Least Terrible K Records Band

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The band list is from Wikipedia. Choose based only on the material they did for K (e.g. Mellow Gold Beck doesn't count).

Poll Results

Option	Votes
Beat Happening	11
Mirah	8
The Microphones / Mount Eerie	6
Tiger Trap	5
The Blow	4
Yume Bitsu	4
Steve Fisk	4
Karp	3
Love as Laughter	3
Maher Shalal Hash Baz	3
Beck	3
Bikini Kill	3
All Girl Summer Fun Band	3
The Make-up	2
Marine Research	2
Kimya Dawson	2
Lync	2
Built to Spill	2
Mecca Normal	1
Bis	1
Old Time Relijun	1
Pansy Division	1
The Rondelles	1
Lois	1
Little Wings	1
Sarah Dougher	1
Tender Forever	1
Kicking Giant	1
Tender Trap	1
Dub Narcotic Sound System	1
Calvin Johnson	0
Wimps	0
Anna Oxygen	0
The Softies	0
Some Velvet Sidewalk	0
The Subdebs	0
Shonen Knife	0
Fifth Column	0
Chicks on Speed	0
Electrosexual	0
Girl Trouble	0
The Halo Benders	0
Jason Anderson aka Wolf Colonel	0
Karl Blau	0
Duck Hunt	0
D+	0
Landing	0
The Crabs	0
Gaze	0
Courtney Love (the band, not the musician with the same name)	0
COCO	0
Manta Man	0
Modest Mouse	0

― abanana, Thursday, 10 May 2007 20:59 (nineteen years ago)

Maher Shalal Hash Baz

― admrl, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:01 (nineteen years ago)

I always liked The Make Up.

― I eat cannibals, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:05 (nineteen years ago)

easy easy easy. the only band whose records i have and who are consistently awesome performers on that list are Old Time Relijun.

Dub Narcotic would have won, but...god it was ten years ago that i was totally into them.

― the table is the table, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:07 (nineteen years ago)

I don't think I've ever owned anything on K.

― o. nate, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:07 (nineteen years ago)

i like a bunch of these. i forgot about tiger trap, i like rose melberg.

― M@tt He1ges0n, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:09 (nineteen years ago)

Beat Happening of course

― Zeno, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:10 (nineteen years ago)

I voted for Beat Happening on realism grounds, but I would really like to see at least a few ticks in the Kicking Giant category.

― nabisco, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:10 (nineteen years ago)

Haha plus this is "least terrible," not "most great," so even if good Kicking Giant stomped all over Beat Happening, they would still have more "terrible" floating around their catalog than Beat Happening do.

― nabisco, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:11 (nineteen years ago)

The one and only vote for Steve Fisk comes from me.

― Matt #2, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:12 (nineteen years ago)

Yume Bitsu is pretty great, actually. Can't say I've heard more than a handful of the other bands, and I've liked exactly none of those. Used to have a co-worker who thinks K Records is the greatest thing of all time, especially the Microphones.

― novaheat, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:13 (nineteen years ago)

thanks for reminding me about the Beat.and they are not "least terrible"
but "most great".

― Zeno, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:14 (nineteen years ago)

The one and only vote for Steve Fisk comes from me.

I voted for that too ya punk.

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:15 (nineteen years ago)

Maybe he'll win!

― Matt #2, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:16 (nineteen years ago)

...maybe for the best Krecords producer

― Zeno, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:16 (nineteen years ago)

The Blow are brilliant. AGSFB too, especially Vol.1. I love the Bill Wells and MSHB record.

― Mister Craig, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:18 (nineteen years ago)

There are plenty of great bands on this list; I don't know how I can possibly choose between the Microphones and the Blow as I own and love multiple records by both. I kind of wore out the Microphones ones through overplay so I guess I'll give it to the Blow for now.

That Modest Mouse record (The Fruit That Ate Itself) is one of the most overlooked gems in their catalog, some really great weird things on there. The title track is their grooviest thing this side of "Heart Cooks Brain," and "Summer" is a classic skittery jittery Modest Mouse statement on sweaty debauchery.

Oh! Bikini Kill! What record is that? One of the 12"s?

― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:21 (nineteen years ago)

The latest Tender Trap album, _6 Billion People_, is stellar, not the least for Claudia Gonson's guest vocals.

― Mr. Odd, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:23 (nineteen years ago)

i actually think i hate Beat Happening more than anyone else in the world. cannot STAND the voice.

― the table is the table, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:27 (nineteen years ago)

Tiger Trap were awesome live.

― Alex in SF, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:30 (nineteen years ago)

Oh shit, I spaced and read over Tiger Trap as Tender Trap -- I would quite likely vote Tiger Trap over Beat Happening, actually.

― nabisco, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:38 (nineteen years ago)

"actually think i hate Beat Happening more than anyone else in the world. cannot STAND the voice"

so you cannot stand the voice of Lee Hazlewood as well?

― Zeno, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:44 (nineteen years ago)

Totally invalid comparison tbf.

― Mister Craig, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:50 (nineteen years ago)

k records was pretty dope actually.

― M@tt He1ges0n, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:51 (nineteen years ago)

KARP
LYNC

that Beck record is good, too

― Mr. Que, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:52 (nineteen years ago)

Lync is great,yes

― Zeno, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:53 (nineteen years ago)

i should also probably admit that i also once owned a Some Velvet Sidewalk record.

― Mr. Que, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:54 (nineteen years ago)

Mirah for me

― Michael F Gill, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:54 (nineteen years ago)

karp seconded. they ruled both on record and live. a great, great band.

some velvet sidewalk put out some pretty decent stuff.

― QuantumNoise, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:55 (nineteen years ago)

wait, weren't Fitz of Depression on K?

― Mr. Que, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:57 (nineteen years ago)

A vote for Love As Laughter since I know Beat Happening will get plenty of votes.

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy, Thursday, 10 May 2007 21:59 (nineteen years ago)

I once owned at least 7 Mecca Normal albums, plus a couple by side project 2 Foot Flame. God knows why. I think they were cheap.

― Matt #2, Thursday, 10 May 2007 22:00 (nineteen years ago)

Sarah Dougher's album on K is better than anybody else's album on K, Beck included

― J0hn D., Thursday, 10 May 2007 22:05 (nineteen years ago)

i havent heard them all, but from what i did it goes:

1.Beat Happening
2.The Make up
3.Lync
4.The Halo Benders
5.Karp

i would gave included Bikini Kill as well, but - what K record did they release?

― Zeno, Thursday, 10 May 2007 22:05 (nineteen years ago)

another Steve Fisk vote.

lamentably, Pell Mell is missing from this list--K put out a cassette of theirs--and, hey, i think they put out a cannanes cassette, too, back in the day.

― nerve_pylon, Thursday, 10 May 2007 22:12 (nineteen years ago)

This is skipping a good chunk of stuff, I think, even beyond the international / N.A. distribution / reissue stuff (e.g. Heavenly, the Talulah Gosh compilation, etc.). The BH/Heavenly vote breakdown might have been interesting, had they been on here.

― nabisco, Thursday, 10 May 2007 22:27 (nineteen years ago)

Beat Happening of course. I like a bunch of these bands actually. Maybe that makes me terrible.

― sonderangerbot, Thursday, 10 May 2007 22:55 (nineteen years ago)

No, it actually seems like one side effect of modern-day ILM-type knee-jerk sneering at boring jangly middle-of-road pop indie has been a weird occasional tolerance for actual scrappy raggedy-ass tweepunk indie, which, you know, was at least working on something, usually.

― nabisco, Thursday, 10 May 2007 22:59 (nineteen years ago)

I give it to the Make Up - put on one of the best shows I've ever seen. Its not every front man that can pull off that I-Am-Walking-On-The-Upstretched-Hands-Of-The-Audience routine, that was really kind of incredible to witness.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 10 May 2007 23:03 (nineteen years ago)

i have a personal obligation to vote for little wings...

but i still really like that early some velvet sidewalk sound.

― Steve Shasta, Thursday, 10 May 2007 23:07 (nineteen years ago)

nake up aren't a k band in my head, otherwise i'd vote them. but i voted all girl summer fun band, because they are the only 'twee' band i actually like.

― stevie, Thursday, 10 May 2007 23:27 (nineteen years ago)

no love for early Built to Spill? That's some of their best stuff!

― pgwp, Friday, 11 May 2007 00:19 (nineteen years ago)

Haha... nice to see my homeland represented.

Steve's my man so I second that. You can give him love @ stevefisk.com or on his MySpace...

Yes there was a Pell Mell cassette on K, (Bumper Crop) reissued later on SST or DGC (can't look it up now cause I screwed up the fonts on my computer and Discogs looks like weird mathematical Arabic). There was also a Shonen Knife cassette of their first 2 (Japanese) 8" LPs.

I asked Calvin about the Lee Hazelwood schtick, he said he was surprised that more people didn't catch that.

Tiger Trap were absolutely great live.

BTW: I think no one ever replied to a query I posted some time ago on the defunct indie mag thread asking what magazine (and network) is K alphabetically linked to... still no takers?

And lastly for the other 3 fans of Steve's I have a 12" coming out I did with him that you can hear HERE (for which I will probablly screw up the formatting and feel foolish). It's the one called "WOW"

― factcheckr, Friday, 11 May 2007 00:22 (nineteen years ago)

MECCA NORMAL.

I feel very alone on ILM in my love of this band (although I know Ned likes 'em), which I find incomprehensible.

Honorable mention to Fisk, Beat Happening, Bikini Kill, Beck, Courtney Love (three GREAT singles, Make Up.

I could have sworn Unwound had a release on K.

― sleeve, Friday, 11 May 2007 00:31 (nineteen years ago)

Maybe you people can help. A friend of mine once gave me a tape of a band on K that sounded like Slint (except maybe even darker?) I've lost it, and for very good reasons he's no longer my friend... any ideas what the band might have been?

― braveclub, Friday, 11 May 2007 00:41 (nineteen years ago)

factcheckr, upthread: couldn't find the thread you mentioned, but i think you must be referring to the Lost Music Network (LMN)--which begot OP Magazine. Started by John Foster and other pioneers at Evergreen College in Olympia and its independent radio station KAOS. i think K was named in homage to LMN.

and hey--what about those great Go Team 7"S and cassettes?

― nerve_pylon, Friday, 11 May 2007 01:12 (nineteen years ago)

So much of this stuff is awesome. I was conflicted, but I voted for Lync. K hate is nonsensical.

― fffv, Friday, 11 May 2007 01:33 (nineteen years ago)

Did I miss my fave on the list????

ICU

― peepee, Friday, 11 May 2007 02:09 (nineteen years ago)

The best answer isn't even on the thread (Mahjongg)

― Tape Store, Friday, 11 May 2007 02:10 (nineteen years ago)

I would have to vote for the Go Team as #1, followed closely by Oklahoma Scramble, followed closely by Wandering Lucy. None of them appear on the above list - I'm beginning to think of WL as the great lost K band, actually. If I'm constricted to the above list, I guess I'd be predictable and choose Beat Happening, Tiger Trap and Courtney Love.

― mike a, Friday, 11 May 2007 03:02 (nineteen years ago)

Mahjongg's seven inch isn't even out yet.

I should probably revisit Avalanche at some point, which is the SVS record I had.

― Mr. Que, Friday, 11 May 2007 03:05 (nineteen years ago)

re SVS: do hear Appetite for Extinction and the first couple of singles if you can. Kicking Giant totally stole huge chunks of their sound from those initial records.

― mike a, Friday, 11 May 2007 03:07 (nineteen years ago)

The new Mahjongg stuff is great, as usual.

― Tape Store, Friday, 11 May 2007 03:08 (nineteen years ago)

i've only heard one of the songs ;__;

― Mr. Que, Friday, 11 May 2007 03:10 (nineteen years ago)

I loved Karl Blau's last album. But I'm going to be super predicktable and go with BH.

― Drooone, Friday, 11 May 2007 03:12 (nineteen years ago)

i would never listen to any of these groups when on k

― creme1, Friday, 11 May 2007 03:36 (nineteen years ago)

bikini kill

― funny farm, Friday, 11 May 2007 03:42 (nineteen years ago)

The premise of this thread, while unfair, amuses me.

― Saxby D. Elder, Friday, 11 May 2007 04:52 (nineteen years ago)

No love for Kimya?

― Maciej, Friday, 11 May 2007 05:15 (nineteen years ago)

that first icu 7" was something else.

m.

― msp, Friday, 11 May 2007 05:26 (nineteen years ago)

I'm not voting for "least terrible"
K Records kicks ass!

Anyway, it would be too hard to choose :~)

― nicky lo-fi, Friday, 11 May 2007 06:14 (nineteen years ago)

...but I can't stop voting. It's such a power trip.
One Foot In The Grave is my favorite K album, so I'll vote BECK.

Somebody tell Kate Hanna I love her!

― nicky lo-fi, Friday, 11 May 2007 06:20 (nineteen years ago)

I love Kimya. But I voted for Bikini Kill, nonetheless.

― JN$OT, Friday, 11 May 2007 06:43 (nineteen years ago)

tiger trap's catalogue is perfect. one great album, one great EP. and i think two great non-album b-sides.

sarah dougher's first K album has one really great song on it but the rest leave me a little underwhelmed

lois rules but her catalogue feels stretched thin at times. and i saw her live once and didn't enjoy any of what she played, except when she played 'strumpet'

― electricsound, Friday, 11 May 2007 07:37 (nineteen years ago)

i completely hate about one-third of the bands in the poll

― electricsound, Friday, 11 May 2007 07:38 (nineteen years ago)

I can't vote because I love about a third of these. I have not heard of most of the others ever in my life before now when I read this thread.

― I know, right?, Friday, 11 May 2007 12:52 (nineteen years ago)

Gaze were great, too, but have fallen under the radar (even with Rose on drums).

― mike a, Friday, 11 May 2007 13:38 (nineteen years ago)

Seriously, no one has any clue which Bikini Kill record that is? They're such a Kill Rock Stars band to me, and if the question were just "which band on this list is the best" Bikini Kill wins handily (okay, maybe Modest Mouse) but depending on what their K output is I imagine a fair number of the BK votes would shift....

― Doctor Casino, Friday, 11 May 2007 14:09 (nineteen years ago)

I think it's the s/t EP with Double Dare Ya on it.

― Colonel Poo, Friday, 11 May 2007 14:11 (nineteen years ago)

Tiger Trap, oh yes, Tiger Trap. Can anything else break your heart and kick your ass at the same time like them?

― Masonic Boom, Friday, 11 May 2007 14:11 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, pretty sure it's that one. The first half of The CD Version Of The First Two Records (the second half being the split with Huggy Bear).

― Colonel Poo, Friday, 11 May 2007 14:12 (nineteen years ago)

My K POX:

All Girl Summer Fun Band
Beat Happening
Bikini Kill
Chicks on Speed
Karp
Kicking Giant
The Make-Up
Mecca Normal
The Softies
Tiger Trap

(from the above list - I'd put Heavenly in there if they were available)

― Colonel Poo, Friday, 11 May 2007 14:17 (nineteen years ago)

So it's settled - the time is right for a Tiger Trap reunion.

― mike a, Friday, 11 May 2007 14:33 (nineteen years ago)

I voted Mirah.

― Erroneous Botch, Friday, 11 May 2007 14:36 (nineteen years ago)

Yume Bitsu !!!!

― earinfections, Friday, 11 May 2007 15:41 (nineteen years ago)

both gaze albums come recommended

― electricsound, Friday, 11 May 2007 22:52 (nineteen years ago)

Couple of people mentioned the Go Team - love the Archer Come Sparrow tape. Donna Parker Pop is all instrumentals and not that interesting. Only heard one of the 7"s - anyone here have the 7"s and the Your Pretty Guitar tape in digital format, hint my email address works :) ?

― Colonel Poo, Friday, 11 May 2007 23:12 (nineteen years ago)

Oh crap the email addresses don't show now do they. Well it's my username with no space at hotmail.com ;)

― Colonel Poo, Friday, 11 May 2007 23:13 (nineteen years ago)

I have Mitsumeru by Gaze and I've heard Shake The Pounce but I couldn't really get into either of them that much.

― Colonel Poo, Friday, 11 May 2007 23:14 (nineteen years ago)

Re: Bikini Kill:

I think it's the s/t EP with Double Dare Ya on it.

My copy has a KRS label but I guess it could be a different edition. It's a hell of a record in any case. "Carnival" and "Double Dare Ya" would both go in my top five BK songs. "I'll win that Motley Crue mirror.... IF IT FUCKING KILLS ME!"

― Doctor Casino, Saturday, 12 May 2007 00:19 (nineteen years ago)

I voted for Dub Narcotic Sound System who I remember really loving.

― filthy dylan, Saturday, 12 May 2007 01:16 (nineteen years ago)

Was the "There's A Dyke In The Pit" comp 7" on K or just distro'ed by them? I can't remember. If it was on K, Bikini Kill's "Suck My Left One" was on that, along with 7 Year Bitch and two other bands I forget.

― sleeve, Saturday, 12 May 2007 01:53 (nineteen years ago)

Which Built to Spill release is that?

― Sundar, Saturday, 12 May 2007 02:05 (nineteen years ago)

normal years

― electricsound, Saturday, 12 May 2007 07:44 (nineteen years ago)

Dr Casino, you're right that EP is on KRS. Digging around on Google it seems the Revolution Girl Style Now cassette was released by K.

― Colonel Poo, Saturday, 12 May 2007 11:10 (nineteen years ago)

BEAT HAPPENING WON

IN OTHER NEWS, 11 PEOPLE TO BE BANNED FROM ILM

― abanana, Thursday, 17 May 2007 03:59 (nineteen years ago)

Missed this, but here's my two cents:

http://www.emusic.com/lists/showlist.html?lid=745016

K might have put out Bikini Kill's classic Revolution Girl-Style Now casette, though I don't have it in front of me. K distributed pretty much all the riot grrrl singles, whatever the label. But I'd still have voted for Beat Happening.

― Pete Scholtes, Thursday, 17 May 2007 12:44 (nineteen years ago)

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