MANILA, Philippines - “Secret Swingers” (1996) Put Versus on the New York indie map. Tracks like Lose that Dress exploded with a distinct loud-soft dynamic that owed nothing to the Pixies or Nirvana, but showed a strong Sonic Youth influence.
“Two Cents Plus Tax” (1998) Should have been a huge crossover hit. More commercial than earlier releases, but loaded with mini-epics like Morning Glory and sing-along bashers like Underground. Patrick Ramos and James Baluyut were onboard.
“Whysall Lane” (2006) Richard’s solo effort, named after a street in his Michigan hometown, but decidedly West Coast. The label called it “indie rock for people who hate indie rock.” Songs like During the Mutiny and Pillows revealed a more personal sound, though this also would have been a fine Versus album.
“The Ones and Threes” (2010) With addition of violinist Margaret White, the band gets more mature, but thankfully, never fully grow up. Bonus track Death Ray (on vinyl) is a nod to earlier Versus sound.