1995: Campfire Girls - Mood Enhancer EP

An old classmate of mine recently got a job at with a CD manufacturer. His parents said, “Will those still be around in five years?” Vinyl sales are improving, but CDs probably won’t bounce back. I’m not terribly concerned, though; I prefer buying used CDs anyway. It’s actually a pastime of mine. Shuffling through boxes of crusty old cases turns into an archaeological adventure, a search for artifacts and mementos left by generations long past.

I found Campfire Girls’s Mood Enhancer EP in a Lower Manhattan record shop. I think it was Generation Records, I’m not sure, but I remember finding that album quite clearly. The case was cracked and gold embossed letters directed, “For Promotional Use Only.” You wish.

The album art, however, was the clincher — a naïve, stick figure drawing of a 3-piece rock band. It was childish, amateur, and absolutely awful. I had to buy it. The music on the album sounded just like the cover. It was nothing exceptional for mid-90s alt rock, but for some reason it sounded so much more close and intimate than most music of the period. It felt as if I had discovered the magic lamp, and this was my genie.

I always considered Mood Enhancer a great addition to my collection, but I still haven’t ripped the album on to my computer. I’ve never felt compelled to hear it on my iPod or in any digital format (it’s your choice if you want to watch the youtube video). In my mind the album’s appeal has little to do with the actual music. I like it because I found something singular and unique to my personality amongst those endless stacks of jewel cases. I may have never seen or heard Mood Enhancer if I hadn’t decided to buy it that day, but because I did it’s mine. Not just the physical product but also that feeling — the great joy of discovery.

Walk into a record store, sort through the used CDs, and leave carrying the right one. Not the best one — the RIGHT one.

DeLorean

There’s a lot of good music out there, and it’s not all being released this year. With DeLorean, we aim to rediscover overlooked artists and genres, to listen to music historically and contextually, to underscore the fluidity of music. While we will cover reissues here, our focus will be on music that’s not being pushed by a PR firm.

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