S
S&M "Feb 2001" (homemade)
Scott and I made this compilation so we could give some really rare tracks well-deserved airplay on our S&M radio show. HM
Scott 4 "Sampler"
The sleeve was right -- they ARE North London cowboys. I know that's a bizarre twist, but it's accurate, and I can't think of a better way to describe their sound. 
Seafood "When Do We Start Fighting..." (UK import)
To be honest, I haven't had time to give this or the accompanying bonus cd enough a listen, but I have friends who adore Seafood and I trust their opinions. 
Select Magazine "Bangin' Summer Extravaganza" June 1999 Sampler (UK Import)
Came with the magizine I was going to buy anyway, and it has one of the only Manics songs I like, new Travis, Delakota, Cast, BRA, and two great songs from bands I'd never heard of: Scott 4 (although a Beta Band rip-off), and Ben & Jason.
Select Magazine "Revolutions 1" Oct 2000 Sampler (UK Import)
Highlights include a rare Grandaddy song, and 2 really great remixes of the Delgados and Black Box Recorder. The latter is remixed by Jarvis Cocker, and it's tantilizingly dirty. ewww.
Select Magazine "Revolutions 2" Nov 2000 Sampler (UK Import)
I was ecstatic to find Doves 'Valley' on here! and in addition, it has Regular Fries, Lowgold, Add N to [X], and V-Twin.
Select Magazine "Revolutions 3" Dec 2000 Sampler (UK Import)
Great to have PJ Harvey, Andy Votel, Snow Patrol, and Lemon Jelly all before their release. And by god -- an Alfie song on cd!! woohoo!
Select Magazine "Revolutions 4" Jan 2001 Sampler (UK Import)
This one fell a bit in the quality department. I mean, I already owned the Lofis, Coldplay, and Primal Scream, but it did introduce me to Woodbine, which is a good thing indeed. But c'mon -- Outkast, Atari Teenage Riot, and Bloodhound Gang??? What were you thinking, Select?
Select Magazine "The Deep End" May 2000 Sampler (UK Import)
Once again, lots of unreleased tracks and rare remixes here. This one got me stuff from SFA, Badly Drawn Boy, Eels, Clinic, and Elliott Smith weeks before their release.
Select Magazine "The XFM Live Sessions" Jan 2000 Sampler (UK Import)
Really, really great live tracks. I mean, with Select and XFM, how can you go wrong? It even made me *gasp* like a Flaming Lips song!
Select Magazine "Vrooom!" June 1997 Sampler (UK Import)
Found this in a used bin in Dublin, and it has some great stuff from Blur, Suede, Lamb, Gusgus, and Gorky's. And some weird mod biker theme.
Select Magazine Dec 1998 Sampler (UK Import)
I consider myself so fucking lucky that this made it past the importers! It has such a kicking version of Ballad of Tom Jones, live Jesus Says, a great Delgados tune, Cuba, Elliott Smith, oh my!
this is such and excellent compilation of artsist I hadn't heard of, but whom are very, very good.
Sense Field "Tonight and Forever" (promo)
We got a couple copies at the station, and so I grabbed a copy for myself. Good, solid American indie with an emotional yet touching quality. Give them a year or two..
Shining "True Skies" (UK promo)
When I first heard them, I'm embarrassed to say I confused them with The Music, who I now realise are crappier than Stereophonics, The Coral, and Toploader combined. Well, maybe not that bad, but you get the point. 'Quicksilver' and 'Find a Reason' are the ones that grab me on here, but I feel good things coming for these ex-Ververs.
Shy FX & T-Power "Feelin' You" (UK promo)
Yay! Another Shy FX single! Another chance to shake my thang to their garage-cum-salsa beats! wiggle wiggle wiggle POW!
Shy FX & T-Power "Set It Off Album Sampler" (UK promo)
I have a fluffy orange promo Shy FX & T-Power wrist band. I wasn't quite sure who they were when I grabbed it, but soon my mind made the connection. I can't quite explain why I love them so much - I hate drum and bass, and I don't usually even like rap. But something about 'Shake Ur Body' and 'Don't Want to Know' (oh, the barking! especially the barking!) sets my ass a'wiggling so much I can't even hide it on the bus. A true infectious enigma.
Sigur Ros "( )" (US)
What can I say about them that hasn't been already said better elsewhere? I'll just avoid cliche-ville entirely and just say that it's every bit as good as "Agaetis byrjun", no matter what you read elsewhere. 'Njosnavelin' is quite possibly the lovliest song ever written. I remain firm in my conviction that the world would a better and more peaceful place if everyone listened to Sigur Ros.
Sigur Ros "Agaetis byrjin" (Icelandic import)
Simply the most beautiful cd I've ever heard. Ethereal inhuman vocals, bowed guitars, and an orchestral ear. Enough to illicit strong emotions in even their fiercest critics.
Sigur Ros "Angels of the Universe" (soundtrack)(UK import)
Not exactly what I'd wanted out of a Sigur Ros release, but it's certainly no downer. But 3 minute instrumental travks take some getting used to. And the obvious Sigur Ros tracks at the end I already owned anyway.
Sigur Ros "Ny batteri" (UK import)
By this point, people are finally hearing an understanding the gorgeous allure of this band. And I had seen them once in concert. We all feel loved.
Sigur Ros "Svefn-g-englar" (UK 1st printing)
The EP that introduced me to this frozen wonder. I just bought it without hearing a note after two separate interviews compared them to Mogwai and gbybe!. Oh, and literally *weeks* of searching London for a copy.
Silverchair "Frogstomp"
I bought this after "Tomorrow". I still like it even though everyone hates it. They deserve a chance, too.
Sing-Sing "The Joy of Sing-Sing" (UK promo)
I don't think they've hit the brilliance of Lush just yet, but that's no reason to abandon them just yet. 'Tegan', 'Panda Eyes' (ok, mostly for the title!), and 'Emigre' take the cake.
Six By Seven "All My New Best Friends" (UK Import)
I do some marketing for them, but I really wasn't impressed until this single. They've left the rock baggage behind and settled instead for something more innocent and wholesome.
Skunk Anansie "Paranoid and Sunburnt"
I saw her in concert at Finsbury Park. Seeing 20,000 whiteboys singing about their blackness (and truly believing it!) was one of the coolest things I'll ever see.
Skunk Anansie "Post Orgasmic Chill sampler" (promo)
5 songs. compact album. honostly, it doesn't even have the best songs on it. but I really just got it for the cred. mmmhmmm.
Skunk Anansie "Stoosh"
I love the songs with the parenthetical comments. Hedonsim (Everyday Hurts) is sooo wonderful.
Small Victories "Holding On Hopefully" (UK)
My first introduction to Small Victories was an opening spot for The Webb Brothers and OK GO, where my only real recollection was that a) I liked them, and b) they sounded a bit like Doves. Getting the album was a godsend, then, since I was able to pare down my opinions to only include Thought A. Yes, I really do like them.
Smashing Pumpkins "Adore"
got it free from some company, and i'm rather glad I did, since I got to see that the rest osf the album is n't absolute shit like Ava Adore is. In fact, the rest of the album is pretty decent.
Smashing Pumpkins "Gish"
"I Am One", and "Tristessa" are well before their time. If you liked their other stuff, why not get their grunge release?
Smashing Pumpkins "Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness"
A great cd with tons more good songs than the average album, but why don't they play any of them?!? "1979" has got to be the WORST song on the entire cd!
Smashing Pumpkins "Siamese Dream"
Great cd, they ought to teach "Rocket" to little kids in school to give them some real culture. "Mayonaise" is also another classic to be worshipped by all.
Smith, Elliot "XO" (promo)
My roommate had this cd for a long time, and it really grew on me. his harmonies and understated melodies have such a passive grace.
Smiths "Louder Than Bombs" (UK import)
Quite possibly the most essential cd of all time. It really made me wonder how I could have existed all those years without it. I did not listen or sing anything other than this for a full 6 weeks.
Smiths is Dead (French import)
I've wanted this tribute cd for aout 3 years, after I'd heard Placebo's 'Bigmouth Strikes Again' on mp3. I finally found it in a used bin in a tucked-away indie shop in London. I literally danced in the aisles.
Sneaker Pimps "Becoming X"
Very nice. Odd, very electronical, but I like it alot. Esp for songs like Tesko Suicide and Post Modern Sleaze...
Snow Patrol "Songs For Polarbears" (promo)
I traded an old Einstezende Neubauten cd for this, and I ended up with 5 bonus tracks on here, as well! I really love 'Starfighter Pilot' and 'Fifteen Minutes Old', but the whole album is a gem.
Snow Patrol "When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up"
Apparently Snow Patrol are completing with Belle & Sebastian for the longest album title award (see "Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant", filed under B above!). But that doesn't end the similarities. Except Snow Patrol have more gusto. Particularly, I like 'Making Enemies' and 'An Olive Grove Facing the Sea'.
Soul Monty (UK import)
My friends all laugh at this one, but I'd been researching tons of old Soul artists all summer for my job, and I wanted to know all these great old songs. Then I found this cd, which had them all. NR
Sound of the Crowd (Blueprint of Electroclash) (UK promo)
A solid collection of 80s electro hits that appear to be inspiring this current wave of electroclash... Includes Human League, Soft Cell, Devo, and New Order, to name some cool old fogies.
Soundgarden "Down on the Upside"
Alot of great songs on here, but "Ty Cobb" really sticks out in my mind. Overall, not their best work, though.
Soundgarden "Superunknown"
A great Cd. "Spoonman" is a classic. Who else could get mass groups of people playing with their silverware?
South "From Here On In"
I saw beyond their artwork to their music and found this album to be incredible. Most bands that use segue tracks don't have a clue what they're doing, but with this, it works. This is an album that sounds like an album -- any rearrangment in the song order would cause an avalanche.
South "Keep Close" (UK import)
I fucking hate their claymation artwork. So you know the song's got to be good enough for me to overlook it... Sadly, b-sides that sound like b-sides, though.
South "Paint the Silence" cd1 (EU import)
Besides the classic A-side, it's also got the UNKLE mix and the original full length mix of 'Broken Head', which was of course split into tiny fragments on the album and used as segues...
South "Paint the Silence" cd2 (EU import)
The A-side (again!) and a great B-side, Save Your Sorrow... And the paint-by-number artwork is definitely an improvement!
Sparklehorse "Distorted Ghost EP" (promo)
I don't know quite how Brian got this, but it turned up in my postbox. I really like 'My Yoke is Heavy' and 'Gasoline Horseys'.
Sparklehorse "Good Morning Spider" (promo)
Brian's been singing Mark Linkous's praises for forever, and I finally got to hear a copy of mine own. Favourites include: Sick of Goodbyes, Painbirds, Sunshine, Maria's Little Elbows...
Sparklehorse "vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot"
Amazing to behold, but I think I like this one better than Good Morning Spider. Mark seems o cover more ground -- he's angrier, quieter, and ... well, I dunno. It just affects me more.
Spiritualized "Live at Royal Albert Hall" (UK promo)
I love freebies I wanted anyway. This one is extra cool for its simplicity -- there isn't even a track listing!
Squarepusher "Music is Rotted One Note" (promo)
The video for 'Come On My Selector' was so creepy and disturbing, I had to hear the cd. And it's an interesting ambient/jazz fusion. good study music.
St Germain "Rose Rouge" (EU promo)
Wow, something to make me love jazz again, after hearing the fogey version from my Dad for years. An update and breath of fresh air to a (sadly) decaying genre.
St Germain "Sure Thing" (EU promo)
I'm not nearly as fond of this single as 'Rose Rouge', but it's not bad for *shudder* chill-out cds. Wow, I can't believe I actually said that...
Stabbing Westward "Wither, Blister, Burn + Peel"
I fell in love with "Shame", and the rest is history. If you want an extremely hard album, you've got to try this!
Stellastarr* "Stellastarr*" (UK promo)
I'm sure they're sick of the Interpol/Joy Division comparisons, but really, they bring it on themselves. I always enjoy listening to this album when it's on, but as soon as the stereo reaches the end of track ten, I'm completely unable to hum a single line from it...
Stone Roses
Josh calls it the greatest album ever made, and it's darn near close to that. Wonderful, incredible, groundbreaking.
Stone Roses "Second Coming"
the followup isn't nearly as good, but it's got its own style of dance infused in it, back when dance music was good music, that is.
Stone Temple Pilots "Purple"
I don't listen to this one much, I liked the first one better. "Vasoline" does rock, though.
Straw "The Aeroplane Song" (UK promo)
I had heard good things about their "Shoplifting" album, and then I snagged this-here tribute to Lufthansa. Very happy lads.
Strokes "The Modern Age" (UK import)
These guys just might save rock. Oh god, please let them save rock! I was blown away when I saw them open for Doves twice, and every time I heard their stuff in clubs I shook my booh-tay like there was no tommorrow. Indie clubs, mind you.
Suede "Coming Up" (UK import)
I borrowed Liam's copy for two months before he tore it from my cold, dead hands. And eventully I got my own.
Suede "Filmstar" cd1 (UK import)
Really liked the song, and it had the added bonus of the 'Beautiful Ones' video, which is just brilliant.
Sugababes "Angels With Dirty Faces" (UK import)
Why, after "Freak Like Me" and "Round Round" did they release the only crappy songs on this album as singles, when gems like 'Virgin Sexy' and 'Supernatural' get left only for the album holders to discover? I love the 'Babes, but damn do they make some bad choices!
Super Furry Animals "Do or Die" (UK import)
Got it for three reasons: 1) it had a poster sleeve, 2) I hadn't heard many SFA b-sides, other than "Outspaced", and 3) it was dead cheap. Best was seeing posters for this plastered all over Glasgow.
Super Furry Animals "Fuzzy Logic" (UK import)
The most mainstream of all Furry releases, it made the lyrics of 'Fuzzy Birds' common quoteables for months. And then there's 'Something for the Weekend'.
Super Furry Animals "Guerrilla"
I seriously didn't think they could top Radiator. Proved me wrong! This one has the same wackiness we came to suspect, but it has a "growth factor" that you would not believe! This cd seriously gets better and better with each listen...
Super Furry Animals "Juxtaposed With U" (UK import)
Besides getting the video, this cd contains quite possibly the best SFA song ever written, 'Tradewinds'. This song has brought me such joy and strange looks from strangers as Mark and I echo the "meep meep" noises from the beginning...
Super Furry Animals "Mwng" (+ ltd ed bonus cd, "Mwng Bach")
I held out a month for the US release so I could get the extra cd (and give it to Mark for his birthday!). I don't understand a word of any of this Welsh language album, but I know great songs when I hear them.
Super Furry Animals "Radiator" (+ ltd ed bonus cd, "Outspaced")
Wow. EVERY song is good. Int'l Language of Screaming, Demons, Hermann loves Pauline, She's Got Spies... And the bonus cd has The Man Don't Give a Fuck, too!
Super Furry Animals "Rings Around the World" (ltd ed UK import)
Pure fucking genius. I can't believe this is the same band who did "Fuzzy Logic". This is quite possibly the best album of 2001, and I never even thought they'd top "Guerrilla"!
Supergrass "In It For The Money" (plus limited edition bonus cd)
I figured I had to buy the album since I've had the poster up for about 6 months (and the songs on mp3, shh!), but I wanted to make sure I got the double cd version. Every song on here feels like a single.
great happy, rocking stuff. (and the bonus songs are such a joy!). Pogosticking to this is a must.
Sussex 2000! (homemade)
I made this compilation cd for my friends from my year at Sussex Uni in Brighton in 1999/2000. I put all the songs we danced and sang to at important points that year, and had spoken introductions to each song. HM
Sweeney Todd
The sickest, most demented musical I've ever seen! This cd is absolutely dripping with irony (and the blood was great, too!)NR
System of a Down "Toxicity" (Ltd Ed Metallic Art with Ltd Ed DVD)
Others had told me that I would like System of a Down if I gave them a chance, and I came at this with open arms after hearing so many Tool fans gush over them. I just adore 'Arials', but the rest is a bit too hard for me to fully enjoy, even though I can tell it's quality.