They’re nobody’s buzz bands anymore. But since 1993, MAGNET has discovered and documented more great music than memory will allow. The groups may have broken up or the albums may be out of print, but this time, history is written by the losers. Here are some of the finest albums that time forgot but we remembered in issue #75, plus all-new additions to our list of Lost Classics.
:: POND
Pond // Sub Pop, 1993
After Nevermind, major-label A&R reps tirelessly scoured the Northwest in search of more damaged dudes with Superfuzz Bigmuff riffs and the whiff of flannel about them. Portland, Ore., never quite cottoned to the grunge orthodoxy but nevertheless nurtured its own society of slack: Heatmiser (featuring Elliott Smith), Hazel, Sprinkler and Pond. Originally hailing from Juneau, Alaska, Pond quickly gained acceptance in Portland’s notoriously cliquey indie scene. The trio’s self-titled debut is a naive, charming artifact of the times, complete with the Eastern-accented guitars and aggressive “lead bass” (strummed aggro-style on a six-stringed instrument cranked to infinity) that formed the swinging foundation of Pond’s swirling proto-emo.
Catching Up: In hindsight, it’s obvious that the band was a fleeting collaboration by two songwriters with very different agendas. After Pond broke up in 1998, singer/guitarist Charlie Campbell formed the experimental, muso-minded Goldcard, while singer/bassist Chris Brady began the more straightforward Audio Learning Center.
“Young Splendor”:
2 replies on “Lost Classics: Pond “Pond””
This is a good record, but the other two were way better. They really came into their own on the second album The Practice of Joy Before Death, and the final album Rock Collection is a true lost classic.
Any updates on what they are doing now?