Listen to 4AD 1996 on Spotify.
Let’s focus on the positives: Dead Can Dance returned with Spiritchaser, and that’s a quite good album. Throwing Muses continued the streak begun with University and released another excellent album. His Name Is Alive went in a new direction: They discovered the Beach Boys. Heidi Berry released her final, and her most fabulous album, Miracle. And Lisa Germano released another really spiffy album.
So that’s all pretty good, right?
But the year is pretty much dominated by 4AD trying to make Lush the great new Britpop sensation, and I think they were successful? It did mean that they shed everything that was great about them, and I don’t think there’s anything from their six (!) EPs or the album they released this year that I enjoyed.
The other “big thing” 4AD tried to make happen was Icelanders Gus Gus, which wasn’t as successful commercially, I think. I kinda liked the music at the time, but I haven’t listened to any of afterwards. I seem to recall it being very mid-90s?
And then there’s the Paladins album, which I think a lot of people interpreted as a practical joke upon the listeners.
I’m still not sure that’s not correct, but I don’t want to hazard listening to the album again to make sure. You may feel a certain compulsion to start skipping when you get to that part of the playlist.
1996
 |    BAD CD6001Lush — Single Girl Single Girl, Tinkerbell, Outside World, Cul de Sac |
 | BAD D CD6001 Lush — Single Girl Single Girl, Pudding, Demystification, Shut Up |
 | BAD CD6002 Lush — Ladykillers Ladykillers, Matador, Ex, Dear Me (Miki’s 8-track home demo) |
 | BAD D CD6002 Lush — Ladykillers Ladykillers, Heavenly, Carmen, Plums and Oranges (Neil Simons) |
 | BAD 6003 CD Scheer — Shéa Shéa, My World, Demon (acoustic), Nemesis |
 |    CAD6004Lush — Lovelife Ladykillers, Heavenly Nobodies, 500, I’ve Been Here Before, Single Girl, Ciao!, Tralala, Last Night (Steve Orborne), Runaway, The Childcatcher (rerecorded), Olympia |
 | AD6005 Scheer — Wish You Were Dead Wish You Were Dead, Hanging on the Telephone |
 | CAD6006 Scheer — Infliction Shéa, Howling Boy, Wish You Were Dead, In Your Head, Demon, Baby Sized, Sad Loved Girl, I Started Something, Screaming, Goodbye |
 | BAD CD6007 His Name Is Alive — Universal Frequencies Universal Frequencies, Up Your Legs Forever, Summer of E. S. P., Your Word Against Mine, Untitled |
 | BAD CD6016 Throwing Muses — Shark Shark, Tar Moochers (rerecorded), Serene Swing (rerecorded), Limbobo (rerecorded) |
 | DAD6008 Dead Can Dance — Spiritchaser Nierika, Song of the Stars, Indus, Song of the Disposessed, Dedicace Outo, The Snake and the Moon, Song of the Nile, Devorzhum |
 | BAD6009 Lush — 500 (Shake Baby Shake) 500 (Shake Baby Shake) (Mike Drake), I Have The Moon, Piledriver, Olympia (acoustic version) |
 | BAD D CD6009 Lush — 500 (Shake Baby Shake) 500 (Shake Baby Shake), I’d Like to Walk Around in Your Mind, Kiss Chase (acoustic version), Last Night (hexadeciman dub mix) |
 | CAD6010 His Name Is Alive — Stars On ESP Dub Love Letter, This World is not My Home, Bad Luck Girl, What Are You Wearing Tomorrow, The Bees, What Else Is New List, Wall of Speed, Universal Frequencies, The Sand That Holds the Lakes in Place, I Can’t Live in this World Anymore, Answer to Rainbow at Midnight, Famous Goodbye King, Across The Street, Movie, Last One |
 | CAD6011 Heidi Berry — Miracle The Mountain, Time, Holy Grail, Darkness Darkness, Miracle, The Californian, Queen, Only Human, Northern Country |
 | CAD6012 Lisa Germano — Excerpts from the Love Circus Baby on the Plane, a Beautiful Schizophrenic, “where’s Miamo-Tutti?” by Dorothy, Bruises, I Love a Snot, Forget it it’s a Mystery, Victoria’s Secret, “just a bad dream by Miamo-Tutti”, Small Heads, We Suck, Lovesick, Singing to the Birds, Messages from Sophia, “there’s more kitties in the world than just Miamo-Tutti” |
 | BAD CD6013 Gus Gus — Polyesterday Polyester Day*, Cold Breath ’79 (Crystalized)*, Polyesterday (Late)*, Polydistortion* |
 | CAD6014 Throwing Muses — Limbo Buzz, Ruthie’s Knocking, Freeloader, The Field, Limbo, Tar Kissers, Tango, Serene, Mr. Bones, Night Driving, Cowbirds, Shark, White Bikini Sand |
 | CAD6015 The Paladins — Million Mile Club |
 | TAD6017 Throwing Muses — Ruthie’s Knocking |
 | BAD CD6018 Tanya Donelly — Sliding & Diving Bum, Restless, Human, Swoon |
 | BAD CD6019 Lisa Germano — Small Heads Small Heads, Fun Fun For Everyone (Acoustic), Tom, Dick And Harry, Messages From Sophia (Instrumental) |
This post is part of the chronological look at all 4AD releases, year by year.
*) Missing from Spotify.