Most humbling/joyous moment of discovery: Helium, “No Guitars” EP, “Superball” EP, “Little Bird Girl” demos

Back in the prehistoric days of 1999, Helium appeared to me on a series of mixtapes, most memorably paired with PJ Harvey, Heart and others on the “witchy” side of a “witchy/bitchy” mix (the “bitchy” side worked as a pretty primer for the groups that evolved in and after riot-grrl). As Mary Timony wove a spell on me, I sought out the “Pirate Prude” EP, then “Magic City” and “Dirt of Luck” in that order. As I followed Timony’s solo career, I started to think of myself as a dedicated fan who looked down on all the Sleater-Kinney fans who rallied around Wild Flag with no clue as to all the history and powers that Timony was bringing to that band.

So imagine my shock when I realized that I had made it to 2016 without realizing that, in addition to the EP and two full-lengths I had, Helium had two more full EPs as well as a tape of demos. Even worse is that they were mentioned in an article I’d read and re-read multiple times. This music could have been enriching me for the last 17 years, and here I was completely unaware of its existence. So much for my claim to be a serious Mary Timony fan.

On the other hand, the unexpected discovery of these “lost” recordings opened the door to a wormhole that’s brought no small amount of delight. The songs on these releases stand with the best of Helium’s discography, and the time I spent exploring them opened a wormhole to my early 20s, with all the intense emotions associated with that age. As I approach my 40s, that experience created a well of pure joy — an essential and all-too rare resource in 2016.