Ever go to a streaming service such as Spotify and cannot find a record you used to adore? And then you go to the record store and cannot find it in any format anywhere? While that probably does not happen all too often, it has been happening to me on occasion. And in this infinite content society, it seems we have come to expect to have access to everything all the time, at the tap of a screen or subscription. This page is dedicated to sharing certain records that I cannot currently find on Spotify in Japan (cautionary tale: they may be on other services like YouTube Music or Amazon Music or even on your local Spotify), but I do not have the resources to fully research all platforms, nor do I subscribe to a VPN service. I am having too much fun sifting through countless records stores and online music retailers. I will share the YouTube links below and update this page as I continue to come across albums nearly forgotten.
Cadillac Blindside | Read the Book, Seen the Movie (2000)
One of the best album titles of the year 2000, Read the Book, Seen the Movie is a record packed with some of the finest emo/punk/pop the Upper Midwest (or anywhere else, for that matter) has ever heard. It’s raw, slick, fast, and supercharged. And it should not be forgotten. It’s no surprise that you can’t find this one on Spotify, but maybe their 2025 reunion shows will spark a full-on Caddy B-side revolution, and we’ll all get to hear it in all its lossless glory soon. Until then, revisit it over on Bandcamp.
Listen to “Fashion Before Function”
David Bazan | Curse Your Branches (2009)
“Please Baby Please” is one of the best songs David Bazan has ever penned. And since it is featured on Curse Your Branches, that is reason enough to scour the internet for this hopefully not forgotten gem. This record made headlines back in the day as some were dubbing it “Bazan: Breaking Up With God.” Never to leave questions on the table, Bazan sings candidly throughout this album of his relationship to a power greater than himself. It may leave us with more questions than answers, but any good philosophical discussion (lyrically or otherwise) should do just that. You can get it at Bandcamp.
Listen to Curse Your Branches
John K. Samson - Provincial (2012)
John K. Samson’s first LP since the quiet, still-officially-unannounced disbandment of The Weakerthans has gone missing from Spotify Japan. And it’s not showing up on Bandcamp or YouTube either. Peculiar. However, you can still purchase the CD from his website and over at Anti. If you do come across this gem, definitely pick it up. Lyrically, these songs are on par with everything Samson did with The Weakerthans. Across twelve thoughtfully crafted songs, he takes us through Winnipeg and rural Manitoba, starting on Highway 1, stopping by the Ninette Sanatorium, petitioning to get Reggie Leach into the Hockey Hall of Fame, and closing with a reversal of the taps.
Listen to “Highway 1 East”
The Appleseed Cast - The End of The Ring Wars (1998)
When the leaves start rustling around the concrete is the ideal time to revisit the music of The Appleseed Cast. A long drive with Low Level Owl I & II as the sun begins its quick descent into the horizon is a perfect example. Once the Owls have had their spin, you may be craving more. Perhaps that craving will lead you to their 1998 debut, The End of the Ring Wars, which for some may have been their introduction to the band. And it may have come at that ever-important time in one’s life: the momentum of reluctant change soundtracked by these powerful, melodic, and autumnal melodies. It was a time when emo was still as mysterious as an internet chat-room, when we often mistook Jawbox for Jawbreaker, and when nothing mattered much more than writing it in half-time with a heartbreak to pine over. The End of The Ring Wars is not currently streaming on Spotify (only the opener is available in Japan, at least), but you can get it over at Bandcamp. Happy (emotional) memories.
Listen to “Marigold & Patchwork”
Ben Gibbard - Former Lives (2012)
I was pleasantly surprised to find this compact disc nestled in the pop/rock section at the local Book Off. Admittedly, I had no idea this existed until today. When I found it, something told me it may not be on Spotify, and after a little research (including a Reddit thread), it turns out it is not. It seems it once was, but has been removed for the time being. However, you can catch it at Benjamin Gibbard’s Bandcamp and perhaps in a used CD shop somewhere out there. First impressions: lyrically solid and musically sound. Gibbard does not mess around here. And the title should have all those seeking out former versions of themselves in check.
Listen to “Teardrop Windows”
Vermont - Living Together (1999)
Listen to Living Together
Dubbed as an emo-pop band featuring members of the Promise Ring and Pele, Vermont just kind of came and went. And then they resurfaced on some streaming services, but I cannot for the life of me get Spotify to stream their what I will call now-classic 1999 album, Living Together. Hearing this again got me thinking that others may want to revisit this album. The title track alone is worth the trip down memory lane, but hang in there for the entirety. The closer will likely leave a goosebump or two and make you want to finally make those breakfast reservations in Chicago.