Some Small History is a collection of "rarities, collecting B-sides, compilation tracks, EPs, fanzine vinyl, and previously unreleased material recorded between 1990 and 2007" from the band Portastatic

Portastatic

Portastatic is an American indie rock band founded in the early 1990s by Mac McCaughan. Portastatic began as a solo project for McCaughan, lead singer and guitarist of the indie rock band Superchunk...

. It was released on Merge Records

Merge Records

Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records...

 On September 9, 2008.



The album includes a number of cover songs including songs by Ryan Adams

Ryan Adams

David Ryan Adams is an American alt-country/rock singer-songwriter, from Jacksonville, North Carolina. Initially part of the group Whiskeytown, Adams left the band and released his first solo album Heartbreaker in 2000...

, The Undertones

The Undertones

The Undertones are a punk rock/new wave band formed in Derry, Northern Ireland, in 1975.The original line-up of the Undertones released thirteen singles and four studio albums — The Undertones , Hypnotised , Positive Touch and The Sin of Pride — before disbanding in July 1983.Music guide Allmusic...

, The Magnetic Fields

The Magnetic Fields

The Magnetic Fields is the principal creative outlet of singer-songwriter Stephin Merritt...

, Prefab Sprout

Prefab Sprout

Prefab Sprout are an alternative English pop rock band from Witton Gilbert, County Durham, England who rose to fame during the 1980s. Eight of their albums have reached the Top 40 in the UK Albums Chart, and one of their singles, "The King of Rock 'n' Roll", peaked at number seven in the UK...

, Sandy Denny

Sandy Denny

Sandy Denny , born Alexandra Elene Maclean Denny, was an English singer and songwriter, perhaps best known as the lead singer for the folk rock band Fairport Convention...

 and The Strawbs

The Strawbs

Strawbs are an English rock band founded in 1964. Although the band started out as a bluegrass group they eventually moved on to other styles such as folk rock, glam rock and progressive rock...

, Hot Chip

Hot Chip

Hot Chip are an English electronic indie band. They have released four studio albums—Coming on Strong, The Warning, Made in the Dark and One Life Stand.-Formation:...

, Galaxie 500

Galaxie 500

Galaxie 500 was an American alternative rock band that formed in 1987 and split up in 1991 after releasing three albums.-History:Guitarist Dean Wareham, drummer Damon Krukowski and bassist Naomi Yang had met at the Dalton School in New York City in 1981, but began playing together during their time...

, American Music Club

American Music Club

American Music Club is a San Francisco-based alternative rock band led by singer-songwriter Mark Eitzel.-History:Although born in California, Eitzel spent his formative years in Okinawa, Taiwan, Great Britain and Ohio before returning to the Bay Area in 1981...

, and Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...

.

This release is a limited edition of 3000 copies.

Merge Records

Merge Records

Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records...

 also released a bonus download from their website with 11 rare tracks that did not make the album.


One additional rare track, "Do You Want To Buy A Bridge?" from the Spying On The Spys

Spying On The Spys

Spying on the Spys is a 7" Single by the band Portastatic. It was released on the Merge Records label in 1996. "Spying on the Spys" is a home recorded 4-track version that differs from the version on the The Nature of Sap LP. It was later released on the Some Small History compilation."Do You Want...

 7" single was not included because Mac McCaughan found the song to be "embarrasing."

Track listing

• disc one:

1. "Starter"
2. "Sandles and White Socks"
3. "Oh, My Sweet Carolina" (Ryan Adams)
4. "Lousy Penpal*"
5. "A Cunning Latch (acoustic)*"
6. "Teenage Kicks" (The Undertones)
7. "Too Trashed to Smoke*"
8. "Skinny Glasses Girl"
9. "Trajectory"
10. "Power Supply"
11. "Josephine" (The Magnetic Fields)
12. "Race You Home"
13. "Make You Up*"
14. "Your Own Cloud"
15. "When Love Breaks Down*" (Prefab Sprout)
16. "Portraits From Before The War"
17. "Gray Robbins"
18. "Easily Aroused"
19. "Guessing"
20. "Little Fern"
21. "All I Need Is You" (Sandy Denny and the Strawbs)
22. "You Love To Fail" (The Magnetic Fields)

• disc two:

1. "Some Small History"
2. "San Andreas Crouch"
3. "Not The Same"
4. "And I Was A Boy From School" (Hot Chip)
5. "Spying on the Spys"
6. "Too Close To The Screen"
7. "Weighted Raft"
8. "Dragging a Crow"
9. "Soft Fruit"
10. "I Wanna Know Girls (acoustic demo)"
11. "Feel Better"
12. "Useless Switch"
13. "Had (full band)*"
14. "Secret Session"
15. "Tugboat" (Galaxie 500)
16. "Codes, Runes, Dunes"
17. "Candy Cigarettes"
18. "Firefly" (American Music Club)
19. "La Pelicula"
20. "Look, Honey, Peaches"
21. "Replacement Parts*"
22. "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" (Bob Dylan)

Bonus Download:

1. "Slant Roof"
2. "Weedhopper"
3. "A Faithless Auld Lang Syne"
4. "Books For Any Occasion"
5. "Clean Barrel"
6. "Following Footprints"
7. "Echoes Myron" (Guided By Voices
   Guided by Voices
   Guided by Voices is an American indie rock band originating from Dayton, Ohio. Beginning with the band's formation in 1983, it made frequent personnel changes but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard...
   
   )
8. "Duck 96"
9. "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love & Understanding" (Elvis Costello
   Elvis Costello
   Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
   
   )
10. "Jetlag"
11. "Flat Roof"