Today the NYC Popfest passes sold out. In just a week all the available passes for the whole festival vanished into thin air even though this year they were much more pricier than previous years, $110. There are still individual tickets for each night but these are definitely not very convenient as they charge a service fee and definitely no one wants to pay those. It’s always been a mystery to me what sort of service these fees are for.

All bands for the festival were announced as well, plus the venues and schedules. This is how it’s looking this year:

THURSDAY MAY 19th
VENUE: LE POISSON ROUGE | 18+
TICKETS – $24 ADV | $26 DOS

6:30pm DOORS

07:00pm BIG QUIET (NYC)
07:45pm FREE CAKE FOR EVERY CREATURE (PA)
08:30pm THE HERMIT CRABS (UK)
09:15pm YOUNG ROMANCE (UK)
10:00pm TRASHCAN SINATRAS (UK)

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FRIDAY MAY 20th – AFTERNOON SHOW
VENUE: CAKE SHOP | ALL AGES
TICKETS – FREE!

3:00pm DOORS

03:30pm AVALEYA & THE GLITTERHAWKS (OR)
04:15pm HALFSOUR (MA)
05:00pm THE HAIRS (NYC)
05:45pm JE SUIS ANIMAL (NORWAY)

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FRIDAY MAY 20th
VENUE: BABY’S ALL RIGHT | 18+
TICKETS – $20 ADV | $22 DOS

8:00pm DOORS

08:45pm SIMON LOVE (UK)
09:30pm CHORUSGIRL (UK)
10:15pm THE SPOOK SCHOOL (UK)
11:00pm ALLO DARLIN’ (UK)

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SATURDAY MAY 21st – AFTERNOON SHOW
VENUE: BABY’S ALL RIGHT |
FREE SHOW

1pm DOORS

1:30pm DESIGN (UK)
2:15pm SOFT SCIENCE (CA)
3:00pm LOS BONSÁIS (SPAIN)
3:45pm BENT SHAPES (MA)
4:30pm SNOW FAIRIES (PA)

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SATURDAY MAY 21st – EVENING SHOW
VENUE: KNITTING FACTORY | ALL AGES
TICKETS – $25 ADV | $28 DOS

6:30pm DOORS

07:00pm CRISTINA QUESADA (SPAIN)
07:45pm TINY FIREFLIES (IL)
08:30pm ALPACA SPORTS (SWEDEN)
09:15pm MERCURY GIRLS (PA)
10:00pm THE CHESTERFIELDS (UK)
11:00pm THE PRIMITIVES (UK)

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SUNDAY MAY 22nd
VENUE: LITTLEFIELD | 18+
TICKETS – $30 ADV | $35 DOS

3:00pm DOORS

03:45pm CATHOLIC EASTER COLORS (AL)
04:30pm LAKE RUTH (NYC)
05:15pm WITCHING WAVES (UK)
06:00pm EUREKA CALIFORNIA (GA)
06:45pm SECRET SHINE (UK)
07:45pm EVEN AS WE SPEAK (AUSTRALIA)
08:45pm THE RAILWAY CHILDREN (UK)
10:00pm THE CHILLS (NEW ZEALAND)

That was an easy copy/paste. Not yet announced are the DJs, but I hope they will be announced soon. That would be the last item for Popfest, then everything will be ready for the festival in May. But these are not the only announcements we are getting in indiepopworld! Tomorrow we’ll also learn the first batch of bands for Indietracks. Both festivals are celebrating their 10th anniversary and we all have high hopes for what will happen at them!

As I usually do, I like covering the bands for each of these festivals. I want to start this year with a bunch of the American bands that are playing Popfest as I’ve barely head them or never heard them. I’ll do that just now, a quick listen, not really thorough, so I may be a bit off the mark, but it will be a good way to have an idea to what to expect at Popfest. So let’s discover them together!

1 – Big Quiet – I bought their debut 7″ a couple of months ago, and I think it’s pretty good. It was actually a recommendation from a colleague at work. “Maura & Dana”, the A side, even has a cool promo video that you should watch. Based in Brooklyn, NYC, the band is formed by Marisa Cerio, Chris Matheson and Steve Perry. I haven’t seen them play live yet, and that is something I can be blamed as I’ve seen many times their name on different facebook events. I’ve preferred to be comfortable and not foray to far far away Brooklyn. Lazy me! They play at Le Poisson Rouge at 7pm on Thursday, because of work it seems I’ll be missing them again. Time to make the effort to see them somewhere in Brooklyn before Popfest!

2 – Free Cake For Every Creature – From Philadelphia but by way of upstate NY, this band formed by Katie, Francis, Colin and Ian, remind me of a bygone era of indiepop, that one of around 2003-2005, when a bunch of now long forgotten bands were playing lo-fi indiepop, as twee as possible, in the US. Bands that would release CDRs with cool hand-drawn sleeves and mail their demos accompanied by lollipops and cute notes. This year they will release an LP, which should be ready for Popfest times, and they have 2 of the songs streaming included streaming on their bandcamp. Definitely the better one is “First Summer in the City”, which sounds really nice actually, like the upbeat moments of Dear Nora, whereas totally not convinced by “For You”. They are playing in Brooklyn on the 15th of April, I might just catch them there perhaps and have a better verdict before their gig at Le Poisson Rouge on Thursday at 7:45pm. As I get off around 9pm from work, will be missing them too!!

3 – Avaleya and the GlitterHawks – Kelly Slusher is Avaleya. Kelly Slusher released an album back in 2002 in Elefant Records and that was a very fine album. She was part of the reunion band for Rocketship a couple of years ago. Two of the members from Rocketship, Verna Brock and Jim Rivas, join her and form this new band.  Jim had been in the fantastic Holiday Flyer, Verna on the essential Beanpole (who had a retrospective not long ago on Jigsaw Records). A lot of indiepop pedigree here! They are playing at Cake Shop during the free evening show on Friday. They are playing at 3:30pm and I’ll see if I can skip Friday from work.

4 – Halfsour – With an album under their belt, released by the great Jigsaw Records, they’ve been under my radar. Like Chris says on his description of the record, this Boston band sounds more like a harder edged pop band than the more poppier bands I’ve covered before. There are songs I’m not too keen, that are grittier and not that melodic and shoutier, but there are some, mostly and especially when the girl is singing, like “Grump” for example, that I do really enjoy. They play at 4:15pm at the free show at Cake Shop on Friday.

5 – Soft Science – Another band from Sacramento (Avaleya was the first) at Popfest. The band is also comprised by a previous Holiday Flyer, Katie Haley and also the twin brothers Ross and Matt Levine and Mason DeMusey. I used to be a sucker for Katie’s vocals on Holiday Flyer, so big expectations for this band. I’m having now a quick listen to their recordings on Bandcamp, mostly to their 200 limited copies LP called “Detour”. Skipping the slower songs and looking for the more upbeat ones. I see someone compared them to Lush, and I can see a bit of that, definitely. This is really pretty pop music, simple and effective. They will be playing at 2:15pm at Baby’s All Right! on the Saturday free show. Tough schedule as it’s kind of time for lunch. Hopefully can manage to make it!

And that’s five new bands for me. Quickly listened. They are promising, some more than others, but none that I really disliked which is great definitely. Maz always finds these interesting up and coming American bands, I don’t know how he does it, as it’s always easier to find international bands, not American bands for a strange reason.

Next week I’ll cover 5 more bands from Popfest, or perhaps more. Now it’s time to check another obscure band from the past.

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Pedestal: The base or support on which a statue, obelisk, or column is mounted. A position in which someone is greatly or uncritically admired.

Seems there are many 7″s still in this box of records at home. Yet another band that starts with P that I have no clue whatsoever who were they. Pedestal it turns were from NYC, so it’s really convenient as I’ve been talking NYC Popfest all day long.

One 7″ in 1997 on the Twee Kitten label (catalog tk 002). I was surprised when I saw the Twee Kitten website is still up and running after all these years. Seems even that they are still taking orders (you can still order this 7″ and some more). It also feels very nostalgic, as Twee Kitten was an awesome mailorder as many of you in the US should remember.

I believe I actually got this 7″ through a trade with Scott from Twee Kitten many years ago. I remember reading good things from Pedestal, though today searching for them I couldn’t find any reviews at all. Also the band page that is linked at Twee Kitten is not working. So not much to find online once again.

There were 5 songs on the record, on the A side, “Waiting” and “Each Night Alone” and on the B side, “Merry Go Around”, “On the Subway” and “Endlessly”. The record even included a lyric sheet, and yesterday, after not playing it for many years, I found myself happy singing along to “On the Subway”, as it’s a song about the trains I take almost every single day in NYC!

This band was formed by, I’m guessing, husband and wife, Erik Mueller and Rachel Mueller-Lust. Only one review I could find online dating from 1999, from the Furia blog/fanzine:

One of the reasons I love ordering things from Twee Kitten is that they come with these charming clip-art mini-comic-books, which are a bit like Dadaist Tintin stories. The one that I got with this Pedestal EP examines a spurned suitor’s struggle with his aversion to dancing. Pedestal are something like a less-florid Magnetic Fields, Erik Mueller providing keyboard accompaniment to Rachel Mueller-Lust’s uninflected, Susan Anway-ish singing. “On the Subway” is bright and expansive, “Each Night Alone” bursts into loud percussion at odd intervals like furniture being knocked over, and “Endlessly” is sunny and old-fashioned. 33, black.

There seems to be more bands called Pedestal, but about this particular one, I couldn’t find online anything else. Do Erik and Rachel still make music? Are they still based in NYC? Did they participate in compilations? Why didn’t they release more records? It’s always so mysterious when a band only releases the one 7″ and then disappear!

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Listen
Pedestal – On the Subway

The Suncharms CDs arrived!! So exciting! The pressing plant delivered them before I expected. I assumed they were going to arrive by mid March, while I was away on vacations, but they arrived last Friday. So we’ve set an official release date for March 5th but all pre-orders will be shipped this week.

They will also be shipped to your favourite indiepop mailorders this week so if you prefer buying the CDs from them you can do so too, especially now that the postage prices have become even higher in the US.

There’s even other great news today, Monday. The Mai 68s who released one 3″CD long time ago on the label, who we hoped to release a 7″ also just before they broke up are now putting out a compilation with all of their recordings. I think this is amazing news! They have posted this message on Facebook and I think you should all get it!

As many of you on here are probably aware myself, Jeremy Wiltshire, Katie April Perfect and Julie Fairgrieve used to be members of a band called the Mai 68s – Its been nigh on 5 years since we last played and 10 years since we started out on a road to indiepop hell. Now the long talked about comp is happening which will be on 180gm Vinyl with a booklet/fanzine and sleeve notes by none other than Roque Ruiz.

Pre-orders can be made here –

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-mai-68s-compilation-album#/

and the record should be released within the next 3 months (things like RSD permitting).

There is also a slightly cheaper vinyl option which includes UK shipping (the biggest pain we have is the shipping costs) so message me if interested or if you want to pick up the record from me or Jeremy.

Even if you cant contribute then any help in sharing would be amazing

And yes, I did write the liner notes, but trust me, I’m not biased, their songs are amazing and they are one of the few bands I get very sad that I never saw live. (I cross my fingers that with this compilation, MAYBE, they do play some reunion shows to promote it here in the US!).

The last week I tried to catch up with some CDs as well, and have been enjoying these:
– Lothar – Montgolfier (Quince Records 2008)
– Postal Blue – Of Love & Other Affections (Jigsaw 2015)
– Able Tasmans – A Cuppa Tea and a Lie (Flying Nun 2015)
– Postiljonen – Skyer (Hybris 2013)
All very recommendable, so just putting them in your radar…

There’s also a new video by one of my favourite bands, one I would love to have on Cloudberry one day. Major Leagues has just announced they will release a new EP and they are promoting it with the song Better Off which is a corker. Amazing really.

That’s all I have this week about news. But I want to give you the heads up that I will be heading to France on March 15th. If you are in Paris, or somewhere in France, and want some records, let me know. I’m sure we could meet up or I could post you some records and save some postage. Ideally this idea could also work for any European countries too, but I need to see what are the postage costs of the French Postal Service before I offer anything! I’ll let you know more about this next week, when I have a better idea, but I’m going to try to help as much as possible to get our releases to you!

And so let’s move onto an obscure band!

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Again digging and picking records from my own record collection. Many years ago, maybe 2008 or so I was obsessed with The Chefs. I even wanted to put out a compilation by them on the Plastilina label. Damaged Goods would eventually do that compilation right, but it’s totally ok! Someone had to do it! In any case, I remember reading somewhere about Russell Greenwood, The Chefs drummer who sadly died on 25 June 1999, leaving the band to join The Popticians in 1982. I had never ever heard about this band back then, so I decided to explore, and would find that they released 2 records: a 7″ and a 12″. Both of them I happily own.

Their first release was in 1984 on the Off the Kerb Records label (catalog DAD1). This seems to have been the only release on this label. It was a 7″ and included two songs. On the A side the song was “Mobile Home” and on the B side we had “Spare Pear”. The record was produced by Roger Pusey and the band thanks The John Peel Show on the sleeve. The vinyl was a Porky Prime Cut and the label has a London address.

On Discogs both of the records are tagged as Comedy. Yes they have their funny side. But I appreciate them too for the lyrics, for the catchyness, for it’s true pop feeling. They are punk and a lot of fun.

Four years would pass for their next release, a 12″ titled “I Saw My Dinner on TV”. Released on Glass Fish Records (OOZE 2 T) in 1988, it included 3 songs: “I Saw My Dinner on the TV”, “Grandad’s Glasses” and “Amoeba”. This label had released so many records by Robyn Hitchcock, so it’s no surprise that Robyn plays bass and piano on the record as well as producing! On the credits it’s said that Robyn appears courtesy of A&M Records.

On this record the band is not The Popticians anymore but John Hegley and The Popticians. Russ Greenwood is no more in the band either. Now we have:
Morris Windsor on drums and percussion
John Hegley on guitar, mandolin and vocals
Sue Norton on flute, saxophone and vocals
Keith Moore on tuba and saxophone

The engineer was Jessica Corcoran and Pat Collier (a name I see quite a lot, he was once was part of The Vibrators too).

So who is John Hegley? I suppose he is much more known in the UK. He even has a Wikipedia page. We know he was born in London in 1953 and that he is a poet, comedian, musician and songwriter. Here on the Wikipedia page we learn he recorded two Peel Sessions with the Popticians, in 1983 and 1984.

Both Peel Sessions are availabel in Youtube. The 1983 includes the songs “Hello Everybody”, “He’s in Love With a Brown Paper Bag”, “Song About Losing Your Glasses” and “Mobile Home”. The lineup for this session was: John Hegley (guitar, vocals), Russell Greenwood (drums, vocals), Susan Norton (saxophone, vocals) and Keith Moore (clarinet, vocals).  You can listen to it here.

The second Peel Session is from the 4th of November of 1984. The songs included were “Song About the Misery of Human Existence”, “Red Ken”, “The Old Scout Master”, “Somehow You Look Different Tonight” and “Song About My Brother’s Glasses”. You can listen to this one here.

So many songs about glasses!!

It was easy to track John Hegley’s website. It looks a bit dated though, but maybe that’s his style. Looks very early 2000s. He has released a lot of books, wonder if anyone would care recommending their favourite on the comments section?

He has also been on TV, presenting the series Word of Mouth on Border Television. He has appeared on Wogan and Never Mind the Buzzcocks on tv as well. On radio he had the BBC series Hearing with Hegley. So there’s a lot about him. But what about the other members of The Popticians?

I find that Keith Moore has helped with soundtracks for the Vamos Theathre in London. This is a professional full mask theatre company. He also runs the Jelly Rollers, a company that has produces performances and music on wheels (on a bus really).

Couldn’t find anything about Sue Norton sadly.

I found though an interesting interview to the Popticians on the No Class fanzine website. You can read it here. On this interview we learn that Off the Kerb, the label that put out their first record, was actually a package of four performers, Roy Hutchings, John Hegley, Podomofski and The Popticians. It seems it was more of a performance band/group of people than an actual proper indie band. Though I’m not 100% sure. I wonder how their gigs were.

They also mention on this interview that they appeared on TV. Sadly those TV appearances are not yet on the web.

So were there more recordings by this strange and original band? Did any of you attend their gigs? What happened with Sue Norton? What is John Hegley doing these days? Did they have any songs on compilations? Would be interesting to know a bit more about this cool fun band from the 80s.

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Listen
The Popticians – Amoeba

Suddenly this week I have news. A bunch of them. I’ll start with the good ones.

The Suncharms CD should be arriving home on Friday and will start shipping on Monday to all those who pre-ordered. I’m very excited about it and I hope everyone likes the album. I’ll take some photos as soon as it arrives and post them on the Facebook page for all of you to see! This is the 7th release on the Cloudberry Cake Kitchen series and “hopefully” there will be more soon!

The other good news is that Even As We Speak have been invited to play to NYC Popfest. I learned this yesterday through a Facebook post of theirs were they are asking fans to help them fund their trip to America. There’s a cool video on the request page and if you are feeling inclined to help this classic and amazing band please do so! Here’s the link.

Also Popfest has announced the venues for the festival. Cake Shop, Le Poisson Rouge, Knitting Factory, Littlefield and Baby’s All Right! will host the gigs this year. Le Poisson Rouge will be replacing Cameo this year, and if my memory is not playing tricks on me, this is the first time they’ll host Popfest. In the past they have hosted Mondo, the indie dance party that Maz, the organizer of Popfest, used to throw. My guess is that Cake Shop, as always, be on Thursday, Knitting Factory on Friday, Le Poisson Rouge on Saturday (with Baby’s All Right! on Saturday afternoon show too), and Littlefield on Sunday.

The BAD news. The AWFUL news is that I had to raise prices on all records. Since January 17 the United States Postal Service raised their prices, especially hiking them on international orders. On average they raised the first class by 21.6%. So imagine. We in the US becoming less competitive against other countries. It’s very sad as it just doesn’t affect record labels but all small businesses. It also ends up hurting the fans in the world that wants the records and can’t pay almost $14 just for postage when ordering a CD. It’s very tough, and I wonder how much longer we can survive like this.

I painfully had to update all prices on the website today. I waited some days before raising the prices, but I can’t continue with the previous prices as the label was hurting, losing money. At least I try to break even, some old 7″s are very much discounted, so don’t think I’m making this up. You can read more about this terrible issue that is affecting all of us here.

I really hope popkids still continue to support us, it’s because of all of you that we can continue putting out records and, actually, to keep surviving in a world were everyone pushes towards a world were music has no value whatsoever, were streaming will be the norm and records will become an obsolete artifact.

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Reverend Harry Powell is a fictional character in Davis Grubb’s 1953 novel The Night of the Hunter. He was portrayed by Robert Mitchum in Charles Laughton’s 1955 film adaptation, and by Richard Chamberlain in the 1991 made for TV remake. He was voted 29th on the American Film Institute’s top 50 villains of all time list.

One 7″, released in 1987 on The Golden Pathway label (catalog POS1), that’s all Preacher Harry Powell left us. I went through my box of 7″s again. Still picking some from the box with records that their names start with P. This 7″ stood out. The record sleeve is bigger, and it has a beautiful three body gatefold jacket. All in black and white, with vintage photos and cryptic texts.

Discogs points us to a couple of curiosities too:

Reverse of sleeve includes the words ‘Presented by “The Path of Stars”‘; the label bears the catalogue number ‘POS1’ whereas the run-out groove specifies ‘POS001’. Neither have any reference to the Golden Pathway (although this is definitely the label it was released on).

The Golden Pathway label tends to write its catalogue numbers in the format ‘GPVxx’ (Golden Pathway Volume xx) so this release would tend to be seen in discographies as ‘GPV11’ (although it isn’t mentioned in this format at all on this release itself).

Included are 4 songs. One on the A side, “Beauty Grows”, which is my favourite, and three on the B side, “Runaway To Sea”, “Lovers and Loners” and “The White Ink on The Photographs”.

It seems you can get it for good prices on Discogs, which is always a nice thing to know. The EP is not titled by one of the songs, but has the name “Devil in the Priest-Hole”, so you know how to find it.

The only real information we find is from the Golden Pathway site. There’s a small biography there that says:
Preacher Harry Powell was the stagename of Ian Smith, another product of the fruitful music scene happening in Torquay in the late 70’s and early 80’s, which also spawned the Morrisons. Although Preacher Harry performed most commonly as a solo artist, he put this band together to record this single for Golden Pathway in 1986. With Mark Fitzpatrick on bass, Steve Milton on drums (now with Console), and an unknown violinist, “Beauty Grows” provided an ideal vehicle for Ian’s rich and unusual voice. After this single was released, Preacher Harry Powell was a regular on the London acoustic scene for much of the late 80’s and 90’s at clubs like the Troubador and God’s Little Joke. His performances and songs took on an even richer hue after the release of this single, with a dark humour and passion which attracted fans including Momus, The Tigerlillies, and Natalie Merchant. (sample line – “We were rampant – I would ram, and you would pant”) Momus contributed keyboards to some of Ian’s later material, and Ian reciprocated by providing backing vocals on a couple of tracks on the Momus album Hippopotamus. Ian moved to Ireland and laid his guitar to rest in 2000.

But what happened in between? What was Ian Smith doing in the 90s? Did he record more jangly songs? Did he play many gigs? Was he part of other Torquay bands? Anyone remember them?

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Listen
Preacher Harry Powell – Beauty Grows

Been listening a lot to the last The Chills album. Wow. It’s so good. Martin Phillipps songwriting is still so good, hasn’t lost any bit of quality after all these years of silence. If you haven’t bought it yet, I recommend doing so. Soon.

Other CDs that were heavily played this week at home were two releases from Jigsaw Records, Sleuth and Persian Rugs debut albums. I was already very familiar with the songs after listening to them online, but it’s so different to play them on a physical format. I highly recommend both and I’m glad two bands that have appeared on Cloudberry releases have put out two solid albums late last year.

Hopefully this week I keep catching up with a lot of CDs and records that are piling at home. Perhaps some of them end up being good recommendations or discoveries for you. Especially now that indiepop seems very quiet.

Other two good recommendations that I got last week on the blog were two bands from Asia. The band Intenna from Malang, Indonesia and also the band Chestnut Bakery from Shenzhen in China. Two recommendations that came from John Quarmby. I thank him a lot for these! Especially surprised by the new crop of bands appearing in China, in mainland China, not Hong Kong. This was unknown years ago, but seems they are catching up! It will be interesting to see how these bands evolve, or if a scene actually appears. I’m very curious. Who knows, maybe 5 years from now we’ll be attending Shanghai Popfest!?

As the past week was quiet, there were little news to go over. But today I was told that the infamous label that supposedly closed shop did it again their old trickery. Yes, they will continue releasing music. The same old story. Announce you close, get some people to sympathize with you, sell some records perhaps, then come back. It’s really annoying and it gives labels a band name. It’s no surprising a lot of people in the world think labels do no work whatsoever and artists should always be on their own, not dealing with labels as they are the devil or something like that. So be careful on who you support.

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Pitwork: pumping apparatus used in a mine shaft

I picked up another record from my “P” 7″ box. There were many to choose, but I picked up the Pitwork 7″ as I really don’t know anything about it! So this would be a good chance to investigate.

I remember I bought their one and only 7″ some years ago. I was trying to find all releases by their label, Clover Records, but it ended up being kind of an impossible enterprise. The label was Japanese and it seems not that many copies are available in the West. I’m guessing, and I’m hoping, the day I visit Japan I will be able to find more of their catalog.

One of the few records I could find was this four track 7″ on beautiful light blue vinyl. It was actually quite cheap on Discogs. The record was released in 1999 and included the songs “Shine” and “Love Sunday” on the A side, and “Pitwork” and “Cruel to Be Kind” on the B side. The catalog was Clover 712.

It’s important to mention that the closing song was a cover of the Nick Lowe original.

“Cruel to Be Kind” is a 1979 single by Nick Lowe, co-written by Lowe and his former Brinsley Schwarz band-mate Ian Gomm, that peaked at No. 12 in both the UK and U.S. charts that summer. It also peaked at No.12 in both Canada and New Zealand. In the U.S., where it is Lowe’s most well-known work, it remains his only single to hit the top 40, whereas in the UK “I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass” remains his biggest hit after reaching No. 7 a year earlier.

I turn onto the back cover. We find some more information. On this record they are a duo: Aya on vocals and Nagao on the instruments and VS880. They counted with guest musicians Eiji Kanno on drums on the song “Shine”, Michihiro Ito on rhtymbox and programming. Michihiro also programmed and mixing on “Cruel to be Kind”.

The sleeve design was credited to Soyamame and Ayamachi.

Clover was a label based in Tokyo. Were Pitwork also from Tokyo? Clover is a great label if you are not familiar with it. They released records by well known names like 800 Cherries or Orange Cake Mix. Even Blueboy and Trembling Blue Stars had their Japanese versions of their records released by Clover.

There’s a Clover website online and they have a small artist biography for Pitwork. We find there that four people are listed as part of the group and not two anymore. We have again Aya Uchida, Takashi Nagao, Michihiro Ito and a new name, Sneaker, who is listed as a coreographer! If they needed a coreographer, I would have loved to see their gigs!

I use Google Translate to understand the small bio. From it I gather that they started in Tokyo in 1998. That one of their songs appeared in an indie film (I believe the name of the movie was “Joy”, but not 100% sure). And in 2000 they released a cassette on Clover Records called “Sunday Drive”.

I try to find more information about this second release. I learn it has catalog number C-050. And also on an old Myspace page, I find three songs from that EP, “59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)”, “Sunday Drive” and “Flowers”. I can’t manage to play them. Myspace is always broken. But I wonder if these three songs were the only ones on the tape or were there more?

I really enjoy the 7″ I have, especially the song “Shine”. It’s always very hard to find out information from Japanese bands, even more son from previous decades. But perhaps some Japanese indiepop fans can help me find out more information about Pitwork. And what happened to Aya and Nagao? Are they making music still?

Edit: Thanks to Stone Records and through Twitter we found through the user cherry335 some information of the tape! Thanks a lot cherry335! He posted for us a photo of the tape and we learn that it had actually 4 songs, on the A side it had “Sunday Drive” and “Someday”, whereas on the B side “Flowers” and “Feelin’ Groovy”. It’s mentioned that the last song is not a Pitwork original. So it is very safe to assume it’s a cover of the Simon and Garfunkel original.

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Listen
Pitwork – Shine

This wait for the NYC Popfest announcements is killing me. As it will be my one and only indiepop event this year, no more Indietracks for me, Indiefjord just way too complicated to get myself to Norway, Madrid Popfest way too close to my vacations in France and DIY Fest in London also not working for me, I put all my hope in it to catch the best bands at the moment.

This past week was quiet really. Was jealous a bit about all people in Germany that had the chance to catch the gigs of The Royal Landscaping Society, Linda Guilala and When Nalda Became Punk. Got a few records in the mail, but didn’t listen to much new stuff, only today on my way to work I started playing the latest The Chills album. I’m always some months behind.

The good thing is that this Friday there’s a My Favorite gig here in NYC at the Cakeshop. That’s exciting really, it’s been a while since I saw them. The other two bands playing that gig are not to my taste, not poppy at all, but who cares, there’s the beauty of this venue, that it has two different floors. And they are definitely the best indiepop band in town. Sadly they don’t play too often. Wonder if they’ll be invited again for Popfest? Possibly not, but I wouldn’t mind.

Aside from that, something that has been bothering me the last few weeks is that I haven’t discovered any new bands at all. I guess people were busy with holidays and stuff and haven’t uploaded their brand new songs and so on. Could be. But if anyone reading has found any great band on SoundCloud or BandCamp or wherever really, please send them my way. It just feels so odd not hearing brand new unreleased stuff.

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Prickly: covered in prickles.
Prickles: a short, slender, sharp-pointed outgrowth on the bark or epidermis of a plant; a small thorn.

Yesterday night I went to look on the same box of 7″s I did last week, that with bands that start with P. After flipping a few records the artwork of the one Prickly 7″ that I own caught my attention and realised that I knew next to nothing about them.

So I own their last 7″. They released three in total and an album. I own the last of their singles, just before they went to release the album. Why I bought it? Well, the main reason I believe was that it was on Harriet Records. At some point I thought I had to complete the whole catalog of this label. I don’t know why I haven’t yet. I know I’m missing a few of their releases. I think it was during this time that I bought this record.

Harriet Records is one of the best American indiepop labels. It was based in Cambridge, Massachussetts and was founded by Tim Alborn in 1989, he was a professor of history in Harvard. They released 48 singles and ten CDs. Among the most known bands in their catalog, definitely Tullycraft, My Favorite, Magnetic Fields, are names all indiepop kids know.

Anyhow, the 7″ I own includes two songs, “Fancy Party Hairdo” and “Mr. Reyes”. It was released in 1996 and it had the catalog Harriet 036. I wonder who this Mr. Reyes was. Especially where was he from? It’s a common last name, but I’m curious. But the song that I really love is the A side, “Fancy Party Hairdo” which I have ripped for you for you to enjoy! The vocals by Skyla are truly nice. So yeah, from the back sleeve we can figure out that the members are Tom on bass, Matthew on drums, Collin on guitar and vocals and Skyla on guitar and vocals as well. Both songs were recorded by Hugh O’ Donovan and the artwork of the record, which I really like, was done by Shana Phillips.

Time for me to discover the rest of their music. I never thought about exploring their discography. Shame on me. But it’s never too late. So I backtrack a year, to 1995. That’s when they released their first single on a label called Dig the Hot Scooby Sound. It seems this label only released this record. It might well be a self-release? I could be guessing all day, but the fact is that this record included three songs. The A side had “Fashion Sense of Famous Monsters of Filmland” and the B sides were “Phonebill” and “Spotty Dog”. The songs were also recorded by Hugh O’Donovan, and they were recorded at THD Studio in Boston. Discogs notes that the single came with a folded info sheet and the covers were hand painted.

Then, that same year, on Cassiel Records, they released three more poppy songs, two on the A side: “Funny Coleslaw” and “Bicycle Thief” and one on the B side, “CBT”. This was Cassiel 003, a label whose most famous release could be a Mountain Goats 7″. This 7″ came with a postcard.

Their last release was an album and it was titled “Velleity” (a wish or inclination not strong enough to lead to action). That was a new word to me. It’s a short album, only 8 songs. It came out in 1996 on Harriet (SPY 006) and it included: “Pale Green Pants”, “Breakfast of Champions”, “Uselessness of Everything”, “Kilroy was Here”, “El Tigre'”, “Death and Maiden”, “Lost in the Funhouse” and “Untitled”. Not counting the last one, I really like their song titles. Again, curious about El Tigre… was any of the members studying or spoke Spanish? Perhaps Mr. Reyes was his/her professor?

The artwork, a cool jockey over a horse, was painted again by Shoshanna Phillips. There is a cellist in this record, Colleen Macdonald. Phil Mahoney played the lap steel guitar too. “Death and the Maiden” is actually a cover of The Verlaines original. Then I learn that “Untitled” is actually part of the seventh song, just a hidden track, and then after it, there’s even another instrumental track. I’ve never been a fan of hidden tracks. But in the 90s, there’s a bunch of albums that have them. Common practice.

They appeared in some compilations too. They had the “Hedgeclipping Song” on the Long Secret compilation on Harriet (SPY 3), and then “Mr. Reyes” appeared on Little Darla Has a Treat For You Volume 3 (Darla DRL 018). The song “Sposeta Be a Funeral” appeared on Pipeline! Live Boston Rock on W.M.B.R. (Slow River Records VA016).

On Dreamboat (Cassiel 006) they contributed the song “All the Little Raisins” and on the last Harriet release, the compilation “Friendly Society” they had the songs “Pond” and “French Curve”. So, what’s next for me? Well I do need to get all these records I’m missing. Shame I already spent my music money for this week. Prices are not high for their releases, so I hope it can wait anotherweek. But now comes the best discovery. There’s a Prickly Bandcamp with lots of goodies!

The first new item is “Nightime“. That is a cover of the Big Star’s original. Not sure when was this recorded but Matthew White mixed it and Pete Weiss was the engineer.

Remember I just mentioned that compilation called Pipeline!? Well, the whole session they recorded for them, and not just the one song is in Bandcamp. This was recorded on May 2nd 1995.

They would go to record a second session for Pipeline!. Engineered by by Andy Hong on January 7th of 1997, it was also Matthew’s 22nd birthday.

There’s also the whole session for the Velleity album recorded in 1996 at The Cold Room. It has a bunch of extras.

And the goodies don’t stop. The whole session at THD Studios in 1994, the one that included the songs that were released on a 7″, is also in it’s entirety. So not only the 3 songs from the 7″ but 14!

Lastly, aside from the Velleity album and the Winded 7″, is a live session on WRIU. WRIU is actually a non commercial radio based in Rhode Island.

If you happen to like these songs and want to donate any money, all proceeds are being donated to Doctors Without Borders.

Quite a lot of music to listen and enjoy. But what happened to the band members? Were they involved with any other music afterwards? I’d be curious as Prickly sounds so sweet, and I really enjoy their melodies and Skyla’s vocals. I guess all their recordings are now on Bandcamp, but still would be nice to find out more about them, there’s really nothing worthy written about them online.

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Listen
Prickly – Fancy Party Hairdo

Last post for January, the year well underway. It hasn’t been the most exciting starts when it comes to indiepop news, there has been some, but in this quiet time I’ve managed to finally start to catch up with the pile of records at home that were waiting to be listened.

Also The Suncharms compilation is being pressed at the moment, all proofs have been approved and there’s nothing left to it but to wait until the CD factory sends them my way. Pre-order now on the website, and that way help fund further releases as well. Speaking of which I’ve retaken conversations with three bands I want to release in the Cloudberry Cake Kitchen. I hope there are more news in the months to come though things have been moving slowly.

I finally gave a good listen to the BOB compilation. What a good band this was. I still can’t believe they weren’t booked at Indietracks a couple of years back. Rumour says that they offered to play. I wish I had seen them. The compilation is fantastic really, don’t understand how I took so long to buy it. Now, they have to release another compilation with more stuff. They have more songs than these 2-CD compilation has.

Another CD that was heavily played was the new Tiny Fireflies album. I have the vinyl copy as well, but for practical purposes, on the CD-player, it was much easier to listen to this beauty on the go. Throughout my subway rides, and walking the streets of NY, the beautifully crafted songs by the Chicago now three-piece, was such a bright light in these winter days. Definitely a winner and I proudly voted for it as best record at the Twee.net poll. So happy to call friends two of the most talented American popkids I know. On top of it all, they have great taste in their record collection as well. While listening to their record the amount of memories that cross my mind are endless, from the times in Manchester, to Glasgow, to Madrid, to Canterbury and so on. I’m very fond of those moments.

Lastly, I’ve played, according to Last.fm around 5 times the last week the new Cola Jet Set album. Surprised to see my name on the thank yous, the album is a sweet sweet rush of jangly popstactiness. If not knowing Spanish is a problem for some of you, don’t despair. The music is so catchy, and the guitars jangle and jangle while the smartly and beautifully arranged songs are a treat to discover. It’s no surprise that after all these years Cola Jet Set can keep providing us with strong records and hits. For me Felipe, even since Los Fresones Rebeldes, or Los Canguros if you want, has been a hit-factory, with such an immense talent for pop hooks that continue to amaze me. And it look so simple. But it isn’t.

I started listening to the Creation Records box set too. Just the first CD, and no surprises there. Began to read the 4AD book too. Not that I’m a fan of that label, I only really really care for Lush, honestly. But I love reading the story of labels, so I hope this book doesn’t disappoint me.

Now I look forward to something that I’ve been missing the past two months, South American football. Now that the summer vacations are over for the people down south, the leagues will start again in a week and the one and only Copa Libertadores. I know you all prefer European footie, but sorry, there’s nothing like my own. It has a different flavour. And then the announcement of NYC Popfest lineup sometime soon! I can’t wait!!

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So I kind of went through the records in my box that has the letters M, N and O. I skipped some that I haven’t covered in the blog, I just thought they weren’t that good to recommend. Some of them I just bought them because they were in a label I liked. There was a 7″ by Oporto that I want to recommend, but as they are members of The Proctors, and easily reachable through Facebook and so on, well, I thought it’d be better to interview them. So I’ll try that soon. So I closed that box and went to a box that only has bands that start with P. Thought I’d start with The Pleasureheads.

I’m assuming they took their name from The Birthday Party song.

I only own one record by them, a 7″ released in 1986 on Molesworth Records. I remember I bought this just because of the label they were on. This label had released a favourite band of mine, The Charlottes. They also had released The Nightjars who I have reviewed and interviewed in the blog. So it had to be good.

The record I own turns to be the first one The Pleasureheads released. It includes 2 songs, the A side is “Falling Man” and the AA side is “Don’t Fake It”. The catalog number was HUNTS 2. It was recorded the 12th and 13th of April in 1986 at the University of Surrey. It was a joint single of the week for NME.

The University of Surrey is a public research university located within the county town of Guildford, Surrey, in the South East of England, United Kingdom. The university specializes in science, engineering, medicine and business. It received its charter on 9 September 1966, and was previously situated near Battersea Park in south-west London. The institution was known as Battersea College of Technology before gaining university status. Its roots, however, go back to the Battersea Polytechnic Institute, founded in 1891 to provide further and higher education for London’s poorer inhabitants.

I find on the back sleeve that the band members have particular last names: Pete Herrahead, Andy Donnyhead, Mark Randyhead, Dean Nicholhead and Peter Elderhead. On bass was Pete, on guitar Andy and Mark, on vocals Dean and on drums the latter Pete. Turns out that their real names were: Dean Nicholls, Andrew Donovan, Peter Elderkin, Mark Randall, Kevin Murphy and Peter Herron.

The engineer for this record was Jim Abbiss. And an interesting tidbit was that the photo on the back cover was taken at a Woolworth’s photobooth. We learn too that the band was based in Peterborough.

Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with a population estimated to be 184,500 in mid–2011. Although traditionally part of Northamptonshire, for ceremonial purposes it falls within the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated 75 miles (121 km) north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea approximately 30 miles (48 km) to the north-east. The railway station is an important stop on the East Coast Main Line between London and Edinburgh. The unitary authority borders Northamptonshire and Rutland to the west, Lincolnshire to the north, and non-metropolitan Cambridgeshire to the south and east.

After this record they were to release more stuff. I don’t own any of it, but let’s go through them, right? The next record was released the same year, 1986, on Ediesta Records. It was a 12″ with three songs. The A side was “Holding On”, the B sides were “Beside My Head” and “Hit the Ground”. These songs were recorded on the 4th and 5th of October of 86 at the Music Room in Peterborough. There’s a bit of a story on the back sleeve for each of the songs. Also cartoon drawings of the members. And instead of just giving their address for fanmail, they ask for multi-million pound deals and offers of marriage.

Ediesta would release their next record in 1987. Three songs, “Treasure”, “Madonna Eyes” and “Something Above” on a 12″, though a white label 7″ promo exists that doesn’t include the third song. David Colton was the engineer for this record and it was also recorded at the Music Room in Peterborough during April/May of 87.

During the winter of 87 and 88 they would go onto record their album. Titled “Hard to Swallow” it was released in 88 by Ediesta (CALC LP 43). 10 songs: “Sold”, “Whip it Up”, “Crystal Clear”, “Something You’re Above”, “Hit the Ground (New Version)”, “Frankly (I’m not H.P.)”, “Treasure”, “Harvey’s Cane is Out”, “Kind But Blind”, and “That’s All Folk’s…”. Engineers for this record were Baz Voce and David Colton. It was again recorded at Music Room. I heard so far just one song from this record, “Frankly (I’m not H.P.)” on Youtube, and I find it much more rockier than the 7″ I have. Wonder if the rest of the songs also got that treatment.

And while I was on Youtube I found 20 minutes worth of live footage of a band called The Pleasure Heads playing at the Old Grey Horse in Didsbury, Manchester. Are they the same Pleasure Heads? Maybe you want to have a look here. If you can confirm or deny if they are The Pleasureheads I’m writing about, it’d be nice to know! I actually found that there was a band from Pittsburgh called The Pleasure Heads too. So better be sure!

Their last release, according to Discogs, was another 12″. Now on the label Black (catalog 12 REV 60) they were to release a three song maxi, “Within Reach”, “There’s No Change” and “She Said”. The record was recorded and mixed at Gem Studios in Frampton, except “She Said” that was recorded at Elephant Studios in London. It was 1990.

But let’s look a bit at the members. Kevin Murphy and Andy Donovan were part of The Surgens who released some records in the 2000s. They were a country and surf band. Later in 2010, they both were in a band called The Malingerers and released a mini album in 2010 called The Lost Tapes.

Perhaps the most familiar name for indiepop fans is that one of Mark Randall. As you know I’m a big fan of The Fat Tulips. BIG FAN. And also of Heaven Records. Well, turns out it’s the same Mark Randall behind these two amazing and important pieces in the indiepop puzzle. As you know with Confetti he used the alias David F and later he would become a well known member of the stuckist movement. According to Discogs he has also been a member of bands I’ve never heard of like Ermintude, Mary McKirdy and the Liquid Fruit Machine, Servalan and International Wigg Control, and some other bands that I’m very familiar like Oscar, Confetti, Slumber and Sundress. Now I feel like I want to interview him… he even has his own Wikipedia page.

Anyways, if you know how the rest of The Pleasure Heads record sound like, if they are as poppy as the first one, if they recorded more songs, if they were in any other bands, if the video I posted has the same Pleasure Heads I’m talking about, or anything else that would paint a better picture of the band, please use the comment section. Would love to know more.

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Listen
The Pleasure Heads – Falling Man

The first snow this winter. That’s what just happened in NYC. Indiepop keeps quiet, like hibernating, when it comes to news. I learn through friends about some bands that will play Popfest. I find that the announcements, whenever they will be, will make a lot of people happy. Some amazing bands from the past and today should be arriving to the city in May. And it should be grand once again.

Not many news for new releases either. At least not on my radar. Today is a holiday too in the US. Martin Luther King day. Things are quieter than usual. I was surprised this weekend when I heard Felt’s “Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow” being used in a movie called “The End of the Tour” with Jason Segel and Jesse Eisenberg. A movie about the writer David Foster Wallace and a journalist who accompanies him to interview him during the last days of a literary tour in 1996. It makes me happy when I listen indiepop songs, classic or not, on Hollywood movies. It should mean that the band must have made some money out of it. Or hopefully they did. Don’t know who owns Felt catalog these days, it was Cherry Red but I believe Captured Tracks was re-releasing their records. I just hope that whoever owns these recordings, either the money-hungry or the low quality label, behaved well with Felt.

Times are quiet. Madrid Popfest announced some more bands to their lineup. I’m thrilled to see Red Sleeping Beauty will be playing. I was very happy when they announced their comeback, and to see that they will be playing gigs, well, it’s even better. It could mean that they will come to NYC Popfest too! Wow, that would be something! Wouldn’t it? Then the announcement of Horsebeach feels a bit like justice. One of the best contemporary jangly bands from England, that never seem to be invited to Indietracks, will get to play. How I wish I could see them! And lastly, the other band I would be very excited to see, that I’m very envious of every popkid attending this festival, are Los Animalitos del Bosque. Can’t imagine the racket that they will bring on stage, and on to the crowd! I think there will be a lot of dancing!

Also it’s good to mention that this 30th of January, in Berlin and Cologne, three Spanish bands will be touring together, The Royal Landscaping Society, When Nalda Became Punk and Linda Guilala. That is next week. If you are in town, definitely do not miss them. Check this Facebook event if you need more information. Another event that makes me long living in Europe. One day.

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Kept digging on that box of 7″s of bands starting with either M or N. I can’t recall when I bought this 7″ by the band Milo, but I’m pretty sure of the why: it was released on The Bus Stop Label.

The strength of this record is the A side: “Car Crash”. What a nice song! I’m glad I picked this record, I think. All the ingredients that make me like this sort of indiepop are their, electric guitars, catchy melodies and girl vocals. It reminds me a bit of an English band that released some stuff on the same label, Eggplant. A favourite of mine. The B sides are “Beautiful” and “Can We Play Run Around?”. This record was released in 1994 and was catalogued as BUS 050.

From the back of the record one can learn that the band was formed by Cindy, Charlie and Pari. And from the internet, from the little I could find, they were based in Champaign-Urbana.

The Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, also known as Champaign-Urbana and Urbana-Champaign, is a metropolitan area in east-central Illinois. It is the 191st largest metropolitan area in the U.S. The area has a population of 231,891 as determined by the 2010 U.S. Census. The area is anchored by the principal cities of Champaign and Urbana and is home to the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system. 

Many good bands in the late 80s, early 90s, came out from that area. So it’s no surprise.

Discogs luckily lists another record by the same band. I don’t own it sadly, but I will make sure to order it later today as it is very affordable. It seems it was actually released in both CD and 10″ version. It is titled “Can We Play Around?” and the catalog number is BUS 1004. Funny enough the song of the same name as the title that was included in the 7″ doesn’t appear on this release. Instead there are five other songs: “Empty Em”, “King of the City”, “Ribbons & Bows”, “The Best Part” and “I Get Burned”. Andrew Beddini produced this records, and there are special production thanks to Allen Stickels and Sweet Patrique Hawley.

That’s all I could find online sadly. It is a bit hard looking for a band named Milo too. Especially when there’s a drink (Milo is a chocolate and malt powder that is mixed with hot or cold water or milk to produce a beverage popular in many parts of the world. Produced by Nestlé, Milo was originally developed by Thomas Mayne in Sydney, Australia in 1934. It is marketed and sold in many countries around the world.), cities and villages with that name (for example there’s a Milo, Indiana, Milo, Maine, etc.), a couple of rivers (in Tanzania and Guinea), boxers, footballers, politicians with that name, videogames, plants, and so on!

But maybe you remember them? Perhaps they released more records? Maybe some other songs appeared on compilations? Did they have more recordings? Did they gig all over the US? Whatever happened to them? Were they involved with other bands? Would be nice to know!

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Listen
Milo – Car Crash

A week with little indiepop news aside from the new Firestation Records releases coming early in February. That’s two records that will make any indiepop fan happy, a full retrospective of Emily (a favorite of mine whose “Mad Dogs” song is one that I’ve djed so many times) and the Hipflasks (who I covered on the blog long ago looking to get in touch to find any info about them, but I guess now we’ll find something about them on the new CD!).

Then of course I sent The Suncharms master to the pressing plant yesterday. So now, doing my calculations, I’m expecting the record to be out by April 1st. I think it’s a safe date. After that I should start working on another compilation. Which one? Not sure, I’ve been in touch with some bands in hope to put one together, but it’s been at least a month or so that I’ve heard from one of them. From others even more. I’ve been so busy. I should get back in touch and see if we can make this happen.

As it is so quiet I placed a big order at Jigsaw Records. I was surprised that The Chandler Estate EP was released. I haven’t seen any news about this anywhere, but I’m very glad that their songs are in physical format. I will get up to date with other releases like Postal Blue, The School, Cola Jet Set, etc. 2015 ended with lots of new releases and, I’m telling you, I need more leisure time to listen to music!! I think I’ll never listen to the pile of records that grow next to my computer!

And so, because it’s a quiet week, I’ll just head to checking out some obscure band…

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As I keep digging on one of the many boxes of 7″s I have, the one that contains bands with names that start with M and N, I decided to pick up Newell’s “Alix” 7″. I didn’t know much about this record when I bought it, many years ago while visiting Malmö. Krister, who was a friend back then (?), took us to a small record shop after lunch. There I found this record among it’s tiny selection of 7″s for sale. I picked it up because it was released on Motorway Records from Japan (catalog Motor 14), a proper indiepop label from the 90s. That was enough to pick my curiosity. And I ripped a song for you.

I haven’t heard the band before. But two songs on the 7″ are true gems, both the second songs on each side: “Indiffente” and “Que Ferons-Nous de Nos Beaux Jours?”. The other two songs are “Alix” and “Nostératé”. From what I could learn, Newell was the pseudonym of one Yvan Loiseau and on this record he got help from Viviane on vocals, Gaëtan Chataignier on bass and guitar, Dennis Braillet on drums, Pascal Roscamp on guitar and Olivier Champain on organ. The photograph on the cover and back cover were taken by Karine Poirier. Newell appeared on this record thanks to Alienor Records and Cornflakes Zoo!

Okay, so we know they are French (and perhaps I picked this record subconsciously, excited about my March trip there!). But where in France? Maybe we can find out if we keep digging. Discogs points us that this wasn’t his first release. His first release came out on the classic French label Cornflakes Zoo! in 1993. Again it’s a four song EP (catalog ZOO 9) that includes the songs: “Zenith of the Moron Behaviour”, “Newell”, “Are You Serious! Do You Like Tom Cruise?” and “Heartsouvenirs”. This record came in a fold-over sleeve and contained an insert and a giant poster. It was recorded at ZOO studio and mixed at the Aquarium in August 1993.

Now I’m getting very curious. I’ve only heard the one 7″ I own. But a song with a name like “Are You Serious! Do You Like Tom Cruise?”, I want to hear that! Maybe I need to track down this record. On this 7″ he got help from Eric Grosbeutre on drums on the B side, and Martial Onion on drums too, but on the A side songs. As far as I know, Eric Grosbeutre was a pseudonym of Eric Piffeteau from the classic French band The Little Rabbits.

Then there are two albums waiting for me to listen. Both released on Alienor Records. The first one was released in 1996 and titled “Amiral Recrosial” (catalog Alien π). An odd photo for the cover, this CD has 10 songs: “Pissed Off”, “Mes Amis”, “La Répartie”, “Car Crash”, “V. 10. 11. 94”, “Lifetime”, “Sidewalking”, “Mister Stewee”, “L’Oisiveté”, “Francis”. “Sidewalking”, a cover of The Jesus and Mary Chain original. Recorded by Stéphane Teynié (the guy behind the label Cornflakes Zoo) in 1995 in both at Le Jimmy and Zoo Studio, mixed at Studio Gimmick by Damien Bertrand. Here I learn that Zoo Studio was based in Bordeaux. Was the band from there as well?

The second album gets released in 1999. Titled “Mûle Sa Mère” (catalog Alien ψ), it includes 13 songs: “Mûle Sa Mère”, “Tiug”, “Mes Faux Pas”, “Tatou”, “Greibgeade”, “Alix”, “Jad Fair Drives”, “La Médecine De Quand C’Est Trop Tard”, “El Pronto”, “El Mejor”, “J’écris”, “N.Y.C”, “Tacoman”, “Sheep”.

I didn’t find much more about the band. There was an entry on a shoegaze blog, but it’s mostly a review of the sound and the style of the band. Not much information in it really. Then there was a review of the first album on Les inRocks were the artwork of the album is compared to the “homoerotic aesthetics” of Morrissey”. But again, not much information about the band.

I’m not sure how popular or known the band is or was in France. If they released two albums they must have had some following. But for me, they seem very obscure, perhaps I should start by getting their other records, the ones I’m missing. But whatever happened to Yvan? Did he continue releasing music? Were there more Newell records or recordings? Would be nice to know what happened, French indiepop feels somehow neglected these days.

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Listen
Newell – Que Ferons-Nous de Nos Beaux Jours?

Happy new year!

Will 2016 be a good year for indiepop? I really hope so! On the internet though I read about a whiny label that once again announces that is closing shop for the hundredth time. Always announcing this and never closing. It feels more like a marketing campaign to shift some records at low prices with the “close out sale” excuse. Then weeks after they announce that they will continue strong and all. Happened before, wouldn’t surprise that it happens again. Don’t like this. It’s a bit of a joke. No respect whatsoever to their fanbase.

Not a good start.

Last week I was wondering about the Twee.net poll for 2015. Luckily it is on even though this hasn’t been promoted anywhere! You can access it here http://www.twee.net/list/polls/poll.html and cast a vote. I should vote very soon! Remember the days when there was a label that would just vote so many times for themselves? Those days are over I believe, so please enjoy and vote, and let’s see who are the favourite bands, labels, zines, festivals for 2015.

Today I also finally ordered the Tiny Fireflies LP. High expectations on this record, and thinking it should be among the best of 2015. Also caught up with the past and ordered the BOB singles compilation that came out a long time ago. Then the new Homecomings 7″ on Second Royal should be coming home soon, also an Arabesque record on Siesta from long time ago as well as the only Machine Gun Feedback record that I was missing. Not a bad way to start the year, getting new records.

So as there are very little news today and this week for indiepop, let’s try to dig some obscurities…

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As I said last week I’m going to be picking some records from my collection, records that are a bit unknown to me and perhaps to the rest of indiepop fans. I picked The Mood Elevators, again from the box of records with bands whose name start with M.

I barely knew anything about them before I started googling about them. I remember I bought their second single, “Georgie Girl”, after I saw their name on that list that long time ago was posted on Twee.net where it was asked for these bands to get in touch in hope of them participating in future Leamington Spa compilations.

Only lately I found out that there was also first single, “Annapurna”. And that there’s some stuff actually written about them online, even an interview! But let’s start with the releases.

Annapurna is a collection of mountains in the Himalayas.

The first 7″ came out in 1981 on Go-Feet Records (catalog FEET7). This was the label that was founded by the British ska band The Beat. This record I do not own sadly, I really like the A side song, “Annapurna” that was produced by The Punjab Brothers. I haven’t heard the second song, “Driving By Night” that was produced by Bob Sargeant. Would love to listen to this one, if anyone can help!

The second 7″ came out in 1982 on Red Records (catalog RS 013). This label was founded by Steve Brown after leaving Faulty Products in 1978. Initially set up to release material by The Lines, there were other releases in it’s comparatively short life, most notably early singles by Material. Folded in 1984. This one is the 7″ I own, and the A side is a cover of “Georgie Girl”.

“Georgy Girl”, written by Tom Springfield (music) and Jim Dale (lyrics), is the title song performed by The Seekers for the British film of the same name starring Lynn Redgrave and James Mason. Across late 1966 and early 1967, the song became a #1 Australian hit and a #3 British hit. In the United States, it proved to be the Seekers’ highest charting single, reaching #2 on the “Billboard Hot 100” and prompting the Seekers’ British album Come the Day to be retitled “Georgy Girl” for its American release. It was listed at number 36 on “Rolling Stone” magazine’s “500 Greatest Pop Songs of all time” issued in 2002.

On the 7″ this cover version was produced by The Beat. The second song is an original song by the band, written by David Ditchfield. The song is “You Never Try” and it has backing vocals by Ranking Roger, the vocalist of The Beat. Both songs are really good!

The first stop on my detective work on Google is the website of a venue, the Aylesbury Friars. Here we learn that on Saturday May 24th of 1980 there was a gig with The Beat, The Equators and The Mood Elevators.

We learn too that the band was formed by:
David Ditchfield on guitar and vocals
Jenny Jones on drums
Noel Green on bass

On Last.fm there’s a small bio that I thought would be a good idea to copy/paste here to paint a bigger picture:
The Mood Elevators were a Birmingham U.K new wave act in the early 1980’s. The three original members of the David Ditchfield, Noel Green, and Jenny Jones) met after literally being thrown together following a street fight. A group initially named Inside Out was soon formed from the three. Once ready to gig in early 1980, the band began to book spots at pubs around Birmingham. Impressed by the performance they witnessed, The Beat offered them an opportunity to record a single on the Go Feet label along with the supporting spot on a UK tour.
Only two 7-inch singles were released by the band. Their first, Annapurna, was a big hit on the indie scene.

Then the next stop is the Go-Feet label website. There’s a very good biography there that I recommend you reading. We learn that they were based in Birmingham and that they used to practice at the hardware shop that Jenny’s parents owned.

In 1981 they recorded a session for Richard Skinner on Radio One. It’s said that they were asked to record a second session. I could find two songs from those sessions online, “Metro Girl” and “Waiting for Jane”. Does anyone there have any other songs from these sessions? I’d be curious to hear them.

It also seems that David and Jenny are now making music together under the name Life. On that website there are some interesting facts like that Jenny guested with the Fine Young Cannibals two albums after the demise of The Mood Elevators. It’s also said that they had signed after The Mood Elevators to a 7 album deal with Go-Discs! and that they recorded an album of Jenny’s songs and released two singles. But I don’t know under what name they did this. Would be interesting to know!

And David even co-wrote songs with the Dexys Midnight Runners. So, there’s a lot of connections here and there, not a true obscure band at all. But for some reason not that much written about them….

And then there’s an interview by a fellow New Yorker called Marco. The interview dates from June 2010. I totally recommend reading it to get a better picture of The Mood Elevators.

Still many questions about the band wait to be answered. Starting by those sessions, to those recordings Jenny and David did afterwards. What about The Mood Elevators, did they even record any other songs? Participate in any compilations? Where else other than Birmingham did they gig? If you remember anything about them, the comments section is a good place to start!

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Listen
The Mood Elevators – Annapurna

Hope you all had a good Christmas!

Last post of 2015 and it feels quite an achievement to have posted more posts than there were weeks this year. In a time where all the blogs that I used to call friends have disappeared, well, it kind of feels good that I have managed to find time to write my musings and about my music discoveries.

I haven’t seen any news about the Twee.net poll. Seems this year it won’t happen? Kind of sad as it is one of the few traditions that have been running continually since like forever. The dark times of indiepop are coming…

Or maybe not. We’ll have to see. This coming year at least we know we’ll have a Madrid and NYC Popfests and an Indietracks. That’s not too terrible. But upon so many rumours of being the last year of some of these festivals you never know.

Time then for year end lists. I don’t like making them but lately I enjoy reading them, seeing how eclectic people are or how they define indiepop by the selections they make. I usually never agree with their lists. Also most of the records selected have been released in the last 6 months. Records released in January or February are almost always forgotten. Have you noticed?

Of course, they might have not listened that gem of a record you know. If people do lists, well, it doesn’t mean they had the time to listen to ALL the records you have listened. Perhaps they listened to others, ones you didn’t. That is very true and it’s definitely a good point. But sometimes you wonder for example how someone who loves indiepop would miss some obvious and important releases this year like say The Spook School second album or the latest album by Club 8? You can’t just “skip” those, right?

But aside from that, I still see very little lists when it comes to indiepop. Where are the voices of indiepop fans? They are not on blogs. On Facebook? Possibly, but voices there are barely heard and are lost in time. Websites? No, that costs money. Where then? Nowhere to be found may be the answer. Indiepop this year has become voiceless. We still love the music, we still buy some records, but we’ve become silent. Oh and that’s a shame.

Can we change it next year? I hope so. For a time I thought that Facebook groups could work. There was a bit of excitement about them. But they also fizzled out. Forums? Same thing. Tumblr? Could work, I know Satomi runs a nice Tumblr with music discoveries she makes on bandcamp and soundcloud. But that’s more like a picture book. Don’t we need to express thoughts and ideas? What happened to fanzines? If they were going to be replaced by books then that’s fine. Or by blogs, alright. But they disappeared once again. I see some fanzines coming from the far reaches of indiepop, from Latin America. That’s interesting, but seriously how many people are supporting a Spanish language fanzine. Roughly the locals only.

But I do think there was a very bright light this year though that gave us a voice, and it came from Michael White and his lovingly written book “Popkiss”. Don’t know if the book put indiepop somewhere in the map, not sure about its sales or its reach, but what mattered to me is that it was out there and it is available to anyone. And it is written with passion and also with the smartness of pointing other bands outside the Sarah canon, other labels, other people. Thanks to those connections it makes, anyone who reads the books should become instantly curious search for more information. And that matters a lot. It is not only about the great story behind a great label, but also these small details. And the explanations. And the thrill the author exudes. I just so wish there was more like it out there.

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In the next few weeks I’ll be ripping some tracks from some 7″ records I own. I finally organized my collection last week and noticed there are a lot of records that I think should have a space here in the blog, part of these obscure and forgotten bands I like to showcase.

The record I picked yesterday night to rip was a 7″ by Magik Roundabout. Don’t know nothing about this band really, but last time when I was in Berlin, Uwe told me to get it as I was going to like it. He seemed a bit surprised actually that I didn’t know about it.

The record sounds 1991. It has this happy feel, definitely influenced by the baggy music of the time. No wonder the record was released in so many formats and also with so many remixes. According to Discogs there are 6 versions of the same release:
– 12″ on M & G Records (cat. MAGX8)
– 12″ Remixes on M& G Records (MAGXR 8)
– 12″ Promo on M & G Records (MAGX 8 DJ)
– 7″ on M & G Records (MAGS 8) * this is the one I own
– CD single on WAU! Mr. Modo Recordings (MAGCD 8)
– Cassette on M & G Records and Polydor (MAGCS 8)

Now you ask how many versions of the song there are. And that is a very fair question as the records only include the one song in different versions, there is no other song by this band anywhere else I think. Or did they record any other track?

The song I’m talking about is called Everlasting Day. And it’s a pretty fine song. But did it really need all these versions? As you know I’ve never been a fan of remixes and so on. But I guess it was another decade, other times. So we can find:
– Everlasting Day (Bonfire mix 12″)
– Everlasting Day (Vocal Edit 7″)
– Everlasting Day (Instrumental Mix 7″)
– Everlasting Day (Youth’s Acappella Edit 7″)
– Everlasting Day (Youth’s Dub Mix)
– Everlasting Day (Youth’s Mix 12″)

On the 7″ I have I get the Vocal Mix and the Instrumental Mix. The vocal mix is really nice. But what do we know about this band? Not much really.

On the back sleeve we see that the song was written by J. Chong, P. Van Der Fluis and S. Duncan. The record was produced by Ben Watkins, Magik Roundabout and Youth. Vocal production by Andy Caine. The mixes were done by Marius De Vries and Steve SideInyk. Then Magik Roundabout thanks Helen, Molly, Amanda, Caroline, Dave Stephenson & Wau! Mr Modo.  A cryptic message closes the crdits, “An Everlasting Rainbow over the Designers Republic”.

We know that M & G Records was founded by Lord Michael Levy with backing from Polygram Records in 1990.
Named using forename initials of Michael Levy and his wife Gilda. Sold to Bertelsmann in October 1999. And that WAU! Mr. Modo Recordin was set up in Sheffield, UK by Alex Paterson and Martin Glover (a.k.a. Youth) in 1988. “W·A·U” stands for “What About Us?” and Mr Modo was Adam Morris, Paterson’s manager. Recordings were licensed to Big Life, Gee Street, G-Zone, and M & G Records. Also after leaving 10 Records, System 7 released on Big Life, but the copyright was owned by Weird And Unconventional Records, a subsidiary of WAU! Mr. Modo.

Not familiar with either catalog really.

What about their name? Two theories here, one is:
The Magic Roundabout (known in the original French as Le Manège enchanté) is a Franco-British animated children’s television programme created in France in 1963 by Serge Danot, with the help of Ivor Wood and Wood’s French wife, Josiane. The series was originally broadcast between 1964 and 1971 on ORTF, originally in black-and-white.

The other, that actually has a connection with the first theory:
The Magic Roundabout in Swindon, England was constructed in 1972 and consists of five mini-roundabouts arranged around a sixth central, anti-clockwise roundabout. Located near the County Ground, home of Swindon Town F.C. Its name comes from the popular children’s television series The Magic Roundabout. In 2009 it was voted the fourth scariest junction in Britain, in a poll by Britannia Rescue.

The good news is, if you like the song, it’s pretty cheap on Discogs. But I wonder who were behind this song, and if they recorded anything else? Did they play any songs? Were they based in England? In Swindon perhaps? Would be great to learn a little bit about this very obscure recording!

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Listen
Magik Roundabout – Everlasting Day