V/A - Slaying Since 1996

V/A
Slaying Since 1996
Suicide Squeeze Records
Grade: A-

This expansive double-disc release serves as a celebratory ten-year anniversary party for Seattle’s Suicide Squeeze Records. The record walks you chronologically through Suicide Squeeze’s catalog and winds up with a parade of unreleased material on the second disc. That catalog early on focused on releasing 7”s, singles, and EPs of some of the indie world major players – including Modest Mouse, Elliott Smith, and the Black Heart Procession. Later, and particularly today, Suicide Squeeze began toting around an impressive roster of their own. And between the one-offs and reoccurring friends, they are all here. On the first disc, highlights come courtesy of Modest Mouse’s “A Life of Artic Sounds” from their 1996 7” of the same name, Elliott Smith’s amazing “Division Day” from his 1997 7”, the unreleased “Cycle Suitor” from Pennsy’s Electric Workhorses Songs, “Dirty Business” from the Constantines out-of-print EP The Modern Sinner Nervous Man, the live version of “Yearnin’” from the Black Keys, “Sleeping Diagonally” from the collaboration of Iron and Wine and Six Parts Seven, and “2014” from the Unicorns 2004 7”. Again, with a high density of unreleased tracks, second disc faves include the unreleased demo of “Baby Boy” from Crystal Skulls, Six Parts Seven’s unreleased single “Afternoon Bed,” the unreleased “Jean Bapiste” by Metal Hearts, Chin Up Chin Up’s unreleased “Trophy’s for Hire,” Earlimart’s “Caruthers Boy,” and Russian Circles’ unreleased “Upper Ninety.” For a quick but thorough education on Suicide Squeeze, this anniversary release is terrific.