Blake Babies: Innocence and Experience (1993)

A compilation of unreleased songs and hits from previous efforts, Innocence and Experience serves as a kind of greatest hits collection. I don’t know how much of an endorsement this is, but my kids really like it. Mind you, they like every bit of music I subject them to, but it seems they especially like Blake Babies. My daughter always asks in a sweet and thin voice oddly reminiscent of Juliana Hatfield, "Where is the girl singer?"

Blake Babies were Juliana Hatfield’s band, where she played seemingly simple bass lines that upon closer inspection were as intricate as arabesques. The music is indie, for a lack of better term. Unfortunately I never heard of The Blake Babies until my friend told me to check them out. "Very well written songs, man" was about what he told me. This was about eight years after we saw Juliana Hatfield live, the bastard. He could’ve told me sooner.

As for their name, the story goes they got their name from Allen Ginsberg when they asked him to name their band and as far as lyrics go, they are worthy of the Howl man himself. I don’t know if an indie band had ever evoked such heartache and caustic regret with such skill before. Check these lyrics out from "Star": "You ring me up and you bring me down/I never know if you'll come around/I like the salty taste in my mouth/Ten minutes on the lips, ten days without" or "Cesspool": "They took it away, they're not gonna put it back/They think they've got me in a trap/But there's one thing I'm prepared to do/To make this cesspool as good as new/I'll get my guns and both of my friends/We'll make some righteous amends...maybe we'll start a trend." Fuck yeah.

I got the image here: cheapandplastic.com

1. Wipe it up
2. Rain [demo]
3. Boiled potato
4. Lament
5. Cesspool
6. You don't give up
7. Star [demo]
8. Sanctify
9. Out there
10. Girl in a box
11. I'm not your mother
12. Temptation eyes
13. Downtime
14. Over and over (live)

Download Blake Babies here: Innocence and Experience