If you like: ‘90s indie (like The Amps, Velocity Girl, and Tiger Trap), you’ll fall for the slower-paced and inventive nature of Arches and Aisles.
About: Though they only released three albums, the Spinanes helped define–and then transcended–the sound of Pacific Northwestern indie rock in the ‘90s. The combination of guitarist Rebecca Gates’ rich songwriting and sensual vocals with Scott Plouf’s inventive drumming made for music that was equally direct and complex. Even on their early singles, the Spinanes’ brash riffs and drums hinted at something more complicated, and their 1993 debut album Manos owed as much to folk, jazz, math rock and singer/songwriter traditions as it did to indie rock. The Spinanes’ sophistication only grew on 1996’s atmospheric Strand (the band's final album with Plouf) and 1998’s Arches and Aisles, which added touches of soul and post-rock to their already distinctive music. Thanks to their mix of inventiveness and restraint, the Spinanes’ body of work still sounded fresh decades later.*^{Heather Phares}
A favorite track: Kid In Candy