Mixtape: Goodbye Trouble In Mind

This one hits harder than most. It’s a rough time out there for the indie edge of the music industry; whether its press, labels, bands, or shops. After 17 years running as one of the best voices in indie music, Chicago’s beloved Trouble in Mind records has said goodbye. There are many labels that can trace the path of RSTB; some burned bright and bowed out early, some were there when I started and are still holding on, but Trouble in Mind’s trajectory mirrored the site in many ways. The label started just a few years after Raven, and I remember the Peacock printed sleeves coming into the online record retailer I worked at during the time, an oasis of garage that offered up a home to early singles from favorites like Ty Segall, Mikal Cronin, Fuzz, Jacco Gardner, Night Beats, Wounded Lion, and many more.

The early years circled the contemporaries of Bill and Lisa’s connections through CoCoComa, but big ears and a supportive atmosphere would expand the scope of TiM into a wellspring of post-punk, psych, jazz, Aussie indie, and a line of experimental releases on cassette. It was always a comfort to find something new from the label in the mailbox or inbox, and I’ll certainly miss that feeling. This mix explores 60 favorites from over the years, a premier for the uninitiated and a reminder for those that took the ride. So long Trouble In Mind, you’ll be missed.

:: Tracklist. ::

01. The Resonars – Long Long Thoughts
02. The Wrong Words – Summer’s Gone
03. Proto Idiot – You Can’t Hide
04. Jacco Gardner – The End of August
05. Morgan Delt – Obstacle Eyes
06. Peter Stringer-Hye – Sunday Girls
07. Doug Tuttle – A Place For You
08. Olden Yolk – Castor and Pollux
09. Dummy – Nullspace
10. Maston – Strange Rituals
11. The Limiñanas – Je suis une go-go girl
12. The Paperhead – Dama de Lavanda
13. Hollows – Strange Effect
14. Parsnip – Lift Off
15. Melenas – Primer Tiempo
16. En Attendant Ana – Wonder
17. Partner Look – Partner Look
18. Dick Diver – Waste The Alphabet
19. Martin Frawley – This Is Gonna Change
20. Chook Race – Hard To Clean
21. Woolen Kits – Susannah
22. Possible Humans – Absent Swimmer
23. The Hecks – Chopper
24. Wounded Lion – Pointed Sticks
25. Jeffrey Novak – Endless Repetition
26. White Wires – That’s The Way A Woman Is
27. Sticks N Stones – Is It You?
28. Sparrow Steeple – Roll Baby
29. Greg Ashley – Goodbye Saint Paul Street
30. David Nance – The Merchandise
31. Sunwatchers – New Dad Blues
32. Writhing Squares – LEM
33. Headroom – The Second Blazing Star
34. Mac Blackout – Call For Love
35. Matchess – Ossify Them
36. Joys Union Group – Fig
37. Invisible Astro Healing Rhythm Quartet – Lifetime
38. Chris Forsyth & Koen Holtkamp – Long Beach Idyll
39. Ultimate Painting – Song For Brian Jones
40. The Love-Birds – Hit My Head
41. Salad Boys – Scenic Route To Nowhere
42. Jack Cooper – Gym Square
43. Smoke Bellow – Fee Fee
44. Naked Roommate – Fight Flight
45. Lithics – Hands
46. OMNI – Wire
47. Nightshift – Your Good Self
48. FACS – Wish Defense
49. Estrogen Highs – For This Structure
50. Rays – Yesterday’s Faces
51. The Tubs – Round The Bend
52. Guardian Singles – Com Trans
53. Mountain Movers – Way Back To The World
54. Fuzz – Rich Man, Poor Man
55. Night Beats – Ain’t A Ghost
56. Ty Segall – My Sunshine (7” version)
57. Tyler Jon Tyler – New England Street
58. Mean Jeans – Cool 2 Drive
59. Mikal Cronin – Apathy
60. CoCoComa – Messenger