Afghan Whigs - Up In It (1990)

"Amphetamines and Coffee" by Afghan Whigs

Shellac the Bozak claimed Ultrasuede-002.  There was no -003.  Ultrasuede-001 belonged to a release we've visited before: Big Top Halloween by Afghan Whigs; appropriate, as the Whigs's John Curley created the Ultrasuede "label" and studio.  As such, we return to Afghan Whigs and their second album Up In It released in 1990 on Sub Pop Records.

The Afghan Whigs got an indie label and grunge producer and it led to a step in more focused musical direction.  They now had a sound and lyrical themes to match, an evolution of metal and punk that dwells in the seedy minds of addicts, deviants and abusers.  The band brings to life, not the internal psychoses and obsessions of each song's character, but the world those characters live in... or at least they try to.  When it's not working, sometimes you just have to plod through it with guitars on loud.

Here is the discography surrounding Afghan Whigs's second album:

Jugula (1989 demo)

I Am the Sticks (1989 single)

Up In It

Sister Brother (1990 single)

Retarded (1990 single)

Up In It (1990 album CD version)

"Sister Brother" by Afghan Whigs

Afghan Whigs Live at The Middle East Cafe

"Hey Cuz" by Afghan Whigs

Pass the Headphones!!

Afghan Whigs - Big Top Halloween (1988)

"But Listen" by Afghan Whigs


The first years of Guided by Voices recordings are self-produced and independently released, so it's a fairly insular history early on.  However, their debut recording, the Forever Since Breakfast EP, was not home-produced and was released on I Wanna Records.  It was produced by Wayne Hartman who built a small body of recordings by working with Ohio-area bands.  Guided by Voices were from Dayton, and he also produced the 1988 debut album Big Top Halloween by Afghan Whigs who hailed from Cincinnati.

Here is the discography surrounding Afghan Whigs's debut album:

Big Top Halloween

Pass the Headphones!!