Bakesale – seBADoh

Links

Album Review - Rolling Stone Magazine - 1st December 1994

Hear samples of the album HERE

Bakesale is not going to be the only album by Sebadoh to be found in my top 50, in fact I’ll be surprised if I don’t end up including all of them! Sebadoh are one of my favourite bands of the last 20 years, to me they are the lo-fi equivalent of The Beatles! I really rate them that highly.

I first heard Sebadoh whilst sitting in a pub in Shepherds Bush, I think I was going to a gig at the Empire, possibly Buffalo Tom. My friend Jason Tilbrook came in for a pint, he got out his personal stereo and said listen to this. The track he played me was a David Crosby song called ‘Burned’, Sebadoh had covered it on the seBADoh Vs Helmet album. From that moment I was taken by them. My liking for them was cemented when I discovered that the singer, Lou Barlow had been the bass player in Dinosaur Jr, That’s right the floppy haired one in the Freak Scene video!!!!

Of course me being me, I went out and bought the whole back catalogue and continued to buy albums as they came out.

Bakesale splits the song writing talents of Lou Barlow and Jason Loewenstein. Both have very different styles, Lou is sensitive and intense whilst Jason provides the louder, rockier songs, delivered with a surprising sensitivity that Lou would be proud of. Bakesale isn’t so much poppy as catchy in a poppy/non poppy way. All they song have great hook lines and great melodies. For me this is the first album where Jason Loewenstein’s song writing comes to the fore giving Lou Barlow a real run for his money!

Stand out track for me are Magnet’s Coil, Not Too Amused, Drama Mine and the beautiful Together Or Alone.

Bakesale Tour

I saw Sebadoh at The Garage, Highbury on the Bakesale tour. It was the 8th April 1994 the day Kurt Cobain’s body was discovered. Sebadoh where due to support Nirvana on the In Utero tour later that month. I remember Sebadoh dedicating two songs to Kurt, Soul and Fire (Bubble and Scrape) and Junk Bonds (Rocking The Forest), the latter being a ferocious drone rock rampage, very apt, very ape.

Links

Sebadoh.com

Loobiecore - Lou Barlow website

Jakerock.com - Jason Loewenstein

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