2023 with Trouble In Mind Records’ Bill Roe

It’s been another excellent year for Chicago label, Trouble In Mind.

Formed in 2009 by Bill and Lisa Roe, to these ears least, over the years Trouble In Mind have been the facilitators for many favourite artists and releases. Once again, this year has seen the label dispense a swathe of excellent releases both from the usual suspects (FACS, Sunwatchers) plus new faces, including Martin Frawley, The Tubs and The Serfs.

Last year we went on record claiming that Trouble In Mind was arguably the best independent label out there, and 2023 hasn’t altered that view in what has been, in my opinion, the label’s strongest year so far. A label that both underpins the DIY ethos and continuously explores the globe for new sounds, Trouble In Mind remain a vital thread in the independent music patchwork.

In our first of two end of year features, Bill was kind enough to answer some of our questions about Trouble In Mind, as well as taking the plunge and selecting his favourite albums of 2023.

Sun 13’s Top 50 Albums of 2023

Sun 13: On the face of it, it looks like it’s been the busiest year for Trouble In Mind so far. Can you tell us about your 2023?

Bill Roe: “Well I’ll say, the beginning of this year was coming out of our most challenging year yet as a label. In 2022, due to residual complications from COVID lockdowns we were only able to release three full-length albums (all great ones, mind you; Partner Look, Jonas Reinhardt, Joys Union Group). People just weren’t able to rehearse, write together, record (or if they started, they’d have to stop as someone would get sick), etc etc., so that snowballed into no one having anything ready in time to release in ’22. It was distressing, to say the least.

“Thankfully this year we had PLENTY to put out, hah! Feeling pretty ‘blessed’ to have new ones from TiM faves, En Attendant Ana, FACS, Connections, Melenas, Sunwatchers and Guardian Singles, as well as debuts from new roster additions like The Tubs, The Serfs, Onyon and of course, Martin Frawley. Not too shabby if we do say so ourselves, but folks should ultimately have a listen:

S13: The thing I’m always drawn to with Trouble In Mind is that there’s always something new to discover. In this climate, is it a balancing act between having a roster of artists both new and old?

BR: “Always! It’s forever the question of if/when to repress something vs. put out an album from a new band on the roster (or a new album from a current band on the roster). I think we tend to defer to new albums, as most of our LPs have and can get into shops and we usually press enough copies that few of them ever seem to be very valuable afterward (a few notable exceptions, obviously), but we like that our albums aren’t ‘collectible’ necessarily.

“I think lately more emphasis has been placed on the ‘collectability’ of records and sort of counting on albums to be rare or valuable rather than the quality of the music pressed into the vinyl. Manufactured collectability never pays off in the long run. Honestly, as a long-time record collector, the expensive/ rare records are 90 percent never gonna be the ones you think (don’t even get me started on Record Store Day and the hell that hath wrought on vinyl in general).”

S13: Your cassette series over the last couple of years has always been quite a boon, particularly for more experimental-based artists. Was this an idea that you always had, or was it more that the likes of a platform such a Bandcamp was such a good vessel for it?

BR: “The Explorers Series sprung out of COVID lockdown restlessness and boredom. Vinyl pressing had grounded to a halt, but cassette manufacturing was still humming along and I thought it’d be a cool way to not only stay busy but also highlight some of the more outré submissions we get for the label. Plus, I enjoy and buy a lot of experimental music, jazz, noise, etc. and have constantly struggled to find a way to fit it into the Trouble In Mind oeuvre.

“We’ve released a few releases that slot into that niche but many seem to fall under the radar. Not sure why. I enjoy it when labels take wild swings and release a straightforward indie rock album followed by a noise tape and then a heavy psych record… it keeps me interested and, as a listener, I’m always curious and eager to follow that thread.”

S13: Regarding Bandcamp and the recent takeover, how vital is a platform like this for an independent label such as yours?

BR: “Bandcamp has always been pretty good for us, and I think we appreciate its overall hand in the democratization of music; ANYONE can upload their music to be discovered on the platform and that’s cool as hell. Not to mention, combining the marketplace idea with exceptionally curated music writing/criticism AND the streaming platform was and IS a genius move. I feel like when we first started uploading albums onto it, they accounted for about 30 percent of our overall sales, but now, despite having a direct website where folks can purchase (AHEM: www.troubleinmindrecords.com) it’s probably more like 65-70 percent of our online sales.

“THAT SAID, as with many folks, the acquisition of the company by Epic and then Songtradr is troubling, to say the least. I’m very skeptical when a company that has no obvious interest in keeping another company it has acquired running the same way. I hope to be proven wrong, but I’m worried they’ll start to move toward a paid ‘streaming model’ not unlike every other music app. I just feel like a big company full of venture capitalists sees a company that’s making millions of dollars, but offers up free streaming after purchase as losing a revenue stream that could be kept for (not the artists, but) the company.

“This is all my own personal tinfoil-hat conjecture, of course. Again, I hope I’m wrong, but this is just another lesson in putting faith in the people, not the platform. The community of MUSICIANS is what makes Bandcamp so special (and special in a different way than say, Spotify which seems to strive for the same kind of community on a larger scale, but ultimately will never achieve it because they 100 percent don’t care about smaller artists). You can’t cultivate a viable creative community around big, huge pop acts, because huge pop artists aren’t trying to cultivate creativity, they’re trying to move units). Haha, that rant got a little out of hand, but I’ve been thinking a lot about this, and more people need to as well!”

S13: What are you looking forward to in 2024 the most?

BR: “Peace in our time? I dunno in all seriousness. If 2020 taught me anything, it’s to keep everything malleable and manage your expectations. I’m going to try to be less of a cynic, but times are tough these days, haha. We’ve got a ton of great things in store for the label next year though; new albums from Klaus Johann Grobe, Writhing Squares, Nightshift, The Tubs, Dummy and more I can’t reveal just yet. If folks are curious, they should sign up for our mailing list (or follow the label on Bandcamp). Our family also has a trip to London and Paris planned in March that we’re all looking forward to. It’ll be the kids’ first time overseas, so it should be pretty fun. We were meant to take this same trip in March of 2020, but that was cancelled for obvious reasons. Excited to get over there & see some sights, see some friends, eat some great food, (Lisa and our son Arthur are gonna catch a couple of football matches) and most importantly, go RECORD SHOPPING!”

S13: The all-important question. What are your favourite albums of 2023?

BR: “HAHA, okay, well this is a great and somewhat loaded question as I try to keep a running list as the year goes on of things that catch my ear. It’s hard for me to whittle down releases in general, so my ‘year-end’ list is… long. Here are a few notables from it though:”

Luxor Rentals: Burn Yr Trash
Self-released

Fried cut and pasted, everything and the kitchen sink RnR from Massachussets. It reminds me of obvious things like The Clean, GBV, Yo La Tengo, Pavement, assorted ’90s lo-fi weirdos, David Nance, Neil Young, and The Dead, but also stuff like Blue Oyster Cult (is it me, or is does that sound like a Hot Rails To Hell nick near the end of the Dove jam on side 2). Charming and catchy AF. Props for cramming in a Godz cover!”

XV: On The Creekbeds On The Thrones
Ginkgo

Been a fan of this one since they released their s/t LP on Life Like Records in 2019. Sandblasted free rock that could only come from the freaky side of Michigan! Features Shelley from Tyvek, Emily [Roll] from Haunted, and Claire [Cirocco] from Comme À La Radio switching instruments from song to song & rearranging the idea of what a ‘rock trio’ should be. This one is perhaps a bit more structured than their first but is still pretty out there – I hear a lil’ dub influence too. Really great stuff if you are willing to free your mind.

Sharp Pins: Turtle Rock
Hallogallo Tapes / Tall Texan Records

Kai Slater from Matador wunderkinds Lifeguard’s OTHER side hustle (the other one being Dwaal Troupe), this is mostly a solo affair, recorded at home; lo-fi tunes in a GBV/ Sebadoh/ Cleaners From Venus mode with BRIIIIIILLIANT hooks that sneak up on you. You 100 percent need to hear this.

MEMORIALS: Music For Film: Tramps!/Women Against The Bomb
State51 Conspiracy

Verity Sussman (from Electrelane) and Matthew Simms (from the current iteration of Wire) join forces to create a joyous racket of synths, sax, organ drones and guitar/bass to soundtrack two different documentary films that tackle the idea of ‘collective action’ from different perspectives; one (Women Against The Bomb) on the story of a woman’s peace camp at Greenham Common in England in the early ’80s and the other (Tramps!), a doc about the ‘New Romantic’ movement that looks at it as an art movement rather than JUST a music/pop culture one (but is also a study on creating meaningful art in the soul-sucking vacuum of Capitalism). The music is heady, wild, experimental and free at times, while at others, very cinematic, melodic and engaging. I don’t tend to rank releases, but if I did, this might be near the top.

Civic: Taken By Force
ATO Records

As longtime listeners of the label probably know, Australian punk and indie has long been one of our weaknesses, so I feel like I’m a lil’ predisposed to like a majority of the underground music from down there. This one by Civic really took me by surprise and knocked me for a loop! I listened to this non-stop for about a month. Catchy as hell rooooockin’ punk that has more than a lil’ influence from The Saints/Radio Birdman, but the boys in Civic give it their own spin. They are also fantastic live.

Zoh Amba / Chris Corsano / Bill Orcutt: The Flower School
Palilalia

A dream team makes a racket and a record! I love all three of these players individually, so buying this one was a no-brainer, but I was delighted at how well they improvised together. Orcutt and Corsano are no strangers to each other of course, but Amba slots her sax in expertly between these two pillars of free music. Bracing at times, but honestly pretty beautiful, mostly. Released on Bill Orcutt’s label Palilalia, which does smaller runs, so I’m unsure of the availability, but if you see this one, GRIP IT QUICK.

Lewsberg: Out & About
12XU

Props to Gerard [Cosloy]/12XU for sticking the landing with this band. Their first LP showed plenty of promise in a VU-meets-garage rock way, but THIS one is really where it starts to get interesting. Primary vocalist Ari van Vliet spins beguiling narratives that are simultaneously insular but also universal, as his violin swings between winsome melodies and sheets of Cale-esque noise. Bassist Shalita Dietrich and drummer Marrit Meinema keep a meticulously metronomic backbeat, with van Vliet  lead guitarist Michiel Klein acting as twin six-string foils of precision and feedback. I also hear plenty of influence from our own Ultimate Painting as well (R.I.P.). A stunning album that really delivers on the promise of the previous album In Your Hands. Well worth your time! ALSO a killer live band!

Heavenly Bodies: Medium
Self-released

Been a fan of this Philly trio for a hot minute and they just keep getting denser and weirder as the releases go on. Ultimately a guitar/bass/drums ‘psychedelic rock’ trio but these three send it into outer (and INNER) space. Think Bardo Pond, Magnog, Bowery Electric, etc. and you start to get an idea.

Cuticles: Major Works
Siltbreeze

New Zealand group formed out of the ashes of The Trendees (whose We Are Sonic Art is a must-own) and Nux Vomica, Siltbreeze’s Tom Lax describes them as ‘Sounds like the Pastels, with guns!’ and TBH that’s a pretty accurate descriptor, haha. There’s an innocence present in these ramshackle tunes but laced with something sinister just under the surface. Disarmingly immediate and charming.

Sundae Painters: Sundae Painters
Leather Jacket Records

An undeniable SUPERGROUP of New Zealand musicians; Kaye Woodward and Paul Kean from The Bats / Minisnap (Paul also played in Toy Love!), Alec Bathgate from Tall Dwarfs / Toy Love / The Enemy and the dearly-departed Hamish Kilgour (The Clean, Mad Scene, Great Unwashed). This sounds both EXACTLY like you’d think as well as full of surprises, which makes it all the more bittersweet, seeing as this is most likely the band’s final statement. But what a goddamn record!

Sloppy Heads: Sometimes Just One Second
Shrimper

A late-breaking addition for me! This New York trio has been making noise since 2009 across a number of cassettes, CDRs and vinyl records; It’s indie rock at its core but tinged with muted colours of psychedelia (a loaded word these days). Their music is sometimes precious and beautiful, sometimes noisy and rocking, sometimes formless. They remind me a lot of (America’s greatest living band) Yo La Tengo in that way, so it’s NO SURPRISE to find YLT bassist James McNew playing on this album (he also contributed to their previous one Useless Smile from 2017). This one doesn’t take long to sink its teeth in, so settle back and enjoy the ride.