si tao thoe: chok 2 chan

artist: สี่เต่าเธอ (si tao thoe)
album: โชค 2 ชั้น (chok 2 chan)
tracklist:
01. คำนั้น (kham nan)
02. แว๊ปเดียว (waep diao)
03. ทึกทัก (thuek thak)
04. หอมกลิ่น (hom klin) [haunted-demo version]
05. เธ๊อ เธอ เธอ เธอ (thoe thoe thoe thoe) (live)
06. คำนั้น (kham nan) (live)
07. ยังจำ (yang cham) (live)
08. อวกาศ (awakat) (live)
09. อวกาศ (awakat) [soltwin version]

this week, collected odds & ends from alt-rock pioneers si tao thoe! with a roster of khongdet chaturanratsami (lead vocal), saritphon mettachit (guitar), kiradet ketkintha (drums) and aphichet kamphu (bass), the group was formed in bangkok from remnants of earlier acts sam kloe & homesick. leaders of the fledgling indie rock scene in thailand, si tao thoe pursued a decidedly brit-pop influenced sound. this 1996 tape, their second with boop records, is a sort of padded-out e.p.; there are only 3 new songs not included on their debut, and the rest of the runtime is taken up with alternate versions and live tracks. enjoy!

hit ngan phleng chut phiset chak 12 silapin indies doi onpa

artist: various
album: hit งานเพลงชุดพิเศษจาก 12 ศิลปิน indies โดย onpa (hit ngan phleng chut phiset chak 12 silapin indies doi onpa)
tracklist:
01. ยืนยัน (yuen yan)
by blackhead
02. คำตอบ (kham top)
by นครินทร์ กิ่งศักดิ์ (nakharin kingsak)
03. รักเธอ (rak thoe)
by ford
04. จากกันด้วยดี (chan kan duai di)
by byrd & heart
05. อยากบอกให้รู้ (yak bok hai ru)
by isn't
06. นานเหลือเกิน (nan luea koen)
by อัยย์ (ai)
07. บุษบา (butsaba)
by moderndog
08. 2 ทาง (2 thang)
by the must
09. เพราะฉันมีเพียงเธอ (phro chan mi phiang thoe)
by proud
10. หัวปัก หัวปำ (hua pak hua pam)
by holly berry
11. เธอน่ารัก (thoe na rak)
by สี่เต่าเธอ (si tao thoe)
12. ร่ำลา (ram la)
by t.n.t.

this week, a classic entry in the thai indie rock catalog! judging by the surfeit of copies filling the second-hand bins of the capital city, i imagine this tape was in the deck of every hip bangkok teen, circa 1995. the sounds presented here may not be what most consider "indie rock" (whatever it is we do consider it), but with industry giant sony given equal standing with bona-fide (at the time) independent labels like bakery music, it seems the thai notion of "indie" is at least as inconsistent as it is elsewhere. stylistically, you have everything from 90's alt-rock/grunge (blackhead, moderndog) to smooth, m.o.r.ish ballads (ford, byrd & heart), and then stuff closer to the jangly international ideal of indie rock (holly berry, si tao thoe). enjoy!

moderndog: soem sukhaphap

band: โมเดิร์นด็อก (moderndog)
album: เสริมสุขภาพ (soem sukhaphap)
tracklist:
01. บุษบา (butsaba)
02. กะลา (kala)
03. ...ก่อน (...kon)
04. มานี (mani)
05. พรุ่งนี้ (phrungni)
06. เธอ (thoe)
07. ชีวิต (chiwit)
08. ทุเรียน (durian)
09. บางสิ่ง (bang sing)
10. หมดเวลา (mot wela) [demo]

moderndog were real pioneers in thailand's independent rock scene. this cassette, their 1994 (พ.ศ. 2537) debut, was likewise the inaugural release of historic thai indie label bakery music. they would go on to be the biggest act in thailand at various points, and likely most modern thai bands would acknowledge a debt of gratitude to them. their sound bears influence from contemporaneous western "alternative rock" bands, groups such as faith no more, radiohead or bad brains, and they boast an impressive range of dynamic and song style. many might recognize them from wisit sasanatieng's film หมานคร (ma nakhon) or "citizen dog", which featured heavily (and in numerous iterations) their hit "...ก่อน" (track 3 on this album). enjoy the sounds of moderndog!