Treepeople was born in Seattle exactly at the moment when grunge was about to sweep the earth, in 1988. The band, formed by 'fugitives' from Idaho, had among its founding members a certain Doug Martsch who years later would become one of the great figures of Yankee alternative rock at the head of the great Built To Spill, but that's beside the point. At least for now.
The thing here and now is the guys' first album, Guilt, Regret and Embarrassmentreleased in 1989 – the same year that Nirvana debuted on acetate with Bleach – and unfortunately buried by Kurt and co.
Maybe if they had been somewhere else in Washington, the boys would have been in a different favor, because their music on this debut was closer to the post-hardcore of the Dischord gang than what was on the tapes that arrived at the Sub Pop office. Or it was just the hand of the music gods playing chess so that Built To Spill was born. Whatnot.
Why Guilt, Regret and Embarrassment It's a great album, accelerated, melodic and distorted, with a foot in the sound of Hüsker Du and others, besides the American punk of the 80s and the other (as already implicitly said) in post-hardcore people like One Last Wish and quequais.
The album was released by the giant Calvin Johnson's K Records, produced by Jack Endino and Steve Fisk and to this day it remains half-hidden waiting to be discovered and rediscovered, and whatever your case, I recommend turning up the volume and listening straight away. Trust. And hold on to the trip!
Source: https://pequenosclassicosperdidos.com.br/2026/01/20/treepeople-guilt-regret-and-embarrassment-1989/
