45: Sub Pop Singles Club

One of the more genius moves for Sub Pop in its early days was the creation of the Sub Pop Singles Club, in which subscribers received a new, limited-edition seven-inch once a month via the postal service. The Singles Club, which began in November 1988 with a pressing of Nirvana’s first single, “Love Buzz”, helped Sub Pop market itself as a national brand, a label whose reach extended far beyond the fledgling grunge scene in Seattle that it had become closely associated with thanks to a series of cassette compilations and releases by Green River and Soundgarden. Over the first year-and-change of the Singles Club, Sub Pop released seven-inches by bands from NYC, Chicago, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, and Washington DC, helping to break artists like The Flaming Lips, Fugazi, The Afghan Whigs, and Rapeman. This covers-heavy set includes every song, presented in chronological order, released as part of the first 14 entries (Nov. ’88 through Dec. ’89) in the Sub Pop Singles Club.

Playlist

  1. Nirvana — Love Buzz
  2. Nirvana — Big Cheese
  3. Sonic Youth — Touch Me I’m Sick
  4. Mudhoney — Halloween
  5. The Flaming Lips — Drug Machine
  6. The Flaming Lips — Strychnine / … Peace, Love & Understanding
  7. Les Thugs — Chess & Crimes
  8. Les Thugs — Sunday Time
  9. Helios Creed — Nothing Wrong
  10. Helios Creed — The Sky
  11. The Afghan Whigs — I Am The Sticks
  12. The Afghan Whigs — White Trash Party
  13. Mad Daddys — Take Me Back To Woodstock
  14. Mad Daddys — Alligator Wine
  15. Tad — Damaged I
  16. Pussy Galore — Damaged II
  17. Das Damen — Sad Mile
  18. Das Damen — Making Time
  19. Rapeman — Inki’s Butt Crack
  20. Rapeman — Song Number One
  21. Lazy Cowgirls — Loretta
  22. Lazy Cowgirls — Hybrid Moments
  23. Lonely Moans — Shoot The Cool
  24. Lonely Moans — Texas Love Goat
  25. The Honeymoon Killers — Get It Hot
  26. The Honeymoon Killers — Gettin’ Hot
  27. Fugazi — Song #1
  28. Fugazi — Joe #1 / Break-In