"There was no support system for this shit."
May 16, 2016 9:41 AM Subscribe
"The obscurity of this music, that someone had found, catalogued and championed it pre-Internet, boggled my mind. It was an esoteric document in the sense that it was full of obscure knowledge intended for a small number of people. But it was also esoteric in the sense that there seemed to be something mystical about it. A sort of musical Nag Hammadi Library of hidden music, rare artifacts, treasures reverently compiled, to be listened to in a ritual way."
The story of the Nurse With Wound List.
Speaking of Nurse With Wound, their entire back-catalogue is on Bandcamp.
(If you like metronomic krautrock, I can recommend Simple Headphone Mind.)
posted by acb at 10:01 AM on May 16, 2016 [6 favorites]
(If you like metronomic krautrock, I can recommend Simple Headphone Mind.)
posted by acb at 10:01 AM on May 16, 2016 [6 favorites]
acb: I just opened this to read in my browser, switching to Article View. It took me a few minutes to realise that the music I was listening to on Spotify (Mikael Seifu, The Lost Drum Beat) was being drowned out by the acoustic guitar loop of a video ad the article was playing in the background; and I wondered why it sounded more banal than the last time I heard it.
Oh dear. Sorry about that. I didn't get any autoplay nonsense - and if I had I'd have warned about it. Simple Headphone Mind is great - Stereolab vs NWW is a good combination.
posted by Len at 10:05 AM on May 16, 2016
Oh dear. Sorry about that. I didn't get any autoplay nonsense - and if I had I'd have warned about it. Simple Headphone Mind is great - Stereolab vs NWW is a good combination.
posted by Len at 10:05 AM on May 16, 2016
My uncle was into a bunch of these bands and turned my dad onto them too, so I first heard Can, Throbbing Gristle, The Residents, and Red Krayola (to name a few) in my parents' living room.
When my uncle shuffles off this mortal coil he is going to leave behind a pretty legendary record collection. I was just talking to my sister about how weird it'll be to tell my kids that when I was a teen my idea of a nice Saturday was to walk to my local indie record store and spend the afternoon browsing, trying to find deals on albums by bands I'd been meaning to check out based on criteria such as "mentioned in other band's liner notes."
posted by town of cats at 10:08 AM on May 16, 2016 [10 favorites]
When my uncle shuffles off this mortal coil he is going to leave behind a pretty legendary record collection. I was just talking to my sister about how weird it'll be to tell my kids that when I was a teen my idea of a nice Saturday was to walk to my local indie record store and spend the afternoon browsing, trying to find deals on albums by bands I'd been meaning to check out based on criteria such as "mentioned in other band's liner notes."
posted by town of cats at 10:08 AM on May 16, 2016 [10 favorites]
This is extremely in my wheelhouse. I've heard the NWW list mentioned reverently in whispers, like some kind of holy, sacred document.
posted by naju at 10:09 AM on May 16, 2016
posted by naju at 10:09 AM on May 16, 2016
Thank you for this--I wasn't aware of NWW's oeuvre being all on Bandcamp, among other things. Any time my sibling is occasioned to ask me what I want as a gift, I refer them to the NWW List. It has worked out nicely.
posted by sandettie light vessel automatic at 11:01 AM on May 16, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by sandettie light vessel automatic at 11:01 AM on May 16, 2016 [1 favorite]
Oh man, I first heard about this through the ILX fora, and have managed to find most but not all. There used to be, once upon a time, a torrent of all of them, and there was also a SLSK user that had the whole list as a folder. Unfortunately, the torrent stopped being seeded and the SLSK user disappeared, so I've been trying to track down a bunch of random stuff from this list (and the second one) for years.
But this was basically one of those things that made me a hardcore filesharing advocate — there was no way that most of it would ever be reissued, and there was just no other way for me to hear it at all, and so much of it blew my mind.
After this, I'd say that the next best megatorrent that's currently unseeded is the John Peel Box, which was all of the records that he kept in a box (natch) so that he could grab them in case of a fire.
(After that, probably the mammoth ChrisGoesRock psych torrent, another that's perpetually at 99% in my bt folder.)
posted by klangklangston at 11:03 AM on May 16, 2016 [4 favorites]
But this was basically one of those things that made me a hardcore filesharing advocate — there was no way that most of it would ever be reissued, and there was just no other way for me to hear it at all, and so much of it blew my mind.
After this, I'd say that the next best megatorrent that's currently unseeded is the John Peel Box, which was all of the records that he kept in a box (natch) so that he could grab them in case of a fire.
(After that, probably the mammoth ChrisGoesRock psych torrent, another that's perpetually at 99% in my bt folder.)
posted by klangklangston at 11:03 AM on May 16, 2016 [4 favorites]
Airway's Live at LACE is possibly the best American noise record ever.
posted by porn in the woods at 11:31 AM on May 16, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by porn in the woods at 11:31 AM on May 16, 2016 [1 favorite]
If anyone does know of a working torrent for this link, share! Or at least memail me.
posted by naju at 11:35 AM on May 16, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by naju at 11:35 AM on May 16, 2016 [1 favorite]
Wow...I have been acquainted with NWW for a long time, and enjoy many artists on that list, but had not actually heard of "the list" until now.
Feeling very uncool, yet excited too.
posted by medeine at 1:07 PM on May 16, 2016 [1 favorite]
Feeling very uncool, yet excited too.
posted by medeine at 1:07 PM on May 16, 2016 [1 favorite]
I first saw the NWW list on Usenet, but only succeeded in hearing a good number of the artists on it after YouTube came along.
posted by ryanshepard at 1:09 PM on May 16, 2016
posted by ryanshepard at 1:09 PM on May 16, 2016
There was a hotline server back in the beginning of the 00's where you could find tons of experimental/noise stuff organized by artists name, there was a NWW folder of course but also a NWW List folder where users tried to complete the list, that's where I first heard about it. I still have a ton of mp3s from that hotline server...
posted by SageLeVoid at 1:29 PM on May 16, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by SageLeVoid at 1:29 PM on May 16, 2016 [2 favorites]
The Relapse Records catalog was my intro to them c. 1997; didn't realize there was this whole backstory.
posted by aspersioncast at 2:15 PM on May 16, 2016
posted by aspersioncast at 2:15 PM on May 16, 2016
I remember the first time I saw the NWW list and being surprised to find Alabama musicians on it. One of my best friends growing up took violin lessons from LaDonna Smith who is on the list along with fellow Alabamian and long time collaborator Davey Williams, who are both still very active in the improv music scene.
posted by ndfine at 2:28 PM on May 16, 2016
posted by ndfine at 2:28 PM on May 16, 2016
I've heard them all--thanks, SLSK!
posted by Joseph Gurl at 3:10 PM on May 16, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Joseph Gurl at 3:10 PM on May 16, 2016 [3 favorites]
I only know if NWW thanks to their collaboration with Sunn O))) on Iron Soul of Nothing. Many thanks for putting this post together!
That collaboration is definitely worth a look if you're into drone and general whatthefuckery.
posted by Dark Messiah at 3:19 PM on May 16, 2016
That collaboration is definitely worth a look if you're into drone and general whatthefuckery.
posted by Dark Messiah at 3:19 PM on May 16, 2016
hotline server back in the beginning of the 00's
I was 'pepe, the hotline king back' in the day.
Was the site homie? manifest destiny? n0ise?
posted by porn in the woods at 3:59 PM on May 16, 2016
I was 'pepe, the hotline king back' in the day.
Was the site homie? manifest destiny? n0ise?
posted by porn in the woods at 3:59 PM on May 16, 2016
I only know of NWW by the infamous nature of their list, which I came by in a Usenet discussion of Magma, in 2000. I have a folder somewhere that shows I tried to track down the list, but obviously gave up on it pretty quick.
posted by eclectist at 4:15 PM on May 16, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by eclectist at 4:15 PM on May 16, 2016 [1 favorite]
Article mentions Poo Bah Records in Pasadena, gets my approval
(Holy crap, Poo Bah still exists?! Bless its freaky little head!)
posted by gusandrews at 5:57 PM on May 16, 2016
(Holy crap, Poo Bah still exists?! Bless its freaky little head!)
posted by gusandrews at 5:57 PM on May 16, 2016
Diving into this rabbit hole now. Thanks Len!
posted by Grimp0teuthis at 6:02 PM on May 16, 2016
posted by Grimp0teuthis at 6:02 PM on May 16, 2016
I did a Nurse With Wound List–themed radio show once. Six hours.
posted by kenko at 8:56 PM on May 16, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by kenko at 8:56 PM on May 16, 2016 [3 favorites]
People looking to track this stuff down legit-wise should be aware that Wayside Music maintains a NWW List section of their catalogue.
posted by kenko at 8:58 PM on May 16, 2016
posted by kenko at 8:58 PM on May 16, 2016
Man, I don't even know when I first listened to NWW, and I've been bumming around the world of weirdshit music for ages, but I've somehow never run into this list. Still, looks like I'm batting at least 20-25% on having run into the relevant artists on my own, so I'm betting a lot of the rest are indeed right up my alley. Exciting!
posted by ubersturm at 10:33 PM on May 16, 2016
posted by ubersturm at 10:33 PM on May 16, 2016
Now that the NWW List is 35 years old, I kind of wonder what a present day list would consist of.
posted by ardgedee at 3:42 AM on May 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by ardgedee at 3:42 AM on May 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
Good point ardgedee! We could start a list here.
Here are two that I have heard this year:
NOMS - The Saws are Here*
Dave Price - Ritual Dance*
Vaporwave is disturbing enough to qualify I think.
There is still new recorded music that is difficult to find for a variety of reasons. For example I regularly hear tracks on The Late Junction on Radio 3 that are not available anywhere else. *The only reference to them on the internet is the playlist of the radio show. Aside from that, there does seem to be more music to wade through as the limitations on creating recorded music have mostly evaporated.
Rollins - "It used to surprise me that there could be so much great music that I had never heard of, but because of the NWW List, I take that as a fact."
It takes a lot of work to curate a good list, even today. Somebody has to have the time to listen to the music and a mind that is open as well as discerning.
posted by asok at 4:15 AM on May 17, 2016
Here are two that I have heard this year:
NOMS - The Saws are Here*
Dave Price - Ritual Dance*
Vaporwave is disturbing enough to qualify I think.
There is still new recorded music that is difficult to find for a variety of reasons. For example I regularly hear tracks on The Late Junction on Radio 3 that are not available anywhere else. *The only reference to them on the internet is the playlist of the radio show. Aside from that, there does seem to be more music to wade through as the limitations on creating recorded music have mostly evaporated.
Rollins - "It used to surprise me that there could be so much great music that I had never heard of, but because of the NWW List, I take that as a fact."
It takes a lot of work to curate a good list, even today. Somebody has to have the time to listen to the music and a mind that is open as well as discerning.
posted by asok at 4:15 AM on May 17, 2016
I remember the first time I saw the NWW list and being surprised to find Alabama musicians on it. One of my best friends growing up took violin lessons from LaDonna Smith who is on the list along with fellow Alabamian and long time collaborator Davey Williams, who are both still very active in the improv music scene.
Note: I checked the google: as expected, there's a Rev. Fred Lane connection.
posted by ovvl at 4:46 AM on May 17, 2016
Note: I checked the google: as expected, there's a Rev. Fred Lane connection.
posted by ovvl at 4:46 AM on May 17, 2016
WFMU's Adventures of the Nurse With Wound List, 2005:
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
posted by enfa at 5:55 AM on May 17, 2016 [3 favorites]
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
posted by enfa at 5:55 AM on May 17, 2016 [3 favorites]
I think I've been through about half of the list? I remember a blog that posted many of the entries from there, back in the day.
Lots of people have assigned specific releases, or figured which ones were heavily implied, for each of the artists listed.
That wave of mid-aughts rare record blogs kept me inundated with NWW entries for a long time, and I still have tonnes to sift through from the haul.
posted by Theta States at 1:40 PM on May 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
Lots of people have assigned specific releases, or figured which ones were heavily implied, for each of the artists listed.
That wave of mid-aughts rare record blogs kept me inundated with NWW entries for a long time, and I still have tonnes to sift through from the haul.
posted by Theta States at 1:40 PM on May 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
Thanks for posting. I have heard of the band but didn't know they made this list and this list's influence.
As a 29yr old, I'm still constantly amazed how much work people had to go through to discover music in the very recent past, heck just 15 years ago! The internet really removed a lot of barriers for curious people including myself.
The barriers are continued to be lowered. Relatedly, As a young teenager, if I heard a great lyric on the radio, I'd have to write it down, and note when and where it was played, then go home and checking their website to see if the playlist from that show was added online (if not, then calling them).
Now, it's just putting your phone up to the sound, and having it identified instantly (not perfect, but soundhound and shazam are able 80+% of time in my college radio listening habits).
posted by fizzix at 2:50 PM on May 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
As a 29yr old, I'm still constantly amazed how much work people had to go through to discover music in the very recent past, heck just 15 years ago! The internet really removed a lot of barriers for curious people including myself.
The barriers are continued to be lowered. Relatedly, As a young teenager, if I heard a great lyric on the radio, I'd have to write it down, and note when and where it was played, then go home and checking their website to see if the playlist from that show was added online (if not, then calling them).
Now, it's just putting your phone up to the sound, and having it identified instantly (not perfect, but soundhound and shazam are able 80+% of time in my college radio listening habits).
posted by fizzix at 2:50 PM on May 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
As a 51 year old, I've wondered if there isn't something that you miss out on when things are so easily accessible. And I honestly don't know. Maybe obscurity itself is a feature, or maybe it's just that I've learned to associate the searching process with so many things I love.
It's mostly great that I don't have to buy music without having heard it anymore, but sometimes, I kind of miss that, and not just for pointless nostalgia reasons. The searching part was fun.
BTW, just in case anyone here isn't familiar with it, ubuweb has a fair amount of overlap with the NWW list, plus lots of other stuff. I'm not going to link it, though, because I want everyone to have to walk uphill barefoot in the snow to find it.
posted by ernielundquist at 5:29 PM on May 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
It's mostly great that I don't have to buy music without having heard it anymore, but sometimes, I kind of miss that, and not just for pointless nostalgia reasons. The searching part was fun.
BTW, just in case anyone here isn't familiar with it, ubuweb has a fair amount of overlap with the NWW list, plus lots of other stuff. I'm not going to link it, though, because I want everyone to have to walk uphill barefoot in the snow to find it.
posted by ernielundquist at 5:29 PM on May 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
As a 51 year old, I've wondered if there isn't something that you miss out on when things are so easily accessible.
There is certainly adventure and exploration that will be unique to our generations of record stores and zines, but I'm sure future generations will have their own unique adventures of discovery.
I am happy to have lived all of those years sifting through record store basements, but I am relieved that I don't have an entire room dedicated to my music collection any more. :)
posted by Theta States at 7:22 AM on May 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
There is certainly adventure and exploration that will be unique to our generations of record stores and zines, but I'm sure future generations will have their own unique adventures of discovery.
I am happy to have lived all of those years sifting through record store basements, but I am relieved that I don't have an entire room dedicated to my music collection any more. :)
posted by Theta States at 7:22 AM on May 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
YMMV but I believe some of that searching is going on in sites like Bandcamp, where mountains of amazing, leftfield material are being released every week from artists with a very small following. Part of it is being plugged in to people who are avidly sifting through that pile to find worthy releases. This week alone I'm seeing that my friends bought releases from Battle Trance, Marsen Jules, Autumn Pool, Hey Exit, Ruined, Gabriel Saloman, Matt Christensen, Forest Drive West, and Perc & Truss. I've only heard of one of those (Marsen Jules, who is quite good.) Digging for amazing obscurities never went away, necessarily, although it doesn't have the same dusty romanticism as it used to, now that you're doing it on the same machine you're doing your taxes on.
posted by naju at 11:25 AM on May 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by naju at 11:25 AM on May 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
Battle Trance
Extremely worthy, btw. (I haven't heard of the others.)
posted by kenko at 7:30 PM on May 19, 2016 [2 favorites]
Extremely worthy, btw. (I haven't heard of the others.)
posted by kenko at 7:30 PM on May 19, 2016 [2 favorites]
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posted by acb at 9:59 AM on May 16, 2016