Portastatic – Some Small History

Oh Portastatic, what more can you do? Aside from pumping out the best rock (or rock informed?) music for the past 15 years, you’ve released countless 7” singles, contributed to some classic compilations and zines, and released some beautiful and varied full length albums. The last two proper albums, 2005’s Bright Ideas and 2006’s Be Still Please, have been about as good as music gets, with catchy tunes, great lyrics, creative production and some stellar guitar noise. I just don’t understand why this isn’t loved by any body with a beating heart and working ears.

Maybe the reason Portastatic never quite became the household name of Pavement or Sebadoh is because Portastatic never really broke up. And if a quick Google search is to be believed, it is mostly known as Mac McCaughan’s side project for a band called Superchunk. Huh. I hope the custodians of music history have been kinder to his other band.

A CD collection of loose ends and previously vinyl-only material is pretty much the last milestone of any long-running musical endeavor. Some Small History is about as all over the place you’d expect of any collection of fifteen-plus years of material. There are rough gems and full-on (if-indie-rock-got-played-on-the-fucking-radio) hits, and some pretty stellar covers. “Oh, My Sweet Carolina” makes me regret anything negative I’ve ever said about Ryan Adams. Of the non-cover variety, “Some Small History” and the classic “San Andreas Couch,” which open up disc two, showcase back-to-back the most rewarding qualities of both hi-fi and lo-fi respectively, and will make you reconsider which side of the fidelity fence you’re on that day.

Regardless of which disc you’re on, there are going to be songs that don’t quite belong on a mix tape. That would be problematic if the songs were arranged chronologically, but the songs that are less fully realized are placed poignantly throughout the collection to give a sense of fullness and depth. It feels as if you’re listening to an album that took 15 years to make.

Mac McCaughan has been making music for a long time, and this collection shows that through sheer willpower he can turn what should have been a disconnected collection of odds and ends into a compelling and creative album.

You can stream the full record for a limited time at the always classy Merge Records site.

What other blogs are saying about Portastatic – Some Small History:

• Prefix

• Pitchfork

• Hard To Find a Friend

• Pop Matters

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