Time flies! It is again another weekend, time to relax! Not much news in indiepopworld at the moment, but as always there are good finds to share!

Still Dreams: wow! the song “Satellite of You” sounds amazing! This track is part of the 2nd album by this Osaka, Japan, band that is titled “Lesson Learned”. The cassette album will be released by the very fine Miles Apart Records on August 31st! Great stuff!

For Tracy Hyde: a few posts ago I shared a “trailer” of the Japanese new album “New Young City”. Now it is time to share a promo video for their track “櫻の園”! It is dreamy, sweet, and classy. I definitely need to get a copy of their 3rd album. I actually think everyone should get a copy, do not miss it!

Destello Floral: the Mexican band is back with an 8-song mini-album called “El Tiempo lo Destruye Todo”. The album keeps the band’s trademark lo-fi dreampop and to see that you can stream the three songs that are available to check out at their Bandcamp!

122 North: there’s only one song by this project from Québec. Behind it is Danny Provencher, the genius behind Under Electric Light, so it is no surprise this is pure beauty. The song is called “Drive” and it would be a perfect soundtrack for any driving of course. But it would be even better if we get to listen more of his songs!

Pastel Coast: lastly this brilliant French band has released a single with the tracks “Vacation” and “Home”. It is actually available in physical format, on CD! This is good to me. Tired of digital-only releases, you see. Here we have two great catchy and elegant tracks. Paris Popfest, take note, maybe you can book them next year?

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I wasn’t aware of the pre-Mighty Lemon Drops band Active Restraint until now. I was exploring some lists of records I want (crossing fingers). I write their names down or add to my wantlist on Discogs all the time. But then most of these times I don’t know much about the bands. Then when I get back to these lists, to these bands, especially when I want to feature them on the blog, I end up finding out so many new things about them. Well, today I found out, and probably many of you already knew this, that Paul Marsh (vocals), David Newton (guitar) and Tony Linehan (bass) all later in the Mighty Lemon Drops were in Active Restraint. I guess Andy Barker, the drummer, was the only one who didn’t end up on the Mighty Lemon Drops.

The band was around in the early 1980s and they weren’t as poppy as The Mighty Lemon Drops. They were more of a post-punk outfit. They would only release two songs during their time as far as I know. These two songs were to be included in a 7″ and also on a compilation 12″.

The songs were “Terror in My Home” and “Turns Out Roses”. The 7″ that had them was released in 1982 by The Sticky Label (PEEL-OFF 3). This label released some bands I’m not aware at all like Data Control, Another Dream, Underground World and Stench, all of these releases in 1982. Both songs were recorded and produced at FSR Studios in Birmingham. The producer and engineer was Frank Skarth. The back of the sleeve confirms that the band hailed from the same city as The Mighty Lemon Drops, Wolverhampton.

As I said earlier, the same two songs appeared on “The Young and The Free” a 12″ compilation released by Luna Records (MOON LP1) that same year. “Turns Out Roses” appears as A4, the last track on the A side while “Terror in My Home” as B4, again the last one on that side. Three other bands appear on the compilation also contributing two songs, Vietnamese Rose, Experiments with Ice and Stranger Comforts.

Aside from Active Restraint and The Mighty Lemon Drops, I know that Dave Newton was in Fonda, Aberdeen, Starfish, The Blue Aeroplanes and The Wild Flowers. I don’t see the other band members of Active Restraint listed on other bands. Hmm…

Last.fm surprisingly has a biography for the band. I’ll end up learning a lot thanks to this! Who wrote this by the way?

• The band formed in 1980. David Newton was 16 years old at the time and he was joined by Andy Jones (aka Cookie) from the band Gang Warfare. Afterwards Nick Peter joined on drums and Vini/Ed Balbour joined to play melodica and vocals. This was the first lineup of the band.
• They made their debut at The Star Hotel in Shifnal supporting Future Toys.
• Peters would quit just before a recording session on August 10th 1981, so the remaining three asked John Taylor, owner of M.R.S. Studio to play drums on the recordings. I ask, where are these recordings? Which songs were recorded?
• Then Andy Jones quit. Martin Peake from Stourbridge replaced him on bass and also Paul Hollis joined to play drums. This new lineup made a recording at Rich Bitch Studio in October of 1981. Again, where are these recordings?!
• Vini/Ed Balbour and Martin would leave the band to form Giant Treads Clean.
• Then in early 1982 Dave Newton and Andy Barker would ran into each other and decide to join forces for Active Restraint Pt. 2. They would ask Paul “Titter” Marsh to join them as a vocalist and found Dave Ashe  to play bass through a local ad.
• This lineup played many gigs and recorded the 7″ whichi would receive many plays by John Peel, Kid Jensen, etc.
• Ashe would quit in the summer and Tony Linehan would replace him.
• This is the classic lineup of the band. With this lineup the band recorded a live 4 song session at Rich Bitch. Sticky Label after hearing these songs wanted to release a new single.
• They recorded new songs for the single at Cargo Studio in Rochdale. They got the artwork together and the single was ready. But it seems that Newton at this point decided to split the band and join a supergroup that was being formed at the time, what would become The Wild Flowers. What happened then with this single!? I want to hear these songs!

On Youtube there a few recordings by Active Restraint that not appear on the 7″, they must be from these other recordings. I found “Honesty“, “The Other Side“, and even an early version of the classic song “Out of Hand” that later the Mighty Lemon Drops would release as a single! This last recording, “Out of Hand”, was recorded on April 9th 1983 at Different Guises Studio.

Also someone in the comments mentions the songs “Head First” and “Whispering”.  I would like to hear those too!

So the big mystery here are about all of these recordings. All of these songs that exist but they are not available anywhere. Maybe someone should put them together and release them? Don’t know the quality but the ones that are on Youtube sound fine to me. I would love to hear the 2nd single., which songs were supposed to be on it?

Who can fill in the blanks here? Would be great to know more about them!

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Listen
Active Restraint – Turn Out Roses