#mplsltd

[bandcampsnoop]

7/27/26.

Unbelievably, yesterday was the first day that I recall really giving Medicine a listen. I think for years and years the name made me think the band was slowcore, then I learned they were "shoegaze", and I still didn't listen.

I follow mplsltd, both a label and a Bandcamp user, and they recently bought it, so it popped up on my music feed providing the necessary nudge to finally get me to listen. I was blown away with what I heard. I can see the "shoegaze" label, but "We'll Run Away" has a definite Beach Boys, Heavy Blinkers and Saturday Looks Good To Me feel. This album is marked by the vocals of Julia Monreal.

This is being released by Brad Laner's own Laner Archival Service. While this Bandcamp page doesn't have the original early Medicine releases, it does have newer releases (sold out, but available in digital form), old demos and live shows for those of you who have followed the band longer than me and want access to odd n' sods.

A cool aside: Laner's brother Josh was a member of many bands too. Most notable (to me at least) is The Sugarplastic (Brad was a member too before any recording occurred). He wasn't around for the bands full run ("Radio Jejune" is an album with Josh), but it's still a great excuse to listen.

Brad Laner/Medicine are based in Los Angeles, California.

[bandcampsnoop]

6/28/25.

I started following mplsltd on Bandcamp a few days ago. I bought Pearly* 7" from them and noticed that they "bought" the 7". Surprise, surprise. Our tastes in music are similar.

The Pleasure Routine is a 7" I learned about through their collection. It sounds like a cross between Pavement, Nap Eyes, Wine Country and Pale Lights (by the way, another of Phil Sutton's bands - Love, Burns - has a new 7" available. When music is posted, we'll post about it).

The Pleasure Routine is from Oakland, California. "About Carrie/Bloody Nose" came out in late 2024, but their debut cassette came out in 2016, predating the well-known surge in the Bay Area music scene.