Just wishing everyone a happy weekend!
Maimargaritas: Mai, from Las Margaritas and My Light Shines For You has uploaded to Bandcamp 6 rough demos she recorded between 2020 and 2021. This is really lovely, you get a different feeling compared to her more “polished” recordings. She has even titled this compilation “Maquetas: No Sé Grabar”, something like ‘Demos: I don’t know how to record”. But yeah, even within this lo-finess we find some superb quality to the songs.
Shoken Boys: hailing from Tel Aviv, the Shoken Boys have just released a 5-song EP titled “The Shoken Boys”. The band is formed by David, Yaniv, Amit and Amir and they make some punchy pop! This is the first time I listen to them but previously they have put out many more records.
Bear Cat: this is a band from back in the day but they have just showed up on Bandcamp. Bear Cat came from Auckland, NZ, and knew how to make some lovely folk-pop songs, kind of in the middle between Jonathan Richman and The Moldy Peaches. On Bandcamp you can find 5 of their releases, I am linking you the first self-titled single.
Peel Dream Magazine: LA based band is back with “Pad”. On this album to be released by Slumberland and Tough Love on October 7, Joseph Stevens continues his sonic exploration, getting a bit further away from indiepop. So we’ll have to see how that goes. The track available to preview, also called “Pad”, hasn’t won me over. But there are 14 more… and I am hoping I enjoy this as much as his previous efforts.
This Poison!: and finally the Peel Session from November 30, 1987, is available as a double CD from the great Precious Recordings of London! This is a must have for all indiepop fans. Four songs and the quality packaging of this label makes me terribly happy about this one. Legendary band, legendary songs!
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Before being in the wonderful Small Factory David Auchenbach had been in another fantastic but much more obscure band, What Now.
The band was around in the mid-80s I believe. I am basing that assumption on the dates of their releases listed on Discogs.
A self-titled demo tape was put together in 1984. That tape had 3 songs, “Very Near”, “Can’t Say No” and “Alright”. On this tape the band consisted of Dave on guitar and vocals, Mark Jones on drums and Pete McClanahan on bass. The first two songs had been recorded at Celebration Sounds while the last one at home. All the recordings date from May of 1984.
The band was an important one in Providence, Rhode Island. But they played in other towns as well. I’ve read about a gig they played in Springfield, Massachusetts supporting Eight Route Army.
The band’s only proper release came out in 1985 on Incas Records (WN 101). This label has one of the coolest logos I’ve ever seen. It is a cholita or a paisana, a typical Andean woman with her typical hat. Lovely really. The record was titled “Small Record with Four Songs” and as it is obvious had four songs: “Noisemaker” and “All My Life” on the A side and “The End” and “Anthem” on the B side. The songs had been recorded and mixed at White Dog Studio (in Newton, MA) by Lou Giordano as the producer and engineer. Also credited for engineering job is Kevin Galvin. The mastering was done at Sterling Sound by Ted Jensen.
On this record the bassist had changed. Now we find Dave McCaffrey. The design is credited to David A with assistance by D. Clay and Bella.
The band did appear on two compilations, so that’s worth pointing out. On “City History”, a 1987 double LP compilation on Big Bubble Records (BB 066) the band contributed the song “Can’t Say No”. I believe all the bands on this record hailed from Providence. The bands included had many musical styles, from new wave and power pop to hardcore.
Hyped 2 Death would release sometime in the 2000s a unofficial compilation called “Homework #5 U.S. DIY and Post-Punk 1978 -83: V-toZ”. This compilation would include What Now with the song “Anthem”.
As I mentioned earlier, Dave Auchenbach would later be in one of the most important indiepop bands the US has had, Small Factory. He was in a band before What Now too, one called The Parents. I haven’t listened to it yet though. Would be good to track some songs down. Another band I’ve heard he was in but I don’t know anything about is Flora Street.
Pete McGlanahan, the band’s first bassist would then be in a band called Warrior Soul.
David McCaffrey would be in a few bands including Frank Black and the Catholics, Miracle Legion, Polaris and the Halo Bit.
I look for more info and notice the excellent Wilfully Obscure dedicated a small post to them in 2013.
Sadly I couldn’t find more details about the band. But MAYBE someone will help us and find more info about them. That’d be fantastic. The songs are not exactly indiepop but they have a great sound, they are melodic. I especially enjoy “All My Life” and “Anthem”.
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Listen
What Now – The End
