Beulah - Handsome Western States (1997)

Previously on OPIUM HUM:
Beulah - When Your Heartstrings Break (1999)

Sweet, fuzzy, lo-fi indie rock. I saw Beulah sometime around late 2001 (maybe 2002) and my big takeaway, other than it being a really great show, was that I'd never seen a band less concerned about looking cool. Truly endearing, and with a seemingly endless arsenal of bittersweet hooks to match.

Track listing:
1. Maroon Bible
2. Law Low for the Letdown
3. Disco: The Secretaries Blues
4. The Rise and Fall of Our Hero's Reward
5. I Love John, She Loves Paul
6. Slo-Mo for the Masses
7. I've Been Broken (I've Been Fixed)
8. Queen of the Populists
9. Shotgun Dedication
10. Rust with Me
11. Delta
12. Dig the Subatomic Holdout #2

If it's any consolation
Remember we're fucked up together
So far

Also listen to:

Circulatory System -
Circulatory System (2000)

Elf Power -
The Winter Is Coming (2000)

Beulah - When Your Heartstrings Break (1999)

Super nerdy, ornate, Beach Boys-worshipping E6-associated power pop. You can practically hear the vocalist pushing the bridge of his thick-framed glasses up the ridge of his nose with his index finger before singing every verse. Embellished by French horns, phased synths, xylophone, and other 90s indie favorites. "Emma Blowgun's Last Stand" surely deserves a place on your "Indie Rock's Greatest Hits" playlist.

Track listing:
1. Score from Augusta
2. Sunday Under Glass
3. Matter Vs. Space
4. Emma Blowgun's Last Stand
5. Calm Go the Wild Seas
6. Ballad of the Lonely Argonaut
7. Comrade's Twenty-Sixth
8. The Aristocratic Swells
9. Silverado Days
10. Warmer
11. If We Can Land a Man on the Moon, Surely I Can Win Your Heart

Let's see the sights!

You might also enjoy:

Marbles - Marbles (1993)

Luna - The Days of Our Nights (1999)