Galaxie 500: a compilation of unreleased and rare tracks.

THE Galaxy 500a New York slowcore band, were active for a short time, from 1987 to 1991, during which time they released three studio albums in as many years.

But in addition to what was released on record, the band had also kept other material, so in September the trio will make available 24 archive recordings – some of which are unreleased – in a new double album compilation entitled “Uncollected Noise New York ’88-’90”, due out on September 20, 2024.

Compiled by the band members themselves, the collection traces their career, from their first recordings together to some of their latest. It will include outtakes, B-sides and independent loosies (the exclusive tracks available for download).

“I understand why we left some of these songs in the vaults, but it’s a pleasure to hear them today,” says the singer and guitarist Dean Wareham. “They sound very alive, as if Galaxie 500 were playing in that brick-walled room that was Noise New York.”

“Opening these cassettes was like leafing through an old diary or appointment book: I had forgotten that most of these things had happened, but just a few details were enough to make me go back to the drum kit,” adds the drummer Damon Krukowski. “There are songs from all the Galaxie 500 recording sessions.”

Bassist Naomi Yang he says: “There’s a sweetness in hearing the progression of us finding our sound, our collective voice. The Proustian power of music. Listening to these early recordings I feel like I’m understanding how I wanted to play the bass: finding a way to go up the neck to where the notes would cut, where there would be a counter-melody to the singing. Making the bass my singing voice.”

“Shout You Down” And “I Wanna Live” are the two unreleased tracks released today that anticipate the collection. The first was recorded during the sessions for their debut album “Today” (1988), while the second comes from the recordings of “On Fire”, the band’s second album dated 1989.

TRACKLIST:
01 “Shout You Down” (Previously Unreleased)
02 “See Through Glasses” (Previously Unreleased)
03 “On The Floor (Noise Ny Version)” (Previously Unreleased)
04 “Can’t Believe It’s Me” (Ryko Box Set Bonus CD (Otherwise Unreleased)
05 “Oblivious” (Ryko Box Set Bonus CD, Chemical Imbalance Fanzine 7”)
06 “King Of Spain” (Today CD Bonus Track, Aurora Records 7” B-Side) (7/88 Session)
07 “Jerome” (Ryko Box Set Bonus CD (Otherwise Unreleased)
08 “Song In 3” (Ryko Box Set Bonus CD (Otherwise Unreleased)
09 “Crazy” (Ryko Box Set Bonus CD, European Today CD Bonus Track) (2/89 Session)
10 “I Wanna Live” (Previously Unreleased)
11 “I Will Walk” (Previously Unreleased)
12 “Cold Night” (On Fire CD Bonus Track, Rough Trade Blue Thunder Ep)
13 “Ceremony” (On Fire CD Bonus Track, Rough Trade Blue Thunder Ep) (8/89 Session)
14 “Never Get To Heaven” (Previously Unreleased)
15 “Maracas Song” (Ryko Box Set Bonus CD (Otherwise Unreleased)
16 “Victory Garden” (On Fire CD Bonus Track, Rough Trade Blue Thunder Ep)
17 “Blue Thunder (W/Sax)” (Ryko Box Set Bonus CD, Rough Trade Ep) (6/90 Session)
18 “Cheese And Onions” (Ryko Box Set Bonus CD, Rutles Highway Revisited Shimmy Disc Lp)
19 “Fourth Of July (Video Mix)”
20 “Cactus” (Previously Unreleased)
21 “Moonshot” (Previously Unreleased)
22 “Them” (Ryko Box Set Bonus CD (Otherwise Unreleased)
23 “Final Day” (Ryko Box Set Bonus CD (Otherwise Unreleased)
24 “Here She Comes Now” (This Is Our Music CD Bonus Track, Rough Trade Fourth Of July 12” B-Side)