''Frigid Stars LP'' is the debut album by American
indie rock
Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produc ...
band
Codeine. It was released in August 1990 on
Glitterhouse in Europe and in Spring 1991 on
Sub Pop in the US. The album was released to generally positive reviews and is regarded as being one of the pioneering albums in the
slowcore
Slowcore is a subgenre of alternative rock and indie rock. The music of slowcore artists is generally characterized by bleak lyrics, downbeat melodies, slower tempos and minimalist arrangements. Slowcore is often used interchangeably with the ...
and
sadcore
Sadcore is a subgenre occasionally identified by music journalists to describe examples of alternative rock characterised by bleak lyrics, downbeat melodies and slower tempos, or alternatively, songs with deceivingly upbeat melodies that are simu ...
genres. It was chosen by ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
'' in 2008 as one of the 20 best Sub Pop albums.
"New Year's" is a cover version of a track co-written by
Bitch Magnet
Bitch Magnet was an American post-hardcore band who formed in 1986 at Oberlin College in Ohio and later moved to North Carolina, United States. They released their first record in 1988. All of the band's albums were released on Communion Records ...
singer
Sooyoung Park. Park did not record the track himself until 1992, with new band
Seam. Park is featured on the song "Summer Dresses", which can be found on the 2012 expanded re-issue by the label
The Numero Group
The Numero Group is an archival record label that creates compilations of previously released music, reissues original albums, and creates album reconstructions from a variety of musical genres. The label, known as Numero, was founded in 2003 b ...
. This edition also placed "3 Angels" to the fourth track on the album. "Cave-In" has been covered by rock band
Cave In
Cave In is an American rock band that formed in 1995 in Methuen, Massachusetts. The band's lineup solidified with the 1998 release of ''Until Your Heart Stops'' through Hydra Head Records, and their early albums were prominent in the metalco ...
and appears on their compilation album ''
Anomalies, Vol. 1''. The song title was the inspiration for their band name.
The phrase "frigid stars" is taken from a line in the song "Crap Rap 2" by
The Fall from their 1979 album ''
Live at the Witch Trials''.
Track listing
Personnel
;Codeine
*
Chris Brokaw
Chris Brokaw (born August 1, 1964) is an American musician, best known for his work with the bands Come and Codeine.
Life and career
While studying at Oberlin College, Brokaw met many people who became figures on the American indie rock scene ...
– drums, guitar
* John Engle – guitar
*
Stephen Immerwahr – bass guitar, vocals, all instruments on demo versions of "Pea", "Second Chance", "Pickup Song", "Cave-In", and "Kitchen"
;Additional personnel
* Mike McMackin – piano on "Pea"
* Peter Pollack - drums on "Castle", "Skeletons", and "3 Angels"
* Sooyoung Park - bass on demo version of "Summer Dresses"
;Production
*Mike McMackin - production, recording
*Laura Larson - photography
*Tammi Colichio - cover art
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Codeine (band) albums
Sub Pop albums
1990 debut albums