Tsunami’s new five-LP box set “Loud As Is” collects the work of this too-overlooked Virginia band that were a pillar of the indie rock scene in the 1990s. They might not be remembered as well as some of their higher profile peers, but between their excellent music and bandleaders Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson’s work with the Simple Machines label, Tsunami were one of the most important indie rock bands of that era. Their three albums, long out of print, have been reissued by Numero Group in a gorgeous box set, along with a two-disc compilation of singles and other assorted strays.
“Loud As Is” is a must-listen for anybody who likes smart, noisy, nervy rock music, whether you’re already familiar with Tsunami or not.
In the ‘90s there was a specific kind of sound. Guitar-driven, noise-drenched through distortion or lo-fi recording equipment or both, discordant but tuneful, vestigial punk ethics but without the rigid musical orthodoxy… it started as a largely American trend that grew out of hardcore and ‘80s college rock a la R.E.M. and The Feelies, popping up here and there on a band-by-band basis, few bands embodied that independent spirit better than Tsunami.
The true revelation with “Loud As Is” is that their final album, 1997’s “A Brilliant Mistake”, is their strongest; this whole scene was beginning fraying by ‘97, with the best bands from the first half of the decade either stagnating or trying hard to grow, and as a college radio DJ enamoured with post-rock and indie-pop and the hometown Elephant 6 scene Tsunami seemed to have hit a lull by the time they released their last album. “A Brilliant Mistake” might not share the more obvious indie rock trappings of their first two albums, but it’s the band’s highwater mark on almost every level; it features Toomey and Thomson’s most nuanced and powerful song-writing, their strongest vocal performances, and the most varied and interesting arrangements in their catalogue.
It’s the kind of record where the first song is so transcendent that you almost want to put it on repeat and not even get to the rest of it. That’d be a tragedy, of course, as the rest of the album is almost as great as “Old Grey Mare.”
This is in no way a slight to the band’s other albums, or the material collected on “World Tour & Other Destinations. Deep End” released in ‘93, recorded in ‘92—is a sterling snapshot of the scene at that exact moment in time, in the wake of Nirvana’s eruption blowing everything wide open and driving desperate major label A&R men to hit on any band with a seven-inch and a modicum of college radio buzz. It includes what’s probably their best-remembered song today, “Genius of Crack,” a minor indie rock anthem and mix tape staple of the day.
Part of the band’s touring for “Deep End” included dates on the Lollapalooza second stage in ‘93 alongside Sebadoh and a couple of Sonic Youth-related projects, to show you the kind of circles they travelled in.
They followed that up quickly with the 1994 LP “The Heart’s Tremolo“, which is a dronier, more atmospheric, and more complex record, and then ‘97’s genuinely brilliant swan song. The first two albums, especially, are a great summary of what college radio sounded like in ‘93 and ‘94, but you can also hear why this great band didn’t become as big as colleagues like Sebadoh, Yo La Tengo or Pavement; their songs are probably a little too challenging for high school kids, less generous with pop hooks, and simultaneously a little brainier than something like Sebadoh but also more emotional than a band like Pavement (although not resembling ‘90s emo in terms of sound or lyrical self-indulgence). “Loud As Is” a powerful reminder that Tsunami wasn’t just “important” but also a really good band.
Tsunami’s “Loud Is As” boxset out November 8th from Numero Group. Sprung from the DC punk and politics that inspired Dischord, TeenBeat and the Riot Grrrl revolution, Washington, DC’s Tsunami crashed into the 90s with wit, distortion and a sharp-tongued feminist spirit.
This five LP box set collects eleven 7″s, 4-track demos, 1993’s “Deep End“, 1994’s “The Heart’s Tremolo“, plus the first-ever vinyl pressing of 1997’s acclaimed “A Brilliant Mistake“. Drawing on the suitcase archives of their own Simple Machines Records, Tsunami’s ambition – from all ages basement shows to the second stage of Lollapalooza – is captured in essays, photos, and ephemera, revealing the DIY history of the alternative music revolution.
The Fat Angel Sings 