Fish Narc’s 10 Favorite K Records Releases

Fish Narc (aka Ben Funkhouser) is probably best known at this point for emo-rap and being part of GothBoiClique (alongside Lil Peep, Wicca Phase, and others), but Ben also used to play in the Hardly Art-signed indie rock band Hausu, and now he’s signed to Beat Happening leader Calvin Johnson’s legendary K Records, for which he just released his new album Frog Song. Along with the release, Ben has also made us a list of his 10 favorite K Records releases. Stream the LP and check out his list below.

Along with the album’s release, Fish Narc plays a NYC show at Trans-Pecos tonight (2/14), along with an electronic set from They Are Gutting A Body of Water, as well as The Dallas Cowboys and My World Ends With You. He then does a free acoustic in-store and signing at Rough Trade NYC on Saturday (2/15) and he has more upcoming dates after that. All are listed below.

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Fish Narc’s 10 Favorite K Records Releases

Beat Happening – You Turn Me On (1992)

The iconic band’s fifth album was produced by a member of Young Marble Giants, and has a distinct vibe from their previous work. I love the sprawling, unfurling quality of tracks like “Godsend” and “Bury the Hammer,” which together account for as much time as an entire album previously might have. Both singers are at their best, and the dreamy, immediate quality that made their earlier work so special is not so much banished, but renewed and reconfigured.

Lync – These Are Not Fall Colors (1994)

I have a lot to say about this album. Emo? Indie? Post-hardcore? Secret pop songs hidden in the chaos? Lync was a band for only two years, but they made some very futuristic and impactful music in that time. I still hear new things after years of listening, and my favorite song has changed over the years. “Turtle” or “Pennies to Save” are good starting points, but listen to the whole thing!! Modest Mouse opened up at their final show.

The Microphones – It Was Hot, We Stayed In The Water (2000)

This record was my introduction to Phil Elvrum’s work, and led me to discover all of the nooks of his discography. I love the strumming on “The Pull,” which evokes the uneven pulse of waves on the beach, in a hypnotic loop until singing abruptly starts. “Karl Blau” starts with a serene vocal harmony that is also functionally a sample, played into the song itself. This album is progressive and theatrical without ever feeling contrived. As a solitude-seeking nature-lover from the same region as Phil, I feel deeply connected to his mediations of our shared ecosystem.

Lois – Infinity Plus (1996)

Lois should be a household name. She’s had her hands in so much important music in the Olympia universe, still lives here, and occasionally performs to this day! Her songwriting is simple and effective, like a well-honed machine that mediates sweet and salty emotions. It seems pretty clear to me that Olympia’s most famous songwriter (don’t be fooled by the major label biographies) took influence from Lois. “Rougher” and “Capital A” are standouts to my ears.

Winston Hightower – Winston Hytwr (2024)

One of my classmates, per se, of recent K releases, Winston is a songwriter that I’ve come to cherish. This record bends and freaks pop standards, it’s weird but really comfortable. It’s actually tough to describe…”Insubordination Rules” hits like a funky Raincoats track, but there’s no real singular thing beyond the clearly Winston Hightower style you’re listening to. The more you listen, the better it gets. A co-release with the legendary Perennial Records, also of Olympia.

Teenage Fanclub – Bad Seeds 7” (1992)

TFC covering Beat Happening…it makes sense, when you think about it, but I was not expecting to find this on my recent deep dive into the K discography. I wanted to refresh my listening and overcome my long biases towards specific releases, so I set about listening to at least one or two songs from every release on the label. I honestly don’t know how I managed to not become a fan of TFC until fairly recently; I know all of their peers and their music checks all the boxes for me. Sometimes stuff just slips through the cracks. Beat Happening’s influence cannot be overstated.

Internal/External – Featuring… (2000)

Another gem that I had never even heard of until the last few years. Featuring… is a producer album, damn near a what could be called a mixtape, of various tracks by Olympia musician Paul Schuster. Each track has a different collaborator, and Schuster’s early adaptation of electronic music and production for punk/indie culture is really impressive. Justin Trosper of Unwound, Calvin Johnson, Lois, Carrie Brownstein and many more feature on electronic beats, ranging in style from RnB to industrial. It’s a genius record, and a concept that needs to be applied more to rock music scenes.

LAKE – Oh, The Places We’ll Go (2008)

When I was most active in the PNW underground scene in the late 2000s and early 2010s, the hallmark of the K sound was soft and sweet, homespun music that felt endemic to the sleepy coastal cities it was produced in. Whidbey Island’s LAKE personified this vibe, with multiple songwriters, beautiful classics and references to motown, folk and twee. They definitely kept honing and making good records after this one, but Oh, The Places We’ll Go was my personal favorite. I used to put the song “Heaven” on mixtapes for crushes.

Christmas – Namiot 7” (2010)

Christmas seemed to pop out of nowhere in Olympia, in an era when house shows were the only norm. Performing edgy, tight music with just the right amount of silliness, they would play crazy house parties where multiple members would crowd surf, knock shit over, the works. The record is fine; it doesn’t really do the band justice, but given how few documents of this group exist, it’s definitely worth checking out.

Satisfact – Satisfact (1997)

Freaky post-hardcore from this little known WA band. Futuristic synths and noisy guitar. It has a psychedelic quality and the electronic aspects are way ahead of their time. To call it a missing lync between Unwound and Shoplifting / The Blood Brothers may just be a reflection of my own biases, but it does fit in an important and lesser known corner of PNW music history. This record can relax and amp up depending on context.

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Fish Narc — 2025 Tour Dates
02/14 New York, NY @ trans-pecos w/ They Are Gutting A Body of Water (electronic set), the dallas cowboys, my world ends with you
02/15 New York, NY @ Rough Trade Manhattan (solo acoustic)
02/18 Boston, MA @ Rockwell w/ They Are Gutting A Body of Water (electronic set), warmachine
03/05 Bellingham, WA @ Grandma’s House *
03/06 Seattle, WA @ Madame Lou’s *
03/07 Olympia, WA @ Le Voyeur *
03/09 Eugene, OR @ TBA *
03/11 Reno, NV @ Holland Project *
03/12 Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s *
03/13 Los Angeles, CA @ Genghis Cohen *
03/14 San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop *

* w/ Toner