Abbreviations

ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE DISCOGRAPHICAL HEADINGS

[tape]: cassette-only release
[8-track]: 8-track cartridge
[CD]: CD-only release (for releases prior to the universality of CDs)
[LP]: vinyl-only release (after the universality of CDs)
EP: a record with more than three and fewer than seven songs
EP3: an EP released on 3-inch CD only
EP7: an EP released on 7-inch vinyl only
EP10: an EP released on 10-inch vinyl only
“xxxxx”: titles listed within quotation marks are singles
no label: no record company name indicated on the release
self-released: artist issue without separate label identification
online: music made available only via the Web
digital: download or streaming

NATIONALITY OF RELEASE

Aus. — Australian
Aut. — Austrian
Bel. — Belgian
Braz. — Brazilian
Can. — Canadian
Dan. — Danish
Fin. — Finnish
Fr. — French
Ger. — German
Gr. — Greek
Hol. — Dutch
Ice. — Icelandic
It. — Italian
Japan. — Japanese
Mex. — Mexican
Nor. — Norwegian
NZ — New Zealand
Sp. — Spanish
Sw. — Swiss
Swed. — Swedish
UK — British
US — American

DISCOGRAPHICAL CONVENTIONS

Because the editors of this project are in America, you should assume that releases are American unless otherwise indicated. The years noted are the original date of release; a second date follows a “+” when the same label issued the same record with some significant change in content. Non-US reissues are noted only when there is some content variation or there is no other version available.

Entries are alphabetized by the last names of individuals and the first word of group names, with no precedence given to acronyms, numerals, abbreviations (except for “St.,” which is taken to be short for Saint) or the like. Groups named for a an actual member (even one who uses a pseudonym, like Elvis Hitler, in the H’s) are alphabetized as if the name were real; fabricated group names for which there is no corresponding member (Ed Hall, in the E’s) go by first letter. MC and DJ titles are considered part of the name; one-letter surnames (Warren G, Paul K) are also a basis for alphabetization.

All articles in band names have been omitted from the headings and ignored in the alphabetization process unless they are an integral part of the name (The For Carnation, A Band Called Bud), intentionally misspelled (Thee Hypnotics, Th Faith Healers), unlikely to be correctly presumed in context (the The) or in a foreign language (Los Lobos, Die Toten Hosen). In order to avoid chronological confusion, multiple-name artists like Foetus and Jazz Butcher have an overall heading; several headings employ parentheses to combine an artist’s work under variant names. Records devoted to the songs of an artist are filed with their subjects.

Discographies in no way differentiate between records that are in print and impossibly rare; this is a critical guide, not a catalogue.

Records are marked as EPs if they contain four to six songs. But there are exceptions: a 7-inch with more than six songs will also be designated an EP, a full-length album (roughly 40 minutes, but nobody’s counting) with six or less songs will not. A record of more than six songs, in which multiple mixes of a song account for the excess of tracks, is still an EP. Although there’s no logical excuse for it, some significant releases of only three songs (especially when the record has an actual title) have been listed as EPs; such deviations are noted in the text.

Titles that appear within quotation marks designate singles, which are listed and mentioned only in cases of special significance. This stylistic convention necessitates the omission of quotation marks from titles that appear with them on record covers. Generally, idiosyncratic type case conventions (and needless punctuation marks) in band names, titles and labels have been respected when there seems to be both consistency and general acceptance for such use.