The Apples in Stereo - High Tide

The Apples in Stereo came from Colorado and were part of the Elephant 6 collective - a label/association/whatever I've always had some reservations about. Too often, the Elephants' psychedelic pop seemed to be more about attitude than songs, and they came across rather smug and irritating. Even when they were good.

The Apples' debut album, 1995's Fun Trick Noisemaker, fell (mostly) into the "good" category and is certainly one I would recommend if you're curious about Elephant 6. But I wouldn't call any of it indispensable.

Olivia Tremor Control - Courtyard

The Olivia Tremor Control were part of the Elephant 6 collective - I'm not sure what exactly was "collective" about it, but that's how Elephant 6 is always described - a group of American bands who played pleasant, mildly psychedelic pop music in the early to mid 1990s. Generally, I found them palatable in small doses only; they were a bit too wheezy for my liking and they all seemed to sort of write the same song over and over again. But for an EP's length or so, they were worth a listen.

This is from an album whose title is far too long for me to ever remember (or be arsed to type) but had "Dusk at Cubist Castle" in it somewhere.