Fly Ashtray

this band is wonderful -- the stuff they have on bandcamp isn't the what I'd think of as their canonical stuff (the shimmy disc stuff, "farfetchedness" on dark beloved cloud) -- but what does "canonical" mean in a band this obscure? and yet, their level of quality is remarkable; one of those "if you like what they do, you'll like all their stuff" bands. and what do they do? indie rock that's very of the before-anybody-gave-a-shit stripe -- very disciplined but with a loose feel, methodical in a way that makes their songs feel like self-contained puzzled they were solving when they wrote them. singular band! great band! now they have a thread!

I remember the name from reviews in various US fanzines in the 90s. I may have something by them somewhere I also may have still not actually heard them.

xp all of that is otm, fly ashtray are an instituion (at least in new york) and their constancy in a changing world is as striking as their quality.

see also: https://phoamingedison.bandcamp.com/

Love Fly Ashtray!

Also RIYL Uncle Wiggly IMO

Clumps Takes a Ride was one of the initial batch of american indie rock things I heard around 1991/1992 and is fully imprinted in my mind from that time. Still sounds so fresh, and yeah - disciplined but loose - coming from listening more to uk indie or even american bands on uk labels (Galaxie 500, Pixies, etc) this along with Slanted and No Pocky and Imperial ffrr was like a whole new world freshman year of college. Never knew why it wasn't held in similar regard at the time or now but still listen to this and Tone Sensations on the regular.

Yeah I was thrilled to find a vinyl copy of that a month or so ago