I Hope Your Heart Is Not Brittle

Last updated
I Hope Your Heart Is Not Brittle
Ihopeyourheartisnotbrittle.jpeg
Studio album by
Released1994
Genre Indie rock
Length48:26
Label Merge
Producer Mac McCaughan, Jerry Kee
Portastatic chronology
I Hope Your Heart Is Not Brittle
(1994)
Slow Note from a Sinking Ship
(1995)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 7/10 [2]

I Hope Your Heart Is Not Brittle is Portastatic's first studio album. [3] [4] It was released by Merge Records in 1994. [5]

It was also released in Japan with additional bonus tracks. These tracks are "Mute 1" which is the same as the Untitled hidden track on the US Merge release, "Replacement Parts" which is mislabeled, and is actually the song "Look Honey, Peaches" (available on the A Day in the Park compilation) and "Weighted Raft" (also available on the Ow!, Quit It 2x 7" compilation). According to Mac McCaughan, "Replacement Parts" was an unreleased song recorded for this album, but was not released until the compilation album, Some Small History (2008).

All songs on the album were performed entirely by Mac McCaughan, except "Naked Pilsners" which features Jennifer Walker on bass and V vocals, and "Beer and Chocolate Bars" which features Kaye Woodward on vocals.

The album was partially recorded at Duck Kee Studio in Mebane, North Carolina, by Jerry Kee, and partially on a Portastudio 4-track cassette recorder by Mac McCaughan.

Track listing

  1. "Mute 2"
  2. "Polaroid"
  3. "Gutter"
  4. "Naked Pilseners"
  5. "Tree Killer"
  6. "Creeping Around"
  7. "Weird Time"
  8. "Silver Screw"
  9. "Beer and Chocolate Bars"
  10. "Had"
  11. "Memphis"
  12. "Receiver"
  13. "Why Have You Come Back"
  14. "The Main Thing"
  15. "Untitled Bonus Track (Mute 1)"

Notes

  1. AllMusic review
  2. Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. p. 389.
  3. The Rough Guide to Rock (3rd ed.). Rough Guides. 2003. p. 1036.
  4. Cogan, Brian (2006). Encyclopedia of Punk Music and Culture. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 224.
  5. Cook, John (2009). Our Noise: The Story of Merge Records, the Indie Label That Got Big and Stayed Small. Algonquin Books. p. 114.

Related Research Articles

<i>Hidden Treasures</i> (EP) 1995 EP by Megadeth

Hidden Treasures is an EP by American thrash metal band Megadeth, released on July 18, 1995, via Capitol Records. The album features songs that originally appeared on film soundtracks and tribute albums. Four of the tracks were released as singles, and three have received Grammy Award nominations for Best Metal Performance. Despite having garnered mediocre or negative reviews, the material on the EP has been credited with helping expand the group's MTV audience in the early 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superchunk</span> American rock band

Superchunk is an American indie rock band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States, consisting of singer-guitarist Mac McCaughan, guitarist Jim Wilbur, bassist Laura Ballance, and drummer Laura King. Formed in 1989, they were one of the bands that helped define the Chapel Hill music scene of the 1990s. Their energetic, high-velocity style and do-it-yourself ethic is influenced by punk rock, notably such bands as Hüsker Dü, Sonic Youth, Minutemen, and Buzzcocks.

<i>More</i> (soundtrack) 1969 studio album / Soundtrack album by Pink Floyd

More is the third studio album and first soundtrack album by English rock band Pink Floyd. It was released on 13 June 1969 in the United Kingdom by EMI Columbia and on 9 August 1969 in the United States by Tower Records. The soundtrack is for the film of the same name, which was primarily filmed on location on Ibiza and was the directorial debut of Barbet Schroeder. It was the band's first album without former leader Syd Barrett.

<i>On Avery Island</i> 1996 studio album by Neutral Milk Hotel

On Avery Island is the debut studio album by American rock band Neutral Milk Hotel, released on March 26, 1996, by Merge Records. At the time, Neutral Milk Hotel was a solo project of American musician Jeff Mangum, who recorded the album with producer Robert Schneider from February to May 1995. On Avery Island is an indie rock and psychedelic folk album, with a lo-fi sound.

<i>Wild Life</i> (Wings album) 1971 studio album by Wings

Wild Life is the debut studio album by the British-American rock band Wings and the third studio album by Paul McCartney after the breakup of the Beatles. The album was mainly recorded in seven sessions between 24 July and 4 September 1971, at EMI Studios by McCartney, his wife Linda, session drummer Denny Seiwell, whom they had worked with on the McCartneys' previous album Ram, and guitarist Denny Laine, formerly of the English rock band the Moody Blues. It was released by Apple Records on 7 December in the UK and US, to lukewarm critical and commercial reaction.

<i>Then Play On</i> 1969 studio album by Fleetwood Mac

Then Play On is the third studio album by the British blues rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 19 September 1969. It was the first of their original albums to feature Danny Kirwan and the last with Peter Green. Although still an official band member at the time, Jeremy Spencer did not feature on the album apart from "a couple of piano things". The album offered a broader stylistic range than the straightforward electric blues of the group's first two albums, displaying elements of folk rock, hard rock, art rock and psychedelia. The album reached No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart, becoming the band's fourth Top 20 LP in a row, as well as their third album to reach the Top 10. The album's title, Then Play On, is taken from the opening line of William Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night—"If music be the food of love, play on".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Lawrence Arms</span>

The Lawrence Arms are an American punk rock band from Chicago, formed in 1999. They have released seven full-length albums and toured extensively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Down</span> 1965 single by the Beatles

"I'm Down" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released on a non-album single as the B-side to "Help!" in July 1965. The song originated in McCartney's attempt to write a song in the style of Little Richard, whose song "Long Tall Sally" the band regularly covered.

<i>Holiday</i> (The Magnetic Fields album) 1994 studio album by The Magnetic Fields

Holiday is the fourth studio album by American indie pop band The Magnetic Fields. The album was the band's third to be recorded and was intended to be release prior to The Charm of the Highway Strip through the label Feel Good All Over, but due to the label delaying its release, was issued in 1994 five months after its successor. Merge Records would later rerelease the album in 1999.

<i>Foolish</i> (album) 1994 studio album by Superchunk

Foolish is the fourth studio album by American indie rock band Superchunk. It was recorded from November 30 through December 2, 1993, at Pachyderm Studios, by Brian Paulson and mixed by the band and Paulson at Steve Albini's home studio. The album was released by Merge Records in 1994.

<i>Ghost Stories</i> (The Lawrence Arms album) 2000 studio album by The Lawrence Arms

Ghost Stories is a punk rock album by the Chicago, Illinois band The Lawrence Arms, released in 2000 by Asian Man Records. It was the band's second full-length album. With this release the band moved away from the political nature of some of their previous songs in favor of more introspective lyrics. Also, while singer/bassist Brendan Kelly had handled the majority of lead vocals on their previous album A Guided Tour of Chicago, on this album he and singer/guitarist Chris McCaughan split vocal duties almost equally. This singing style would continue throughout their next several albums, and eventually the two would begin to share lead vocals in an almost duet style on Oh Calcutta! It also features the only Lawrence Arms song written and sung by drummer Neil Hennessy, "106 South". The album was recorded at Scientific Studios in December 1999 by Mike Giampa. All of the drums were triggered, and the bass was recorded through a SansAmp. Accompanied by a heavily distorted guitar, this resulted in a very raw sounding album. It's loved by hardcore fans for its dark tones and lyrical themes. Brendan Kelly has stated that this is his second least favorite Lawrence Arms album, but called the cover his favorite. The album was released on vinyl for the first time in 2009 on Asian Man Records, with all new artwork.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mac McCaughan</span> Musical artist

Ralph Lee "Mac" McCaughan is an American musician and record label owner, based in North Carolina. His main musical projects have been Superchunk since 1989 and Portastatic since the early 1990s. In 1989 he founded the independent record label Merge Records with Superchunk bandmate Laura Ballance.

<i>Document and Eyewitness</i> 1981 live album by Wire

Document and Eyewitness is the first live album by the post-punk band Wire, released in July 1981 by Rough Trade Records. It marked the end of the first period of Wire's activity (1977–1980) and the end of their association with EMI. Recorded in February 1980 at the Electric Ballroom in London – at the final gig of Wire's first period – the original release came with a 45 rpm 12" EP that featured recordings from a July 1979 show at the Notre Dame Hall in London, along with one track from a March 1979 gig at Le Pavillon in Montreux, Switzerland.

<i>Some Bizzare Album</i> 1981 compilation album by various artists

Some Bizzare Album is the first album issued by Some Bizzare Records. It was released in 1981 as a sampler of the label's musical ethos. The acts were not signed exclusively to the label at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sister Europe</span> 1980 single by The Psychedelic Furs

"Sister Europe" is a song by the English rock band the Psychedelic Furs, taken from the band's 1980 debut album, The Psychedelic Furs. Written by the band and produced by Steve Lillywhite, it was released in February 1980 by CBS as the album's second single.

<i>The Nature of Sap</i> 1997 studio album by Portastatic

The Nature of Sap is Portastatic's third studio album. It was released on Merge Records on March 11, 1997.

<i>Summer of the Shark</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Portastatic

Summer of the Shark is Portastatic's fourth studio album. It was released on Merge Records on April 8, 2003.

<i>Some Small History</i> 2008 compilation album by Portastatic

Some Small History is a collection of "rarities, collecting B-sides, compilation tracks, EPs, fanzine vinyl, and previously unreleased material recorded between 1990 and 2007" from the band Portastatic. It was released on Merge Records on September 9, 2008.

Bricks were an indie rock band founded in New York City in the late 1980s. The group was formed by Merge Records co-founder Mac McCaughan while he was studying at Columbia University, along with Nashville-born singer-songwriter Laura Cantrell, plus classmates Andrew Webster and Josh Phillips. The foursome recorded at least 18 lo-fi songs between 1988 and 1990, which they released on a cassette and two 7-inch singles before disbanding. Their first single, "Girl With The Carrot Skin", enjoyed college radio airplay and was also made into a music video. Shot on super-8 film, the video featured the band eating and playing with copious amounts of carrots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shirley Simms</span> American singer and songwriter

Shirley Simms is an American singer and songwriter known for her work as a member of indie pop band the Magnetic Fields.