One thing which has arisen from the mp3 blog revolution is the ability of some labels to realise what a valuable potential marketing tool they have at their disposal. This is mainly indies it has to be said and that's understandable really.
I get a number of requests from labels to "plug their wares" and have to turn many down because the music does not fit the indie genre or that I think that they are not very good. I must admit unsigned musicians who e-mail me get generally get their links blogged despite the quality of music or genre because, hey, in all honestly they need the help.
One such plug that has come my way is the record label of Abandoned Pools who describe them as "awesome". Normally that would set my alarm bells ringing and I would avoid it like the plague but I have to say that the band are quite good although not awesome as you would be lead to believe. Well maybe not yet anyway!
The track supplied comes from their "Reverb EP" and is an extremely catchy indie-rock number but it's the vocals that inspire you to listen this track. Good strong stuff.
Abandoned Pools - The Catalyst
You can listen to more tracks at the band's website which is very nice looking it has to be said!
If you want a plug feel free to e-mail me but remember this is an indie or alternative blog and I am sure the people who visit these pages are not interested in dance or hip hop!
поздравления с днем рождения
четверг, 25 ноября 2010 г.
Weekly Roundup
Firstly an update on Edwyn Collins who has now contacted the MRSA virus in hospital. He has been battling the bug for a few weeks and indie mp3 wishes him well in his recovery.
I have been sent a few e-mails the past couple of weeks from bands after a plug and will round them up here.
Yasumi Okano from the band Xinlisupreme writes to say that they have posted a free web mp3 single on their site. Titled "Zouave`s Blue" it comes in two mixes and i can only describe it as noise pop. Not my bag but I am sure others will like it. The band also plan to release an entire album online on July 11th so kudos to them for that. You can download the single from here.
The Commercials are a US band seeking UK exposure. I downloaded " If I Don't Come Home Tonight" which was melodic indie rock. You can download it and another track from the band's Pure Volume page. Alternatively you can stream them here. The band are looking to play some dates in the UK. If you are interested let me know and I will pass the details on.
Brian, a member of the band The Hypertonics writes to say that they have posted their entire mp3 catalog and the reasons for this are explained on this page. I have listen to a few tracks and they are not bad. You can download their entire archive in a zip file too or you can head direct for the mp3's here.
Finally Christine from Skipping Stones records invites you to listen to C86 inspired indie pop from bands on the label. These include The Besties, an excellent band who I have featured before and The Charade. Members of The Charade may be known to you as they are also in The Shermans and Happydeadmen. Both tracks below are well worth a download and so are the many mp3's on the Happydeadmen site linked to above.
The Charade - Monday Morning
The Besties - Pirate Song
I have been sent a few e-mails the past couple of weeks from bands after a plug and will round them up here.
Yasumi Okano from the band Xinlisupreme writes to say that they have posted a free web mp3 single on their site. Titled "Zouave`s Blue" it comes in two mixes and i can only describe it as noise pop. Not my bag but I am sure others will like it. The band also plan to release an entire album online on July 11th so kudos to them for that. You can download the single from here.
The Commercials are a US band seeking UK exposure. I downloaded " If I Don't Come Home Tonight" which was melodic indie rock. You can download it and another track from the band's Pure Volume page. Alternatively you can stream them here. The band are looking to play some dates in the UK. If you are interested let me know and I will pass the details on.
Brian, a member of the band The Hypertonics writes to say that they have posted their entire mp3 catalog and the reasons for this are explained on this page. I have listen to a few tracks and they are not bad. You can download their entire archive in a zip file too or you can head direct for the mp3's here.
Finally Christine from Skipping Stones records invites you to listen to C86 inspired indie pop from bands on the label. These include The Besties, an excellent band who I have featured before and The Charade. Members of The Charade may be known to you as they are also in The Shermans and Happydeadmen. Both tracks below are well worth a download and so are the many mp3's on the Happydeadmen site linked to above.
The Charade - Monday Morning
The Besties - Pirate Song
Another Sunny Day
I was browsing through the links seeing where visitors to the blog had come from and I noticed this one. Apart from the kind words some of them said about the site scroll down to the bottom where you will find some Another Sunny Day Tracks including "Green", "I'm In Love With A Girl Who Doesn't Know I exist" and of course "You Should All Be Murdered".
As you may know Another Sunny Day were on Sarah Records. Someone last year kindly sent me the whole catalogue on mp3. I was thinking of running a series of Sarah tracks just like the Postcard one I recently did. Any requests? (except for the Field Mice who recently have had their back catalogue re-issued and The Orchids who I believe will be having a compilation out in due course). If so leave them under the comments.
The series will be run on the main site and not the blog!
As you may know Another Sunny Day were on Sarah Records. Someone last year kindly sent me the whole catalogue on mp3. I was thinking of running a series of Sarah tracks just like the Postcard one I recently did. Any requests? (except for the Field Mice who recently have had their back catalogue re-issued and The Orchids who I believe will be having a compilation out in due course). If so leave them under the comments.
The series will be run on the main site and not the blog!
The Delgados Split
Chemikal Underground issued this announcement today concerning The Delgados.
"The Delgados, influential figures in Glasgow's independent music scene for over 10 years, have announced that they are to amicably disband. The reason has been put down to the departure of their bass player Stewart Henderson who informed the band in the New Year that he did not wish to make another album. The Delgados have always been known as uniquely collaborative songwriters and as such, it was decided that the band could not continue without all of its original members.
The Delgados leave behind them 5 critically acclaimed albums including The Great Eastern, Hate and last year's Universal Audio. Their two principal songwriters Emma Pollock and Alun Woodward will be pursuing individual projects and drummer Paul Savage will continue production duties at the band's Chem19 Studios in Hamilton.
The four friends will continue to run their record label Chemikal Underground in this, its 10th Anniversary year, with releases scheduled for Malcolm Middleton, Mother & The Addicts and Arab Strap. They are extremely grateful to everyone who has supported The Delgados over the course of their career".
"The Delgados, influential figures in Glasgow's independent music scene for over 10 years, have announced that they are to amicably disband. The reason has been put down to the departure of their bass player Stewart Henderson who informed the band in the New Year that he did not wish to make another album. The Delgados have always been known as uniquely collaborative songwriters and as such, it was decided that the band could not continue without all of its original members.
The Delgados leave behind them 5 critically acclaimed albums including The Great Eastern, Hate and last year's Universal Audio. Their two principal songwriters Emma Pollock and Alun Woodward will be pursuing individual projects and drummer Paul Savage will continue production duties at the band's Chem19 Studios in Hamilton.
The four friends will continue to run their record label Chemikal Underground in this, its 10th Anniversary year, with releases scheduled for Malcolm Middleton, Mother & The Addicts and Arab Strap. They are extremely grateful to everyone who has supported The Delgados over the course of their career".
Edwyn Collins (Update)
Edwyn Collins' wife, Grace, says the singer is "doing well" despite suffering a second brain hemorrhage last week. She has again thanked fans for their support following the singer’s brain haemorrhage last Sunday.
Grace has also answered queries from fans posted on the site about where to send flowers. She states he's not allowed flowers where he is receiving treatment but goes on to write, "Your thoughts and best wishes are more than enough and one day he'll read them all. Grace and the family"
In a previous message she revealed that Edwyn underwent an emergency operation on Friday. She wrote: "He has come through it as well as can be hoped for, and is continuing to fight. Thank you for all the loving thoughts. It means a lot.”
A short statement from his management last week was previously the only information available. It read:
"Edwyn Collins suffered a cerebral haemorrhage on Sunday night and has been in hospital since, where doctors are trying to stabilise his condition. As soon as we will have more information we will let you know."
Grace has also answered queries from fans posted on the site about where to send flowers. She states he's not allowed flowers where he is receiving treatment but goes on to write, "Your thoughts and best wishes are more than enough and one day he'll read them all. Grace and the family"
In a previous message she revealed that Edwyn underwent an emergency operation on Friday. She wrote: "He has come through it as well as can be hoped for, and is continuing to fight. Thank you for all the loving thoughts. It means a lot.”
A short statement from his management last week was previously the only information available. It read:
"Edwyn Collins suffered a cerebral haemorrhage on Sunday night and has been in hospital since, where doctors are trying to stabilise his condition. As soon as we will have more information we will let you know."
Dýrðin
Dýrðin or to give them the English name they have given themsleves, Catchy Tunes Inc, hail from Iceland. Magnús from the band writes that their music is like that of the All Girl Summer Fun Band. He adds that "...our music is very similar to them, happy and naive". I also think that there are hints of Talulah Gosh and Saint Etienne about the band as well.
The band sing in their native language but for the unadventurous out there don't let that put you off as it is a lovely sounding language when sung and adds a certain charm to the lovely little pop tunes they make. They have five demo mp3's available on their site. My favourite is 17 júní which sounds very jolly. Knowing my luck it's most probably a gloomy song!
Dýrðin - 17 júní
The band sing in their native language but for the unadventurous out there don't let that put you off as it is a lovely sounding language when sung and adds a certain charm to the lovely little pop tunes they make. They have five demo mp3's available on their site. My favourite is 17 júní which sounds very jolly. Knowing my luck it's most probably a gloomy song!
Dýrðin - 17 júní
Bands To Discover
I have been recieving plenty of e-mails from bands and artists seeking exposure or from fans pointing me in their direction. I am happy to help out but I am getting so many these days that it's hard to dedicate a post to each and every one. So hopefully these bands don't mind a smaller push than the ones I normally give by rounding up some of them here.
First up are Starflower. This lot hail from Finland and their music is very reminiscent to shoegazing or the likes of rockier indie bands such as the Catherine Wheel. They have four tracks for downloading including the track How come the days seem so long? which I have enjoyed. A word of advice to the band. Tag your files properly or no-one is going to know who you are!
Face Parade have written to me before but their earlier e-mail must have been caught up in my spam filter. They write that "....We're a New York based band that has been compared to Pavement, The Velvet Undergroud, Broken Social Scene, and Modest Mouse." Their site is one of the best designed I have seen for a while and they have several mp3's for downloading. I gave "Sun For Everyone" and "Backfire on The Desert Shot" a listen and it has encouraged me to try and download some of their other tracks in future. Again another band that needs to tag their tracks correctly.
The Babylon Cowboys play a rockier sort of music compared to that I am normally used to listening to. Not my bag to be honest but you cannot help but be impressed by the vocalist's voice. It's incredibly strong. Judge for yourself on the track "Reflection".
The Blue Van have an annoying site designed in Flash. They are Danish and state that they make music inspired by the likes of The Small Faces, Cream and The Pretty Things. I downloaded a track from their new album "The Art Of Rolling". I can't link to it as you need to supply an e-mail address (let's hope they do away with that as it put's people off) but "Revelation Of Love" is what's described here in England as Pub Rock. That's not an offensive term by the way as it describes rock mixed with R&B, a bit like Dr Feelgood. Its enjoyable but easily forgettable as well.
I have saved the best (in my opinion anyway!) to last. Santa Dog hail from the west country in England and say that "....We're a new independent Bristol based band, female-fronted, heartfelt delicately fried guitar pop." And who am I to argue with that? They have made available a track called "Delicate", the title track of an EP release. It's a wondrous track and is very much in the vein of the Throwing Muses. Soon as I find out where the EP is sold it will be in my grasp. The site is very beautiful to gaze at - very 4AD-ish too!
Don't worry if you have e-mailed me and you have not been covered yet. Another round-up will take place soon.
First up are Starflower. This lot hail from Finland and their music is very reminiscent to shoegazing or the likes of rockier indie bands such as the Catherine Wheel. They have four tracks for downloading including the track How come the days seem so long? which I have enjoyed. A word of advice to the band. Tag your files properly or no-one is going to know who you are!
Face Parade have written to me before but their earlier e-mail must have been caught up in my spam filter. They write that "....We're a New York based band that has been compared to Pavement, The Velvet Undergroud, Broken Social Scene, and Modest Mouse." Their site is one of the best designed I have seen for a while and they have several mp3's for downloading. I gave "Sun For Everyone" and "Backfire on The Desert Shot" a listen and it has encouraged me to try and download some of their other tracks in future. Again another band that needs to tag their tracks correctly.
The Babylon Cowboys play a rockier sort of music compared to that I am normally used to listening to. Not my bag to be honest but you cannot help but be impressed by the vocalist's voice. It's incredibly strong. Judge for yourself on the track "Reflection".
The Blue Van have an annoying site designed in Flash. They are Danish and state that they make music inspired by the likes of The Small Faces, Cream and The Pretty Things. I downloaded a track from their new album "The Art Of Rolling". I can't link to it as you need to supply an e-mail address (let's hope they do away with that as it put's people off) but "Revelation Of Love" is what's described here in England as Pub Rock. That's not an offensive term by the way as it describes rock mixed with R&B, a bit like Dr Feelgood. Its enjoyable but easily forgettable as well.
I have saved the best (in my opinion anyway!) to last. Santa Dog hail from the west country in England and say that "....We're a new independent Bristol based band, female-fronted, heartfelt delicately fried guitar pop." And who am I to argue with that? They have made available a track called "Delicate", the title track of an EP release. It's a wondrous track and is very much in the vein of the Throwing Muses. Soon as I find out where the EP is sold it will be in my grasp. The site is very beautiful to gaze at - very 4AD-ish too!
Don't worry if you have e-mailed me and you have not been covered yet. Another round-up will take place soon.
More on Dýrðin
I mentioned the band a few days a go and have received another e-mail from band member Magnús. He explains the story about the track I liked, 17 juni.
"It's great to get such a favorable review. 17. juni is indeed very jolly. It's about our national holiday, which is held on well..june 17th. Then everybody goes downtown and watches some shows, eats hot dogs and candyfloss, and buys a balloon. The national holiday is held on the birthday of a politician who was mostly responsible for iceland gaining it's independence, and downtown there's an old weatherbeaten statue of him. However, many people, especially the younger generation have no idea who this guy was, nor why the independence is celebrated on this day, so the song is about him, standing there motionless in the crowd, unable to participate but so much wanting to get a hot dog and a balloon too, not to mention candyfloss, after all it is his birthday. We're sort of hoping the song might become a hit around june 17th and become a regular part of that day in the future."
The band are recording some new material and are after releasing an album in the summer. Let's hope they do as they are brilliant!
Nice to see there is some interest in the band. Think Small likes them and puts me to the sword over 17 Juni! Okay if I am pressed Snjófólk (The Snow People) is the better track but 17 juni just captures some of the spirit and laughter music is so desperately missing these days.
Dýrðin - Snjófólk
"It's great to get such a favorable review. 17. juni is indeed very jolly. It's about our national holiday, which is held on well..june 17th. Then everybody goes downtown and watches some shows, eats hot dogs and candyfloss, and buys a balloon. The national holiday is held on the birthday of a politician who was mostly responsible for iceland gaining it's independence, and downtown there's an old weatherbeaten statue of him. However, many people, especially the younger generation have no idea who this guy was, nor why the independence is celebrated on this day, so the song is about him, standing there motionless in the crowd, unable to participate but so much wanting to get a hot dog and a balloon too, not to mention candyfloss, after all it is his birthday. We're sort of hoping the song might become a hit around june 17th and become a regular part of that day in the future."
The band are recording some new material and are after releasing an album in the summer. Let's hope they do as they are brilliant!
Nice to see there is some interest in the band. Think Small likes them and puts me to the sword over 17 Juni! Okay if I am pressed Snjófólk (The Snow People) is the better track but 17 juni just captures some of the spirit and laughter music is so desperately missing these days.
Dýrðin - Snjófólk
The Camden Crawl
I went on the Camden Crawl last night. I didn't managed to see all the bands I would have liked especially at the end of the night slot which saw The Wedding Present, The Subways and The Buzzcocks competeing against each other.
We started in Lock 17 where we saw Art Brut. I found them entertaining without liking them although they did close their set with the best two songs they have got, "We Formed A Band" and "I've Got A New Girlfriend".
Next off we tried to see the Mystery Jets but could not get in. We ended up at the Canaervan Castle to see The Kooks. They reminded me of The Stairs with their retro pop but without the class. At least their girlfriends enjoyed the set, bopping away at the front. We then proceeded to walk the length of Camden to get to the Koko. We popped in to the Ballroom to see the frankly awful Motley Crue wannabees The Towers Of London. I stomached two songs before we exited stage left.
At The Koko we caught the last four songs of Maximo Park's set. They were excellent. Do yourself as favour and pick up their "Apply Some Pressure" single which is out now. The next band on were The Magic Numbers. I have really had enough of these folky inspired bands. What makes me laugh is watching people, hooked by the hype, forcing themselves to like them. Yet if they heard The Mamas & Papas they would turn their noses up. People The Magic Numbers are the Mamas & Papas for gawds sake! That said the new single, the title of which escaped me, was pleasant enough but in general I, along with those I was with, were not impressed and we made our way back down Camden High Street.
The Canaervan castle was rammed so that ruled out The Subways so we headed back to Lock 17 to see a glorious set by The Wedding Present. Hopefully you all know, that with the exception of Gedge, this line up bears no resemblance to the classic line up of old and is in fact the last line-up of Cinerama. However don't let that detract from what was a mighty performance. As well as new material the band played "Kennedy", "My Favourite Dress" and more surprisngly "Once More" which was the bands debut from 20 years ago. I have to say though that the mosh pit consisted of the oldest moshers I have ever seen and I was lucky to dodge the zimmer frames. Absolutely fantastic and I will have to get some tickets for the current tour.
Overall a good night!
We started in Lock 17 where we saw Art Brut. I found them entertaining without liking them although they did close their set with the best two songs they have got, "We Formed A Band" and "I've Got A New Girlfriend".
Next off we tried to see the Mystery Jets but could not get in. We ended up at the Canaervan Castle to see The Kooks. They reminded me of The Stairs with their retro pop but without the class. At least their girlfriends enjoyed the set, bopping away at the front. We then proceeded to walk the length of Camden to get to the Koko. We popped in to the Ballroom to see the frankly awful Motley Crue wannabees The Towers Of London. I stomached two songs before we exited stage left.
At The Koko we caught the last four songs of Maximo Park's set. They were excellent. Do yourself as favour and pick up their "Apply Some Pressure" single which is out now. The next band on were The Magic Numbers. I have really had enough of these folky inspired bands. What makes me laugh is watching people, hooked by the hype, forcing themselves to like them. Yet if they heard The Mamas & Papas they would turn their noses up. People The Magic Numbers are the Mamas & Papas for gawds sake! That said the new single, the title of which escaped me, was pleasant enough but in general I, along with those I was with, were not impressed and we made our way back down Camden High Street.
The Canaervan castle was rammed so that ruled out The Subways so we headed back to Lock 17 to see a glorious set by The Wedding Present. Hopefully you all know, that with the exception of Gedge, this line up bears no resemblance to the classic line up of old and is in fact the last line-up of Cinerama. However don't let that detract from what was a mighty performance. As well as new material the band played "Kennedy", "My Favourite Dress" and more surprisngly "Once More" which was the bands debut from 20 years ago. I have to say though that the mosh pit consisted of the oldest moshers I have ever seen and I was lucky to dodge the zimmer frames. Absolutely fantastic and I will have to get some tickets for the current tour.
Overall a good night!
Active Restraint
In future I will be posting the tracks of the week I have featured previously on the main website in this blog. Active Restraint were the forerunners of the Mighty Lemon Drops. These tracks come from the bands unreleased second single which was due for release around 1982/83.
Active Restraint - Head First
Active Restraint - The Other Side
Active Restraint - Out Of Hand
These files are hosted on Rapidshare. This enables me to post more tracks and free up bandwidth on my hosting companies server. To download click on the link above. This will open a page in a new window. Scroll down to the comparison table between the free and premium services table. In the last row (download type) click on Free. This opens another page. Scroll down to the bottom and you will see Download Ticket Reserved and XX seconds. When the seconds countdown to 0 you will get a download link to click on. You can then save the file in the normal way depending on your browser.
Active Restraint - Head First
Active Restraint - The Other Side
Active Restraint - Out Of Hand
These files are hosted on Rapidshare. This enables me to post more tracks and free up bandwidth on my hosting companies server. To download click on the link above. This will open a page in a new window. Scroll down to the comparison table between the free and premium services table. In the last row (download type) click on Free. This opens another page. Scroll down to the bottom and you will see Download Ticket Reserved and XX seconds. When the seconds countdown to 0 you will get a download link to click on. You can then save the file in the normal way depending on your browser.
The Lucksmiths - New EP
It's late and I am tired. Luckily I am listening to the new EP by Australian band, The Lucksmiths. Titled "The Chapter in Your Life Entitled San Francisco", it's calm & gentle sounds will put me in the land of nod very shortly. The press release goes as such:
Triumphant return of Australian trio The Lucksmiths with an exceptional new EP and the band's first release since 'A Little Distraction' in 2003. Lead track 'The Chapter In Your Life Entitled San Francisco' is taken from the forthcoming album 'Warmer Corners' scheduled for April release and is one of those summery Lucksmiths pop hits with clever lyrics, tambourines, organ and strings. The EP also features three non-album tracks exclusive to this release - 'Young And Dumb' is a lighthearted tune with a great chorus, 'The Winter Proper' a melancholy piano rich song that captures the season perfectly, and 'I Started A Joke' a brilliantly understated cover of the adored Bee Gees' classic. Limited to 1000 copies in custom minijacket sleeve. Watch for US dates in support of the single and album in April and May.
Triumphant return of Australian trio The Lucksmiths with an exceptional new EP and the band's first release since 'A Little Distraction' in 2003. Lead track 'The Chapter In Your Life Entitled San Francisco' is taken from the forthcoming album 'Warmer Corners' scheduled for April release and is one of those summery Lucksmiths pop hits with clever lyrics, tambourines, organ and strings. The EP also features three non-album tracks exclusive to this release - 'Young And Dumb' is a lighthearted tune with a great chorus, 'The Winter Proper' a melancholy piano rich song that captures the season perfectly, and 'I Started A Joke' a brilliantly understated cover of the adored Bee Gees' classic. Limited to 1000 copies in custom minijacket sleeve. Watch for US dates in support of the single and album in April and May.
The Kills
The record comapnies are running scared of mp3 blogs. They have shut some down despite not getting the connection between being exposed to music you have not heard before (and not likely to either) via mp3 blogs and then helping the industry by purchasing said music if you like it. Well I do and I am sure many others do as well. Who wants an mp3 when you can have a CD or vinyl copy? Talk about ostriches with their head stuck firmly in the ground - Home Taping Is Killing Music - yeah too right it did - not! Why do I mention this? Well it seems some are embracing the blogs rather than trying to shut down the hands that feed them. Like this e-mail I received:
I just wanted to let you know about an unreleased Kills MP3 we've come across. Universal Records has hired Drillteam Media, Insound's sister company, to do the online marketing for the Kills' upcoming album 'No Wow.' I myself work primarily with Insound although I help out a bit with Drillteam's music projects. In any case, through this marketing project for The Kills we've gotten a hold of an unreleased Kills track, "Run Home Slow" (it'll eventually be a B-side on the Japanese version of 'No Wow').
I just thought this might interest you since the track isn't readily available. But just so you know I've sent the track to some blogs already so I'm not sure who or when it will be posted elsewhere. So feel free to post it, pass it along, or just check it out for yourself. Also attached is the album artwork for 'No Wow.'
So here it is then and thanks for and to, common sense.
The Kills - Run Home Slow
I just wanted to let you know about an unreleased Kills MP3 we've come across. Universal Records has hired Drillteam Media, Insound's sister company, to do the online marketing for the Kills' upcoming album 'No Wow.' I myself work primarily with Insound although I help out a bit with Drillteam's music projects. In any case, through this marketing project for The Kills we've gotten a hold of an unreleased Kills track, "Run Home Slow" (it'll eventually be a B-side on the Japanese version of 'No Wow').
I just thought this might interest you since the track isn't readily available. But just so you know I've sent the track to some blogs already so I'm not sure who or when it will be posted elsewhere. So feel free to post it, pass it along, or just check it out for yourself. Also attached is the album artwork for 'No Wow.'
So here it is then and thanks for and to, common sense.
The Kills - Run Home Slow
RIAA Sues Dead Grandmother
That's right. The moral guardians of audio, the RIAA, who have previously sued a 12 year old girl have now sued an 83 year old grandmother for being a music sharing pirate. The one snag is that the lady in question is deceased. The RIAA say file sharers are evil - well at least they are not lowlife who are beneath contempt as this story shows.
More Heads In The Sand
The excellent Chips & Cookies has been forced to close by the IFPI Belgium. Seems the music industry is stepping up it's attacks on mp3 blogs.
Chips and Cookies did not actually post any music. The blog creator posted links to music collections posted on servers. I am sure I remember a case in Sweden where the court ruled that it was not illegal to do this as the person being tried could not be held reponsible what others placed on the net.
It's a shame as I came across music I was unlikely to hear via Chips & Cookies and yes I did purchase the CD's of the ones I liked. As I have stated before I think there are conections between mp3 blogs and buying music but according to the labels and those who represent them there is not. Well considering sales of singles in the UK are at an all time high despite the digital revolution I would say this disproves their theory.
Any thoughts?
Chips and Cookies did not actually post any music. The blog creator posted links to music collections posted on servers. I am sure I remember a case in Sweden where the court ruled that it was not illegal to do this as the person being tried could not be held reponsible what others placed on the net.
It's a shame as I came across music I was unlikely to hear via Chips & Cookies and yes I did purchase the CD's of the ones I liked. As I have stated before I think there are conections between mp3 blogs and buying music but according to the labels and those who represent them there is not. Well considering sales of singles in the UK are at an all time high despite the digital revolution I would say this disproves their theory.
Any thoughts?
The Rumble Strips
The Rumble Strips are a London based band although their members are Devon born and bred.
Lost Music compares them to Dexy's Midnight Runners and I can see the link. They also remind me of Courdroy United, a band on the Swedish Labrador label. I downloaded a couple of their tracks with "Hate Me" being my favourite. It's good to see a band not constrained by a bass, guitar and drums as the trumpet/sax certainly breath life into the songs. The band certainly have a get up and go drive about them.
The Rumble Strips - Hate Me
Head over to their site to download four more excellent, high quality mp3 tracks.
Edwyn Collins
I have been without access to a PC for the past couple of days. I am sure some of you may have heard about the story below but if not read on.
Singer Edwyn Collins, known for fronting 1980s band Orange Juice and his 1990s solo success, is seriously ill after a brain haemorrhage. A spokesman said he suffered a cerebral haemorrhage on Sunday night. "He has been in hospital since, where doctors are
trying to stabilise his condition," he added.
Singer Edwyn Collins, known for fronting 1980s band Orange Juice and his 1990s solo success, is seriously ill after a brain haemorrhage. A spokesman said he suffered a cerebral haemorrhage on Sunday night. "He has been in hospital since, where doctors are
trying to stabilise his condition," he added.
Spider & I
During the x-mas break I started going through the pages I have previously bookmarked, most of which were bands I kept meaning to have a listen too.
Finland's Spider & I were one such band and if you are a fan of Interpol you will love this lot. I downloaded a couple of tracks. The Interpol comparisons are really bourn out on "Forgotten The Codes" whilst "Travelling Lost" reminded me more of Josef K and Franz Ferdinand. Excellent stuff and available at high quality 192 k/bit mp3's as well.
Spider & I - Forgotten The Codes
Spider & I - Travelling Lost
Finland's Spider & I were one such band and if you are a fan of Interpol you will love this lot. I downloaded a couple of tracks. The Interpol comparisons are really bourn out on "Forgotten The Codes" whilst "Travelling Lost" reminded me more of Josef K and Franz Ferdinand. Excellent stuff and available at high quality 192 k/bit mp3's as well.
Spider & I - Forgotten The Codes
Spider & I - Travelling Lost
Legendary 10 Seconds
The Legendary 10 Seconds hail from Torquay and are Ian Churchward and Guy Bolt with various friends helping out. Ian plays guitar, bass and does the vocals. Guy plays drums and can also play harmonica,keyboards and guitars. Friends who have helped out are Phil Andrews and Dave Clifford of the Morrisons, Andy England of Goldenpathway records, Bridget England of Alternative Girlfriend, Nigel Howells of Phoenix and Steve Honeywill of MIA. A Torquay supergroup?
Anyway both members of Legendary 10 Seconds also play in The Morrisons and I will be posting a track of theirs over the next few days. The duo do not have a website at present but recommend visiting the links below.
Download 10 Legendary Seconds - What Else Can I Do
The Morrisons - Homepage
Golden Pathway Records
Flaxey Green - A site dedicated to promote folk music in South Devon
Anyway both members of Legendary 10 Seconds also play in The Morrisons and I will be posting a track of theirs over the next few days. The duo do not have a website at present but recommend visiting the links below.
Download 10 Legendary Seconds - What Else Can I Do
The Morrisons - Homepage
Golden Pathway Records
Flaxey Green - A site dedicated to promote folk music in South Devon
The Morrisons
The Morrisons first release was a 1987 flexi disc which was picked up by John Peel. They released a 12" in the same year but disbanded in 1988. However some of the original band members reformed last year. Ian Churchward, Phil Andrews and Dave Clifford are back together again with Guy Bolt on drums and have recorded some new songs as "The Morrisons" which will form part of a CD release sometime in the next few months due for release on Golden Pathway Records. Note that Ian and Guy are The Legendary 10 Seconds whom I featured a week or two ago.
Firestation records released a cd of demos from 1986/1988 called "Songs From The South Of England". You can also find a track of theirs on "The Sound Of Leamington Spa Vol 3".
Indie MP3 can bring you two new recordings from the past year - Enjoy!
The Morrisons - Southbound Train
The Morrisons - Town After Town
Firestation records released a cd of demos from 1986/1988 called "Songs From The South Of England". You can also find a track of theirs on "The Sound Of Leamington Spa Vol 3".
Indie MP3 can bring you two new recordings from the past year - Enjoy!
The Morrisons - Southbound Train
The Morrisons - Town After Town
All Girl Summer Fun Band
The All Girl Summer Fun Band are a bit of a supergroup in their own way. Band members have been in The Young Astronauts, Cherry Ice Cream Smile, Pretty Face, The Softies, and The Thermals amongst others.
Their music is wispy 60's inspired indie pop with Talulah Gosh and The Shop Assistants thrown in. They are well worth a listen. Which you can do as the band have made a few mp3's available including two from their latest album called All Girl Summer Fun Band Vol.2, which was released in 2003.
All Girl Summer Fun Band - Jason Lee
All Girl Summer Fun Band - Video Game Heart
If you go to their mp3 page there are some more, older, tunes to download.
If you sign up to e-music you can download both of their albums free as part of that site's free 50 mp3's promotion for new subscribers.
Their music is wispy 60's inspired indie pop with Talulah Gosh and The Shop Assistants thrown in. They are well worth a listen. Which you can do as the band have made a few mp3's available including two from their latest album called All Girl Summer Fun Band Vol.2, which was released in 2003.
All Girl Summer Fun Band - Jason Lee
All Girl Summer Fun Band - Video Game Heart
If you go to their mp3 page there are some more, older, tunes to download.
If you sign up to e-music you can download both of their albums free as part of that site's free 50 mp3's promotion for new subscribers.
Jockrock and Ballboy
Indie pop and C86 has a great affinity with Scotland. Bands such as Orange Juice, Josef K, Fire Engines, Shop Assistants, Jesus & Mary Chain, Meat Whiplash, Motorcycle Boy etc have had a lasting impact. Bands such as Belle & Sebastain, The Delgados and Ballboy amongst others carry the tradition on.
You can read all about the current indie scene in Scotland at the excellent Jockrock.
Ballboy's new album, "The Royal Theatre" was released last week. Buy it here. You can download the first single from the album, courtesy of Jockrock below.
You can read all about the current indie scene in Scotland at the excellent Jockrock.
Ballboy's new album, "The Royal Theatre" was released last week. Buy it here. You can download the first single from the album, courtesy of Jockrock below.
Demos Roundup
I have still not got my ideas for unsigned bands and demos off the ground yet. However seeing as the blog is getting far more hits than the main pages I thought I would mention the ones received in the past week here.
First up is Chris Price. Chris is a one man composer and band and his track is very 1980's. The Washington Post does mentions that fans of his have compared him, amonst others, to New Order. Now I wouldn't go that far but his track "Charge Me Up" is enjoyable none the less.
Dirty Box described themselves as a mix between Punk, Rock, and Indie. They have an album out next year and on their site are three rough mixes. I wasn't to taken with "Celebrate with a Parade" but "Indie Cock" was a likeable, if sounding very familiar romp across those genres described earlier. Visit their site to download a third track "Come On You".
Panda Kopanda (great name!)have two demos available on their site. They have been getting some good press according to their site:
Sweet and revealing ... 'See If You Like It' is sonically blinding"
"Their songs convey a delicate beauty and emotion that makes Panda Kopanda unique among local acts ... they create rich harmonies and weave surging guitars in tunes that are structured, but never desert their roots in lo-fi slackerdom."
"Letting Go" is a bit too rocky and samey for me but "Where I Belong" is a nice indie poppish tune that should appeal to most people. The bands sound is well polished and I will be heading back to their site to see if there are any tunes in the future.
Chris Price - Charge Me Up
Dirty Box - Celebrate With A Parade
Dirty Box - Indie Cock
Panda Kopanda - Letting Go
Panda Kopanda - Where I Belong
First up is Chris Price. Chris is a one man composer and band and his track is very 1980's. The Washington Post does mentions that fans of his have compared him, amonst others, to New Order. Now I wouldn't go that far but his track "Charge Me Up" is enjoyable none the less.
Dirty Box described themselves as a mix between Punk, Rock, and Indie. They have an album out next year and on their site are three rough mixes. I wasn't to taken with "Celebrate with a Parade" but "Indie Cock" was a likeable, if sounding very familiar romp across those genres described earlier. Visit their site to download a third track "Come On You".
Panda Kopanda (great name!)have two demos available on their site. They have been getting some good press according to their site:
Sweet and revealing ... 'See If You Like It' is sonically blinding"
"Their songs convey a delicate beauty and emotion that makes Panda Kopanda unique among local acts ... they create rich harmonies and weave surging guitars in tunes that are structured, but never desert their roots in lo-fi slackerdom."
"Letting Go" is a bit too rocky and samey for me but "Where I Belong" is a nice indie poppish tune that should appeal to most people. The bands sound is well polished and I will be heading back to their site to see if there are any tunes in the future.
Chris Price - Charge Me Up
Dirty Box - Celebrate With A Parade
Dirty Box - Indie Cock
Panda Kopanda - Letting Go
Panda Kopanda - Where I Belong
Morrissey
I was due to see Morrissey last night but a severe headache put paid to that and my £35 ticket! In preparation of the morning after I had already started drafting a post and that follows:
I was a Smiths fan - not one of those madly devoted fools but had a great appreciation of their music,. When the band split I didn't care too much for Morrissey's solo output despite "Suedehead" being a great single and took my allegiance to Electronic, Johnny Marr's band with New Order's Bernard Sumner. Morrissey also made some very foolish race related comments which only alienated him further. The albums I heard didn't impress me until I heard "You Are The Quarry" which was one of my surprises of 2004. An excellent album but certainly does not merit a deluxe edition that has already appeared in the shops!
Mp3's from espew
Morrissey - Will Never Marry
Morrissey - Suedehead
Morrissey - Everyday Is Like Sunday
Morrissey - First Of The Gang To Die (Live)
Morrissey - Irish Blood English Heart (Live)
I was a Smiths fan - not one of those madly devoted fools but had a great appreciation of their music,. When the band split I didn't care too much for Morrissey's solo output despite "Suedehead" being a great single and took my allegiance to Electronic, Johnny Marr's band with New Order's Bernard Sumner. Morrissey also made some very foolish race related comments which only alienated him further. The albums I heard didn't impress me until I heard "You Are The Quarry" which was one of my surprises of 2004. An excellent album but certainly does not merit a deluxe edition that has already appeared in the shops!
Mp3's from espew
Morrissey - Will Never Marry
Morrissey - Suedehead
Morrissey - Everyday Is Like Sunday
Morrissey - First Of The Gang To Die (Live)
Morrissey - Irish Blood English Heart (Live)
Indie MP3 Radio Station
I have updated the indie mp3 radio station.
As a tribute to the late John Peel I am playing the tracks that made up the Festive 50 from 1983 (1986 was too obvious)! However I am missing two tracks. These are Luddites - Doppleganger and Sophie and Peter Johnson - Television (Peel Session). If you have them please let me know.
EDIT: Someone has sent me the album version of the Sophie and Peter Johnson track so I have now added that to the playlist.
As a tribute to the late John Peel I am playing the tracks that made up the Festive 50 from 1983 (1986 was too obvious)! However I am missing two tracks. These are Luddites - Doppleganger and Sophie and Peter Johnson - Television (Peel Session). If you have them please let me know.
EDIT: Someone has sent me the album version of the Sophie and Peter Johnson track so I have now added that to the playlist.
Have a Good One!
I was hoping to get one last music post in before the winter solstice kicks in for sure but events have conspired against me. I am away most of the holiday period and don't return until the beginning of the new year. This of course means the blog and the main site will not be updated until then. I am sure some of the other mp3 blogs will still be active so check them out. Take care, have a good time and be safe.
Free CD's and Donate to the Tsunami Appeal
Steve at Turquoise Days is doing his bit for the appeal for the Tsunami and the shocking events that followed in South East Asia.
He writes on his blog:
If you follow this link and click on the record label button you will see details of two CDs we released, one is a compilation CD called "A Boy, A Girl & A Rendez-Vous" featuring the likes of The Lucksmiths, Aislers Set, Aberdeen, White Town and The Sugargliders. The other is a full length CD by a band called Callow who fans of The Pernice Brothers & American Music Club may like. If you'd like one, or both, email me with your name & address and we'll send you them free of charge. BUT what we'd like you to do is make a donation to the disaster relief efforts by clicking on the link below.
He writes on his blog:
If you follow this link and click on the record label button you will see details of two CDs we released, one is a compilation CD called "A Boy, A Girl & A Rendez-Vous" featuring the likes of The Lucksmiths, Aislers Set, Aberdeen, White Town and The Sugargliders. The other is a full length CD by a band called Callow who fans of The Pernice Brothers & American Music Club may like. If you'd like one, or both, email me with your name & address and we'll send you them free of charge. BUT what we'd like you to do is make a donation to the disaster relief efforts by clicking on the link below.
Donate To The Tsunami Appeal
I don't know about you but the watching and reading about the events in South East Asia are some of the most shocking I have seen or read. I personally do not know anyone who was in South East Asia at the time (or I hope no one I knew was there) but my sisters neighbours went to Phuket for Christmas so let's hope they are safe. The human race's ability to destroy itself through war, bloodshed and terrorism is shocking and horrific enough but when nature strikes it seems nothing can prepare you for the horrors that follow.
Here are some UK based appeals if you wish to make an on-line donation. As a member of Oxfam I urge you to do so. These are both UK charities and if you are donating from the UK please remember to tick the GIFT AID box so more goes towards the appeal and not the UK taxman.
Here are some UK based appeals if you wish to make an on-line donation. As a member of Oxfam I urge you to do so. These are both UK charities and if you are donating from the UK please remember to tick the GIFT AID box so more goes towards the appeal and not the UK taxman.
Radio Dept
The Radio Dept are another one of those Swedish Pop bands harking back to the golden ages of C86 and Twee. Signed to the excellent Labrador Records in their native land they have had their latest single the "Ewan" EP released earlier this month in the UK via XL Recordings (Shelflife in the US). Taken from the album "Lesser Matters" it's one lush tune and was released too late to be in my 2004 lists!
Radio Dept - Pulling Our Weight
Radio Dept - Why Won't You talk About It
Radio Dept - Against The Tide
Radio Dept - Pulling Our Weight
Radio Dept - Why Won't You talk About It
Radio Dept - Against The Tide
The Crack Babies
Retoxed, who is someone I have been corresponding with on a Jesus and Mary Chain forum, e-mailed me recently about a site he is setting up called Lost Music. As the site explains it's purpose is:
We are here to find lost music that has been made or is waiting to be made. We want to find great new music. We want to rediscover music that, for whatever reason, has slipped off the radar. We also want to build a thriving community of like minded souls who can share their passion for music in an open and friendly environment.
We are here to find lost music that has been made or is waiting to be made. We want to find great new music. We want to rediscover music that, for whatever reason, has slipped off the radar. We also want to build a thriving community of like minded souls who can share their passion for music in an open and friendly environment.
C86 - Review Of the C86 Week
"KICKING OFF" this week, as carpentry fans would say, are The Close Lobsters, with perhaps the worse version of 'Another Girl, Another Planet' ever attempted. We are talking signifiers here - watching a band who specialise in a rather straight forward attempt on advanced beat-pop opt for a cover version of a wad of screaming guitar seems to indicate that someone is seriously lost in the cultural icon field.
The Close Lobsters sound remarkably like Subway Sect at one or other early part of their career, and one's immediate thought is why? Why revive a cul-de-sac?
Still at least they are trying. No such commendation can go to The Soup Dragons. They sing pleasant songs, play loud guitars and their singer sounds like Pete Shelly. They get reviewed in cliches because they sing cliches. When they eventually grow up (on their time scale, that should be when they reach 45) they'll perform faithful versions of Flag Of Convenience songs.
And then The Shop Assistants. They continue to drag themselves down by performing Ramones parodies. Back and forth the chord shapes, go, little sketches of tunes mumbling along with them. Why they waste their time with these songs is beyond me. Actually it isn't beyond me, because for all their abilities, The Shop Assistants still subscribe to this horrid music-is-guitars, wasn't 1978 a wonderful school of though?
Beyond that, however there are good things about them. Alex projects personality and presence and all those sort of things, as opposed to just standing there and using nasty trousers as a statement. Their 'Train From Kansas City' is not performed as a touchstone, a cred point, but with some kind of understanding of the song. 'Somewhere In China' has ambience, atmosphere, could have been 'Taking On Tiger Mountain By Strategy' and is a use of the guitar medium that goes beyond thrashing limitations. And I Like the amateurish sentiments of 'All That Ever mattered' even though it is rendered as a vague chug. The Shop Assistants have claims to adulthood; I imagine they are happy in their work, but I can only pray that they get fed up of chugging soon.
Tuesday
McCarthy surprised us. Having already burdened us with the weakest track on the C86 cassette, they ignored the pointer of it's wimp pop and proceeded to display a fine strain of puritanical '79 Factory-ish rock, seasoned with chopped guitars, sliced drumming and vocals reminiscent of a male Virginia Astley (if but for the clarity of tone). Nervous and hence distant on a stage that dwarfed them, McCarthy handled their craftsmanship with care. No nonsense, no messing, mere beauty, straightlaced engine division. The new single 'Red Sleeping beauty' - no sweat (literally).
Miaow have a VOICE in Cath Carroll. Gently hiccupping, lifting, warmly cajoling - the voice exceeds the framework (in tempis: Annette Peacock), stepping to one side of the quirkily (ignore the overuse) structured songs, never better when non-lyrical. The music, a jilting twangg!, an easy vibrating noise which can occasionally wear a little, caught the attention pleasantly enough before side tracking itself again, acting as an adequate vehicle for the hidden intricacies in the VOICE. promising.
The Wolfhounds - from the drunken lurch of a singer too caring to stand straight to the last gangly head bent in concentration over a battled embittered guitar - were the band of the night. The Wolfhounds, fuelled by exhilaration, disgust, necessity and anger, tore apart the gaping chasm in front of them and filled it with a heady anti-rock brew at frustration of their own concoction. Jarring, battering melodies tossed asunder on the storm of bantering vocals. In all the nights that followed The Wolfhounds were only bettered by an AWESOME Age Of Chance. The hacks disagree, the kids understand (two encores and hungry for more)...who am I to argue?
After such a performance The Bodines, hampered by an awful sound and desultory set, paled into an anaemic blur. 'Therese' stood out, but for the rest of the set you were left wondering how a band that could produce such a memorable single could be so singularly unremarkable. Maybe it was the unsympathetic sound which muffled the vocals, but it was a sorry finish to an otherwise fascinating Tuesday.
Wednesday
An excellent showcase was inevitably overshadowed by the week's Big Event. No, not the fairytale inbreeding of Ms Shergar Ferguson and her charming prince, I'm talking about Trouble Funk. Openers The Servants have already made one fine record and will make more. For now, however, their live incarnation requires an act of faith; you have to believe that David Westlake's edgy songs will, through either familiarity or longer sets, overcome an inevitable lack of crash-bang-wallop instant impact. As it was, their playing - grittier and more confident than the limpid beauty of their 'She's Always Hiding' debut promised - never filtered much beyond the stage. Another act of faith; better to come.
Primal Scream - now a mere six piece; one red shirt, the rest black - cantered through a set that may well have been their best yet (three words from front fringe Bobby Gillespie equals 'Triumph'), but only flared into real blindingness with it's concluding 90 seconds. But what a finale! 'Velocity Girl' is Gillespies certificate of sanity, his proferred proof that he may not, after all, turn out to be the Pete Best of the '80's.
And between the two The Wedding Present - velocity boys, acceleration addicts, hooked on hurtling - were a revelation. Given that they make Husker Du sound like the Swans on Mogadon, the wheels have been known to come of their set, rendering them a horrid nerveshred din. But tonight their blur of guitars - even the psysiology-defying middle three's (no time for eights!) - were a note perfect as they'd wish; ie, not exactly. fast (what else?), furious (wankers in the crowd), and very, very funny, their 20 minutes were breakneck brilliant, and their 15 minutes cannot be far away.
Thursday
THE AGE Of Chance suck the salt from Prince's 'Kiss', and it's tastier than you think. For to take that very black dance classic and re-present it here to total acclaim in an arena choked by ridiculous notions of what's hot and what's not, is some coup by my count. Similarly, their maced-up 'Disco Inferno', unlike the proverbial brown shoes, makes it, even though that one didn't have clout in the first place. The AOC kill it and kill it again.
The C86 is tape salad tonight. The Mackenzies coil each successive discordancy tighter round their own necks, and we are left with a pile of non-songs wrapped in rules of their own making. The drummer was fine, but I advise listening to more than the first ten seconds of 'Marquis Cha Cha'.
Bogshed played last, and Phil's bow-tie was welcome in an ocean of conformity (the AOC exempted). But beyond the fact that they seem like cheery chaps just about making a living with their monochrome chips 'n' gravy humour, nothing will convince that they are flavoursome and exciting, a combination of wit and rivvum. As it is, Bogshed need to step on something, for they are an arid people's choice. And accuse not, for I did not build them.
NEWSFLASH: Day six of the Tour De France, and the four AOC designer-pedal-togged beats whizzing out in front collide with...Detroit??? Hitsville is closed. The quartet chuck their bikes into Lake Michigan and write home...
'Be Fat, Be Clean, Be Cheap', 'The Dollar Replaces The Girl in How The West Was Won'; the AOC are fast and mouthy, a diamond stylus stuck fast, but still too sharp for this evening's groove. Their quick, cleankill is convincing, and, in light of 'Some Candy Talking', they would have been back in the saddle and looking for a way in before this week was even finished.
Ride on, and bon chance! We may never meet again.
Friday
A GAWKY collection of specs, shorts and checked shirts, Mosely quintet Mighty Mighty looked primed for the last train to wimpsville. But, while they hardly ooze stage chrisma, they are certainly a name to note. Responsible already for a beguiling debut single in 'Everybody Knows The Monkey', they have now unleashed a summer song of anthemic proportions in the sparkling 'Is There Anyone Out There?'.
With the writing emphasis on well-crafted, bittersweet pop song, the lovelorn Mighties seem to be stalking through the same jungle of jangle as early Orange Juice and Everything But The Girl. But, while there are also some distinct and unavoidable musical debts to the boy Collins, Mighty Mighty have added a sonic sheen of their own.
You can here it in the African highlife guitar in 'Law' and gain in the gently swaying, soulful guise that the Vox organ lends to the pristine 'You're On My Mind'. And On the strength of their 15 song ICA soiree you could be hearing more of it in the months to come.
The original and archetypal 'anorak' band the deceptively languid Pastels are the elder statesman of the C86 package. Three boys playing guitars, a Carmen Miranda lookalike on occasional backing shrieks and - like The Shop Assistants and Age Of Chance - a female member in that last bastion of male rock chauvinism, the drummer's stool.
The Pastels have a dense, metallic core that inevitably threw up a number of comparisons with The Velvet Underground. They whip up sufficient surly fires at times, particularly on the churning 'Truck, Train, Tractor' single, but often bury some fair songs in too much muddied a song mix.
Initially dogged by sound problems and swathed in a crazy psychedelic backdrop, The Mighty Lemon Drops still cranked up some gold chords with a buzzing vitality that must number them among the most optimistic, uplifting and danceable Men In Black in the history of pop.
After nearly a year of playing basically the same tunes, they have suddenly been smitten by a burst of creative activity, introducing five new songs that give their set better texture and syncopation without straying too far from the instantly recognisable taste of Lemon sorbet. Ending on the forthcoming single 'Other Side Of You' single, they showed quite that this is just the start.
Hey Mighty Mighty! Hey Pastels! Hey Lemon Drops! Can we take it to the bridge.
Photos
(1) Alex Shop Assistant (2) McCarthy (3) Miaow's Cath Carroll (4) The Wolfhounds Dave Callahan
Note: This article was originally printed in the NME 1986 and was originally written by Dave Quantick, The Legend!, Danny Kelly, David Swift and Adrian Thrills. All words and spellings are the authors and not mine! Photos by Kenji Kubo. Should any copyright holders object to the repeating of this article contact me in the first instance and the offending parts will be removed.
The Close Lobsters sound remarkably like Subway Sect at one or other early part of their career, and one's immediate thought is why? Why revive a cul-de-sac?
Still at least they are trying. No such commendation can go to The Soup Dragons. They sing pleasant songs, play loud guitars and their singer sounds like Pete Shelly. They get reviewed in cliches because they sing cliches. When they eventually grow up (on their time scale, that should be when they reach 45) they'll perform faithful versions of Flag Of Convenience songs.
And then The Shop Assistants. They continue to drag themselves down by performing Ramones parodies. Back and forth the chord shapes, go, little sketches of tunes mumbling along with them. Why they waste their time with these songs is beyond me. Actually it isn't beyond me, because for all their abilities, The Shop Assistants still subscribe to this horrid music-is-guitars, wasn't 1978 a wonderful school of though?
Beyond that, however there are good things about them. Alex projects personality and presence and all those sort of things, as opposed to just standing there and using nasty trousers as a statement. Their 'Train From Kansas City' is not performed as a touchstone, a cred point, but with some kind of understanding of the song. 'Somewhere In China' has ambience, atmosphere, could have been 'Taking On Tiger Mountain By Strategy' and is a use of the guitar medium that goes beyond thrashing limitations. And I Like the amateurish sentiments of 'All That Ever mattered' even though it is rendered as a vague chug. The Shop Assistants have claims to adulthood; I imagine they are happy in their work, but I can only pray that they get fed up of chugging soon.
Tuesday
McCarthy surprised us. Having already burdened us with the weakest track on the C86 cassette, they ignored the pointer of it's wimp pop and proceeded to display a fine strain of puritanical '79 Factory-ish rock, seasoned with chopped guitars, sliced drumming and vocals reminiscent of a male Virginia Astley (if but for the clarity of tone). Nervous and hence distant on a stage that dwarfed them, McCarthy handled their craftsmanship with care. No nonsense, no messing, mere beauty, straightlaced engine division. The new single 'Red Sleeping beauty' - no sweat (literally).
Miaow have a VOICE in Cath Carroll. Gently hiccupping, lifting, warmly cajoling - the voice exceeds the framework (in tempis: Annette Peacock), stepping to one side of the quirkily (ignore the overuse) structured songs, never better when non-lyrical. The music, a jilting twangg!, an easy vibrating noise which can occasionally wear a little, caught the attention pleasantly enough before side tracking itself again, acting as an adequate vehicle for the hidden intricacies in the VOICE. promising.
The Wolfhounds - from the drunken lurch of a singer too caring to stand straight to the last gangly head bent in concentration over a battled embittered guitar - were the band of the night. The Wolfhounds, fuelled by exhilaration, disgust, necessity and anger, tore apart the gaping chasm in front of them and filled it with a heady anti-rock brew at frustration of their own concoction. Jarring, battering melodies tossed asunder on the storm of bantering vocals. In all the nights that followed The Wolfhounds were only bettered by an AWESOME Age Of Chance. The hacks disagree, the kids understand (two encores and hungry for more)...who am I to argue?
After such a performance The Bodines, hampered by an awful sound and desultory set, paled into an anaemic blur. 'Therese' stood out, but for the rest of the set you were left wondering how a band that could produce such a memorable single could be so singularly unremarkable. Maybe it was the unsympathetic sound which muffled the vocals, but it was a sorry finish to an otherwise fascinating Tuesday.
Wednesday
An excellent showcase was inevitably overshadowed by the week's Big Event. No, not the fairytale inbreeding of Ms Shergar Ferguson and her charming prince, I'm talking about Trouble Funk. Openers The Servants have already made one fine record and will make more. For now, however, their live incarnation requires an act of faith; you have to believe that David Westlake's edgy songs will, through either familiarity or longer sets, overcome an inevitable lack of crash-bang-wallop instant impact. As it was, their playing - grittier and more confident than the limpid beauty of their 'She's Always Hiding' debut promised - never filtered much beyond the stage. Another act of faith; better to come.
Primal Scream - now a mere six piece; one red shirt, the rest black - cantered through a set that may well have been their best yet (three words from front fringe Bobby Gillespie equals 'Triumph'), but only flared into real blindingness with it's concluding 90 seconds. But what a finale! 'Velocity Girl' is Gillespies certificate of sanity, his proferred proof that he may not, after all, turn out to be the Pete Best of the '80's.
And between the two The Wedding Present - velocity boys, acceleration addicts, hooked on hurtling - were a revelation. Given that they make Husker Du sound like the Swans on Mogadon, the wheels have been known to come of their set, rendering them a horrid nerveshred din. But tonight their blur of guitars - even the psysiology-defying middle three's (no time for eights!) - were a note perfect as they'd wish; ie, not exactly. fast (what else?), furious (wankers in the crowd), and very, very funny, their 20 minutes were breakneck brilliant, and their 15 minutes cannot be far away.
Thursday
THE AGE Of Chance suck the salt from Prince's 'Kiss', and it's tastier than you think. For to take that very black dance classic and re-present it here to total acclaim in an arena choked by ridiculous notions of what's hot and what's not, is some coup by my count. Similarly, their maced-up 'Disco Inferno', unlike the proverbial brown shoes, makes it, even though that one didn't have clout in the first place. The AOC kill it and kill it again.
The C86 is tape salad tonight. The Mackenzies coil each successive discordancy tighter round their own necks, and we are left with a pile of non-songs wrapped in rules of their own making. The drummer was fine, but I advise listening to more than the first ten seconds of 'Marquis Cha Cha'.
Bogshed played last, and Phil's bow-tie was welcome in an ocean of conformity (the AOC exempted). But beyond the fact that they seem like cheery chaps just about making a living with their monochrome chips 'n' gravy humour, nothing will convince that they are flavoursome and exciting, a combination of wit and rivvum. As it is, Bogshed need to step on something, for they are an arid people's choice. And accuse not, for I did not build them.
NEWSFLASH: Day six of the Tour De France, and the four AOC designer-pedal-togged beats whizzing out in front collide with...Detroit??? Hitsville is closed. The quartet chuck their bikes into Lake Michigan and write home...
'Be Fat, Be Clean, Be Cheap', 'The Dollar Replaces The Girl in How The West Was Won'; the AOC are fast and mouthy, a diamond stylus stuck fast, but still too sharp for this evening's groove. Their quick, cleankill is convincing, and, in light of 'Some Candy Talking', they would have been back in the saddle and looking for a way in before this week was even finished.
Ride on, and bon chance! We may never meet again.
Friday
A GAWKY collection of specs, shorts and checked shirts, Mosely quintet Mighty Mighty looked primed for the last train to wimpsville. But, while they hardly ooze stage chrisma, they are certainly a name to note. Responsible already for a beguiling debut single in 'Everybody Knows The Monkey', they have now unleashed a summer song of anthemic proportions in the sparkling 'Is There Anyone Out There?'.
With the writing emphasis on well-crafted, bittersweet pop song, the lovelorn Mighties seem to be stalking through the same jungle of jangle as early Orange Juice and Everything But The Girl. But, while there are also some distinct and unavoidable musical debts to the boy Collins, Mighty Mighty have added a sonic sheen of their own.
You can here it in the African highlife guitar in 'Law' and gain in the gently swaying, soulful guise that the Vox organ lends to the pristine 'You're On My Mind'. And On the strength of their 15 song ICA soiree you could be hearing more of it in the months to come.
The original and archetypal 'anorak' band the deceptively languid Pastels are the elder statesman of the C86 package. Three boys playing guitars, a Carmen Miranda lookalike on occasional backing shrieks and - like The Shop Assistants and Age Of Chance - a female member in that last bastion of male rock chauvinism, the drummer's stool.
The Pastels have a dense, metallic core that inevitably threw up a number of comparisons with The Velvet Underground. They whip up sufficient surly fires at times, particularly on the churning 'Truck, Train, Tractor' single, but often bury some fair songs in too much muddied a song mix.
Initially dogged by sound problems and swathed in a crazy psychedelic backdrop, The Mighty Lemon Drops still cranked up some gold chords with a buzzing vitality that must number them among the most optimistic, uplifting and danceable Men In Black in the history of pop.
After nearly a year of playing basically the same tunes, they have suddenly been smitten by a burst of creative activity, introducing five new songs that give their set better texture and syncopation without straying too far from the instantly recognisable taste of Lemon sorbet. Ending on the forthcoming single 'Other Side Of You' single, they showed quite that this is just the start.
Hey Mighty Mighty! Hey Pastels! Hey Lemon Drops! Can we take it to the bridge.
Photos
(1) Alex Shop Assistant (2) McCarthy (3) Miaow's Cath Carroll (4) The Wolfhounds Dave Callahan
Note: This article was originally printed in the NME 1986 and was originally written by Dave Quantick, The Legend!, Danny Kelly, David Swift and Adrian Thrills. All words and spellings are the authors and not mine! Photos by Kenji Kubo. Should any copyright holders object to the repeating of this article contact me in the first instance and the offending parts will be removed.
What The Feck?
I'm not happy. I don't know what happened but the blog corrupted. I tried to post this morning and that was it. The blog would not refresh or accept any changes I had made. I thought it was my cache settings but no. It wasn't on my ISP's server either. I am putting it down to bad luck. I am just glad it was only a few days old and not a few months old - that would have seriously depressed me.
I will repost the articles and redo the links during the next couple of days but I am just sticking with the minimalist template for the time being.
I will repost the articles and redo the links during the next couple of days but I am just sticking with the minimalist template for the time being.
Out Of Order
I have been using two mp3 search engines for the first time over the weekend. These are MPee3 and espew. To test them out I searched for New Order, who happen to be my favourite band, to see if I could come up with any rarities. Not much on the rarity front but some remixes of "Crystal" I have never heard, and in one case, I never want to hear again. But I will not tell you which! Anyway the good news from the excellent New Order Online is that the mixing on the new album is finished and it could be out by the end of the year.
New Order - Crystal (North 40 Reduction Remix)
New Order - Crystal (Tone Matrix Mix)
New Order - Crystal (Artic Remix)
New Order - Crystal (psychophonified remix)
New Order - Confusion (Voxigenboy Remix)
Continuing the New Order theme, Simon, who runs the Spoilt Victorian Child blog has just finished a Joy Division theme week. Head over there quick and download the tracks before they go. I advise grabbing Galaxie 500's version of "Ceremony" which is ace!
By the way the main Indie MP3 Site has been updated. Look under featured for this weeks track.
New Order - Crystal (North 40 Reduction Remix)
New Order - Crystal (Tone Matrix Mix)
New Order - Crystal (Artic Remix)
New Order - Crystal (psychophonified remix)
New Order - Confusion (Voxigenboy Remix)
Continuing the New Order theme, Simon, who runs the Spoilt Victorian Child blog has just finished a Joy Division theme week. Head over there quick and download the tracks before they go. I advise grabbing Galaxie 500's version of "Ceremony" which is ace!
By the way the main Indie MP3 Site has been updated. Look under featured for this weeks track.
Lost and Found!
These are as near as I can get to the posts that were lost when the blog corrupted (see below).
Can You Bear It?
Damn I have lost my witterings I wrote about 14 Iced Bears. Thought I had backed it up. Here is what All Music state about them instead:
Neo-psychedelic pop band 14 Iced Bears was formed in South London in mid-1985 by singer/guitarist Rob Sekula, bassist Alan White and drummer Nick Emery. Soon after relocating to the Brighton area, White exited the group, with bassist Dominic Minques and rhythm guitarist Kevin Canham signing on to record their 1986 Frank label debut single "Inside." Roster changes continued to plague 14 Iced Bears over the course of a series of singles including 1987's "Balloon Song" and the following year's "Come Get Me" (the latter an early release on the famed Sarah label), but upon signing to Thunderball to record their self-titled 1988 debut LP, the line-up finally stabilized, with Sekula and Canham joined by bassist Will Taylor and drummer Graham Durrant. The album was a cult favorite both at home and abroad, leading to a brief flirtation with major label Geffen, but nevertheless 14 Iced Bears' next single, 1989's "Mother Sleep," again appeared on Thunderball; the company collapsed in the wake of the following year's "World I Love," however, and the group landed with the Borderline imprint for 1991's Wonder before disbanding.
All these tracks can be found on the excellent compilation "In The Beginning" which is available on Slumberland.
14 Iced Bears - Inside
14 Iced Bears - Like A Dolphin
14 Iced Bears - Hayfever
14 Iced Bears - Balloon Song
14 Iced Bears - Cut
The Weddoes Return
According to rumours it looks like The Wedding Present have reformed, in name anyway. After reflecting on the last Cinerama album David Gedge felt that it sounded so much like the Wedding Present that he changed the name! Additionally the Westnet Wedding Present site reports that the next Cinerama album will now be released under the name The Wedding Present.
The Wedding Present - Spangle
Cinerama - Your Charms
Can You Bear It?
Damn I have lost my witterings I wrote about 14 Iced Bears. Thought I had backed it up. Here is what All Music state about them instead:
Neo-psychedelic pop band 14 Iced Bears was formed in South London in mid-1985 by singer/guitarist Rob Sekula, bassist Alan White and drummer Nick Emery. Soon after relocating to the Brighton area, White exited the group, with bassist Dominic Minques and rhythm guitarist Kevin Canham signing on to record their 1986 Frank label debut single "Inside." Roster changes continued to plague 14 Iced Bears over the course of a series of singles including 1987's "Balloon Song" and the following year's "Come Get Me" (the latter an early release on the famed Sarah label), but upon signing to Thunderball to record their self-titled 1988 debut LP, the line-up finally stabilized, with Sekula and Canham joined by bassist Will Taylor and drummer Graham Durrant. The album was a cult favorite both at home and abroad, leading to a brief flirtation with major label Geffen, but nevertheless 14 Iced Bears' next single, 1989's "Mother Sleep," again appeared on Thunderball; the company collapsed in the wake of the following year's "World I Love," however, and the group landed with the Borderline imprint for 1991's Wonder before disbanding.
All these tracks can be found on the excellent compilation "In The Beginning" which is available on Slumberland.
14 Iced Bears - Inside
14 Iced Bears - Like A Dolphin
14 Iced Bears - Hayfever
14 Iced Bears - Balloon Song
14 Iced Bears - Cut
The Weddoes Return
According to rumours it looks like The Wedding Present have reformed, in name anyway. After reflecting on the last Cinerama album David Gedge felt that it sounded so much like the Wedding Present that he changed the name! Additionally the Westnet Wedding Present site reports that the next Cinerama album will now be released under the name The Wedding Present.
The Wedding Present - Spangle
Cinerama - Your Charms
The Delights Of Mixtapes
Mixtapes. I hated doing them. Took forever recording your vinyl singles to tape. Had to stop and start because I heard a slight scratch and didn't want that on the tapes I was doing. But I did them because I liked to share music with friends and relatives and liked them even more when someone did them for me. Of course this is not including doing a tape for one the one you were in love with at the time! That home taping is killing music crap that used to be on vinyl inserts. No it didn't and I can honestly say that I went out and brought even more music - in fact just like now but this time the medium is mp3 or another digital music format.
Anyway that is getting away from what this thread is about. There are a number of sites out there where people go online and compile their own mixtapes. My favourite one has to be Mixtaper. This one is good as it allows you to create "tapes" of mp3's legally available (or otherwise) on the net so that you or others can then stream them. There are also links to download individual mp3's and to visit other websites. What a great idea and an easy way to discover some new music. I have done a few and these are under the name of Tomb242. However you can stream some of them them direct from the links below. (These will open in Winamp/Foobar and Quicktime - see the site for other media players).
Woof! The Labrador Label Mix
Woof Woof! The Labrador Label Mix Two
Also the Indie MP3 Live 365 Radio Station is currently playing my mixes as well as my personal favourite mix which is the Filipino Indie Mix. This introduced me to some C86 and Sarah Records inspired tunes from the Phillipines. You can stream it directly here but the following are direct links to the mp3's of my favourite tracks in the mix. Enjoy!
Days Like Postcards - Here With You
Spring Boutique - So Twee
Other playlist sites include Webjay but please let me know of others via the comments feature.
Anyway that is getting away from what this thread is about. There are a number of sites out there where people go online and compile their own mixtapes. My favourite one has to be Mixtaper. This one is good as it allows you to create "tapes" of mp3's legally available (or otherwise) on the net so that you or others can then stream them. There are also links to download individual mp3's and to visit other websites. What a great idea and an easy way to discover some new music. I have done a few and these are under the name of Tomb242. However you can stream some of them them direct from the links below. (These will open in Winamp/Foobar and Quicktime - see the site for other media players).
Woof! The Labrador Label Mix
Woof Woof! The Labrador Label Mix Two
Also the Indie MP3 Live 365 Radio Station is currently playing my mixes as well as my personal favourite mix which is the Filipino Indie Mix. This introduced me to some C86 and Sarah Records inspired tunes from the Phillipines. You can stream it directly here but the following are direct links to the mp3's of my favourite tracks in the mix. Enjoy!
Days Like Postcards - Here With You
Spring Boutique - So Twee
Other playlist sites include Webjay but please let me know of others via the comments feature.
Get Yourself A Boyfriend!
Newish band The Boyfriends have two demo's up for grabs on their website. The band, who are getting some good press, are touring heavily at present and may be worth a listen/viewing based on the mp's below. If you like bands like The Futureheads then this should be right up your street.
The Boyfriends - Brave Little Soldiers
The Boyfriends - Remember
The Boyfriends - Brave Little Soldiers
The Boyfriends - Remember
My Bloody Valentine
Not too much time to write about My Bloody Valentine at the moment but if you are a fan of the band I suggest you head over to Inkoma Fanzine's pages devoted to the band and get downloading.
There are three full concerts including one from 1987 when the band were playing fuzzy pop far removed from the sound they are now renowned for. This was the line up which included original Singer Dave Conway and Tina, the keyboard player. Bilinda Butcher was nowhere to be seen at this point.
The release which had the British press swooning all over them was their second single release for Creation (and fifth in all), "You Made Me Realise". This was far removed from their previous poppier efforts and "Cigarette In Your Bed" was my favourite track on the EP.
What can you say about the "Isn't Anything" album.
There are three full concerts including one from 1987 when the band were playing fuzzy pop far removed from the sound they are now renowned for. This was the line up which included original Singer Dave Conway and Tina, the keyboard player. Bilinda Butcher was nowhere to be seen at this point.
The release which had the British press swooning all over them was their second single release for Creation (and fifth in all), "You Made Me Realise". This was far removed from their previous poppier efforts and "Cigarette In Your Bed" was my favourite track on the EP.
What can you say about the "Isn't Anything" album.
The Soup Dragons
The Soup Dragons were formed in 1985 in Belshill near Glasgow. The original line up consisted of Sean Dickson (lead guitar, voice), Sushil Dade (bass), Jim McCulloch (guitar) and Ross Sinclair (drums). The bands early output was a fuzzy guitar sound heavily influenced by the likes Of The Buzzcocks.
The band released three singles/EP's between 1985/86 and these can be found on The Hang Ten Compilation. The Sun In The Sky Ep on Subway was scheduled to be their first release but the band were unhappy with the sound of the record so it was pulled with Whole Wide World becoming their debut single. Unsurprisingly the band ended up on the C86 compilation with the track Pleasantly Surprised. They also recorded two sessions for John Peel in 1986 where the line up was completed with the backing vocals and tambourine playing of Jacqueline (no surname). The band also had entries in the 1986 Festive 50 with Hang Ten reaching number 17 and Whole Wide World reaching number 25.
The band released their début album This Is Our Art the following year. It included, for me, their best ever single Can't Take No More. Sadly after that the band changed to a more rockier sound which was then followed by their indie dance/baggy conversion which gave them the commercial chart success they craved. It also saw them score their highest chart placing in the States with Divine Thing which reached number 35 in the billboard chart.
The band finally called it a day in 1995 with members going onto other outfits. Dickson formed The High Fidelity with Dade forming Future Pilot AKA.
The Soup Dragons - Hang Ten
The Soup Dragons - Can't Take No More (Live)
Boo Radleys - Lazarus
It seemed that for a brief moment in 1995 everyone became a Boo Radley's fan following the release of the Wake Up Boo! single. Extremely catchy and addictive it delivered the band their first major hit and was part of that years soundtrack.
I found the band to be adept at producing singles and they first caught my attention when I heard Lazarus which was released in 1992. it was a great single and Creation thought so too, re-releasing it over two CD's with a number of remixes in 1994. Amongst the usual dull plodding remix by Secret Knowledge were two of the best remixes I have heard. One was by Augustus Pablo whilst the other was remixed by Saint Etienne which became a firm favourite of mine and was generally added to tape mixes I did for friends at the time.
Concentrating on just one aspect of the original the band created a tune which is hauntingly beautiful. Slightly more upbeat than ambient it hinted at the darker side of the original and to great effect too. Enjoy!
Boo Radleys - Lazarus (St Etienne Mix)
Boo Radleys - Lazarus (Augustus Pablo Mix)
The Motorcycle Boy - Here She Comes
The origins of the Motorcycle Boy go back to Scotland 1985 when a band named after a Fire Engines b-side were formed - Meat Whiplash.
They signed to Creation Records releasing one single for that label (which was produced by The Jesus & Mary Chain). In 1987 the band recruited vocalist Alex Taylor from The Shop Assistants and changed their name to The Motorcycle Boy (from a character in the movie Rumblefish).
They signed to Rough Trade releasing one single for that label before signing to Chrysalis releasing two singles. An album titled Scarlet was recorded but was never released and after the band were dumped by Chrysalis they moved onto Nymphaea Pink Sensation releasing another couple of singles before calling it a day in 1990.
Taylor and Eddy Connolly then jumped on the indie dance bandwagon as One Note Jam releasing one single titled Warp Eight in Electraglide (Only You) before vanishing from pop history.
These tracks are from the bands last ever single. It was released on Nymphaea Pink Sensation (NPS002) in 1990.
The Motorcycle Boy - Here She Comes
The Motorcycle Boy - Everything I See
The Motorcycle Boy - The Road Goes On Forever(live)
This post is dedicated to Lester who requested Here She Comes. If there is the demand (leave a comment) then I will post more Motorcycle Boy tracks.
They signed to Creation Records releasing one single for that label (which was produced by The Jesus & Mary Chain). In 1987 the band recruited vocalist Alex Taylor from The Shop Assistants and changed their name to The Motorcycle Boy (from a character in the movie Rumblefish).
They signed to Rough Trade releasing one single for that label before signing to Chrysalis releasing two singles. An album titled Scarlet was recorded but was never released and after the band were dumped by Chrysalis they moved onto Nymphaea Pink Sensation releasing another couple of singles before calling it a day in 1990.
Taylor and Eddy Connolly then jumped on the indie dance bandwagon as One Note Jam releasing one single titled Warp Eight in Electraglide (Only You) before vanishing from pop history.
These tracks are from the bands last ever single. It was released on Nymphaea Pink Sensation (NPS002) in 1990.
The Motorcycle Boy - Here She Comes
The Motorcycle Boy - Everything I See
The Motorcycle Boy - The Road Goes On Forever(live)
This post is dedicated to Lester who requested Here She Comes. If there is the demand (leave a comment) then I will post more Motorcycle Boy tracks.
The Heartthrobs
The band released their debut single Toy on In-Tape in 1987. This was followed by two singles for Rough Trade and two more on their own Profumo label. They then signed for One Little Indian where they remained for the duration of their existence releasing seven singles and three albums.
I first saw the band when they supported the Jesus and Mary Chain in 1987 and I was so impressed that I remember rushing out to buy the Toy single the following day. I saw them a few times mainly at the beginning of their career. 1990's Cleopatra Grip album remains one of my all time favourites and single such as Here I Hide, I Wonder Why and Dreamtime still stand the test of time today.
You can read more about the band at Yinpop's Heart Throbs pages or via their Wikipedia entry.
The tracks here are all from the 12" version of Toy.
The Heartthrobs - Toy
The Heartthrobs - I, The Jury
The Heartthrobs - Make My Day
The photo is one of these pictures of the band live in 1993.
The Would Be's - I'm Hardly Ever Wrong
The Would Be's hailed from Dublin, Ireland. There is not much information about them on the net. Their debut single I'm Hardly Ever Wrong was released in 1990 making number 12 in that years John Peel Festive 50. I am pretty sure the original vocalist left at this point (Eileen Gogan replaced by Julie McDonnell or was it the other way round?). The follow up was 1991's the Silly Songs For Cynical People EP after which the band dis-banded.
They re-emerged with a new single and live gigs at the turn of the century but since then it's all been quiet. The tracks here are from the debut EP:
The Would Be's - I'm Hardly Ever Wrong
The Would Be's - Great Expectations
The Would Be's - I Want To Say What Goes Without Saying
The Would Be's - There Is There Are That's All
Eileen Grogan is now in Melba with the members of Crumb (ex Hey Paulette)
When I first posted this EP on indie-mp3 a few years back it generated a flurry of e-mails from someone connected to the band. I had kept all the correspondsance for a re-post but sadly it went down the chute when the PC died! So if that person is reading this please get back in touch!
They re-emerged with a new single and live gigs at the turn of the century but since then it's all been quiet. The tracks here are from the debut EP:
The Would Be's - I'm Hardly Ever Wrong
The Would Be's - Great Expectations
The Would Be's - I Want To Say What Goes Without Saying
The Would Be's - There Is There Are That's All
Eileen Grogan is now in Melba with the members of Crumb (ex Hey Paulette)
When I first posted this EP on indie-mp3 a few years back it generated a flurry of e-mails from someone connected to the band. I had kept all the correspondsance for a re-post but sadly it went down the chute when the PC died! So if that person is reading this please get back in touch!
The Brilliant Corners
The Brilliant Corners, a British indie pop band from Bristol, England, recorded throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s. The group formed in 1983, taking their name from a Thelonious Monk jazz passage. The line-up included Davey Woodward (b. Avonmouth, Bristol, England; vocals, guitar), Chris Galvin (b. 1959, d. 22 December 1998; bass), Winston (percussion, backing vocals), Bob (drums) and Dan (occasional keyboards).
The band's first releases were an early example of indie pop, with three singles being released in 1984 on their own SS20 label. Debut (mini-)album Growing Up Absurd appeared the following year. With 1986 seeing an explosion of indie pop groups, their May Fruit Machine EP saw them gain both attention and radio airplay, followed by a second mini-album, What's In A Word. "Brian Rix", a re-recorded version of a track from the LP, with added trumpet, and a tribute to Rix, the "king of farce", was issued as a single, the proceeds going to Mencap, the charity of which Rix was chairman. The video, featuring Woodward running Rix-like around a couch with his trousers around his ankles, was shown on The Tube, further raising the band's profile.
In March 1988 the band set up another label - McQueen - and released third album Somebody Up There Likes Me, followed by a collection of their sought-after early singles, Everything I Ever Wanted. Two more albums followed in 1989 (Joyride) and 1990 (Hooked), followed by a second compilation, 1991's Creamy Stuff. They released one last effort, 1993's A History Of White Trash, before splitting up.
Woodward and Galvin formed the Experimental Pop Band in 1995. Galvin died from cancer in 1998. (via)
The four tracks here are all taken from 1988's Why Do You Have To Go Out With Him When You Could Go Out With Me? single which featured Amelia Fletcher on backing vocals.
The band's first releases were an early example of indie pop, with three singles being released in 1984 on their own SS20 label. Debut (mini-)album Growing Up Absurd appeared the following year. With 1986 seeing an explosion of indie pop groups, their May Fruit Machine EP saw them gain both attention and radio airplay, followed by a second mini-album, What's In A Word. "Brian Rix", a re-recorded version of a track from the LP, with added trumpet, and a tribute to Rix, the "king of farce", was issued as a single, the proceeds going to Mencap, the charity of which Rix was chairman. The video, featuring Woodward running Rix-like around a couch with his trousers around his ankles, was shown on The Tube, further raising the band's profile.
In March 1988 the band set up another label - McQueen - and released third album Somebody Up There Likes Me, followed by a collection of their sought-after early singles, Everything I Ever Wanted. Two more albums followed in 1989 (Joyride) and 1990 (Hooked), followed by a second compilation, 1991's Creamy Stuff. They released one last effort, 1993's A History Of White Trash, before splitting up.
Woodward and Galvin formed the Experimental Pop Band in 1995. Galvin died from cancer in 1998. (via)
The four tracks here are all taken from 1988's Why Do You Have To Go Out With Him When You Could Go Out With Me? single which featured Amelia Fletcher on backing vocals.
Contrast The Rosehips With The Chesterfields
The latest Contrast Podcast theme is 1986. I was going to contribute to this one but was unable to find a microphone to record my bit in time. Each contributor has to record an introduction to the record they choose.
I was going to choose Richenel's L'esclave Endormi to prove that it's not all jangly guitars but indiepop won out in the end. There were no such things as mp3's 20 years ago and free music used to come on flexi discs via the many fanzines at the time. So because of this my choice was going to be The Rosehips covering The Chesterfields Ask Johnny Dee which came with the Two Pint Take Home fanzine.
I still have no microphone so you can download the track instead and for completists the Fat Tulips track is also available.
I was going to choose Richenel's L'esclave Endormi to prove that it's not all jangly guitars but indiepop won out in the end. There were no such things as mp3's 20 years ago and free music used to come on flexi discs via the many fanzines at the time. So because of this my choice was going to be The Rosehips covering The Chesterfields Ask Johnny Dee which came with the Two Pint Take Home fanzine.
I still have no microphone so you can download the track instead and for completists the Fat Tulips track is also available.
C06!
It's finally complete. A month or so ago I asked for readers of this blog to suggest tracks for a compilation called C06 or CDR 2006 as a few of you wags have suggested! A big thanks to all those who made suggestions or entered the artwork contest. I have been making my way through the nominations and some had to be left out due to quality of the available mp3 or that they are no longer available. Where this was the case I substituted another track by the same artist. Well its been compiled, the tracks have been tagged & mp3 gained and the artwork competition was won by Ulla (who still needs to contact me for her goodies).
There are some great tracks here from bands I have not heard before. These include tracks by Cowboy X, Bubblegum Lemonade, Michael Knight and Goof. I was also torn between what tracks to suggest so maybe we should start compiling volume two!!!
The track listing is:
01 - The Love Letter Band - This World Is Not My Home
02 - Mon Fio - Alexis
03 - Apple Orchard - A Hiding Smile
04 - Celestial - Dream On
05 - Santa Dog - Rosa
06 - Umlaut - Lea Green
07 - A Place To Bury Strangers - Dont Think Lover
08 - Chuzzlewit - Verga
09 - Loveninjas - Keep Your Love
10 - Rocket Punch - Pink Cashmere
11 - Shrugged - Tattooed Heart
12 - Crumb - Follow Me Home
13 - Pelle Carlberg - Clever Girls
14 - Compute - Every Chance
15 - Bib - I Wanna Be A Better
16 - Bobby Baby - Lucky Moments
17 - Goof - Dancing Shoes
18 - Sarandon - Meet Warren
19 - Bubblegum Lemonade - Tyler
20 - Michael Knight - Waves To The Shore
21 - The Sweethearts - Into The Woods
22 - The Factory Owners - Elephants Mean Death
23 - Cowboy X - Gabbi
24 - Math And Physics Club - Movie Ending Romance
There are some great tracks here from bands I have not heard before. These include tracks by Cowboy X, Bubblegum Lemonade, Michael Knight and Goof. I was also torn between what tracks to suggest so maybe we should start compiling volume two!!!
The track listing is:
01 - The Love Letter Band - This World Is Not My Home
02 - Mon Fio - Alexis
03 - Apple Orchard - A Hiding Smile
04 - Celestial - Dream On
05 - Santa Dog - Rosa
06 - Umlaut - Lea Green
07 - A Place To Bury Strangers - Dont Think Lover
08 - Chuzzlewit - Verga
09 - Loveninjas - Keep Your Love
10 - Rocket Punch - Pink Cashmere
11 - Shrugged - Tattooed Heart
12 - Crumb - Follow Me Home
13 - Pelle Carlberg - Clever Girls
14 - Compute - Every Chance
15 - Bib - I Wanna Be A Better
16 - Bobby Baby - Lucky Moments
17 - Goof - Dancing Shoes
18 - Sarandon - Meet Warren
19 - Bubblegum Lemonade - Tyler
20 - Michael Knight - Waves To The Shore
21 - The Sweethearts - Into The Woods
22 - The Factory Owners - Elephants Mean Death
23 - Cowboy X - Gabbi
24 - Math And Physics Club - Movie Ending Romance
C86 - The Tape
The C86 tape was originally given away free with the NME. It later appeared as a limited run of 500 as a radio only copy before getting a full release on Rough Trade Records. The tape collated bands from the UK Indie Scene in 1985/86 with the angle that some (Bodines, Shop Assistants, Mighty Lemon Drops) would burst through on the commercial scene. This never happened although bands like The Wedding Present and Primal Scream scored success a few years later.
Another striking point, compared to the the "indie" scene today was how political some of the bands on the tape were. After all, at this time, the NME was a socialist music paper in all but name. Why was this? It was certainly a reaction to the policies of Thatcher's Conservative government which had ripped the heart out of the traditional working class industries and left them in ruins resulting in mass unemployment, poverty and depravation. The steel workers, the ship yard workers, the UK car industry and more importantly the miners who were crushed by Thatcher's government with help from the police and the British industrial ruling class, rendering the British trade unions all but useless. It's no wonder that bands like McCarthy and The Wolfhounds emerged carrying on the musical struggles of The Gang Of Four and The Redskins amongst others. It is also no surprise that many of the non-political bands on the tape came from those areas affected by Tory policies and formed bands, no doubt on benefits for some of the time, because of lack of work and it was better than being on the dole - a quote I read in many interviews with the likes of the Shop Assistants etc at the time.
What other impacts did C86 have? Leading on from punk anyone could be in a band playing shambling Ramones covers! I was even a stand up drummer for two weeks! It didn't matter if you couldn't play as it was all about passion resulting from the disillusion that was prevalent. I never saw as many fanzines as I did at the heights of 1985/86! Fanzines written in the bedroom, bands rehearsing and recording in the living room and 7" records, in plastic bags with paper inserts, distributed from the kitchen. A real cottage industry if there ever was one.
C86 certainly wasn't twee as you may have been lead to believe. Just listen to bands like Bogshed or A Witness. Twee came later with bands like Talulah Gosh and the likes of Sarah Records but was certainly inspired by the bands of 1985/86 as are many today such as Camera Obscura, Belle and Sebastian and American bands like Dressy Bessy.
Was C86 a definitive round up of the time? No, not really as it contrasted greatly to the sounds of it's predecessor, C81 which covered a wide range of genres unlike C86. As Alistair Fitchett writes the bands on C86, many who looked towards Orange Juice, Fire Engines and Josef K for inspiration but not these bands love of genres such as funk and disco, resulting in a lack of diversity on the tape (apart from maybe Age Of Chance and Mighty Mighty). No reggae, no dance, no dub but it had a little soul so to speak!
Further Reading
For more on C86 read the excellent essay by Krister Bladh which has contributions by The Legend!, Amelia Fletcher, Alistair Fitchett and me amongst others.
C86 entry on Wikipedia
Tracklisting
Side One
1. Primal Scream / Velocity Girl
2. The Mighty Lemon Drops / Happy Head
3. The Soup Dragons / Pleasantly Surprised
4. The Wolfhounds / Feeling So Strange Again
5. The Bodines / Therese
6. Mighty Mighty / Law
7. Stump / Buffalo
8. Bogshed / Run to the Temple
9. A Witness / Sharps And Sticks
10. The Pastels / Breaking Lines
11. The Age of Chance / From Now On This Will Be Your God
Side Two
1. Shop Assistants / It's Up To You
2. Close Lobsters / Firestation Towers
3. Miaow / Sport Most Royal
4. Half Man Half Buiscuit / I Hate Nerys Hughes
5. The Servants / Transparent
6. The MacKenzies / Big Jim(there's No Pubs In Heaven)
7. Big Flame / New Way(Quick Wash And Brush Up...)
8. We've Got Fuzzbox... / Console Me
9. McCarthy / Celestial City
10. The Shrubs / Bullfighter Blues
11. The Wedding Present / This Boy Can Wait
Another striking point, compared to the the "indie" scene today was how political some of the bands on the tape were. After all, at this time, the NME was a socialist music paper in all but name. Why was this? It was certainly a reaction to the policies of Thatcher's Conservative government which had ripped the heart out of the traditional working class industries and left them in ruins resulting in mass unemployment, poverty and depravation. The steel workers, the ship yard workers, the UK car industry and more importantly the miners who were crushed by Thatcher's government with help from the police and the British industrial ruling class, rendering the British trade unions all but useless. It's no wonder that bands like McCarthy and The Wolfhounds emerged carrying on the musical struggles of The Gang Of Four and The Redskins amongst others. It is also no surprise that many of the non-political bands on the tape came from those areas affected by Tory policies and formed bands, no doubt on benefits for some of the time, because of lack of work and it was better than being on the dole - a quote I read in many interviews with the likes of the Shop Assistants etc at the time.
What other impacts did C86 have? Leading on from punk anyone could be in a band playing shambling Ramones covers! I was even a stand up drummer for two weeks! It didn't matter if you couldn't play as it was all about passion resulting from the disillusion that was prevalent. I never saw as many fanzines as I did at the heights of 1985/86! Fanzines written in the bedroom, bands rehearsing and recording in the living room and 7" records, in plastic bags with paper inserts, distributed from the kitchen. A real cottage industry if there ever was one.
C86 certainly wasn't twee as you may have been lead to believe. Just listen to bands like Bogshed or A Witness. Twee came later with bands like Talulah Gosh and the likes of Sarah Records but was certainly inspired by the bands of 1985/86 as are many today such as Camera Obscura, Belle and Sebastian and American bands like Dressy Bessy.
Was C86 a definitive round up of the time? No, not really as it contrasted greatly to the sounds of it's predecessor, C81 which covered a wide range of genres unlike C86. As Alistair Fitchett writes the bands on C86, many who looked towards Orange Juice, Fire Engines and Josef K for inspiration but not these bands love of genres such as funk and disco, resulting in a lack of diversity on the tape (apart from maybe Age Of Chance and Mighty Mighty). No reggae, no dance, no dub but it had a little soul so to speak!
Further Reading
For more on C86 read the excellent essay by Krister Bladh which has contributions by The Legend!, Amelia Fletcher, Alistair Fitchett and me amongst others.
C86 entry on Wikipedia
Tracklisting
Side One
1. Primal Scream / Velocity Girl
2. The Mighty Lemon Drops / Happy Head
3. The Soup Dragons / Pleasantly Surprised
4. The Wolfhounds / Feeling So Strange Again
5. The Bodines / Therese
6. Mighty Mighty / Law
7. Stump / Buffalo
8. Bogshed / Run to the Temple
9. A Witness / Sharps And Sticks
10. The Pastels / Breaking Lines
11. The Age of Chance / From Now On This Will Be Your God
Side Two
1. Shop Assistants / It's Up To You
2. Close Lobsters / Firestation Towers
3. Miaow / Sport Most Royal
4. Half Man Half Buiscuit / I Hate Nerys Hughes
5. The Servants / Transparent
6. The MacKenzies / Big Jim(there's No Pubs In Heaven)
7. Big Flame / New Way(Quick Wash And Brush Up...)
8. We've Got Fuzzbox... / Console Me
9. McCarthy / Celestial City
10. The Shrubs / Bullfighter Blues
11. The Wedding Present / This Boy Can Wait
C86 - An Essay
Last year a University Student got in touch with me wanting help on an essay he was writing regarding C86. I was only to keen to help out as were many others as you can see in the essay itself. Chris who wrote the essay asked for it to be posted on indie-mp3 and I was happy to oblige. I was waiting until I redesigned indie-mp3 before posting it but after a piece on Take Your Medicine I thought it would be a good idea to do it now. Here is what Chris says:
Hi all,
I wrote this essay after having studied musicology for a year at the University of Lund in Sweden. Having had to conform to academic standards has restricted my language a bit - I couldn't write as if I was doing a fanzine - but I hope you'll find it interesting enough anyway! And if you do take the trouble to read through all of these twenty or something pages, please write to me and tell me what think about it! My address is kristerbladh@linuxmail.org. Tell your friends about it, or anyone who might be interested. I wrote this essay because it's something that needs to be written about...
cheers
Chris
Hi all,
I wrote this essay after having studied musicology for a year at the University of Lund in Sweden. Having had to conform to academic standards has restricted my language a bit - I couldn't write as if I was doing a fanzine - but I hope you'll find it interesting enough anyway! And if you do take the trouble to read through all of these twenty or something pages, please write to me and tell me what think about it! My address is kristerbladh@linuxmail.org. Tell your friends about it, or anyone who might be interested. I wrote this essay because it's something that needs to be written about...
cheers
Chris
C86 - Muse Article Reprint
C86? Is that a band?
Nope, C86 is a term used to describe Britain's mid-Eighties indie-pop climate when haircuts were round, major labels taboo and anoraks obligatory. The actual term hails from the title of a series of free NME compilation tapes documenting the mood of Britain's indie scene at the time. Featured were early incarnations of The Wedding Present, The Pastels, and Primal Scream (when they had Sixties bowl-cuts and thought they were the Byrds). "C86" was released as an LP on Strange Fruit in 1990.
Probably the most definitive representation of the C86 sound were Talulah Gosh. Although punk-rock in attitude, they were purveyors of a light, Rickenbacker-jangly, highly melodic pop sound. They named themselves after Clare Grogan's (Altered Images and, more recently, Father Ted and Eastenders) nickname for herself, sang about boy/girl relationships, and recorded songs for fanzine flexi-discs. Talulah Gosh went on to release material on Sarah Records, their spiritual home. After their split in 1988, original members Amelia and Mathew Fletcher and Robert Pursey went on to form Heavenly, a slightly less twee, tighter affair, but still a million miles from mainstream rock.
C86 was a subculture and a fanzine culture (Kvatch, Sha-la-la and Are You Scared To Get Happy?). It spoke to alienated teenagers bored with mainstream culture and hooked on DIY lo-fi sensibilities, an almost asexual child-like affectation, Sixties pop and girl groups, seven-inch singles, bedsit socialism and a romantic, pastoral, holding-hands vision of England.
So who else were C86?
The Pastels, The Field Mice, Another Sunny Day, McCarthy (Stereolab's Tim Gane's first band) and early Creation bands like Felt, The Bodines and The Razorcuts. Pretty much everything released on Sarah Records (most of whom had female vocalists), Cherry Red Records and Postcard Records. Across the Atlantic, the scene was mirrored by labels and bands from the US pop underground, most notably Calvin Johnson's Beat Happening and his K Records imprint. In the early Nineties, the spirit of C86 was refreshed by movements such as Riot Grrl and numerous Mod-Pop revivals.
C86 icons and influences?
The influences are basically classic, melodic pop music from any era. The most obvious ones are The Go-Betweens, Aztec Camera, The Smiths and Orange Juice. Other icons include fanzine writers Matt Haynes and Clare Wadd (who set up Sarah) and Mathew Fletcher (the Talulah/Heavenly drummer who tragically committed suicide in 1996). Alan McGee would have been an icon if he hadn't committed so many crimes against pop music since.
What are the key albums?
Obviously the actual "C86" album on Strange Fruit (if you see it, buy it), "Feral Pop Frenzy" (Sarah) by awesome Australian band Even As We Speak, "Le Gardin Du Heavenly" (Sarah) by Heavenly, Felt's "Bubblegum Perfume" (Creation) and Talulah Gosh's "Rock Legends Volume 69" (Constrictor).
Any C86 anthems?
Anthems is probably the wrong word but now that you mention it... Another Sunny Day's "Anorak City" (Sarah) for the title alone, Primal Scream's "Velocity Girl" (Creation), The Pastels' "Breaking Lines" (Creation) and Talulah's "Testcard Girl" (Constrictor).
Is it the spirit of C86 still alive?
Glasgow scenesters Belle and Sebastian, Bis, Camera Obscura, Gentle Waves and V-Twin all possess copious C86 credentials. Reclusive indie-icon Momus has carried the spirit East to the flourishing Jap-Pop scene while veterans such as The Pastels (now with Domino Records) and the Trash Can Sinatras are still growing strong. Colm O'Callaghan even calls it C00!
Please Note: This article was originally published (2000/01) on the Muse on-line fanzine. Sadly the page and fanzine no longer exists so I have taken the steps to reprint it here - I had archived the page previously. I was unaware the site was gone and so was unable to contact anyone for permission to reprint the article. If anyone related to Muse wants me to withdraw this page please e-mail me and I will do so with immediate effect.
Nope, C86 is a term used to describe Britain's mid-Eighties indie-pop climate when haircuts were round, major labels taboo and anoraks obligatory. The actual term hails from the title of a series of free NME compilation tapes documenting the mood of Britain's indie scene at the time. Featured were early incarnations of The Wedding Present, The Pastels, and Primal Scream (when they had Sixties bowl-cuts and thought they were the Byrds). "C86" was released as an LP on Strange Fruit in 1990.
Probably the most definitive representation of the C86 sound were Talulah Gosh. Although punk-rock in attitude, they were purveyors of a light, Rickenbacker-jangly, highly melodic pop sound. They named themselves after Clare Grogan's (Altered Images and, more recently, Father Ted and Eastenders) nickname for herself, sang about boy/girl relationships, and recorded songs for fanzine flexi-discs. Talulah Gosh went on to release material on Sarah Records, their spiritual home. After their split in 1988, original members Amelia and Mathew Fletcher and Robert Pursey went on to form Heavenly, a slightly less twee, tighter affair, but still a million miles from mainstream rock.
C86 was a subculture and a fanzine culture (Kvatch, Sha-la-la and Are You Scared To Get Happy?). It spoke to alienated teenagers bored with mainstream culture and hooked on DIY lo-fi sensibilities, an almost asexual child-like affectation, Sixties pop and girl groups, seven-inch singles, bedsit socialism and a romantic, pastoral, holding-hands vision of England.
So who else were C86?
The Pastels, The Field Mice, Another Sunny Day, McCarthy (Stereolab's Tim Gane's first band) and early Creation bands like Felt, The Bodines and The Razorcuts. Pretty much everything released on Sarah Records (most of whom had female vocalists), Cherry Red Records and Postcard Records. Across the Atlantic, the scene was mirrored by labels and bands from the US pop underground, most notably Calvin Johnson's Beat Happening and his K Records imprint. In the early Nineties, the spirit of C86 was refreshed by movements such as Riot Grrl and numerous Mod-Pop revivals.
C86 icons and influences?
The influences are basically classic, melodic pop music from any era. The most obvious ones are The Go-Betweens, Aztec Camera, The Smiths and Orange Juice. Other icons include fanzine writers Matt Haynes and Clare Wadd (who set up Sarah) and Mathew Fletcher (the Talulah/Heavenly drummer who tragically committed suicide in 1996). Alan McGee would have been an icon if he hadn't committed so many crimes against pop music since.
What are the key albums?
Obviously the actual "C86" album on Strange Fruit (if you see it, buy it), "Feral Pop Frenzy" (Sarah) by awesome Australian band Even As We Speak, "Le Gardin Du Heavenly" (Sarah) by Heavenly, Felt's "Bubblegum Perfume" (Creation) and Talulah Gosh's "Rock Legends Volume 69" (Constrictor).
Any C86 anthems?
Anthems is probably the wrong word but now that you mention it... Another Sunny Day's "Anorak City" (Sarah) for the title alone, Primal Scream's "Velocity Girl" (Creation), The Pastels' "Breaking Lines" (Creation) and Talulah's "Testcard Girl" (Constrictor).
Is it the spirit of C86 still alive?
Glasgow scenesters Belle and Sebastian, Bis, Camera Obscura, Gentle Waves and V-Twin all possess copious C86 credentials. Reclusive indie-icon Momus has carried the spirit East to the flourishing Jap-Pop scene while veterans such as The Pastels (now with Domino Records) and the Trash Can Sinatras are still growing strong. Colm O'Callaghan even calls it C00!
Please Note: This article was originally published (2000/01) on the Muse on-line fanzine. Sadly the page and fanzine no longer exists so I have taken the steps to reprint it here - I had archived the page previously. I was unaware the site was gone and so was unable to contact anyone for permission to reprint the article. If anyone related to Muse wants me to withdraw this page please e-mail me and I will do so with immediate effect.
Bubblegum Splash
"But on the minus there are groups like Bubblegum Splash! we played with them in Bristol, and they just summed up everything that was wrong in music just now. I mean they had one song that went la-la-la like Primal Scream and another with the bum-de-bum drumbeats a la Shop Assistants. It was just a joke."
Stephen Pastel , 1987
the pastels were a fine band, but stephen was presumably just jealous, because Bubblegum Splash! are probably the greatest band that ever existed. they were a five-piece from salisbury, wiltshire, england, comprised of nikki barr (voice); dave todd (bass); jim harrison (guitar); marty cummins (tambourine and backing vocals) and "alan" (drums). their legend today is helped by the fact that as far as we can discern, they only ever recorded seven songs. beyond that, as you can tell, we know so little... but it's inconceivable we could ever shake from our heads their lyrics, the cool and rather offhand vocal delivery, the thudding anorak basslines and drums, the jangly guitars and even the occasional two-bar, three-note "guitar solos".
we don't just put down our devotion to Bubblegum Splash! to nostalgia for the age of fourteen, when the journey began with john peel playing "fast of friends". and we certainly weren't alone then, for at the time the fanzine "so naive", named after a rather wonderful song by erstwhile subway labelmates the rosehips, ran an interview with the band and put out a flexidisc, split with the slightly less endearing shop assistants copyists the darling buds. if you'd told us then that one of those bands would go on to top of the pops and a major deal... still, according to the cherry red website, splashdown did get to no 15 on the indie chart.
"I remember the day we heard the Splashdown EP went into the Indie charts as we were playing a gig in Salisbury aswell and couldn't understand why we had a crowd of about 10 whilst the Arts Centre where the Splashies were playing was heaving!"
Andy Ware, then of Mrs Taylor's Mad
no, since 1987, life has been a futile attempt to come across anyone else who will acknowledge the truth. even now a host of college radio stations in the 'states will think nothing of dropping da Bubblegum bomb into their alt-rock playlists, albeit usually in what we english call "the alan partridge slot".
a lot of people, even at the time, took one listen to the formulaic shambling and dismissed it as identikit c86. that seems to us to both get, and spectacularly miss, the point. they were probably the perfect anorak band - the production, the playing, the melodies, the sentiments - and that should have elevated their status, not detracted from it. it doesn't take a leap of the imagination to relate to the lyrics to "fast of friends" or "someone said" - it really is for everyman. the music has the same attraction and appeal - people like us, no shallow celebrity status.
"the Splashies seemed to have this unique, kinda naive sound that was very original and you couldn't pin it on any band. Jim and Dave had a very eclectic mix of backgrounds in musical tastes and I guess whilst they weren't maestros with their guitars this kinda dictated the way they wrote and played songs. Ask Jim to play a Led Zeppelin solo and I don't think then anyhow he'd get past the first bar"
Andy Ware
the persistent rumours that jane from occupied europe are a post-splash! outfit, scarcely any longer lived, have now been confirmed - we believe they were the only one. most bands I loved from that era are still producing music today - listen to sportique, cinerama or of course the pastels - even (if you have to) primal scream. (JFOE, incidentally, included jim harrison and dave todd, and did a few records (much more detail here) including a cracking 7" called "ocean run dry" which we also treasure to this day. the fact that they were named after the second swell maps LP probably accounts for the fact that Bubblegum Splash! have been described as "swell maps"-influenced - save for the fact they were a bit d.i.y., this was never really true).
the only time we ever heard Bubblegum Splash! "in public" was back in 1990 when the DJ in the now-defunct islington powerhaus played "plastic smile" - that in itself would have made my evening. (in fact, it was merely a glorious omen, as the second support band that night, brighter, who were starting for the orchids and the hit parade, did the set which turned me into a brighter fan for life). but that's another story, and possibly another web page.
"The boys at ILWTT website have done a Bubblegum Splash! site - it’s the webzine equivalent of a 1 and a half minute flexi song, but ah, it reminded me of the flawed genius of the Splash!"
Rachel Stevenson, 2003
and now ? well the rumours have it that ex-Bubblegum Splash! personnel are now residing in salisbury and bristol, and variously enjoying beer, teaching, football, music (but of course) and, in one case, motherhood... but we intend to fill out some of those details over time.
until then, if anyone, anywhere, knows anything about Bubblegum Splash! or has any photographs (or can correct the lyrics!) please please contact us at the address opposite, we will love you forever, just as much as we love them. or just write to let us know how brilliant you think the band were - trust us, you won't be the first and the network is international. someone once wrote into us claiming that they knew the ex-bass player, but our entreaties came to nothing - we guess people are always pretending they're mates with the rich and famous...
"I love them too! One chime of 18:10 To Yeovil Junction and I was hooked - they're everything that great pop music should be - kids with guitars who can't play to save their lives but who consequently make the most beautifully endearing music in the world."
Chris Jones, fan
Discography
"splashdown!" 7" ep (august 1987, subway 13)
tracks: plastic smile / just walked away / fast Of friends / one of those things
split flexi (with so naïve fanzine, 1987)
track: if only. (split with the darling buds, track: spin).
"surfin' in the subway" (subway records compilation, november 1987, SUBORG 4
tracks: someone said, the 18.10 to yeovil junction.
(also compiled on a CD of both subway comps entitled "take the subway to your suburb")
"just walked away" also appears on "whole wide world" (volume 2) compilation CD on subway organisation
Stephen Pastel , 1987
the pastels were a fine band, but stephen was presumably just jealous, because Bubblegum Splash! are probably the greatest band that ever existed. they were a five-piece from salisbury, wiltshire, england, comprised of nikki barr (voice); dave todd (bass); jim harrison (guitar); marty cummins (tambourine and backing vocals) and "alan" (drums). their legend today is helped by the fact that as far as we can discern, they only ever recorded seven songs. beyond that, as you can tell, we know so little... but it's inconceivable we could ever shake from our heads their lyrics, the cool and rather offhand vocal delivery, the thudding anorak basslines and drums, the jangly guitars and even the occasional two-bar, three-note "guitar solos".
we don't just put down our devotion to Bubblegum Splash! to nostalgia for the age of fourteen, when the journey began with john peel playing "fast of friends". and we certainly weren't alone then, for at the time the fanzine "so naive", named after a rather wonderful song by erstwhile subway labelmates the rosehips, ran an interview with the band and put out a flexidisc, split with the slightly less endearing shop assistants copyists the darling buds. if you'd told us then that one of those bands would go on to top of the pops and a major deal... still, according to the cherry red website, splashdown did get to no 15 on the indie chart.
"I remember the day we heard the Splashdown EP went into the Indie charts as we were playing a gig in Salisbury aswell and couldn't understand why we had a crowd of about 10 whilst the Arts Centre where the Splashies were playing was heaving!"
Andy Ware, then of Mrs Taylor's Mad
no, since 1987, life has been a futile attempt to come across anyone else who will acknowledge the truth. even now a host of college radio stations in the 'states will think nothing of dropping da Bubblegum bomb into their alt-rock playlists, albeit usually in what we english call "the alan partridge slot".
a lot of people, even at the time, took one listen to the formulaic shambling and dismissed it as identikit c86. that seems to us to both get, and spectacularly miss, the point. they were probably the perfect anorak band - the production, the playing, the melodies, the sentiments - and that should have elevated their status, not detracted from it. it doesn't take a leap of the imagination to relate to the lyrics to "fast of friends" or "someone said" - it really is for everyman. the music has the same attraction and appeal - people like us, no shallow celebrity status.
"the Splashies seemed to have this unique, kinda naive sound that was very original and you couldn't pin it on any band. Jim and Dave had a very eclectic mix of backgrounds in musical tastes and I guess whilst they weren't maestros with their guitars this kinda dictated the way they wrote and played songs. Ask Jim to play a Led Zeppelin solo and I don't think then anyhow he'd get past the first bar"
Andy Ware
the persistent rumours that jane from occupied europe are a post-splash! outfit, scarcely any longer lived, have now been confirmed - we believe they were the only one. most bands I loved from that era are still producing music today - listen to sportique, cinerama or of course the pastels - even (if you have to) primal scream. (JFOE, incidentally, included jim harrison and dave todd, and did a few records (much more detail here) including a cracking 7" called "ocean run dry" which we also treasure to this day. the fact that they were named after the second swell maps LP probably accounts for the fact that Bubblegum Splash! have been described as "swell maps"-influenced - save for the fact they were a bit d.i.y., this was never really true).
the only time we ever heard Bubblegum Splash! "in public" was back in 1990 when the DJ in the now-defunct islington powerhaus played "plastic smile" - that in itself would have made my evening. (in fact, it was merely a glorious omen, as the second support band that night, brighter, who were starting for the orchids and the hit parade, did the set which turned me into a brighter fan for life). but that's another story, and possibly another web page.
"The boys at ILWTT website have done a Bubblegum Splash! site - it’s the webzine equivalent of a 1 and a half minute flexi song, but ah, it reminded me of the flawed genius of the Splash!"
Rachel Stevenson, 2003
and now ? well the rumours have it that ex-Bubblegum Splash! personnel are now residing in salisbury and bristol, and variously enjoying beer, teaching, football, music (but of course) and, in one case, motherhood... but we intend to fill out some of those details over time.
until then, if anyone, anywhere, knows anything about Bubblegum Splash! or has any photographs (or can correct the lyrics!) please please contact us at the address opposite, we will love you forever, just as much as we love them. or just write to let us know how brilliant you think the band were - trust us, you won't be the first and the network is international. someone once wrote into us claiming that they knew the ex-bass player, but our entreaties came to nothing - we guess people are always pretending they're mates with the rich and famous...
"I love them too! One chime of 18:10 To Yeovil Junction and I was hooked - they're everything that great pop music should be - kids with guitars who can't play to save their lives but who consequently make the most beautifully endearing music in the world."
Chris Jones, fan
Discography
"splashdown!" 7" ep (august 1987, subway 13)
tracks: plastic smile / just walked away / fast Of friends / one of those things
split flexi (with so naïve fanzine, 1987)
track: if only. (split with the darling buds, track: spin).
"surfin' in the subway" (subway records compilation, november 1987, SUBORG 4
tracks: someone said, the 18.10 to yeovil junction.
(also compiled on a CD of both subway comps entitled "take the subway to your suburb")
"just walked away" also appears on "whole wide world" (volume 2) compilation CD on subway organisation
Disclaimer
The majority of the tracks posted on indie-mp3 are freely available, being posted by the artists themselves. However where the tracks are posted by us the MP3 files should be used for evaluation purposes only. Through this site, we are trying to share, promote and most importantly keep alive good music with others. Please buy records, CD's, concert tickets, downloads etc in order to promote and support these artists - you know it makes sense! If you hold copyright to one of these songs and would like the file removed, please let us know.
The Psychotic Reaction - Genre Music Is The Enemy
I first wrote about The Psychotic Reaction back in 2005. I was taken with their slightly offbeat approach and skewed indie-rock sound. Fast forward over two years and I am landed with a copy of 'Genre Music Is The Enemy' on CD. This is a 7 song mini LP or maxi EP (I never know what to call these in between releases). And it's a far more coherent record and dare I say a far more conventional one. The band have obviously improved over the two years - and I am warming to this new CD with each player. - although I do find myself wanting the band to continue to push outwards with their sound exploration. I find it hard to pin point the bands exact influences - but there's a strong sniff of post-punk about the band - mix in a dose of noisy guitars and some 1960s psychedelic sounds and you've pretty much got what The Psychotic Reaction are about. The whole EP is available to download free from the bands Last.fm page - I'd start with the psychedelic sounding 'Somethings Got To Give' which seems to be haunted by the ghost of Syd Barrett. All in all, a decent little EP - without ever really hitting the heights I think the band maybe capable of.
Fireflies - Goodnight Stars, Goodnight Moon
A new joint release on Lavender and Music Is My Girlfriend, Fireflies is a one man band from Chicago, USA. I have listened to this LP a fair few times now and I can't be sure I have properly heard it yet. "Goodnight Stars, Goodnight Moon" is a fragile recording - so much so as it threatens to vanish as you play it.
This is straight from the Sarah Records school of indiepop - whispered vocals over the top of gentle guitars that chime or strum nicely throughout the record. But like I said - it's like the record is nearly there - the songs glide along, one after another and after a few songs it all merges together and I have trouble picking out songs. That's never a good sign. I find it hard to really embrace Fireflies as there is not enough to keep my attention from wandering - this is a pleasant record - that never really grabbed me in the way I hoped it would after first playing it. Still, it will appeal to fans of the gentler end of the indiepop genre.
This is straight from the Sarah Records school of indiepop - whispered vocals over the top of gentle guitars that chime or strum nicely throughout the record. But like I said - it's like the record is nearly there - the songs glide along, one after another and after a few songs it all merges together and I have trouble picking out songs. That's never a good sign. I find it hard to really embrace Fireflies as there is not enough to keep my attention from wandering - this is a pleasant record - that never really grabbed me in the way I hoped it would after first playing it. Still, it will appeal to fans of the gentler end of the indiepop genre.
The Royal We
The Royal We were, if I can believe the internet, a band that was formed when Jihae Simmons hot footed it over from the USA to the UK to find a twee pop wonderland - yes - that was enough to have me reaching for the sick bag. But not to judge before hearing I duly took a listen to the songs on My Space and decided that I should get a copy of the LP. Jihae was obviously well informed as she set her target to be Glasgow when coming to the UK - a city that has a rich indiepop history. She duly arrived, had a laugh, formed a band and recorded this record. 8 songs long. Apparently she has since ditched the band to return to America. Either way - this is either an in joke that went too far or a very good piece of fun pop. To my ears it's probably both. The music itself is on the poppy and catchy end of of the indiepop spectrum (with some cheesy glam pop overtones) -calling in references from T Rex, Blondie and it all ends on a cover of Chris Isaacs 'Wicked Game'. This is how I imagined early Dressy Bessy might have sounded had they recorded their first flushes in Glasgow rather than the USA.
Seeing as I am fairly late to the party I can't really form an opinion on whether the band ever intended to be a 'serious' band or not. As I said before you get 20 odd minutes of fun on this record and at the end of the day that's what really matters. I haven't the time or the inclination at the moment to fully try and get what The Royal We were all about. Maybe it was all about the indiepop songs and as that's all I have to judge them on, I'd say they did a pretty good job.
Seeing as I am fairly late to the party I can't really form an opinion on whether the band ever intended to be a 'serious' band or not. As I said before you get 20 odd minutes of fun on this record and at the end of the day that's what really matters. I haven't the time or the inclination at the moment to fully try and get what The Royal We were all about. Maybe it was all about the indiepop songs and as that's all I have to judge them on, I'd say they did a pretty good job.
Your Favourite Track of 2007
Regular readers of indie-mp3 may recall that we abandonded the idea of a readers poll last year. To determine what the readers of this site were listening too we hit upon the idea of asking them to nominate the best track they legally downloaded which we then compiled in order to burn to CDR.
It worked pretty well and we are going to do it again so please nominate your favourite downloaded track. The criteria is:
It should have been released in 2007 (although I might let you have a track from last year!)
It must have been a legal download (no P2P, Bit Torrent or other downloads)
It wasn't obtained from a paid for music store (i-tunes, e-music etc)
It was downloaded from a bands website, my space page, record label page etc
It must be in mp3 format
The names of all those responding will be put into a hat and the first one drawn out will win some goodies that we have lying about here at indie mp3 including albums and badges.
Last years compilation is still available. You can download it from here.
Other indie-mp3 compilations:
It worked pretty well and we are going to do it again so please nominate your favourite downloaded track. The criteria is:
It should have been released in 2007 (although I might let you have a track from last year!)
It must have been a legal download (no P2P, Bit Torrent or other downloads)
It wasn't obtained from a paid for music store (i-tunes, e-music etc)
It was downloaded from a bands website, my space page, record label page etc
It must be in mp3 format
The names of all those responding will be put into a hat and the first one drawn out will win some goodies that we have lying about here at indie mp3 including albums and badges.
Last years compilation is still available. You can download it from here.
Other indie-mp3 compilations:
Tom's Best of 2007
Well 2007 has been a great year. Indie mp3 merged with Lost Music in August and if the past four months are anything to go by you should be in for a great 2008. We have put on some great gigs as well as releasing two cracking singles. Unlike Trev I am not voting for them below! Indie MP3 now has contributors from Iceland, USA, Germany, Sweden not forgetting London and Oxford. Thanks to all of them and their contributions.
Highlights of 2007? The indie pop revival in the UK from Derby to Sheffield, London to Nottingham and from Stoke to a railway museum in the Derbyshire countryside for indie tracks. It's all go y'know! Head over to Anorak which now seems to be the premier indie pop forum of choice for chat and debate.
Is not all in the UK though. Cloudberry Records has been the label of 2007 with over 70 releases this year alone all issued on delightful 3" CD's featuring indie pop from around the globe. There will be some 7" releases in 2008 so keep them peeled. Also watch out for a Cloudberry special on this blog soon and we hope to put on a Cloudberry Records gig early next year.
Other labels of note include Atomic Beat, Yay Records, Wee Pop! and of course our very own Lost Music label.
Enough yacking - here are my lists or more accurately what my brain allows me to remember!
Singles:
1 Maia Hirasawa - And I Found This Boy
2 Fanfarlo - You Are One Of The Few Outsiders Who Really Understands Us
3 The Bridge Gang - London Sky Tonight
4 Sofia Talvik - Blaa Linjen Hem
5 Fanfarlo - Fire Escape
6 Those Dancing Days - Hitten
7 Liechtenstein - Stalking Skills
8 Horowitz - Tracyanne
9 Felt Tips - Boyfriend Devoted
10 BMX Bandits - Take Me To Heaven
Special mentions for Pocketbooks Cross The Line, The Soundcarriers I Had A Girl, Kid Canaveral Smash Hits, Sarandon Joes Record, both Slow Club releases and I am sure I have missed a few out somewhere!
Worst Single Heard: Hello Wembley with Up Great Britain closely followed with anything by Lorraine and Mumm Ra.
Best Cover Version:
1 Camera Obscura - Souper Trooper
Albums:
I must admit to be getting a bit bored by albums these days and if they are not under 30 minutes long my interest starts to wane. I guess I am a singles man at heart. These are the albums I have played the most this year and are not in any particuliar order.
Love Dance - Result
Celestial - Dream On
Afternoon Naps - Sunbeamed
A Smile And A Ribbon - The Boy I Wish I Never Met
Cats On Fire - The Province Complains
Orbital - Live At Glastonbury 1994-2004
Irene - Long Gone Since Last Summer
BMX Bandits - Bee Stings
Gigs:
Some excellent gigs this year including Cats On Fire & A Smile And A Ribbon in a very hot and eventually short lived Horse and Groom in Shoreditch. I enjoyed Liechtenstein because they sounded like so many other bands on each of their songs and Manhattan Love Suicides who encapsulate a certain era. Fanfarlo did it for me live though - indie pop with trumpets. It's the way to go.
1 Fanfarlo
2 Cats On Fire
3 Electric Pop Group
4 Radio Dept
5 Bridge Gang/Olympians
6 Manhattan Love Suicides
7 Strawberry Story
8 Horowitz
9 A Smile and A Ribbon
10 Liechtenstein
Honourable mentions to Navvy, The School, Darren Hayman, Sarandon and all those I have enjoyed but forgotten about. It's been a long year okay!
Worst Gig - The Orchids at indie tracks. By far!
Well that's my round up for 2007. I am sure that if I read this tomorrow I will change my mind. Feel free to post your top 10's, 5's or even 1's in the comments if you think I have missed something out or that you think I need to hear it!
Thanks for reading indie mp3 and I hope we can grab your attention in 2008 which promises to be an exciting year in more ways than one!
Highlights of 2007? The indie pop revival in the UK from Derby to Sheffield, London to Nottingham and from Stoke to a railway museum in the Derbyshire countryside for indie tracks. It's all go y'know! Head over to Anorak which now seems to be the premier indie pop forum of choice for chat and debate.
Is not all in the UK though. Cloudberry Records has been the label of 2007 with over 70 releases this year alone all issued on delightful 3" CD's featuring indie pop from around the globe. There will be some 7" releases in 2008 so keep them peeled. Also watch out for a Cloudberry special on this blog soon and we hope to put on a Cloudberry Records gig early next year.
Other labels of note include Atomic Beat, Yay Records, Wee Pop! and of course our very own Lost Music label.
Enough yacking - here are my lists or more accurately what my brain allows me to remember!
Singles:
1 Maia Hirasawa - And I Found This Boy
2 Fanfarlo - You Are One Of The Few Outsiders Who Really Understands Us
3 The Bridge Gang - London Sky Tonight
4 Sofia Talvik - Blaa Linjen Hem
5 Fanfarlo - Fire Escape
6 Those Dancing Days - Hitten
7 Liechtenstein - Stalking Skills
8 Horowitz - Tracyanne
9 Felt Tips - Boyfriend Devoted
10 BMX Bandits - Take Me To Heaven
Special mentions for Pocketbooks Cross The Line, The Soundcarriers I Had A Girl, Kid Canaveral Smash Hits, Sarandon Joes Record, both Slow Club releases and I am sure I have missed a few out somewhere!
Worst Single Heard: Hello Wembley with Up Great Britain closely followed with anything by Lorraine and Mumm Ra.
Best Cover Version:
1 Camera Obscura - Souper Trooper
Albums:
I must admit to be getting a bit bored by albums these days and if they are not under 30 minutes long my interest starts to wane. I guess I am a singles man at heart. These are the albums I have played the most this year and are not in any particuliar order.
Love Dance - Result
Celestial - Dream On
Afternoon Naps - Sunbeamed
A Smile And A Ribbon - The Boy I Wish I Never Met
Cats On Fire - The Province Complains
Orbital - Live At Glastonbury 1994-2004
Irene - Long Gone Since Last Summer
BMX Bandits - Bee Stings
Gigs:
Some excellent gigs this year including Cats On Fire & A Smile And A Ribbon in a very hot and eventually short lived Horse and Groom in Shoreditch. I enjoyed Liechtenstein because they sounded like so many other bands on each of their songs and Manhattan Love Suicides who encapsulate a certain era. Fanfarlo did it for me live though - indie pop with trumpets. It's the way to go.
1 Fanfarlo
2 Cats On Fire
3 Electric Pop Group
4 Radio Dept
5 Bridge Gang/Olympians
6 Manhattan Love Suicides
7 Strawberry Story
8 Horowitz
9 A Smile and A Ribbon
10 Liechtenstein
Honourable mentions to Navvy, The School, Darren Hayman, Sarandon and all those I have enjoyed but forgotten about. It's been a long year okay!
Worst Gig - The Orchids at indie tracks. By far!
Well that's my round up for 2007. I am sure that if I read this tomorrow I will change my mind. Feel free to post your top 10's, 5's or even 1's in the comments if you think I have missed something out or that you think I need to hear it!
Thanks for reading indie mp3 and I hope we can grab your attention in 2008 which promises to be an exciting year in more ways than one!
New Releases on Wee Pop!
Two new releases on the Wee Pop label to write about.
First up is the Photo EP by The Darlings who are an indie pop band with plenty of alt-country influences. Their original songs are lovely, cute and in the case of Emily pretty funny. I just hope she isn't listening. They finish with a pretty good ukulele driven cover of AC/DC's You Shook Me All Night Long. Shake yourself now Angus!
Sticking with the Australian theme is the Matches EP by Melbourne's The Motifs which crams six songs in under ten minutes. This is dreampop at it's loveliest and the size of the songs matches the 3" CDs!. Yours and Mine is my favourite track as it sounds like the theme to Candlewick Green but in truth all the songs are delightful as each other.
Wrapping The Singles Up!
This three track demo from The Vatican Cellars has more promise about it than many of the run of the mill single releases I have been sent these past few months.
The band have been put together by Simon Hughes who was the guitarist for Piney Gir as well as The Birthday Girl (aka the Schla La Las). As well as taking influences from those two the Vatican Cellars also play a emotional and dark blend of pop music. All three songs are semi-acoustic ballads hinting at folk, country as well as contemporary pop music. Pick of the bunch is Silence and Shadow which is one beautiful melancholic song. In parts it reminded me of Johnny Cash and Lloyd Cole alongside contemporaries such as The Left Outsides or Kelman.
Stream the demo via My Space.
The fact that Urbnri have got rave reviews from rags such as the Sun and the Daily Record suggests that Young Free & Simple should be thrown straight into the bin. And after listening? Well it sounds like XFM cannon fodder with it's fusion of rap and rock (that hasn't been done before has it?) but I wouldn't turn the radio off because, whilst the music is devoid of all originality, singer Kev Tait has a pretty decent voice which surely could be put to better use elsewhere. It's backed with two remixes which suggest the EMF revival is well under way and in full swing.
Young Free & Simple is out on 28th January 2008. You can stream the single here.
Oooohhh! I haven't listened to a decent bit of ska for a while and it's a music form that takes me back to my childhood of two tone and all things nutty boys! Imperial Leisure are a London based ten piece and In A Letter is their début single. It's everything you expect. Quick fire vocals, a brass section, a couple of MC's and if you damn well didn't know it a pretty decent tune to the boot. This is the sort of music that gets you up and dancing around your own living and it's music that not only excites but puts a smile on your face. I bet they are blinding live too! One band who would be absolutely delighted if you sent them to Coventry!
In A Letter is out now on Org Records. Check them out here.
Asobi Seksu become the latest band to cover The Ramones Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight). It sounds like a 1960's girl group who have turned shoegazers albiet with a chainsaw guitar edge. It's backed by New Years which seems to be the b-side of every single they put out these days! Luckily it's a great track summing up what a great band Asobi Seksu are in a late eighties/early nineteen nineties retro kind of way.
The band have been put together by Simon Hughes who was the guitarist for Piney Gir as well as The Birthday Girl (aka the Schla La Las). As well as taking influences from those two the Vatican Cellars also play a emotional and dark blend of pop music. All three songs are semi-acoustic ballads hinting at folk, country as well as contemporary pop music. Pick of the bunch is Silence and Shadow which is one beautiful melancholic song. In parts it reminded me of Johnny Cash and Lloyd Cole alongside contemporaries such as The Left Outsides or Kelman.
Stream the demo via My Space.
The fact that Urbnri have got rave reviews from rags such as the Sun and the Daily Record suggests that Young Free & Simple should be thrown straight into the bin. And after listening? Well it sounds like XFM cannon fodder with it's fusion of rap and rock (that hasn't been done before has it?) but I wouldn't turn the radio off because, whilst the music is devoid of all originality, singer Kev Tait has a pretty decent voice which surely could be put to better use elsewhere. It's backed with two remixes which suggest the EMF revival is well under way and in full swing.
Young Free & Simple is out on 28th January 2008. You can stream the single here.
Oooohhh! I haven't listened to a decent bit of ska for a while and it's a music form that takes me back to my childhood of two tone and all things nutty boys! Imperial Leisure are a London based ten piece and In A Letter is their début single. It's everything you expect. Quick fire vocals, a brass section, a couple of MC's and if you damn well didn't know it a pretty decent tune to the boot. This is the sort of music that gets you up and dancing around your own living and it's music that not only excites but puts a smile on your face. I bet they are blinding live too! One band who would be absolutely delighted if you sent them to Coventry!
In A Letter is out now on Org Records. Check them out here.
Asobi Seksu become the latest band to cover The Ramones Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight). It sounds like a 1960's girl group who have turned shoegazers albiet with a chainsaw guitar edge. It's backed by New Years which seems to be the b-side of every single they put out these days! Luckily it's a great track summing up what a great band Asobi Seksu are in a late eighties/early nineteen nineties retro kind of way.
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