Chorusgirl: a new song from the upcoming album “Colapso Calypso” is now online! “In the Business of Dreams” is a top tune by Sylvie and as mentioned will be included in the album that will be released on October 14. The album is available to pre-order now on both vinyl and CD thanks to Reckless Yes Records. Can’t wait for it!
Field School: here is another album but this time around I don’t know the band. The album “When Summer Comes Around” by Field School will be released on vinyl on November 18 on Spain’s Bobo Integral label. You can now preview “I Just Want to Paint You in Pictures”, one out of the 12 songs, that Charles Bert, ex-Maths and Physics Club, has penned. Indeed! this is his solo project and sounds superb! A must have!
Pete Astor: a new album by the ex-Weather Prophets came out on September 9. “Time on Earth” sounds superb. It was released by the German label Tapete Records and has 10 songs. You can preview three of them on Bandcamp.
Snow Coats: I’ve enjoyed the music of this Dutch band for quite a while. Well, now there’s an album out on Alcopop Records from the UK. “If It Wasn’t Me, I Would’ve Called it Funny” is coming out on September 21 on CD and vinyl. 10 songs of well-crafted punky pop!
Spirit Ghost: and I finish today’s reviews with this Austin band. I would dare say the sound of them is influenced by The Drums. At least on their latest single “No Future” I can see that. And that’s a good thing, this track sounds great.
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Today we head to Milwaukee, to the early 90s. In this American city Al Hildenbrand, Tonny Myers, Rick Bauer, Joe Lampe and Joe Worachek formed Happytown.
To get a sense of their sound I head to Soundcloud were many of their songs are available to listen to. You’ll find there the following tracks: “Fade”, “Country”, “Poet’s Eyes”, “Falling Overe”, “Old River Control”, Quiet Man”, “Tigers”, “Five and Ten”, “The Stand”, “Every Man is King:”, “Rage”, “How to Say Goodbye”, “Fairheaven”, “Gathering Wood”, “Summer of Leaves”, “Misunderstood”, “Tornado”, “You Won the War”, “I’m One”, “Sleeping Beauty”, “Southbound”, “God’s Empty Chair” and “Drink at the Bar”.
There is also a good bio that helps me put things in context. The band released three EPs and a 14-song CD. The band played in Milwaukee’s east side, in Madison, Chicago and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
Later on the band members would be in other bands. Al would be in Pet Engine and Slo Fi, Tony in Independent Idols and Rick in LoveMonkeys and ZenBetty. Joe Lampe moved to Madison and Joe Worachek to Denver. But they did a reunion gig in 2003 and one more time in 2012 (I think) at the Milwaukee’s Shank Hall on June 9th of that year.
At that last reunion show the band played the following tracks: “Country”, “Rage”, “Five & Ten”, “Sleeping Beauty”, “God’s Empty Chair”, “Gathering Wood”, “Drink at the Bar”, “Summer of the Leaves”, “The Stand”, “I’m One”, “Fade”, “Poet’s Eyes”, “How to Say Goodbye” and “Southside Girl”.
And lastly in 2018 the band played a 30-year reunion gig. On December 30 of 2018 they played at O’Donoghue’s Irish Pub in Elm Grove, Wisconsin.
There is a Facebook page for the band too. So worth checking that out. I find that Joe Worachek was the vocalist and guitarist, Al Hildenbrand was guitarist and vocalist, Joe Lampe the bassist, Rick Bauer the keyboardist and that there used to be another band member called Nick Verban who was the drummer.
The band used to rehearse at September Sound Studios, a place Worachek and Bauer had set up. Bauer had been living in California before being in the band. From what I gather he went to Berkeley and returned to Milwaukee and that’s when the band started.
I find a tape they released called “Sleeping Beauty Land”. This tape was a preview of the band’s CD that was to be released on November of 1992. It included three songs, “Sleeping Beauty”, “Gathering Wood” and “I’m One”.
There was also a self-titled tape that had the songs “Quiet Man”, “Fade” and “The Stand”. This one dates from 1992.
The band played at a few venues. Names I see include The Unicorn, at The Thirsty Whale supporting the Stringbeans, Shank Hall and Sherman’s Celebrity Club, Washington Park where they played along Blue in the Face and Edgar Winter in a free concert.
Another song that they recorded were “Whisper Time” which is not on Soundcloud but on Youtube.
All of these songs appeared on the band’s self-titled CD released by Wren Records.
Another interesting bit is that when reviewed by the local press they were often compared to REM and also to the Manchester bands of the time.
Sadly there releases are not on Discogs or Rateyourmusic. So I can’t find more info about them. I believe too is the first time I post about a band from Wisconsin, so maybe not many readers are from that state. But I am hoping someone remembers and can tell us a bit more about this great sounding band!
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Listen
Happytown – Five and Ten
