Parenthood, which is reason enough to buy it in whatever form.

Give it as a gift. Whatever. This compilation is unusually great.

Nice job, Accident Prone Records. 

Nice job.

Track list:

Shadow Age, “Youth.”

Annex, “Modern Age.”

Perralobo, “Suelo de Cristal.”

Otzi, “Zebra Cruiser.”

Vice Device, “Litanies & Lies.”

Golden Apes, “Voykova (The Healing).”

Ghost Noise, “We Are Not Lovers.”

Sculpture Club, “Not Impressed.”

Bernays Propaganda (featuring Mike Watt), Nisto Nema de ne Razdeli.”

Forever Grey, “Trespasser.”