Pure, perfect pop music for the early 90's popkid in all of us

April 3, 2007 4:46 PM

Waaaaaah! was an early 90's indie label of with an ever-changing number of a's in it's name. The owner of the label has put the entire catalog onto his site for download in mp3 format. He indicates which songs he likes the best by putting a very, very tiny picture of a kitten next to the songs. Artists include The Field Mice, White Town, They Go Boom, BMX Bandits, Dufflecoats, The Bedfloweres and Strawberry Story. You can see pictures of the bands on the site. If you spent your youth saying things like "this is pure, perfect pop music, why isn't this on the radio" then you've probably already clicked the link.
posted by Kattullus (38 comments total)

Via Indie MP3 via Idolator. For a better overview of the Waaaaaah! catalog, I point you towards twee.net.
posted by Kattullus at 4:49 PM on April 3, 2007

Oooooh sweeeeeeeeet
posted by soundofsuburbia at 4:50 PM on April 3, 2007

It's always awesome to see a shout-out to your friend's band on MeFi....
posted by retronic at 5:00 PM on April 3, 2007

(Field Mice)
posted by retronic at 5:01 PM on April 3, 2007

Emma's House by The Field Mice is one of my all time favorite songs. Your friend did good, retronic.
posted by Kattullus at 5:07 PM on April 3, 2007

Never heard of this. First song I clicked was Bull 2-0 "Close my eyes" by Strawberry Story, and I loved it.
posted by phaedon at 5:09 PM on April 3, 2007 [1 favorite]

I've just been going through a Field Mice phase - nice to add a couple more songs to the pile...
posted by meech at 5:14 PM on April 3, 2007

it's = it is
its = possessive
(sorry, OCD) (thanks for the link)
posted by bukharin at 5:15 PM on April 3, 2007

retronic: Robert Wratten? Then, if you see him, tell him a friend of ours* played "Smoke and Steam" at our wedding. Unfortunately our marriage didn't last, but that's the way it goes, I suppose!

*He may remember my ex-wife Maria from The Benno festival if he's got the memory of an elephant!
posted by soundofsuburbia at 5:25 PM on April 3, 2007

More importantly, bukharin, it's The Bedflowers, not The Bedfloweres.
posted by Kattullus at 5:30 PM on April 3, 2007

Whole CD as a single download?

Ugh.
posted by delmoi at 5:35 PM on April 3, 2007

Okay nevermind, that one CD only had one track, apparently. Either way, awful design.
posted by delmoi at 5:38 PM on April 3, 2007

"New York City" by Cub is super-kick-ass, just got it from Idolator.
posted by drjimmy11 at 5:39 PM on April 3, 2007

soundsofsuburbia: Yes, Bobby is a friend of mine (via his girlfriend and Trembling Blue Stars bandmate Beth, who is like a sister to me--she introduced me to my wife).

I will strive to remember to pass on your greetings--and my condolences on the marriage (2nd time proved the charm for me :) )
posted by retronic at 5:44 PM on April 3, 2007

Katullus: I'll try to pass your regards on, too :)
posted by retronic at 5:56 PM on April 3, 2007

Whole CD as a single download?

Ugh.

Jesus Christ you bitch a lot.

Not all music or albums are sliced into perfect 3.5 minute pop-bites for your ease of consumption.

Frequently the best ones aren't. (Bitches Brew, NWW vs. Stereolab, Neu!, Yanqui UXO.)
posted by loquacious at 5:59 PM on April 3, 2007

Emmas house = best song of all time. At least I cant think of a better one right now. In any case awesome post, thanks
posted by petsounds at 6:14 PM on April 3, 2007

They should have signed the band Wah!.
posted by kcds at 6:33 PM on April 3, 2007

There is some really good stuff here. Thank you for posting this.
posted by HSWilson at 7:04 PM on April 3, 2007

Man, are there some other defunct labels I'd like to see do this.

Great find. Thanks.
posted by roll truck roll at 7:15 PM on April 3, 2007

I looked for the Waaaaaah! CD in every record shop in Boston for years after hearing the Haywains' "Dusty Springfield" on WHRB
in 1992 or so ... long after giving on the search, here it is. Brilliant, and thanks!
posted by ryanshepard at 7:33 PM on April 3, 2007

Ralph Records should be next!
posted by sourwookie at 7:36 PM on April 3, 2007

Where are you guys seeing Emma's House? Can't find it.
posted by peep at 7:40 PM on April 3, 2007

Sweet, though the only bands I know are Field Mice and White House, and neither of them seem to have full albums up...
posted by klangklangston at 7:41 PM on April 3, 2007

Good lord, I have a couple of Field Mice singles here somewhere...



(they weren't that great though)
posted by unSane at 7:43 PM on April 3, 2007

"Put your hand here."

"No."

*THUMP*

"Waaaaaah!"
posted by ZenMasterThis at 7:44 PM on April 3, 2007

(good shit, BTW)
posted by ZenMasterThis at 7:44 PM on April 3, 2007

I never heard of any of these bands but I am enjoying the hell out of this music. Thanks for the great post.
posted by LarryC at 8:02 PM on April 3, 2007

Holy smokes, I have the Waaaaah! cd again. The Field Mice's Other Galaxies is something I don't want to live without.
posted by 3.2.3 at 8:05 PM on April 3, 2007

drjimmy11 typed "'New York City' by Cub is super-kick-ass, just got it from Idolator."

Yeah, Cub are great. I highly recommend Mauler.

They Might Be Giants stole "New York City" and turned it into one of their real signature songs. I don't blame them.
posted by roll truck roll at 8:15 PM on April 3, 2007

"New York City" by Cub is super-kick-ass...

As a 40-year-old man, I will stand up here and loudly proclaim for all to hear that cub's "My Chinchilla" is 1:23 of pure untoppable twee-pop perfection.
posted by Pinback at 8:19 PM on April 3, 2007

never heard of this label or these bands. presumably, it's an american college radio thing, or something.

now, if only somebody would so something similar for the utterly awesome Flying Nun Records, from New Zealand.
posted by UbuRoivas at 10:16 PM on April 3, 2007

never heard of this label or these bands. presumably, it's an american college radio thing, or something.

Surely you must of heard this White Town track at some point, it was a big hit.
posted by bobo123 at 10:29 PM on April 3, 2007

awesome
posted by bam at 11:20 PM on April 3, 2007

Agreed. Close My Eyes is good shit.

Reminds me of Wednesday Week. ...I wonder what I did with that old cassette tape? Oh great. Now I gotta hear some Wednesday Week before I can go to bed.
posted by ZachsMind at 10:10 PM on April 4, 2007

...cool. I found an old mp3 of one of their songs.. actually Wednesday Week doesn't sound anything like Strawberry Story. Not sure why the one made me think of the other. Weird how the brain works.
posted by ZachsMind at 10:12 PM on April 4, 2007

Argh, how did I miss this? Anyway, check out Little Hits, an mp3 blog that covers a lot of forgotten bands from the 80s and 90s (Sarah Records, etc).
posted by sleepy pete at 12:04 PM on April 5, 2007

I love this stuff to death, I really do. But it also makes me wonder how many people out there still remember Rockpile and the Magnetic Fields, who ushered this whole thing in a decade or so earlier.
posted by psmealey at 7:56 PM on April 7, 2007