New York, USA-based slowcore pioneers formed in 1989 by Stephen Immerwahr (bass/vocals), John Engle (guitar) and Chris Brokaw (drums). Signed to the Sub Pop Records label in the US and Glitterhouse in Europe, Codeine played at a deliberate, slovenly, lo-fi pace: "It's not a see how slow you can go thing, more a compositional tool. A lot of the songs are about having a very low amount of energy or being physically unable to move. So it's performing the songs in a way that's analogous to what they're about - moments of inertia." Their 1990 debut Frigid Stars was, on first hearing, slightly soporific and listless, but rewarded repeated listening with its depth and emotional texture. The mini-album Barely Real continued in the same vein, with additional instrumentation provided by David Grubbs and Bitch Magnet's Jon Fine.

Listen to Codeine at Finetune.

• (2008)  Frigid Stars
• (2008)  The White Birch
• (2008)  Barely Real
• (1994)  The White Birch
• (1990)  Frigid Stars LP

• Sea
• Second Chance
• 3 Angels
• Loss Leader
• Gravel Bed

• Red House Painters
• Low
• Mazzy Star
• The American Analog Set
• The Magnetic Fields
• Rachel's
• Hayden
• Mojave 3
• Mogwai
• Idaho
• Mark Kozelek
• Galaxie 500
• BedHead
• Dirty Three
• Pedro the Lion
• Spain
• Ida
• Labradford
• Songs: OHIA
• Willard Grant Conspiracy

• giiminder
• dj_brr
• rainbowrocker
• Apath
• mercurial_beauty
• slint