Numero Group announces the release of Tsunami’s Loud Is As, a 5xLP box set out November 8th. The box set is the first reissue of the venerated 90s group’s catalog since their original releases, many long out-of-print. It includes the 4-track demos released as Cow Arcade (1991); remastered versions of their three Simple Machines albums, Deep End (1993), The Heart’s Tremolo (1994), and A Brilliant Mistake (1997); and all of their singles, b-sides, and compilation tracks. The 61 songs across the box set’s five LPs track Tsunami’s rapid evolution from a scrappy, self-taught outfit playing house parties and laser tag arcades, to a varied and ambitious band, using harmony and metaphor to tackle love and its disappointments, mock the corporate music industry, and kick back at capitalism.

Self-sufficient and quick-witted, Tsunami were among the most inventive and resourceful bands to emerge from the American independent scene of the 1990s. Founded on the intertwined guitars, sharp-tongued lyrics, and forceful vocals of frontwomen Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson, co-owners of the highly regarded Simple Machines record label, Tsunami were equally noted for their music and their unwavering commitment to D.I.Y. principles, which established them among the most respected voices in the alternative community.

Tsunami formed in Arlington, VA in late 1990, when Toomey and Thomson were housemates at Arlington, Virginia’s legendary punk-activist Positive Force house. Toomey, formerly of Geek and Slack, persuaded bassist Andrew Webster to relocate from Austin, TX; drummer John Pamer, another former Positive Force resident, completed the initial line-up. Over the next seven years, Tsunami wrote and recorded prolifically, releasing three full-length albums and over a dozen seven-inch singles and EPs, most on their own Simple Machines label, as well as a tour CD, a cassette and several compilation contributions. Over the same period, the band logged tens of thousands of miles in the minivan, touring the U.S., Canada, the UK and Europe multiple times, and playing the side stage at Lollapalooza in 1993.

Designed by Farbod Kokabi and Emily Sneddon, the box set’s packaging reflects Tsunami’s distinctive design aesthetic – a mix of Popular Mechanics magazines, clip art, font and wallpaper sample books, travel postcards, punk fanzines, and vintage letterpress. The accompanying 32-page book is jammed with photos, flyers, and ephemera sourced by the band, documenting tours, festivals, friendships, and crashpads. Edited by DC native Joe Gross, the band’s history is retold through Interviews with bandmates, including Tsunami’s later lineup members Amy Domingues, Luther Gray, Bob Massey, Rob Christiansen, and Franklin Bruno. Essays by six respected music writers recount Tsunami’s history and significance, from record-to-record and from then-to-now, restoring the band to its rightful place as standard-bearers for the 1990s independent explosion.

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Loud Is As Tracklist:

LP1 – Deep End

SIDE A
A1 In A Name
A2 The Spook
A3 Slugger
A4 Lucky
A5 Water’s Edge
A6 Genius Of Crack
A7 460

SIDE B
B1 Valentine
B2 Skinny
B3 Waxed
B4 Writing Letters
B5 Stupid Like A Fox

LP2 – The Heart’s Tremolo

SIDE C
C1 Loud Is As Loud Does
C2 Quietnova
C3 Be Like That
C4 Fast Food Medicine
C5 Kidding On The Square

SIDE D
D1 Slaw
D2 Cowed By The Bla Bla
D3 The Heart’s Tremolo
D4 Le Bride D’Elegance
D5 Fits And Starts

LP3 – A Brilliant Mistake

SIDE E
E1 Old Grey Mare
E2 Great Mimes
E3 Double Shift
E4 Enter Misguided
E5 The Workers Are Punished
E6 Liar’s Dice (Flight Of The Chickens)

SIDE F
F1 The Match
F2 Unbridled
F3 DMFH
F4 David Foster Wallace
F5 Hockey
F6 PBS

LP4 – World Tour and Other Destinations

SIDE G
G1 Flameproof Suit
G2 World Tour
G3 Ski Trip
G4 Kickball Babe
G5 Candyman
G6 Jonathan
G7 Writing Letters
G8 Breakdown

SIDE H
H1 Genius Of Crack
H2 Answerman
H3 Left Behind
H4 Punk Means Cuddle
H5 Crackers
H6 Could Have Been Christmas
H7 Load Hog

LP5 – World Tour and Other Destinations

SIDE I
I1 Goldigger
I2 Sometimes A Notion
I3 Walking Tour
I4 Courage
I5 Beauty Pt. 2
I6 Brick Book Building

SIDE J
J1 Not Living
J2 Kidding on the Square
J3 Bossa Nova
J4 Poodle
J5 Old City
J6 Newspaper

Photo Courtesy: Pat Graham