Description
This is a pre-order. It will ship on or around 12/4/26
Named after a West Coast grocery store chain, The Whitefronts started out in 1982 as a quartet of art and theater students attending UCSB at Isla Vista CA. The band quickly mutated into a sextet. In 1984, they moved north to establish themselves as part of the San Francisco DIY culture. Live shows usually consisted of open jams drawing from what the band was obsessing about at the time -- free jazz, The Velvet Underground, Caribbean music, improv noise -- as well as their own unheralded genres that popped in and out of existence like subatomic particles. Shows with local bands like Slovenly, Camper Van Beethoven, Caroliner Rainbow, Vomit Launch, Barnacle Choir, and Barbara Manning provide some context as to their eccentric position within the indie scene of the era. In 1985, the band released their sole LP, Roast Belief, on their own Bogden label. This was an ambitious attempt to document the various ideas that were happening live. Though practically unknown today, it's an extraordinary record -- a mid-'80s classic serving up eclectic derangement on a par with contemporaries like the Butthole Surfers, Meat Puppets, Sun City Girls, Tuxedomoon, and Eugene Chadbourne. The Mamo Waves LP was compiled from recordings made between 1982-1987. As with Roast Belief LP, it's a mind-melting jumble of the genres explored by Whitefronts throughout their existence. It was originally supposed to be released by Camper Van's Pitch-A-Tent imprint, as a couple of WF members were touring with CBV in 1987, but the release fell through the cracks when CBV was airlifted to Virgin Records in 1988. Today, it's clear that Mamo Waves belongs to the same 1980s Californian sub-underground aesthetic that nurtured mythical 80s bands like Departmentstore Santas and Prominent Disturbance. It's a real WTF m.o. that still sounds like the future. Limited Edition of 300 copies.
Cancellations:
Because many payment processors no longer return transaction fees to sellers on cancelled orders, any orders or pre-orders that are canceled by the customer before shipment will be assessed a 5% cancellation fee.
Q: How do limited edition and exclusive releases work?
Limited and exclusive items are fulfilled in the order received and may be subject to availability. If we’re unable to fulfill your order, you’ll receive a full refund.
Q: When will my pre-order ship?
Pre-orders ship on or around the official release date. If your order includes both pre-order and in-stock items, everything will ship together once all items are available. All orders are charged at the time of purchase.
