Bleep

Shaggs’ Own Thing, the 1982 collection which brings together non-album recordings from cult band The Shaggs, now gets a reissue from the good people at Light In The Attic. The Shaggs’ 1969 debut LP Philosophy Of The World is a classic of outsider-rock which inspired the likes of Kurt Cobain, but it wasn't until 1982 that people heard more from the trio of Helen, Betty and Dorothy "Dot" Wiggin. The recording quality and instrumental chops may be moderately better than on their notoriously down-at-heel debut, but the ersatz combinations of folksy garage rock and whimsical songcraft on Shaggs’ Own Thing still brim with the homey charm of Philosophy Of The World. The likes of Jonathan Richman and Girlpool owe The Shaggs a great debt, as do so many of the modern ‘twee-grunge’ artists such as Trust Fund. An essential cop for those who are keen on the more leftfield end of rock ‘n’ roll history.