Do the bands Treepeople or Hammerbox mean anything to you? Stymie was another of the heavy indie rock bands that roamed Seattle in the early 90s. A few of their songs showed up on compilations, and they put out a 7" EP that I reviewed more than 30 years ago (issue 31, 3/31/93). And yes, I liked them then, too.

Stymie Toil and Folly (New Rage)

They thought about recording an album, but they broke up instead. Turns out the members of Stymie weren't really all that hyped about a career as starving musicians. So they went on living normal lives, with the master tapes spread out amongst the members. Jeff Kleinsmith moved during Covid, and seeing his portion of the tapes inspired him to get up with the other band members and figure out how to cobble together a full-length release.

And they even resurrected their old label, New Rage, for the release. These aren't "all the songs," but they are all good songs, and another reminder that greatness is not always recognized (or even recorded). Phil Ek (who went on to much, much bigger things) did most of the recording and mixing, and these songs very much have that classic Seattle fuzzy punk pop feel.

I can't say I've spent the last 30 years wondering whatever the hell happened to Stymie. But listening now, I am curious what might have happened if they soldiered on. After all, Treepeople and Hammerbox never really broke through (though Built to Spill's Doug Martsch did spend some time with Treepeople), and a lot of what I considered the best of Seattle quickly faded away. But this 13-song set is a good reminder of those days. A most welcome unearthing.

Jon Worley