Iconic late-’80s indie rock trio Galaxie 500 recorded a lot of non-album material during their short run, including singles, b-sides, radio sessions, compilation/tribute album songs and more. Many of those have been gathered up for new compilation Uncollected Noise New York ’88-’90, which will be out September 20 via Silver Current Records. It’s available as a double-LP, double-CD and double-tape set.
”Opening up these tape boxes was like looking into an old journal or datebook. I had forgotten most of this happened at all, but it only took a few quick details to put me right back in the drum seat,” says drummer Damon Krukowski. “There are songs from all the Galaxie 500 recording sessions included here.”
”There is a sweetness in hearing the progression of us finding our own sound, our own collective voice. The Proustian power of music,” says bassist Naomi Yang. “Listening to these early recordings I can hear myself figuring out how I wanted to play bass – finding my way up the neck to where the notes would cut through, where there could be a counter-melody to the singing. Making the bass my singing voice.”
Adds singer-guitarist Dean Wareham, ”I can see why we left some of these songs in the vaults, but there is pleasure in hearing them today; they sound very alive, like Galaxie 500 playing in the brick-walled room that was Noise New York,”
The compilation includes Galaxie 500’s covers of Joy Division/New Order’s “Ceremony,” Young Marble Giants’ “Final Day,” The Ruttles’ “Cheese and Onions,” and more, which were on the “Uncollected” fourth disc of Ryko’s 1996 Galaxie 500 CD box, but this double-disc set features many more recordings which have never seen the light of day until now. (There are also a few from the Ryko box that aren’t on this.) You can listen to two of those never-before-released songs, “Shoot You Down” (from the Today sessions) and “I Wanna Live” (from the On Fire sessions) below.
Uncollected Noise New York ’88-’90
1. Shout You Down
2. See Through Glasses
3. On the Floor
4. Can’t Believe It’s Me
5. Oblivious
6. King of Spain
7. Jerome
8. Song in 3
9. Crazy
10. I Wanna Live
11. I Will Walk
12. Cold Night
13. Ceremony
14. Never Get to Heaven
15. Maracas Song
16. Victory Garden
17. Blue Thunder (w/sax)
18. Cheese and Onions
19. Fourth of July (video mix)
20. Cactus
21. Moonshot
22. Them
23. Final Day
24. Here She Comes Now