I’m feeling quite sick today, sore throat, maybe starting to get a cold, but as I promised last week, I think it’s good time to go through the NYC Popfest lineup. Though before doing that I want to tell that I have started work on the 9th Cloudberry fanzine. I’ve started to contact the bands that will be featured as well as the ones that will contribute tracks for the 3″ CD. Hopefully it will be ready by Indietracks time. I’d love to sell a bunch there! Now let’s start getting excited about NYC Popfest!

I’ll only go through the bands I’m excited to see, in alphabetical order.

The Arctic Flow – I believe they will be playing the free Saturday show at Spike Hill. They will go on first. I don’t seem to find online the schedule for Popfest but I’ve seen some of it on Facebook. The Arctic Flow were invited last year to play but they didn’t come. I think it had to do with playing solo or something like that, I can’t remember. In any case I’m very glad that Brian is coming to play to NYC the beautiful songs that he has been crafting for many years now. I’ve really liked the few things I’ve heard, the EP on Holiday Records and lately the 3″ on Little Treasure. I definitely want to see this band.

Bart & Friends – Of course! I think this is one of the bands I’m looking forward the most. I’m pretty sure they will be playing on Friday at The Knitting Factory. I had the chance to work with Bart on a little 3″ some time ago and later I’ve been enjoying the EPs on both Matinée and Shelflife. Bart is an indiepop hero, The Cat’s Miaow, his previous band, is one of my favourite bands ever. It is no surprise I’ve interviewed Bart in this blog so many times, talking about each of his projects, from Girl of the World to Pencil Tin to Cat’s Miaow and more. I’ve heard some rumors that as many in the band are librarians they will be visiting some of NYC libraries. Exciting! Extra points for the band as I will finally meet Scott Stevens (who is part of the Friends part), an old friend from Summer Cats! So far I had the chance to meet Hugh and the other Scott, Brewer, of the Cats. So this is pretty cool. Also Scott S used to be in The Earthmen who also appeared on an interview in the blog. We have agreed on having some great dinner that Friday before the show! Good times!

Colour Me Wednesday – In due honesty, I haven’t followed them in all these years they’ve been playing gigs. I have always missed their gigs when I’ve been in the UK. Their recordings remind me a bit of a band I used to love in the mid-00s, The Sorayas (from Sweden). This is punky indiepop, but has that Britishness that I like. Not sure what day they’ll be playing, or where, though I’m hoping they are a nice surprise for me.

Don’t Cry Shopgirl – Very VERY excited to see them. It’s been some months since they appeared on Facebook. I remember writing some lines about them here on the blog, and then just after that, hanging out all the time at Indietracks with Astrid and John. Sweet people! It’s interesting how friendship happens! Astrid is perhaps a bit more known as she plays solo with a project called Northern Spies. Under that name I saw her play in a packed wagon at Indietracks while everyone was sweating and then months later here in NYC. Actually she is in NYC now too! The truth is, after listening to their songs for the first time I knew I had to release them. So yes, there will be a Cloudberry 7″ by them this year. We’ve been working on the artwork this week actually! They will also be playing the free show on Saturday and I think this is one that I will say you can’t miss!

The Flatmates – I am going to see them. I’m not sure what to expect. Martin and Rocker are the only original members. I like Brian and Lisa, but I have to say I’m very skeptical after the single they released (mostly due to the artwork being kind of terrible). But The Flatmates are the The Flatmates, a band that I’ve always loved, so I’ll be there front row. Let’s see what happens.

Franny & Zooey – A band I must have seen as many times as Allo’ Darlin haha. I must really love them. I could tell so many anecdotes and stuff about them, but I think it has to wait. I may have seen them around 10 times  play here in NYC and I’m happy to call them my friends. Real friends, the kind you go for beers every single weekend. In the last few years I’ve seen an evolution in their songs that I can assure you that you’ll be surprised by their next release. They’ve gone full indiepop! I believe they’ll be playing Cake Shop on Thursday, hopefully not opening because I may miss them because of work! It’d be a shame because it’s been months since they left NYC and they are coming back especially for this gig, so crossing fingers!

Gingerlys – It was Ed Shelflife that tipped me about them while eating Korean food here in NYC months ago. I think he will be putting out a 7″ by them. I was so surprised that a band this good in NYC hadn’t been under my radar. Then I tipped Maz. Then I’m very happy that they’ll be playing Popfest! May be the best new band in town. One of the bands I look forward to seeing the most. And that’s because I’ve been unable to attend any of their shows yet! Terrible me!

Gold-Bears – Jeremy is back. Who’s coming with him? He always finds the cool musicians, though I must admit I loved the first incarnation the most with Erich and Santiago. Mostly because they were so cool haha. Anyways, the Gold-Bears have a new album coming out and it’s coming in a white and green sleeve that I had to Photoshop some days ago! Energy, excitement, and fast guitars, that’s what they bring. I can see them many times and will never have enough. One of the happiest moments of Cloudberry is indeed when we released their 7″. Now I’m hoping to hear their new song as well as their classics. Can’t wait for my favourite This Poison wannabes 😉

The Haywains – So yes, you know that the Haywains 7″ is coming out on Cloudberry just for NYC Popfest time. What can I say about the legend that The Haywains are? You’d think they’d sound boring and mature after 20 years. But when you listen the 7″ songs that’s not the case. They sound as fresh as ever. Fresh as a lettuce! And what’s even better is that I can assure you that live they are one of the funnest bands I’ve ever seen. Their Madrid Popfest show that I attended last year was glorious. I think this might be one of the gigs of the year for me. They are playing Knitting Factory of Friday too. I believe they are the headliners that night? Anyways, I just can’t wait. Can’t WAIT! Oh! and they will also be appearing on the next Cloudberry zine I was talking about earlier…

Heathers – Because they sound alright on bandcamp, though they are terrible with emails. I’m still waiting for my copy of the 7″ 🙂

Lost Tapes – Our last 7″ we released was by this Spanish band, and what an EP it is. It’s lush. It’s beautiful. Precious even. It’s classy. It can remind you of moments of the 80s, postcards of Brighter and The Field Mice. It’s no surprise they’ve been just touring the West Coast and now they are playing at SXSW. They will be playing next week at Cake Shop too where I’ll meet them in person for the first time. They’ve been invited to Copenhagen Popfest and Indietracks too. It seems this is their year. One of the best new bands around for sure. Quality.

Marine Life – A band I’ve never heard before. But I’m liking what I hear on Bandcamp. It says their debut single will be coming out on Elefant. That’s a big deal isn’t it? Especially as this doesn’t sound like all the 60s influenced bands that Elefant seems to be preferring these days. Marine Life reminds me to many of the American bands from the 90s. #Poundsign# anyone? Worth checking out the live set.

My Favorite – The quintessential NYC indiepop band. The one and only. The first one. My Favorite is back. I could write so much about them because I love them. That’s why I wanted to release The Secret History album last year. That’s why this year I’m teaming up with them for a co-release of a reissue of Love at Absolute Zero on vinyl. Hopefully later this year the Cloudberry Cake Kitchen of their early recordings will be released too. Dream come true. More importantly, seeing them live, after all my Swedish friends always raved and boasted about their tour in their country, with the pinnacle of Hultsfred festival when My Favorite became a cult band, that’s a dream come true.

Pam & Bart perform as THE CAT’S MIAOW & THE SHAPIROS – This might be the intimate moment at Popfest. It may need a lot of beer to keep me going after getting all sentimental by these songs. When it’s the Cat’s Miaow Pam is not Kerrie, but she is still Pam. She has the voice. It will be definitely interesting to hear. The Shapiros? Match made in heaven. Never thought I’d listen to them. Btw, there’s also a Shapiros interview in the blog!

Rocketship – Another classic band. For many indiepop heroes and legends. For me a fabulous, an outstanding band, that in their earlier period released their most magnificent stuff. The 90s were glorious for Rocketship. The 00s not so much. That Garden of Delights album was the biggest letdown. Here I’m hoping then to hear the indiepop songs, the ones that made Rocketship a band loved by everyone! (also playing at indietracks)

Spearmint – This was perhaps the biggest surprise (maybe not much as a surprise now after they’ve also been announced for Indietracks). I didn’t think they were still going you know. The band fronted by Shirley Lee has been a favourite of mine for so many years. I’ve djed many times their songs, and I remember always having this sort of paradigm about loving their song “The Flaming Lips” and hating the band by the same name! In any case, a band that name drops Said Liquidator in a song, or the BMX Bandits in another, well, that’s a band I love. It’s funny that the day they were announced for Popfest I was actually listening to their A Week Away album. Coincidences. Destiny. I don’t know. But it’s great!

The Spook School – Cloudberry graduates with one 7″ two years ago. Time flies! I thought it was just last year. When I saw them play at Indietracks 2012 I knew they could be big. They are so talented. They are so much fun. And Niall, the drummer, is party personified. Last year they released their first album and what a cracker it was. I feel they will be one of the bands New Yorkers will like the most. Funny how when Nye was living here they didn’t play, now that she is gone the whole gang is coming for it. Life has that kind of things. But the timing couldn’t be more perfect! They are such a treat!

Stars in Coma – I saw Stars in Coma in Berlin Indiepop days. At a small venue. It was nice. I saw André once too when I djed at a little venue in Malmö ages ago. Those were the days. There’s a connection of course with Cloudberry. There was a 3″CD very early on when the label was just starting. There was also a CD album that we released through Plastilina. Stars in Coma is so prolific. I’ve lost count how many releases they have now. But what I do know for sure is that there is a whole bunch of fantastic songs that you should start discovering.

The Zebras – I like them though I’ve never been head over heels for them. They make great luminous pop. Classy, smart, elegant. I stopped following them in 2007 or so. Why? I don’t know. I guess it didn’t connect as other bands do. BUT, I’m hoping to get excited by them once again. The song “Chase” on the NYC Popfest page is very STRONG. If they have more like this one, I might fall in love!

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Über obscure band today. Let’s roll back to 1988.

That year sees the release of a 7″ by a band that sounds more 1984 than 1988. They are called Mexico Red. The songs included are “Eternal Flame” and “Follow me to Heaven”. Both of them are beautiful. They were meant to be classics. They should have been in the Leamington Spa compilations that my friend Uwe has stopped releasing.

They have elegance and class. “Eternal Flame” even has trumpets. Oh I melt. The question arises immediately, with a single this strong, that these days is highly sought after, how have they disappeared from the face of the Earth?

Where does the name come from? Definitely they must have liked Mexico or at least Mexican food (can’t blame them). The Red part? Maybe they liked the idea of a communist Mexico? Who knows. The cover art is beautifully illustrated in black and white. A sad looking girl that seems to have a knife in her belt.

The credits on the back sleeve just add more to the mystery. Lyrics and Music by Del Kwai. Who was Del Kwai? It’s enough of a strange name, but google doesn’t really help me find him.

The label that put out the record was Hummingbird Records.  Possibly a self-release.

The 7″ according to Popsike also included an insert. Not so sure what says in it. I sadly don’t own the record. But maybe someone out there does? And can help us with the insert?

Anyone out there remember them? Where in the UK where they from? Did they have more songs? Would love to know a bit more about them! Hopefully someone can help!

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Listen
Mexico Red – Eternal Flame

Thanks so much to Martin Sernestrand for the interview! 2014 marks 10 years since My Secret Garden Recordings started as a label in Goteborg, Sweden. For us nostalgic people seeing the new Facebook page that Martin put together has brought many smiles and memories. You should all make yourselves fans! The label was a true DIY project, small runs of 25 to 50 CD-Rs for every release. All done with passion. Among the releases we remember bands like Evergreen Days, Everyday Sensations, Penny Century or my favourites Fibi Frap. It didn’t live long, but the legacy, at least for me, is really rich. Time for you to discover (or rediscover) this great label from the last golden age of Swedish indiepop!

++ Hi Martin! How are you? First thing first. It’s been already 10 years since My Secret Garden Recordings started. Looking back in time, how do you feel your releases have aged?

Hi! I’m fine, just a little bit cold. But it is getting better day by day. Yes, it is unbelievable. 10 years! Time just seems to fly away. I was actually listening through all the releases the other day. Overall I think they still hold up to the same standard as before. In my opinion they have aged well and are still relevant.

++ Where did the name of My Secret Garden Recordings come from?

It is a Depeche mode song. Taken from the album “A Broken frame”.

++ Was this your first label project? What about music, do you play any instrument, have you been in bands?

Yes, it was my fist label. I had ideas of starting a label before but this was the first time a sat my plans in to reality. I myself don’t play any instrument. But I have been in some bands when I was young. I played bass in a band when I was around 14 years old but when they realized I couldn’t play they made me the singer. But I couldn’t sing either so I got the sack. Lol! Some years ago I did some unlistenable electronic music under the alias J.Fryer (ie John Fryer).

++ What pushed you to start the label? And did you ever consider it doing it with more people, or was it always a one-man project since the start?

It all started with my fanzine No Disco in the early 00’s. Through that I got a lot of contact with bands and one day the idea of starting a label and releasing the music I liked came to me. It’s sort of grew on me. I didn’t thought about it too much. It just came naturally. I have always been a loner so to speak. Not that I don’t have any friends but I like doing things alone and I’m more comfortable doing projects like this alone. Maybe I’m a little bit of a control freak. I don’t know.

++ Most (if not all?) your releases were releases on CDR. Why the format? Did you burn them yourself, one by one?

It’s a perfect format. It’s cheap, fast and you can do almost everything yourself. I did everything together with the artists/bands. Layout, track list and even song titles. It was very diy.

++ Do you remember the sort of “infrastructure” of the label? Was it all bedroom based?

I guess you can call it bedroom based yes. As I said before. I tried to do everything myself but with some help from the artists/bands. The goal was to keep it as cheap and simple as possible. But the end product still should be something that people wanted to have, pay for or steal from me.

++ And who took care of the artwork for the label?

I did almost all the artwork. Sometimes the artists/bands had an idea but it was always I who did (copy and paste) the final product.

++ Are there any labels that you’d say influenced you in starting your own or influenced you in how to shape it?

Yes, of course. There were (and still is) a lot of labels (and people) that I adored back then. None mentioned, none forgotten. The whole diy ethics was very important to me. I wanted to have a close contact with both the artists/bands and the ones who bought the records and listened to the music. A lot of people wrote me letters and e-mails and the whole diy community was very nice and friendly.

++ Where you always based in Gothenburg? I was curious if you ever attended the famous Starke Adolf club and if you could share experiences of those halcyon days?!

I was born in a small town just outside Gothenburg. When I was 12 years old me and my family moved to Borås (about 70 kilometers from Gothenburg). Then in 2003 I moved back to Gothenburg and I still live here now. Of course I attended Starke Adolf. Many times! It was a blast. I look back very nostalgic about those years now. All those people, labels, fanzines and bands. It was fantastic!

++ Have you ever thought about you or anyone else releasing any of the stuff from your catalog? How would you feel about that?

Not at the time. Back then I was very stubborn. A lot of people wanted me to re-release stuff that was sold out but I decided not to do that. For me it was very important. All the stuff was released in 25 or 50 copies. I wanted it to be something…I don’t know…but I wanted it to feel special to have one of those releases. To hold them in your hands. But I know a lot of people, beyond my control, uploaded songs and made it digitally available. Which I always thought was cool.

++ How much of an impact would you say My Secret Garden Recordings had in the Swedish scene? At that time there were many small labels, wondering if at all you feel part of a scene then?

I’m the wrong person to say so or even speak about my own label in that way. But yes, there were a lot of small independent labels in Sweden back then. And still are. It was not only Swedish people I had contact with. I spoked with people all around the world. The diy community was (and is) very big and because of the internet you can very easily stay in contact with people from all different countries. 

++ Are you still in touch with the artists you released back in the day? What are they doing now?

I’m still in contact with some of them via Facebook and other social medias. But less and less over the years. Too bad.

++ There’s really not a full discography online for the label. Would you mind writing it down for me?

I have just posted it on the official My Secret Garden Recordings FB page (https://www.facebook.com/notes/my-secret-garden-recordings/discography/496466800464379?stream_ref=10). I can post here also if you want. Or?

++ Something about the label is how personal it was, there are these sort of pre-raphaelite and art nouveau influences in it. That’s something that caught my attention. How important and how planned was this aesthetic for your label?

Yes, you are very attentive. It was a style (and still are) that I liked a lot. And I think that a lot of the releases, especially the Evergreen days releases, was very well planned. I wanted the music and the lay out to go hand in hand so you can see and feel what it all was about. Me and Emelie Berg (ie Evergreen days) seemed to have the same thought about almost everything (regarding the artistic appearance) without actually talking too much about it.

++ And abroad, outside of Sweden, how was the support for My Secret Garden Recordings?

Really overwhelming actually. I got a lot of feedback and good response from all over the world. Good reviews and a lot of people writing about the label and the artists/bands. Especially in Asia, North America and some parts of South America.

++ How did it work for you to put out a release, from finding a band, releasing their records, organizing gigs, or promoting them? What was the best part of it all?

Most of the time I contacted an artist/band (sometimes the other way around) that I liked and asked if they wanted to release something on My Secret Garden Recordings. If they said yes they sent some songs to me. And then I decided what songs I wanted to release. Either they got an idea for the sleeve art or I made a proposal. After everything was done I pressed the actual release and sold it via my webpage. I never organized any gigs but I got some help promoting my releases via blogs and fanzines all over the world. Also sold some stuff via different online stores like Fraction discs (http://www.fractiondiscs.se) and so on.

++ I think the most regarded releases of yours are the ones by Evergreen Days. How beautiful are the songs. She was also your first release. How did Evergreen Days ended up in My Secret Garden Recordings?

I meet Emelie Berg (ie Evergreen days) through mutual friends and I had since before knew and listen to her other project called The Set Designers. After buying the seven inch single released with The Set Designers Emelie Berg sent me some new songs on cd-r. After hearing these songs I immediately asked if I could release these songs. And so My Secret Garden Recordings had started. 

++ Is there any Swedish band right now that you feel would have fit perfectly in your label? And what about back in the day when you were running the label?

A lot. But if I should mention a few I would say Action Biker, Paddington Distortion Combo, Compute, The Honeydrips and Strawberry fair.

++ I remember you collaborated with some other people like Robots And Electronic Brains. How did these come up?

I can’t remember exactly but I think Jimmy at Robots And Electronic Brains contacted me after hearing about the label. He had reviewed some of the releases and even some issues of my fanzine No disco. He asked me if I wanted to be included on the compilation and I said yes.

++ You were supposed to release one final compilation album if my mind is not playing tricks on me. I think I have good memory. What happened to that compilation and where the songs to be included are still unreleased?

Yes, you are correct. Back in the days I was supposed to release one last compilation called “This Was My Secret Garden”. It was supposed to be released late 2005 or early 2006 I think. But I got tired and lost the motivation to release it so it was never actually released. There are still some unreleased songs yes.

++ When and why did you decide to call it a day? Do you miss running the label?

Late 2005 or early 2006 I think. As I said before I got tired and lost the motivation. Sometimes I miss running the label. Sometimes not. I actually thinking of releasing some stuff for the 10 year celebration later this year.

++ And these days to what do you dedicate your time? Any other hobbies?

I work as a teacher. It takes a lot of my time. I still listen to a lot of music and still buy a lot of records. One of my hobbies is to collect different stuff (Depeche mode records, retro video games, comic books and Star Wars action figures).

++ And do you still follow the indiepop scene these days?

Sorry but no, not that much. Not like 10 or 15 years ago.

++ Looking back in time, is there anything else you’d have liked to do with the label that you didn’t have the chance to? And what would you say was the proudest moment of the label?

I would have loved to have released more stuff. But at the same time I decided to quit because I got tired and lost the motivation so I guess I can’t blame myself too much. It wouldn’t have been right to release stuff I didn’t liked or wanted to release. The proudest moment of the label?! Hmm, holding the first releases in my hands, hearing the songs on the radio, reading about the artists/bands in a fanzine or on a blog, getting hand written letters from people all around the world and so on and so on…

++ As a music person, that was involved in many ways, I want to ask you what’s your take about music in this age? Do you think physical records can survive a little longer?

Oh, I don’t know. But I hope so. I love to buy and listen to music on physical records. Any format is great. I just heard a program (on the Swedish radio P2) about cassettes and that people is starting to buy and listening to music more and more on cassettes. So who knows? But at the same time free digital music maybe would end a lot of unnecessary consumption that in the end isn’t good for the planet.

++ And one last question, what do you think is the most rewarding part of running a label? And if you’d recommend anyone to do something like it?

In my mind it is time well spent. You should know that it takes a lot of time. But it is fun and rewarding. Be sure to release music that you love and don’t care about what other people think or say about it. Unless it is good words, words that will make you feel good!

Peace out!

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Listen
Evergreen Days – Tonight

Getting in a better mood here at Cloudberry HQ after the New York Popfest lineup announcement. So, I’m going to promise that next week I’ll go over the bands and share with you all my expectations, my hopes and everything that has to do with this fantastic event that will paint this city with indiepop.

There are a couple of Cloudberry news that I want you to be aware of too. First is that The Rileys CDs are finally home. I started shipping them today! If you haven’t got a copy, maybe now it’s the time! They look and sound fantastic!

The other piece of news is that The Haywains 7″ is now being pressed at the factory. It’s official release date is for their show at NYC Popfest but I’m sure it will be ready before that. So keep an eye or pre-order now!

As I was saying, not a classic post this week either. I bring you yet another interview I did from the vaults. This time one from May 21, 2007. Long time ago! Cloudberry at that time had only existed for 4 months. This interview was conducted by Fabien Garcia (from Anorak Records) for his Anorak fanzine. A printed zine. The interview was published in the second issue of this zine written in French. So most of you never understood what was going on. Here is the English version. Hope you like it. I feel I haven’t changed much.

1 – Tell us a bit about the history of Plastilina Records, Mira el Pendulo and Cloudberry Records. What were your first motivations ? How did you choose those names ?

Plastilina Records starts in Lima, Peru around January 2006. We were four geeky friends (Jalito, Jose Emanuel, Sete and me) in love for indiepop and as a result that there’s no indiepop in our city we decided putting a label together. What we wanted was to release and support the bands that we liked. Everything we do is in hope that we could create some indiepop scene in Lima. We are still looking to release a local band. Oh yes, the name means Play Do, or plasticine, you know that colorful (and nutritive) material you used as a kid to make some nice “sculptures”. Pop is colorful right? I guess that’s the reason.

About Mira el Péndulo, well, the name is taken from a nineties cult Spanish band, El Niño Gusano. It means Watch the Pendulum. That was my moniker in some forums I used to participate. I used to write in some of them about new music. Not many people cared about that so I decided to start my own blog. That was November 2004. There werent really any motivations when I started, I thought no one was going to read me to be honest. I have never thought about myself as a writer or journalist but something has to be wrong with people, because everyday they flock to the site! I receive so many visits and half of them don’t speak Spanish! My friend Romina from Argentina usually writes in the blog too!

My latest adventure is Cloudberry. On this one I’m going solo. At first, as most stuff a boy does it was to impress and do it together with a girl. Oh well, it didnt work out, we broke up just before the first release. Cloudberry is actually the backlash of the C-06 tape that I released with my blog. After the success of this tape I noticed I could run a label by my own and that I didnt need much money It could be done in a DIY manner (an attitude that I still think can change the world) and that I could try to fix all the stuff that I see wasn’t working with many labels that are indie but seem corporate monsters. I went “personal”, I believe that the label and the listener are in the same ground, so I’m in my way building friendships with bands and fans all over. That is what I believe indiepop is, we are a community, and I have Cloudberry as a mean to get everybody together. Cloudberry has the intention to release most of the bands I like, on a different format, a 3″ cd-r single, as I think the “single” is the best format for indiepop. Would anyone disagree on this one?

2 – Was it difficult getting started ? Or did you get advice from other people ?

To be honest it wasn’t difficult to start. I started all of my ideas silently without telling anyone. I was very sure of what I was doing. It doesnt take much brains to know what this is all about. I’ve got advice and doubts of people along, sure, but I have very strong convictions on this projects and what they are aiming.

3 – How do you choose the bands ? Do you mostly find the bands for your records through demos, the web or asking ?

Choosing bands is what I like the most about the labels. I love scouting! I go on the web for hours and look for new bands and new sounds. I do this everyday, mainly because I update my blog daily. Then it’s pretty easy, I write to the bands I like and ask if they are interested to put something out. Usually they are interested. I’ve found some bands by them submitting me demos but that doesn’t happen very often, I must say.

4 – What’s your favourite record you’ve put out and which record are you most proud of (if there’s one…) ?

My favourite record is Amida’s EP “Arts & Crafts” that we released on Plastilina last February. I think this band is going to be great, they just make the music I like the most, you know, accelerated jangly guitars, playful keyboards and quirky vocals. It’s C-86 today. You can listen The Bodines in them, you can even go to Postcard Records time and find influences there. It’s just my cup of tea. We had never released an EP before as they require more effort from our side, but I thought that this band deserved it. And I’m proud of the result, they recorded 6 smashing tunes!

5 – What are your favourite bands and which band would you dream to sign and why ?

My favourite bands… McCarthy of course, that is THE BAND. Then I love early Wedding Present, nobody can beat Gedge guitars and what about his howling? I like the Field Mice a lot, Stockholm Monsters, TVPs, Fat Tulips, TCR, Throw that Beat in the Garbagecan, Los Planetas, The Man from Delmonte, Alaska y los Pegamoides, Would be Goods, The Hit Parade (Julian Henry is one of my heroes!), etc etc. I have so many favourite bands I admit!

I’ve just made a dream come true and I’ve signed St. Christopher on Plastilina. I’m speechless.

6 – Which label is a model or an influence for you ?

Of course Sarah. What they meant for all of us is such a huge influence still. All of our indiepop values come from all those writings and ideas Matt and Clare left and also for that almost perfect catalog they put out. I also love Siesta Records, they have created such an strong identity based on aesthetics. But then I’ve been influenced by mainly small labels, today I really like Yellow Mica and Fabulous Friend, I think Cloudberry shares a lot of values with them. The sound that I look for comes from small labels like A Turntable Friend, Waaaaaah, Heaven, Tea Time, 53rd and 3rd, even Subway that is a bit bigger. Those obscure little labels are what I adore. Plastilina on the other hand looks up to Matinee or Elefant, it’s sound is much more eclectic but always inside the indiepop spectre. I feel a strong connection with Music is My Girlfriend and Fruit Records, two labels that started around the same time as us and have a very similar approach.

7 – Tell us a bit more about Mira el Pendulo. Why did you created this webzine ? Who writes MeP ? Why don’t you write a fanzine instead of a webzine ?

That is a question I have in my mind too. I would love to write a fanzine like yours. I need to get organized with my time first, but that’s a project I want to do in the near future. There isnt a good reason for why I haven’t done it yet aside from me getting busier with the labels, my studies and my job.

Mira el Pendulo as I said is going for it’s third anniversary. We do interviews, reviews and sometimes some little essays. There have been several contributors during this time, but none can keep with the fast pace I have of a daily band review. So they usually leave. The only one that has been with me for a long time and still is, is Romina, from Buenos Aires. She’s lovely, when she is not writing she is correcting all my grammar mistakes haha.

The zine was created as a response to the multiplying mp3 blogs in English and the almost non-existant in Spanish. I was a bit annoyed that most blogs in English are very anglo-centric, I would never see a review of an Indonesian band, or a Brazilian band, so this is a response to that. I embrace all pop bands, from every corner. I love that! I think indiepop is a global thing.

8 – Have you ever been in a band or wanted to ?

I want to start a band. I just dont know people that will play with me! I want that badly, I love writing songs. I had three band experiences. With the first two I had some compilation releases in my country, Peru. Both of them on compilations by indie magazine “69”. The first band was called Demolicion! (name taken from a huge Peruvian garage hit by Los Saicos – that’s the 60s) and we played Spanish 80s punk-pop in the vein of Los Nikis. That was 2002. In 2004 I formed with other friends Los Rebeldes Walkie Talkie, a twee-punk outfit that sounded in between Bearsuit and Your Place or Mine, that time I had such a great time. The name is a homage to the terrific Hello Cuca! from Spain. Last year again with some other friends we formed Aguacate Nena! a more poppy band but it didn’t work out, after two months of rehearsals and no recordings, we split. Now I’m looking to form a new band.

9 – The most perfect pop song in the world for you is ?

What a difficult question! I’ll answer you from the top of my head as I think that would be the most honest thing to do, Hey Paulette – I Really Do Love Penelope. Like One Thousand Violins and You Should All be Murdered have to come very near to perfection for me too.

10 – What’s coming out in the next months on Plastilina and Cloudberry ?

On Plastilina The Occasional Flickers album should be released in mid July. It’s a jangle pop band from Greece, though the main member has just moved to Edinburgh. If you like The Lucksmiths, Another Sunny Day or This Happy Feeling bands, this is for you. After that Kawaii’s second album and St. Christopher Sarah Years retrospective should be out this year.

Cloudberry is very very very busy. I haven’t given details to anybody about the future releases as I keep this very quiet, but as this is a fanzine, and I LOVE fanzines (there’s nothing like printed paper!), I’ll give you a list of some future releases that are confirmed! The Westfield Mining Disaster, The Morning Paper, Twig, Robert Church & The Holy Community, Bedroom Eyes, Scottish Polis Inspectors, Hari and Aino, The Local Heroes, Signed Papercuts, Matador Jose, The Electric Pop Group and many many more!

11 – What do you enjoy to do outside the labels and Mira el Pendulo ? What are your hobbies ?

The other passion I have is football. I love it. I even love playing videogames like Pro Evolution Soccer. That’s my favourite one! I play with Arsenal and for a time I was first place in the online ranking of XBOX… then I moved and as the XBOX was my roomates I dont play online anymore. I love reading and watching movies. French Cinema is what I like the most. And Im not saying this because Anorak City is French! I love Eric Rohmer’s movies so much. The Antoine Doinel series are great too, I always felt identified with him. And if it’s not a pretty obvious thing to say my main hobby is collecting records.

Now I’m also doing some DJing on Wednesday’s night on a pop party we are throwing every Wednesday, this is a lot of fun too.

12 – The last word…

Merci Fabien so much, it’s been an honor, I never thought I’ll be answering interviews in my life! But if I had to say something I’ll say what lovely Sheggi used to say: DON’T STOP INDIEPOP!

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Now into the obscure, dark, and lost pages of indiepop history. Bands that are forgotten. Names that don’t ring a bell. Places that have been erased from our collective memory. Time to unearth yet another band, The Catchmen.

The sound of seagulls greet us when we start playing the opening song of the one and only 7″ they released. The song, “Everybody’s Looking for the Sun”, has a cheery vibe, beachy even, that reminds some classic guitar pop bands from the late 80s like 35 Summers or The Bloody Marys. A simple but yet effective song with a catchy chorus full of “ta-da-ta-tas” and strong riffs.

The B side, “Wet Than Dry”, is the total opposite. This is a song for winter definitely. The summery feeling is gone, and now the band is in true depression. A sadder tune, less upbeat, they sound heartbroken even.

What does Catchman mean by the way? The dictionary tells us:
one who sorts floating logs according to owner’s mark by deflecting them with a pike pole

Not my area of expertise. Logs? Pike poles? No clue. Must be something people do in the countryside.

The first time I heard this record was the A side on the From a Northern Place blog. Later Joel would send me the B side.

There is no date for the release of this record anywhere although Discogs and 45cat have it listed. We do know though that it was released (most possibly self-released) by Taking Liberties Records. The catalog being TL-1.

I feel it was more of a promo 7″, from the scan on 45cat we see on the back cover a handwritten message saying to ring Dennis if anyone wanted more information. I assume Dennis was part of the band. No other names are associated to this band sadly.

Google doesn’t give any more clues. Possibly the record is quite scarce if it was pressed just for promo. I wonder who knows anything else about them? Where were they from? English possibly, but from which city or town? Did they record more songs? Whatever happened to them?

Would love to know a bit more. Who can do the detective job for me and track them down?

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Listen
The Catchmen – Everybody’s Looking for the Sun

Thanks so much to Graham Wakefield for this interview! The Primary Colours only released one 7″ in 1987, but what a great piece of guitar pop it is! Classic indiepop! These days the members of Primary Colours still go on making music under the name of Wily. You can become a fan on Facebook here. Now enjoy the story behind the music!

++ Hi there! Thanks so much for being up for this interview! So these days you are called Wily and in the late 80s you were The Primary Colours. When did you change names? And what would you say are the main differences between the two bands if any?

We had been playing and recording as The Primary Colours for about 8 years and had given it our best shot to make it professionally. We had received some interest and recognition through the single (Don’t Tell Me) and other demo recordings but had not had the break we were looking for. The live music scene was changing with many venues closing or putting on only tribute bands or Karaoke. We were becoming more disillusioned with the whole music scene and we were at a crossroads. We still wanted to play and record and so we decided to reinvent ourselves again but no longer ‘chase the dream’.

We started to write songs with different influences (including REM, Radiohead, Oasis etc)  but also add more 1960s covers to the set. We became Wily in March 1996…… the same personnel but with a different set and outlook.

++ How did this long lasting friendship start? When and how did you all meet?

Founding members Atheesan Arudsothy and Andy Jackson were at school together and started jamming when they were 13 years old. Graham Wakefield was at the same school but a couple of years below them. He started playing in a band with Atheesan in c1977. Simon Gillmore was playing the drums for a mutual friend’s band and we all at some point played in bands together, although nothing long term. When Atheesan, Andy and Graham decided to put a band together in 1980, they auditioned drummers without success. When they asked Simon to sit in on a rehearsal, the band ‘clicked’ and The Agent Orange was born.

++ I read that your first band was The Agent Orange. What kind of sound did that band have? And are there any recordings from that period?

In 1980 when The Agent Orange formed we were in the post-punk/NewWave era so our music was very influenced by this. The sound was dominated by two thrashing guitars and a driving rhythm. Everything was fast! There are some poor quality recordings from rehearsals around somewhere but we did make one proper demo in 1982 – by which time our sound was evolving and becoming more accomplished. The two demos were ‘You Are’ and ‘Immaterial Matter of Fact’, two of our strongest songs at the time.

++ After that you were involved in a band called The Neutral Zone that were described as The Buzzcocks Chainsaw Romantics. Would you say that this moniker was accurate? And how was the experience with this band?

The Neutral Zone was purely a name change because there was another band on the London circuit called The Agent Orange. The line-up and songs remained the same. One of the cover songs we played at the time was ‘Ever Fallen in Love’ by the Buzzcocks and with the effects pedals that Atheesan was using, the guitar sounded a bit like a grinding saw. This was at the time of the rise of the New Romantics(Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet etc). One promoter at a venue we played coined the term ‘Buzzcocks Chainsaw Romantics’ in an effort to describe our sound. We quite liked it and adopted it.

++ Soon after The Smiths were influencing you and you became a jangly pop act and you rechristened yourselves as The Mock Turtles. Shame was that almost at the same time another band with the same name was being successful in the charts. How did you take that? And just out of curiosity, how did you like the music of the other Mock Turtles?

When Atheesan left the band in early 1985, the sound completely changed (he had all the effects gizmos). We decide to carry on for a while as The Neutral Zone but soon realised that we had to change. The Smiths were a major influence on our writing and so we evolved again. It was when we teamed up with a local singer (Suzanne Murphy) that we decided a name change was appropriate and she christened us The Mock Turtles. We gigged under that name for about 18 months before we became aware of another Indie band with the same name in Manchester. They were having minor success and so we decided it was right to change our name to avoid any confusion. They released a number of singles before having their biggest hit in 1991 with ‘Can You Dig It?’ We liked them.

++ In 1987 finally you took the name The Primary Colours, a name that you would use for the next eight or so years. Who chose the name and what’s the story behind it?

Choosing a name for a band can be really difficult. You need to conjure up an image with a name that fits your music. We wanted something that said ‘Indie’, was light and ‘colourful’. The Primary Colours was the idea of drummer Simon Gillmore and fitted perfectly. There was no real story behind it.

++ For recording your first and only single, the great “Don’t Tell Me” you had to raise 1,000 pounds! How did you mange to do that?

We saved money from gigs and had to dip into our own personal savings. This was a gradual process. We first paid for the recording, then sorted the art work. Later we had enough money to press the single. It took us a few months to complete the project (it’s so much easier and cheaper today!).

++ And how was the experience of recording at Abbey Road Studios. Was it how you expected it to be?

The recording was made at another studio but it was the post-production and single pressing that was done at Abbey Road. We spent a day there and were very conscious of the heritage of the studios. Everyone we met was friendly and we were shown the studio where The Beatles recorded most of their material. We also walked across the famous Zebra Crossing! It was a great day out

++ Do tell me about gigs. Did you play many in this period? And which were your favourite ones?

During the late 1980s and early 1990s we were playing the London circuit. Looking back now it seems we were playing all the time but diaries show that there were 2-3 weeks between each gig (which was OK as we all had day jobs to keep). Our favourite venues were The Tramshed (a local venue) and The Cricketers. Both were regular venues where we were top billing and played with some really good bands.

++ About the single, care telling me a bit about each of the songs in it? What’s the story behind them?

‘Don’t Tell Me’ has two themes. One is the obvious break-up of a relationship (which is what most people get). However, it is also about (Graham’s) frustration with previous lost opportunities by youth culture down the decades i.e. the Hippies and the Punks. They started with great promise and desire to change the world but failed miserably: “Now the party’s over, you can walk away and leave me standing here to face another day”. Our songs often had a political subtext and ‘Happy All the Time’ was one of those – an anti-Thatcher song set to a jangly pop tune. People thought it was a love song but we were really being ironic.

++ From what I’ve read there were other recordings by the band like “Visions of Yesterday” or “When the People Come”. Why didn’t you get the chance to release more records?

Back in the 1980s and 1990s it was very expensive in real terms to make decent recordings and this was a major factor in not recording as much as we would have liked. As for putting out a single, without a sponsor, this was just too costly. Therefore, we used recordings purely as demos to get live work. We recorded about 30 demos in all.

++ And how many more unreleased songs of The Primary Colours are still waiting to see the light of day?

There are probably about 15-20 recordings that have never been heard other than by friends and followers who bought them (on tape) or by people at the gigs at the time.

++ From all your songs, which would you say make you the proudest and why?

That is a very hard question to answer because each is special at the time of recording. We made some really good demos (at least we think so) of which we are very proud when we listen back. Extracts of a couple of these are available on our website. However, our most recent work ‘Judy’s Smile’ is something we feel very proud of. ‘Mixed Messages’ is one track that we all like. It can be heard on YouTube.

++ I’m quite curious about the incident with Guy Chadwick from the House of Love. You used to call him Mr Potato Head, is that so?

We supported the House of Love in c1988. At the sound check the promoter and bass player approached us and asked if the band could use our bass amp as theirs had blown. We agreed. Guy Chadwick was playing pool and drinking close by. He didn’t hear this conversation. The promoter then asked us if there was any gear we needed to borrow. Chadwick heard this and without looking up said ’we don’t lend our gear to anyone’. We replied, ‘that works both ways’ and left the bar. The promoter and bass player came after us and pleaded with us to borrow the bass amp and apologised for Chadwick’s behaviour. We agreed to let them borrow the amp but said in so uncertain terms what we thought of Chadwick!  Close up he looked like Mr Potatoe Head and so that is what we discourteously dubbed him. He didn’t speak to us all night and got very drunk before playing. They were well below their par that night and we got a much better reception from the audience.

++ You joined the South East London Music Collective in 1990. What were the pros and cons (if any) of joining? With them you released two songs, “Chasing the Rainbow” and “The Lion’s Share”,  on a compilation CD. I’ve never heard these two songs sadly, so if possible, tell me the story behind them two?

There were no cons. It was getting increasingly difficult to get gigs in London as many venues were closing or charging bands to play. The Collective sought out venues and promoted gigs. It was a bands ‘self-help’ organisation. The Collective put on some great gigs, recorded a number of them and produced ‘live’ CDs. They also promoted member bands by putting together a couple of compilation albums to which we were asked to contribute tracks. ‘Chasing the Rainbow’ was about the realisation that our youth (and our dreams) were slipping away (Graham was on the eve of being 30 when he wrote it). ‘The Lion’s Share’ was, for us, an uncharacteristic song about a fractured relationship.

++ In 1995 you decided it was time to stop The Primary Colours and become Wily. What made you take this decision?

I think we cover this in the first question above. It was time to reinvent ourselves again. We wanted to keep playing but couldn’t carry on as we were.

++ Tell me about 2014. Are you planning any gigs this year? And any other future plans for Wily?

As Wily we play regularly. Our live set now consists of 1960s rock covers by The Who, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, The Velvet Undergound, The Stooges, Humble Pie etc. This music is timeless and appeals to a wide age group. People at our gigs range from their 20s to 60s.

In 2013 we completed and produced an album called ‘Judy’s Smile’. This was purely for our own pleasure and creative need and for people who still follow us. It has been received well by those who have heard it. We plan to release tracks from the album on line during this year. We also want to start work on another album and are thinking about themes and songs.

++ For you, what would you say has been the biggest highlight in all these years involved in music?

There has not been a single highlight really. We love playing music and each of our phases have brought different experiences. Abbey Road stands out, so too do some of the recordings we have made. Getting played on the radio and winning a ‘Battle of the Bands’ listener’s poll 3 weeks running on BBC Radio London was special. Headlining some of the bigger venues was also an experience.

We are enjoying playing now more than ever. We are playing for our own enjoyment and not trying to impress anyone and so there is no pressure. When we record, we are free from any pressure to fit into any genre and so this too brings a freedom to experiment and express ourselves. As musicians we have continued to develop and we are always learning new things.

++ Thanks again for this interview, anything else you’d like to add?

If anyone wants to find out more about our 30+ year history, they can go to www.wilytheband.co.uk and/or follow us on Facebook. Thanks for giving us the opportunity to tell our story!

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Listen
The Primary Colours – Don’t Tell Me

As I said on my last post I’m a bit bummed. Feeling like indiepop death is imminent. I know, I’ve said that before a couple of years back, but I feel things are getting harder everyday that passes. Anyways, I don’t want to dwell much on it, so I’ll skip writing a long post. The only news I want you to be aware is that The Rileys CD retrospective album that is part of the Cloudberry Cake Kitchen will finally start shipping next week, on March 5th! Very excited about it!

So, as there is no proper Cloudberry blog post I thought about unearthing an interview I did many years ago for a fanzine called “Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams”. This was a short-lived fanzine that the very nice Amy from Brighton used to make. This was published on their second issue, and I answered these questions on June 8th of 2008. Damn! I’m getting old! I may have changed a bit, and possibly would answer different things for these questions now, but this is how Cloudberry was at that point.

1.When did you get the idea for cloudberry? Did anything in particular inspire you to do it?

The idea must have popped up around December 2006. The inspiration comes directly from 7″ records, I think I kind of give that away on the singles with their wraparound sleeves and tracklisting numbered a1, b1, etc. Of course I was also inspired by Sarah Records and the way that the record label ended up being a ‘collection’ because there’s something that ties it together (being the format, the artwork, their politics, etc etc), and I wanted that as well. I do believe though that the biggest influence to Cloudberry is Heaven Records with it’s DIY and fanzine ethics. That really touched me when I discovered it years ago. The 3″ idea comes from a single by a Spanish band called Bicicross that I received a long time ago… I was stunned and just said to myself, “this idea is fantastic!”, Then I went through the indiepop scrolls haha and I backed myself with the fact that Marsh Marigold had done it before, so it wasn’t that of an odd format.

2.When did cloudberry start operating? Had you put records out before this?

Cloudberry started around January last year (2007) and the first two singles were released on February 1st that year. It all happend quite fast. And yes, I’ve put records out before. I always say that Cloudberry started after a tape I put out on December 2006 that I called C-06. I think that is the seminal release for Cloudberry, there were many bands there that later appeared on the singles. But talking about other records, I run since early 2006 a label back in my home country with my friend Jalito. It’s called Plastilina Records, maybe you’ve heard about it?

3. Do you/ did you ever make music yourself?

Sometimes. I used to make much more music years ago but I admit it wasn’t the greatest stuff ever. I never got around to do proper recordings either butI got some of those demos released back home, in Peru, in a couple of compilations.

4.How did cloudberry get noticed to begin with?

I don’t really know. I think the first important write up came out from Magnus on indie-mp3. I always believed if the music is good that’s the best promotion, then people will spread the word. I think that’s what happened.

5.How do you arrange getting the artwork done? Do you do that yourself, when the bands aren’t supplying it, or do you have a designer?

Artwork is super important for me so Im very picky and careful with it. Usually I give the option to the band if they want to do it or not. Of course I have to approve the final look, but really, I haven’t had any problems with any of their designs so far. Maybe a little fix here, a little one there, but that’s about it. Also if they want a designer/illustrator to do it, that’s fine with me. I believe in bands having control over their releases. If they don’t feel like they could do the artwork I can handle it. Either I do it myself or I have a designer to do it. Ah! Im a designer by profession if that makes some more sense 🙂

6.What’s your dayjob?

Im a graphic designer/illustrator at the newspaper.

7.What was your favourite band as a kid?

Haha, it was a band from Chile called Los Prisioneros. I guess that doesn’t ring a bell at all!!

8.What was the first gig you went to?

A Spanish pop band called Christina y los Subterraneos, can’t remember the year, must have been early 90s… I still have good memories of that and I still have their records.

9.Favourite records?

That’s a tough one! From the top of my head, McCarthy’s “The Enraged Will Inherit the Earth’ has to be up there for sure (well, all McCarthy, that’s my favourite band). I really love “Heavenly vs. Satan” by Heavenly, “The Camera Loves Me” by The Would Be Goods, “Nixon” by Jesse Garon and the Desperadoes, all albums by The Hit Parade (Julian Henry is my hero!), “Ducks and Drakes” by Po!, both Magick Heads albums and everything TCR recorded.

10.You’ve put out three 7″s so far. Are they selling well? Do you hope to do more vinyl or are you going to stick with the 3″ cd-r format mainly? Is there anything else you’d like to do with the label?

I plan sticking to the 7″s, that’s for sure. It’s harder because the runs are bigger and that means you have to sell much much more to recover the investment. I think they are selling well, but I still need them to move a little faster, so I could release more 7″s!! I dream of 7″s you know?
Anything else to do? Well, my only aim with the label is to bring people together, tighten a little bit the indiepop community. I’m still looking forward to that… and I believe this past year was pretty healthy for indiepop, I like to believe I had some influence in that.

11. Is it difficult to make it work financially?

If you are into making money it may be well very difficult, if you are just about having fun it shouldn’t be.

12.How many releases have you had so far?

haha, I’ve lost the count… more than a hundred for sure.

13. Do you think this is something you’ll want to continue doing for a long time?

Releasing records, yes! I wish that was my full time job!

14. Do bands approach you about getting a release on cloudberry or do you go to them?

Most times it’s me approaching them. There have been a couple that approached me and I liked, but most of the ones that approach me are far away from what I want to release. I think it’s all myspace fault!

15. Do you like candy? If so what’s your favourite?

Im not a sweet person haha but I do love green apple lollipops… I love them!

16. Do you have any pets?

Nope

17. Is a cloudberry a real fruit?

It is! As far as I know it grows in Sweden, Norway, Finland… the north of Canada and even in Britain! It grows wildly though… but there’s cloudberry jam (and there’s a band with that name too!) which is very popular in Scandinavia.

18.What’s your favourite thing about having a record label? And a not so great aspect?

Favourite thing is meeting new people everyday and talking about my favourite music with them. The not so great? Mmm, a distribution system like the Cartel would be nice, but that’s too much to ask nowadays…. we need some distribution punch, all of the little labels, but there isn’t. But no complains really, having a record label is great, I totally recommend everyone to do it!

19. Do you have any hobbies outside music?

Im a big football fan and I like playing pro evolution soccer as well, Im pretty good, always on the top of the online ranking (!!). I love literature and cinema as well. Im a bookworm! And that’s about it, I hope there was more spare time for me!

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The Worry Dolls. Been meaning to investigate them for some time now. A band that a lot of C86 collectors have in their radar. I haven’t had the chance yet to get their record. It’s a bit elusive. At least for me. I can’t pay 40 pounds for a record. Feels kind of bad you know. I think the most I ever paid was 25 pounds plus postage. Now I prefer to avoid those prices! Especially with postage being ridiculous once again from UK.

So what the hell is a Worry Doll? Wikipedia enlightens me:
Worry dolls (muñecas quitapenas), or trouble dolls, are very small and colorful dolls traditionally made in Guatemala. A person (usually a child) who cannot sleep due to worrying can express their worries to a doll and place it under their pillow before going to sleep. Some medical centers use them in conjunction with treatment for disease in children. According to folklore, the doll is thought to worry in the person’s place, thereby permitting the person to sleep peacefully. The person will wake up without their worries, which have been taken away by the dolls during the night. Parents may remove the doll during the night, reinforcing the child’s belief that the worry is gone. Some parents involve the child in making the dolls to further increase the psychological benefits of releasing worries, and instructions may be found online.

Interesting. These guys behind the band must have traveled to Guatemala perhaps. Or maybe they had Guatemalan family? It’s a bit of an obscure reference, isn’t it?

They released as far as I know one 7″ on their own Jebel Records (catalog WD1). The band I’m pretty sure is from the UK but the record was printed in France. It was released in 1989. And included three songs: “Happy Families”, “John John”, and “Diamond Mine.”

“Happy Families” starts with distorted riffs and then gets into a fun chorus of Coca-Colas, Big Macs and more. Who does it remind me? Perhaps the fabulous The Man from Delmonte! One of my favourite bands of course!

“John John” is a somber track in comparison. Girl vocals for this one. Sounds more like early 80s than late 80s. It has a more of a post-punk feel than an indiepop one, thanks to the keyboard arrangements.

And then the other B side, “Diamond Mine” closes with a melancholic note this 7″. It’s perhaps the most exotic track of the record too as it has a little reggae vibe to it.

There are some credits on the back sleeve. Do they shed any light?
Thanks to: Pez (sax), Gesh (guitar), Horace at H.A.M.M.A., Sam, Ivor, and Chris (of The Backward Squares).
Engineer: Kieron.

Not sure what H.A.M.M.A. means. Perhaps a studio?  And I assume The Backward Squares were a band. Though Google has nothing at all about them.

An interesting fact is that this record was cut by legendary cutting engineer George Peckham (Porky) as it’s stated in the matrix for the A side, “A Porky Prime Cut”. A classic indeed.

And this is exactly when I hit a wall. There are no band members names. There is absolutely nothing else about the band. This is where I lose their trail. But I reckon that someone out there might know something about them? May know their whereabouts? If they recorded any more music perhaps? Anyone is up to doing the Sherlock job?

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Listen
The Worry Dolls – Happy Families

Thanks so much to Mark Narkowicz for the interview! The Fish John West Reject were a fantastic band in Australia during the 80s! They started first in Tasmania and then moved to Melbourne to make a splash releasing a couple of albums and many singles. Before reading the interview I will point you all to visit their Facebook page where you can order by messaging the band the reissued “SWIM” album. Also you better become a fan of them there! Now that you’ve done that, sit back, read and enjoy!

++ Hi Mark! Thanks so much for being up for this interview. I guess the first question is pretty obvious, where does the name of the band come from? I’ve always been curious!

You’re welcome Roque. Very pleased to be on board. When we started, we were members of a Pentecostal church in Launceston, and our performances were very much (what was called) an ‘outreach’. We were trying to play a part in converting people to Christianity. So, when we were rehearsing as a 2-piece one afternoon in Mark Adams’ flat we were desperate to find a name because we had a gig coming up very soon, and we didn’t want to be called “Mark Adams and Mark Narkowicz”. Mark’s girlfriend Lisa was hanging out with us and she suggested the name “The Fish John West Reject” when a John West ad came on the telly. We were gobsmacked.

++ You have just reissued the “Swim” album. It was released in 1989 as LP and cassette and it’s not even listed on Discogs. Why the decision to reissue this particular album? o What’s Discogs?

Well, the SWIM album was truly an independent release and definitely what we were about in 1988. We had a collection of songs we wanted to release and we didn’t know where it fitted into what was happening in Australian music in 1988. ‘Acoustic Pop Thrashabilly was our guiding principle. We knew no one would put it out and we knew people would love it because we had a whole lot of people attending our gigs. When we recorded the album we were about to reach a peak and were definitely on a roll… it was a significant time in music. Recordings were being released on (1) vinyl (2) vinyl and cassette (3) vinyl, cassette and this new thing called CD – very exclusive to bands on major labels. So – we released our album on vinyl and cassette. We also made the good decision to purchase the multi-track tapes on which the album was recorded. A lot of moolah at the time for an indie band. So, it had never been released digitally…and the opportunity arose when an old friend (Marshall Cullen) suggested a digital re-issue.

++ There’s a pretty extensive biography on your Facebook page, so I’ll try to fill in the gaps with my questions. Before being in FJWR you were in a band called The Deaf Lepers. Who were they? Did you record or release anything with this band?

The Lepers were my first ever band. A cover band who wrote the occasional original number. We were testing the waters…we played in Hobart and were hooking into the voodoo psychobilly thing…doing covers by The Cramps, The Scientists, Hoodoo Gurus, Buddy Holly. All the brainchild of Tom Loncar, an old school chum who went on to do great things in the Sydney Garage scene with the Intercontinental Playboys – look them up! We made a few desk recordings which were put out on cassette. Our set included the first song I ever wrote, ‘Swampman’ which I play to my students now (I’m a Primary School Music Teacher). I left The Lepers because I moved from Hobart to Launceston to study. The Lepers were also part of an underground thing in Hobart…I remember it being exciting but scary. Goths and punks – y’know? But also Tom would say to me “Come and see this Andy Warhol movie called Flesh for Frankenstein” and he would introduce me to early 1950’s garage music. This was a huge influence on the Fish…

++ Then you met the other Mark, Mark Adams. How was that encounter? And did the band happened immediately after?

At this stage I had moved to Launceston – the second largest city in Tasmania. With Mark (aka ‘Warky’) I remember setting eyes upon him at a church I started to attend. I’d just been converted to Christianity in a Pentecostal sense. Mark was part of the same church – he was a youth worker and very mysterious. He had corkscrew hair like Marc Bolan and had a beautiful Maton acoustic guitar. When I heard him play harmonica I was captivated. I had never heard live harmonica before and Warky played it like he was speaking. Wark was older than me by a few years, so he was more mature in relationships and outlooks on life. He was very comfortable with relating to younger people and had a fearless approach to life. We hooked up on a number of levels including environmental / political issues which were significant in Tasmania at the time. Musically Wark had a background in the folk / troubadour tradition and I had been influenced by New Wave, Punk, Ska, Psychobilly. Through him, I was introduced to the music of Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Sonny & Brownie and vice versa.

++ The band started in Tasmania and then moved to Melbourne. I know of many bands that crossed the strait as you. Definitely Melbourne had the bigger scene, but was there anything good at all about playing in Hobart?

Hobart is the capital city of Tasmania, so you always aspire to playing in the capital. Hobart had more venues to play in and definitely had a more eclectic, open-minded audience. Hobart had a vibrant university scene and this certainly helped us build our audience. It was much easier to get a gig in Hobart. We followed the lead of The Odolites and Wild Pumpkins at Midnight in deciding to move to Melbourne. It was an ‘all or nothing’ approach. We gave ourselves a time-frame and thought ‘let’s have a crack – see how it goes’.

++ This might be a strange question, but in your Facebook biography you mention the church and it’s connection helping you. It’s not that common to hear an indie band involved with the church. How was that relationship?

That is how we started. Tim (our first drummer) and Andrew (our bass player) were connected to us through Christian circles. Graham (our drummer) joined us through the same connections. Christian folk music was a huge part of what we were about. We wanted to play songs with a gospel message but we had an intense dislike for modern Christian music. We actively sought out folk / acoustic songs to play with a gospel / humanitarian message, so we were drawn to American folk music by Woody Guthrie, Johnny Cash, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, The Weavers, Pete Seeger. Later on we were introduced to Violent Femmes and T-Bone Burnett…didn’t look back after that. The relationship with the church was difficult. We were advised to listen to music that was the Christian ‘equivalent’ to the bands we knew and loved. We had people in our ears all the time advising us to play this or that. We naturally separated ourselves from the church and did our own thing, because we never wanted to be part of the Christian’ Music scene. After the band broke up, I returned to Launceston to complete my studies. The very afternoon I returned, I was accosted in the Launceston Mall by a young girl who proceeded to tell me I’d made a wrong move and was going to hell, along with my buddies. Wrote a song about that later on!

++ You describe yourselves as Acoustic-Pop-Thrashabilly. Care to tell me more about this description? Who were the main influences for you guys?

‘APT’ was a term Andrew came up with and it was pretty honest and accurate because there was simply no other music like ours at the time. We took a blend of American folk, Australian folk, psychobilly, Blues, rockabilly, post-punk English pop and played it all in a busking style with acoustic instruments. Many of our songs were covers of old traditional songs but we also wrote a number of songs in this style. I guess the main influences were: Woody Guthrie, The Incredible String Band, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Violent Femmes, The Housemartins, The Cramps, Jonathan Richman and Orange Juice

++ Tell me about the recruiting process for the rest of the band? How did the original lineup of the FJWR happened?

In a nutshell…Tim joined on drums in the early days to make a 3-piece. Andrew joined on acoustic bass and introduced us to The Femmes and The Housemartins. After a break, we moved to Melbourne and Graham (The Odolites) joined us on drums. That became the classic line-up. Wark left and was replace by Martin. Andrew left to be replaced by Michael – hence the shift to power pop. Graham left to be replaced by Stan. I’m thinking “They all hate me” and then we split up. Of course, that is not the case…Wark, Andrew and Graham all love me and I love them.

++ You played a bunch of gigs, but I wonder, for you, what were the best and why? Best crowd? best venue? best supporting band?

So many gigs Roque…so many venues etc. But I guess the best for me all occurred on one night in Perth (Western Australia). We’d travelled for 2 or 3 days to get to Perth, the played at this joint called The Stoned Crow. Supporting us were ‘Something’s Come A Gutsa’, a 3-piece featuring the original AC/DC bass player, an electric guitarist playing killer licks and an outrageous singer who played a snare drum strapped around his neck. They played all original songs and were a bit like Talking Heads and Timbuk 3. The crowd was perfect – there were beautiful young women, lots of dancing, mulled wine…a beautiful welcome to The West. We returned many times to Perth and it was our favourite spot to tour. We reached #1 in Perth!

++ In 1986 you record “Canned”. This was released as a tape only. Any plans to reissue this one? As I’m not familiar with it, how was your experience recording it, and which songs were included?

Wonderful recording experience! Certainly my and Wark’s first experience. It was done in Boat Harbour on the NW coast of Tasmania, in a country cottage over a weekend…overlooking the pastures and the sea. My family goes there for holidays every year. All recorded on Tascam cassette 4-track. It was a full album of material, with mostly original songs and covers which included Dustbowl Refugee (Woody Guthrie) Muleskinner Blues (Jimmy Rogers) and Resting in Your Love (Iva Twydell, once a member of After The Fire) Definitely no plans to re-issue this one. There is a major cringe factor, but if anyone would like to release one of these songs on a comp, we would be happy to oblige because one or two songs actually scrub up OK. With this tape we made around 100 copies and did a re-press!

++ I read that during a festival in Canberra you met an Andrew that fed you with mixtapes songs by Aztec Camera, Orange Juice and more. Who is this mysterious character with great taste? 

This man of mystery is our bass player, Andrew Viney who is also familiar to you through his work with Tender Engines. He put us on a diet of Orange Juice, Aztec Camera, Housemartins, Violent Femmes, Jazz Butcher and Bluebells. Very sexy.

++ In 88 you record another tape, “Shy But Wild”. How was the process of making these cassettes? Where you copying them one by one? What about the artwork? And how many copies were you doing at that time?

The Fish were well and truly a full-time kick-ass concern at this time. We recorded a bunch of songs live during a stint in Adelaide at the Fringe Festival. We played 21 shows in 28 days and became pretty tight. We recorded Shy But Wild at the New Century Hotel on a Tascam 4-track. We put a few songs on Side B recorded as demos for the SWIM album.

++ Next year, in 1989, you release the Swim album. 5,000 copies are sold. For today’s standards for an indie band, that’s quite big! Who released this album? I assume you got good distribution, right? And how auspicious were the reviews? Were you happy with the end result?

The SWIM album was released on Vinyl and Cassette. It was a purely independent release. We funded it and the distributor was Musicland. Andrew Lethborg (The Odolites) worked for Musicland and he did a great job in getting our album into shops. We also sold a lot of albums at gigs. But the indie stores really did get our album out to the public. When the band split up, there were some pop connections in Japan (via Sweden) who picked up the SWIM album – kind of kept the fire burning. Kei Nakamura and Lars Wenker. BIG UP to those guys. I remember the reviews of SWIM being positive, fair, but not glowing. We were very pleased with the result because we did the whole thing in 3 days and it captured what we were about. We made the decision to spend money on a good studio and a good engineer. But it also meant we were exposed warts and all with our songs, our playing and our naivety. We also made the good decision to purchase the multi-track recording tapes – the wonderful thing about being independent. So, having the opportunity to remix after so many years has meant the album has been improved.

++ Same year the “Left” 7″ is released with it’s hand-drawn artwork. Who made the cover art?

Mark Adams did the cover art for Left / Childless Mother. We then organised an evening where friends of the band came around to Wark’s ‘cave’ to colour in the artwork with crayons and water colours. So, every single was individually coloured in…that happened as well with the re-pressing.

++ After this release you end up signing to a bigger label in Australia. Shock. How did that happen? Was it just a phone call or what?

Well, by this stage the band had changed line-up. Wark had left the band and went on to form Hurdy Gurdy / Slurper. Martin Witheford joined on guitar and Michael (brother of Martin) joined soon after when Andrew left the band. Shock was making a big impact in Australia with their links to Creation, Beggars Banquet, 4AD. They were in a good position to sign local artists and were willing to take a punt. They were champions of promoting new Australian music and we were lucky enough to be on their radar. Shock allowed us to release our 2nd album on 3 formats – CD, Vinyl and cassette…not to mention doing a 12” vinyl release. Doesn’t happen for an indie band these days! It wasn’t just a phone call – there was a mutual respect. Shock knew us in a local sense because there was a nice little bit of fuss about The Fish locally, and Shock was very much about supporting and nurturing local artists. We came to a nice arrangement – punky and very respectful.

++ With them as far as I know you released 2 7″s and the Fin album. How do you remember this period? Would you say that your sound has changed a lot from the first recordings? I read many fans weren’t pleased of a sudden chance to power pop

The change in line-up certainly meant a change in our fan base – but it brought new fans in, and we still managed to get amazing exposure through doing some really big support shows. Our album FIN was well-reviewed by the Australian and English music press. Now, the sound of the album is quite dated, but the songs are still really cool. The period was exciting and new, but also sad because Warky, Andrew and eventually Graham had left. The line-up completely changed. With the second line-up, we were very focused on melody and current sounds. Primal Scream, The Wonderstuff, Pop Will Eat Itself, Ride, Jesus & Mary Chain, Jesus Jones, The Pixies were all big influences

++ And all in all, with such a vast discography, what would you say were your favourite songs that you penned? And why?

Thankyou for asking this question about my songwriting. My favourite songs overall would have to come from the songwriting period with The Dunaways…who are also TFJWR as we speak. From the FISH period, as a young songwriter, I would say The Orchard – a 12/8 timing with diminished chords which managed to get us on to the telly. I liked this because it was heart-felt and written in a moment of desperation. Very quickly penned …then She’s In France which was a very Nikki Sudden (Jacobites) inspired thing. Nikki was a revelation because of his distinctive voice and his minimalistic approach. Terrible News on the FIN album was enjoyable because it was truly a songwriting collaboration with Michael Witheford in a Power Pop style. Lights Out Over Launceston was special because it mentioned our town. It also summed up our fast, pop, acoustic style. The lyric has a slight cringe factor but it is also a watershed moment for me where the lyric had a bit of ambiguity.

++ While on the Fish, you were also making music with the band The Outstanding Amount. Tell me a bit more about this project? What happened to it?

TOA happened with Michael Witheford (bass) and Rod Fulton (drums). It was an ‘hiatus’ thing where Michael was taking a break, and the (early) Fish were taking a break, Michael was a huge influence on me as a young feller because he had his own bands that I would go & see. He introduced me to countless songs, bands and styles. We formed a 3-piece that focused on very simple songs to please a student / alternative audience in a conservative Tasmanian town. It was a way to keep playing, experimenting and work with new collaborators, We played songs by The Femmes, the Beatles, The Cramps, The Box Tops, The Kinks…lots of “THE” bands. We also worked on revolutionising the gig…charging no particular amount on the door – rather, a donation depending on circumstances…”The Outstanding Amount” – I LOVE you have asked a question about this group!

++ But these days, looking back at the late 80s, how do you think your songs have aged? And what would you say were the biggest highlights for the band?

Well, I think the SWIM songs have aged pretty well, after having been through the re-mixing process. The songs were naïve then and they still are now. The remixing has allowed the acoustic charm to come through. Bottom line is, they are very listenable. The songs from the FIN album are fantastic – tuneful and well performed. However they suffer because of the dodgy production and we will never be able to fix that. Bummer…they are unlistenable!

Some of the biggest highlights for us were playing the opening support for some of our heroes – Violent Femmes and The Chills for example. We also opened for UB40 in stadiums – that was mind-blowing (but they were never our heroes – we got kicked off the tour!) Other highlights included the favourable press we received, good reviews in the English Press (Melody Maker & Sounds) launching JJJ radio in Hobart, reaching #1 in Perth (album and single at the same time) and the generous drinks rider at The Shenton Park Hotel in Perth. There are so many others.

Not to mention appearing on Countdown!!!

++ And so, when and why did you decided to split? And what happened after to the members of the band?

We decided to split because we had our lives to go on with. We decided to split in 1991. Interest from major labels had dried up and we always wanted to sign with a major. Plus, we had been through too many line-up changes…we were confused, our fans were confused and we had lives to go on with. Plus we were in debt and we’d had enough.

++ Then in 2007 you decided to make a comeback and play some gigs. What spurred this decision? And how was having all the guys back on stage?

Around that time we all found ourselves in the same city (Melbourne) again. We still liked writing songs, we were still friends and we liked playing together. We called ourselves The Dunaways and we did some lo-fi alt-country things. We became involved with a lovely local independent record label (Croxton Records) who were all about songs and tunes. Being back on stage was great and we felt a bit more grown up…but no pressure to succeed or impress. It was a far more organic venture. We all got along well too. Weirdly, there is a Christian band called The Dunaways in USA. So we get many mis-directed messages from people saying how much we have blessed their lives. With songs like ‘Country Drink Song”? No blessings there – only curses.

++ I feel I’ve asked too many questions! But there’s so much to cover, but two more, I promise! So you made a promo video for “Left”, how did you enjoy recording? and if you were to choose a song that didn’t get the video treatment, which one would that be?

You haven’t asked enough questions Roque!!! The vid for LEFT was awesome because it was our first clip, plus it was done on proper film – B&W super 8. Very grainy and in the editing was properly spliced with a splicing machine…it also captures Melbourne in the mid 1980’s – the cars, the streetscapes, the fashion. This video was literally’ lost’ for many years because in the days before digital trickery things were very different…we relied on some guy to perform the ‘film meets the music’ editing job, and he didn’t come through. Years later we were able to easily match the film to the music through digital means. The little girl (Bree) in the video clip was one of my students at a local primary school in 1988. She recently saw the video on Youtube for the first time and got in touch with us. She’s now 33 years old! If there’s a song that would benefit from video treatment? Geez mate…probably ‘Sick Inside’ from the FIN album…a well-produced Jesus and Mary Chain-esque ballad. We would have loved the big hair treatment, the eyeliner, the posing…Martin would have loved showing off his Gretsch White Falcon and the girls would have swooned over mysterious Graham with his leathers and locks and Michael’s pout.

++ And the last question is how was the experience of appearing on national TV on Countdown Revolution?? Was it how you expected it to be?

It really was superb and tinged with controversy! On this particular day the two presenters were taking industrial action against the ABC – they asked us to boycott our spot on National TV – we had a quick pow–wow and decided against it. We loved the effort that was put into our performance…the set that had been constructed, the video footage that had been shot. It was all very exciting indeed. The band was in an interesting stage then. Mark had left, Martin had joined, we’d just supported UB40 on a national tour and were about to support Violent Femmes. Andrew had left the band but he appeared in the video miming the harmonica and looking fantastic…a show of support from him. It was unforgettable Roque, and a moment to treasure. Thankyou for reminding us!

++ Thanks a lot Mark! Anything else you’d like to ask?

Well, there is a rock trivia quiz show in Australia called ‘Rock Wiz’…does your name ‘Roque Ruiz’ have any connection?

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The Fish John West Reject – Left

So close to March. So close of me being 30. It’s an interesting feeling. I did want to celebrate happily and in a special way my 29th birthday, because in my mind it was the last year of my youth. For my 30th I haven’t planned much aside from organizing something with friends and beers, like if I’m not that excited to reach the big thirty. Which is kind of dumb perhaps, I remember Nana’s 30th party in Hamburg, one of the best nights in my life, and most possibly one of the best ones for her definitely. That night is for me legendary now, including the best crowd and the best music you could think of. Why didn’t I copy and organize something like that? I want to blame it to me being lazy, not wanting to spend my birthday organizing something and taking care of things, of bands, of sound systems, and stuff. I wanted not to worry. Maybe this is a trait of me becoming older? Being a bit more selfish in that sense? I wonder.

Also I have to say I’m not that keen on DJing anymore. It’s more fun to dance. Of course, you need a person with fantastic taste so I can dance like a madman, one that plays the songs that “talk about my life”.  I have friends that can do that, friends with pristine taste. Not that many in New York, true, but nonetheless, I could enjoy a night of cheesy songs too. My love for Roxette or Vengaboys is something I’ve never hid. The only DJ gig that I still want to do is the one at Indietracks. I know that it will be hard for me to be picked, especially for my now famous and also uncomfortable indiepop militant stand, but I trust that it will happen. I’ve always delivered dancing and stomping dancefloors. One of the things I’m proud of.

And talking about being proud of, today I announced a new release on the label. Though the band made a comeback two years ago this is their recording comeback, with new songs. I’m talking of stuff of indiepop legend, of indiepop history, of indiepop heroes. I’m talking about a 4 song 7″ vinyl EP by the might THE HAYWAINS!!!!

Albeit I knew about this release for some months now, we kept it secret until now, especially as the date of the release date is on May 30th, the day of a very important gig for them! The information and a pre-order button are now up on the Cloudberry site. The 7″ EP includes the songs:
a1. It’s Time We Stopped Pretending
a2. Badgerline Day Return
b1. The Rebels With Good Intentions
b2. Let’s Twist! (The Knife In My Heart)

An interesting fact for you all: ‘Badgerline Day Return’ is a song the band were playing live back in 1989. The song never got recorded at the time, yet it remained one of The Haywains favourites, and it has at last being recorded!

To my surprise the music doesn’t sound like what many of you might expect: “mature and boring”. It sounds fresh! It sounds like if The Haywains had never left. This sounds circa 1991. Glory days! Just give it a try, you can download the first song of the record from our site. And on our Soundcloud you can listen to “Badgerline Day Return.”

I’m so very happy to announce this record, and I hope you all love it! It will be our last 500 copy 7″ too, because after it we’ll be making smaller numbers to catch up with these modern times. So kind of a landmark this Haywains return.

I can’t explain the excitement I feel. I’ve been a Haywains fan for years. Tracking all their releases. I traveled all the way to Spain to see them at Madrid Popfest last year, and what a concert it was. They were so true to their hearts. I had to fight and push to get their setlist. It was amazing! And to remember the day in Bristol, at the Mother’s Ruin, at a Big Pink Cake party, when I met Paul Towler for the first time. For a few minutes. So long ago. And having worked twice with him in his other project, The Westfield Mining Disaster, to now being able to release one of my favourite bands from the period. This is why I love having a label, this is why I love indiepop, because things like these happen!

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Changing a bit the subject now, the classic obscure band of the week section. The one that half of the readers care for (ha ha ha).

We stay in the UK. But exactly where inthe UK, I don’t know. Playing Soldiers they didn’t release anything, but the one song on a compilation. The compilation I’m talking about was “Shift the Shift” and was released in 1984 by Shift Records. Here is the first clue perhaps, it says that the whole record was rorded at Palladium Studios, Edinburgh but track B6 recorded at Berkeley St. Studios. Track B6 was by one Robert Henry.

I don’t own the compilation yet, but the prices don’t seem expensive, so I might as well get it after finishing writing this blog post. I’m curious though if it’s worth it. I don’t know the rest of the bands but Chewy Raccoon. They are alright, guitar pop, but wouldn’t say indiepop really. You can listen to one of their songs here. Chewy Raccoon released a 12″ with this label in 1985 (Shift 003).

This compilation came out in 1984 and was the first release of the label, being catalog SHIFT 001. What was SHIFT 002? I have no clue. The other bands in this label sampler were: Mo and The Souvenirs, West of Sunset, Earthworks, Simone Lahbib, Anne Turner, and the aforementioned Robert Henry.

The song that Playing Soldiers contributed to this compilation was “Thought for Walking”. It was the fifth track on the A side. From the credits we learn that Playing Soldiers were Gordon Keen, Jim Lambie, Mark Tuffley, Nick Quail and Stephen Davis. Not sure which instruments each of them played. It doesn’t say on the back sleeve photo of them.

The only other song I know by them is a better one, “Corner of My Mind”. This should have been their single I’d say. This song I first heard on Myspace some time  ago, and I grin seeing it in that monolithic site. It’s a fantastic piece of jangle, ahead of the game, ahead of their C86 peers. Somewhere in between The Room and The High Five perhaps?! Timeless pop that has been lost in time. Judge for yourself!

Edit!

Seems I didn’t do my homework that well. My friend Andreas from Hamburg just pointed me that:

Playing Soldiers predated BMX Bandits, The Soup Dragons, Boy Hairdressers, Teenage Fanclub, Captain America and Eugenius:

Gordon Keen – Playing Soldiers, BMX Bandits, Captain America, Eugenius (see also http://www.discogs.com/Gordon-Keen-And-His-BMX-Bandits-Gordon-Keen-And-His-BMX-Bandits/master/252839 and http://zenandjuice.com/music/teenage_fanclub/text/bmxbandits.txt)

Jim Lambie – Playing Soldiers, The Boy Hairdressers, Jim Lambie (solo, one 7″)

Nick Quail – Playing Soldiers, The Soup Dragons, BMX Bandits, Teenage Fanclub

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Playing Soldiers – Corner of My Mind

A strong feeling that something is about to happen, esp. something unpleasant.

I’m suddenly changing my idea of going to China in autumn, postponing it for next spring, and instead going to Germany. Thing is Throw That Beat in the Garbagecan, one of my favourite bands ever is doing a reunion gig in Berlin for their 20th anniversary. I’ve always said that McCarthy is my favourite band, and it is. But before I even knew McCarthy I was already in love with the German outfit. Can I consider them a second favourite band then? Possibly yes. That would be very fair, and it’s not like I like just 10 or 20 bands. I like hundreds, thousands. So they are very very dear to me.

To be honest I don’t remember how I heard about them first. The year must have been 2003. I was young. Younger than now. I was 19 back then. I had just moved to Texas that winter. At that time I hadn’t even started blogging as Mira el Péndulo. I was on Soulseek though and perhaps it was there that I met them for the first time. I used to hang out in the Twee Folks room, a place I made many great friends, but of course the best being Cris in Spain. Did he introduce them to me? Possibly not. We were mostly gossiping. There were some people that had amazing stuff. I do remember getting the video for “Suburbia” from Chris Jigsaw on Twee Folks. But I’m 100% sure that wasn’t the first time I heard their music.

The fact is in 2004 during a weekend trip with my dad, from San Antonio to Texas, I bought two of their albums. I was still 19, it was winter, and I remember that drive as if it was yesterday. Five hours of talking about football, history and politics, the three topics we usually talk about. My dad is not really a music-fan you see. But he grew up seeing Peru in the world cups unlike me. So he has these vivid memories of the golden age of Peruvian footie. On the highway, passing by outlet malls, ranches, and fast food restaurants, we agreed that at least we were going to go to a record store while in Dallas. We weren’t really going as tourists, my dad had to attend some business there. We didn’t even stop by the Dr. Pepper museum in Waco (I love Dr. Pepper), just to get to Dallas in time.

I don’t remember liking the city much. Just another American city I would say. The food wasn’t that special. I had Mexican food one day, and it wasn’t the best I’ve ever had (arguably the best I’ve had has been in San Diego, I’m yet to visit Mexico). On another day I remember having Brazilian rodizio, all the meats you want, but that is the same every place you go. For that, still the best, the ones I had in Sao Paulo. Anyways. On Sunday morning, after a terrible night sharing room with my dad (he snores heavily), we visited a record store. Problem is now that I don’t remember the name of it. It was in that store that I found the two albums that Throw That Beat released on the American label Spinart: “Large Marge Sent Us” and “The Cool Album”.

They weren’t priced. I took them to the cashier and possibly because he saw I looked a bit out of place he charged me $15 for each. And they were used! Total rip off. But my dad insisted in getting them for me. Happy days. I was just a student and in Texas I hadn’t found a job yet. Now I had to wait until I got back to San Antonio so I could listen to them. I was so eager but I knew I couldn’t play these in the car, my dad would hate me eternally haha.

And so on my old cd-player, the one that lasted almost 10 years (rip 2009), I started a very close relationship with those albums. It was love at first-sight, or listen. I played them over and over for months. Both of them. I rode the bus to university listening to them every single day. At home will I was still honing my skills on Pro Evolution Soccer, I played them. At every moment of the day, I played them. And this went for months. That whole 2004 for me is a year defined by Throw That Beat in the Garbagecan!! I can say their songs always gave a smile to me, and that let me survive a whole year in Texas. That is way too long. Nobody should live for that long there. By 2005 I moved back to Florida and I found a job and well, eventually started buying other records. But, it wasn’t that long that I was going to return to TTB.

My next encounter would be when I visited Germany for the first time. In Essen I stayed with my dear friend Nanita. What a surprise for me that she had a gift for me upon my arrival. What was it? It was the “Tweng” LP on September Gurls. I didn’t know this one existed! There was no Discogs yet, and their discography wasn’t easily available online. Some days after I was at Peter Twee.net’s home and he was giving me a bunch of TTB stickers he got from back in the day. I was back in love and from that time on, my hunt to find all their records started though to my shame I haven’t got them all yet!

Since those days I always go back to Throw That Beat. I don’t think there are months that I don’t listen to at least one of their songs. The videos on Youtube always work when I need a little cheering up. So when on the Facebook group it was announced that they were going to play a reunion gig, it made my the happiest. And now I want to go. It seems it’s happening on the 13 of September. At the Lido in Berlin. Supposedly all original members will be there, even Lotsi. I hope so. I cross my fingers. I should start planning how to get there. Could be my 30-year old present in advance!

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And now one way more obscure band that Throw That Beat. One that requires more researching, but I don’t seem to find much information about them: Premonition.

Let’s transport all of us to Dublin, Ireland. It’s the mid 80s and there’s this band called Loudness of Whispers. We don’t know much about them only that they played the Mood Club at Tommy Dunne’s Tavern in June 1985. From their ashes a band called Premonition will emerge.

The only information regarding the band comes from that great Irish site called Irish Rock, an encyclopaedia of the Irish scene. From there we learn that Premonition were:
John Brennan – rhythm guitars, loud voice
Kevin Morris – lead guitars, mandolin, alto voice
Kieran Eaton – bass, bass voice
Gerard Eaton – drums, tenor voice

Safe to think that Kieran and Gerard were brothers?

The small bio on Irish Rocks says:
Blades-influenced band also compared to the Housemartins. Winners of the Dublin Millenium Battle of the Bands competition held at The Underground on 8 July 1988. Standout track of their set was “Clutching at Straws”. This competition was organised by Danceline and involved 9 heats and 3 semifinals. The prize was a single recorded at Sun Studios, released on EMI.

So another question arises, is there any recordings for “Clutching at Straws”?

Then they released their 7″. On the A side the song “The Streets are Paved with Lead” and “Eyes like Sin” on the B side. Catalog was IEM 004 though the back cover incorrectly lists it as IEM 006. The record was produced by Premonition and Pat Dunne.

I haven’t yet heard the B side. But the A side is quite glorious! It’s classic jangly pop. Of course there’s The Smiths influence, but you can also hear classic sounds from Mighty Mighty, The Brilliant Corners or Hey Paulette! Not your usual fare on EMI! You got to love the guitars, the trumpet arrangements! Should have been a classic! That opening line: “Please don’t go, you are tearing my life to shreds”, always gives me goosebumps!

And then they disappeared. There is no sights about them online. Whatever happened to them? Does anyone remember them? Did they play live often? Did they release anything else? Did they leave any other recordings? Would love to know more about them. Just listen to this song, and you’ll understand why!

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Listen
Premonition – All the Streets are Paved with Lead

Thanks so much to Anna Burley for this fantastic interview! I tried in the past to interview The Killjoys but now at last I get to know a bit more about this fab Australian band! I’ve been a fan for a long time now, listening to their debut album Ruby so many times! But of course, they released many more records, made many videos, moved to the UK for a while and even won what would be the Australian Grammies! So if you haven’t heard about them before, it’s time you do!

++ Hi Anna! I read that The Killjoys were born after the break up of a band called Wild Science. I’ve never heard about it, what did it sound like? did you release anything under this name?

Wild Science was really a bunch a kids just wanting to play music . We rehearsed more than played live and loved every minute. It was driven by a very talented songwriter called Buzz Hiscock. He wrote great melodic indie rock We never recorded properly but there were many practice tapes!

++ Why did you decide to break up that band and start The Killjoys? Who were the original members of the band? What was different between the two bands?

Buzz eventually decided that a four piece rock band was what he wanted so Craig (who played trumpet and guitar) and I were asked to leave so they could become Violet Town. And we immediately formed the Killjoys finally able to write and play our own songs. The original members were Craig, me on guitars and voice, Jeremy Smith on bass, Will Larsen on drums and Caroline Scwherkolt on vibes. We were very keen on having a unique sound and wanted unusual instrumentation. I was and still am a huge Go-Betweens fan so they were an influence. Violet Town was very indie punk sounding. I also decided to be quiet when all the bands around us were very loud.

++ How was the Melbourne indiepop scene when you started the band? Did you enjoy any of the bands back then? Maybe you were involved in other bands too?

There was and still is a very healthy music/band scene in Melbourne. There lots of bands and many friendships, shared houses and people swapping bands , even a strong connection with bands from Sydney who would share couches and gigs. The Honeys, Frente, Glide, Somerfields, Falling Joys, Plums, Clouds, and many others. I joined Deadstar as a rhythm guitarist for a year, and also joined Grant McLennan for his Horsebreaker Star world tour .

++ You started your own label for releasing your records, right? Why was it called Audrey Records? How easy or hard was to run an indie label in Australia?

I admit I loved having a label I enjoy all the creative parts, posters, cd covers, t-shirts design etc etc, and yes it was for our own releases which was easy to run. Later when I gave it a go releasing other bands I found it quite difficult, mainly trying to meet other artists expectations. It was very hard work and took too much time away from music. So it is just for our use again now. We teamed up with the legendary Popboomerang label for our most recent release. He is the master of indie labels.

++ I hate to admit that the only release I have and I have listened is the great Ruby album (and the Fall Around Me 7″). But, let me say this is a fantastic album and not surprised it won a prize for being the best independent album of the year! How did this happen? Who gave this prize and what was required for you to win? Was there some kind of ceremony?

The Aria Awards are Australia’s Grammies! We were very surprised and lucky to win with our first album. The awards were held in Sydney and I couldn’t afford to go. Craig and Caroline went to accept the award which she accidentally dropped in Sydney harbour from a boat party! There it remains despite paying several divers to try and find it. We’ve been nominated a few times since but no more wins… Yet… 🙂

++ The album included many, many instruments, from vibraphones to trumpets, from cellos to violins. How long did it take to record it? How easy was it for The Killjoys to make music?

We are lucky in being able to play quite a few instruments between us, and for having such a varied group of musician friends who love to come and play. We recorded Ruby at Sing Sing Studios which we saved for by playing gigs. I really can’t remember how long it took but being expensive probably no more than a week or two. We have always had a studio since then so making music is only restricted by time.

++ Why did you name the band The Killjoys?

Our original bassist Jeremy used to call me a killjoy for putting sad lyrics to joyous tunes and it just stuck..

++ I’ve been just watching the videos for “Michael Told Me” and “Beauty and Danger“. They are fantastic. Did you record more videos? If you were to choose one more Killjoys song to make it a video, which one will you choose?

There are a few videos, I post them on youtube/thekilljoysaustralia. We haven’t made a proper one in years mostly due to the cost. I love them but I always end up spend the money on making CDs etc I would have loved to make one for our last cd maybe for hey look at me now or pearl. I always have ideas haha.

++ You have quite a big discography, for a newbie like me, where should I start? Which is the record you are most proud of?

That’s too hard 🙂 They all have a story and like most musicians I m in love with the newest song/cd. We had a retrospective cd for a while but now you can buy any track on http://thekilljoys.bandcamp.com to make your own. As I get better at website stuff I hope to put more samples on our website for new people to hear.

++ For a while the band relocated in England. What differences did you find between the UK and Australia? Was it easy to get reviews or to build a fanbase there? I guess it was like starting again from zero?

The big difference living in Europe (we lived in England Ireland and Holland at different times over 5-6 years) was more availability of gigs. Larger populations and music seen as a career and not a hobby meant that when we got past the first few shows we worked a lot. We were pretty poor but it was a rather charmed time. We made a couple of records in England. Half the band eventually became homesick , I wanted to stay as we were getting big festival gigs by then.. But we came home.

++ When you came back to Australia you set up your own studio. What made you take that decision? Which bands have passed through there?

We wanted the ability to make records whenever we wanted without being beholden to record company budgets etc. Craig has made it very successful, recording many other bands and the occasional film, you can see a list at audreystudios.com.

++ If I had to visit Australia, what would you recommend visiting or doing in Melbourne?

Well if you like music and eating you d have a ball. There is still lots of great music played all over town and the town is a food Mecca , lots of different cultural influences . You could ride a tram around on a Sunday going from gig to gig like we sometimes do, have a meal in between . Most people visit Australia for the beaches outback and animals. We have all that not far from Melbourne too but I hear from visitors that Melbourne is great shopping, eating, and music

++ What do The Killjoys do today? You are still going, right? Any new release in the near future?

Yes we still play off and on, both as a band and as a trio. Most band members are scattered in other bands so it’s a juggling act. We put out a cd late 2011/2012 and we’ve started recording intermittently again so yes probably another record end of this year or early next. I had a country girl trio for a while just for fun and I played with Mick Thomas’s sure thing for a few tours , so we are always doing something in music.

++ Anything else you’d like to add?

If anyone wants to keep up with the band I write a short blog every month that you can subscribe to or just read on our website. Killjoys.com.au. Or Facebook facebook.com/thekilljoysaustralia.

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Listen
The Killjoys – Michael Told Me

Would you say there’s an indiepop revival? Band-wise I would say definitely not. I don’t see the same amount of bands that were appearing in 2007-2008. And if we don’t care about quantity, then quality, I would say it doesn’t compare either. There are fantastic bands these days but they are a handful. Same with labels. Whereas back then new labels were appearing all the time, from DIY CD-Rs to small runs of vinyl, these days there are no more than 5 or 6 bonafide indiepop labels, and the trend is for them to disappear, not much of new ones appearing all of a sudden.

But there’s an interesting fact that I’ve noticed in the last two years or so. And that has to do with documenting indiepop. Sure I’ve been doing this blog for so many years now, trying to do my part in a small scale, but I’m talking of other people doing it in a much larger scale. I’m talking about books and documentaries.

Truth to be told none of these projects have anything to do with each other. For example the release of Morrissey’s Autobiography doesn’t have any sort of link to “Yeah Yeah Yeah” by Bob Stanley (though of course Moz is mentioned in this book). To me though, the interesting fact is that these two books, and other ones too, are being published in this same timeframe, in this 2013-2014 sort of guitar pop rediscovery.

It was just a couple of days ago that I watched on Netflix the Creation Records documentary. Aptly titled “Upside Down”, it was pretty enlightening to me. I didn’t know much of the story behind the label though I was very knowledgeable of their catalog especially the 80s period. Of course I enjoyed watching it, and even though so many bands are not mentioned much like The Jasmine Minks or The Bodines, it’s cool to see Douglas from BMX Bandits, or Joe McAlinden from Superstar/Groovy Little Numbers, giving their two cents about the rise and fall of one of the best labels of our era. The indiepop connection was all over the place. It was so refreshing to hear people mentioning The Pastels, The Shop Assistants, Television Personalities and more.

Another book that came out not so long ago is the one called “A Scene in Between”. In due honesty I don’t think the book adds much to the conversation. And although it’s beautifully done, with great pictures that document the era, similar pictures have been seen before and text-wise, content-wise, I was left a bit empty. There are a couple of interviews that don’t say that much, interviews that might as well appeared on any blog. But there’s something that struck me about the book. It is pretty popular. A friend of mine even picked it up at the MOMA store. And that made me happy. So at last the likes of Edwyn Collins, Phil Wilson, Stephen Pastel and other heroes of us all, were easily available for people. That’s a big success. I wouldn’t have ever thought that the fashion twist of indiepop would be so appealing!

Not so long ago it was announced that the Sarah Records book, written by Michael White (who has written a bunch of liner notes for Cherry Red indiepop reissues), found a publisher. This is definitely another triumph for indiepop. A hopeful like me would think that if publishers are willing to publish the story of a small-ish label (let’s be honest, Sarah is great but when it comes to sale or popularity, books about say Creation make more sense for a publisher), maybe smaller publishers would also be interested in say the story of other labels? What about the story of El? or Siesta? or Pink?

There’s another project that seems will see the light of day this year, and is also Sarah related. The Sarah Records documentary is supposed to screen this year for the first time. It’s been many years in the making, possibly the idea of making it even comes back from that first wave of indiepop excitement I was talking about, the one from 2007-2008. I wouldn’t be surprised. I remember seeing the girl making the documentary interviewing a bunch of friends at Indietracks. That must have been either 2009 or 2010. I can’t recall. But it was quite some time ago. It’s really interesting that both book and documentary will be out soon, complimenting each other perhaps, but at the same time it could be pretty interesting as they hopefully have different points of views as they have been crafted by two totally different people. Let’s wait and see.

This documentary will be a very welcome addition to the documentaries about Creation, Dolly Mixture, The Magnetic Fields and the BMX Bandits, that have been made in the last couple of years. (Actually today Wednesday – I started writing this yesterday – I got an email from Lucy asking for a little help contacting an 80s indiepopper! Made me happy to help!)

For me though the best book I’ve read about POP! lately is the Bob Stanley’s one. Sure it doesn’t talk that much about indiepop, just a couple of pages. But the whole thing is enlightening, it explains you how we got from point A to point B and then point C, in Pop history. Everything was connected. And this huge book, this huge undertaking of St Etienne’s man, opened my eyes in many ways. It also made me think that indiepop might need a similar book, a book that recalls the whole story of indiepop, from how it started up to this day. It definitely is a difficult thing to do, for example a lot of bands’ stories are forgotten forever, we only remember the songs. But if efforts are made to scratch the surface, write a whole book on Sarah Records, why not go deeper at some point, and write the whole story of indiepop? True it is a lot of effort, and work, but how important would it be for future generations to understand how we came up to this point.

I also want to mention the Scared to Get Happy box set on Cherry Red. Though it doesn’t compare at all with the quality and the excitement of The Leamington Spa Series on Firestation, and I admit not even listening to most of the songs as they were the “same old”, it includes a little treasure, something very worthy. Guess what? It’s the booklet that is for me that has the big value of this release. Here there are a hundred of little biographies of bands from the period covered in the release. This is invaluable information, and it only reaffirms the fact that all of these sort of releases, retrospectives and such, really deserve quality liner notes. There’s no way around it. I feel sad when I see some low-budget releases for many of these great 80s bands, or 90s bands, that barely have the tracklist and nothing else. Not even credits, or photos of the band. What kind of release is that?

In the meantime, I salute all these efforts, and even if I’m a fan or not of them, all of them are contributing in having a real tangible document of the existence of indiepop, something I’ve been hoping for years now. And I thank all of the people behind them as well, because I know they are passionate fans, and they are doing a big thing for our small scene!

(EDIT – Just got to know there’s a book coming up by Simon Goddard about the Postcard label! It’s called “Och Aye the Noo Wave: The Preposterous Story of Postcard Records” and it’s being published in April.  This reminds me of….
That there’s also a documentary about the Scottish scene that I forgot to mention -my bad!- called “Songs From Northern Britain – The Sound of Young Scotland” that will be privately screened in October this year and who is co-directed by Erik from Wake the President).

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Today I want to introduce you to one of the scarcest and possibly obscurest indiepop records. It’s a 7″ that I know absolutely nothing as I’ve never seen one. It’s by a band called Three Dancers and included just two songs: “Seventeen” and “It Doesn’t Matter.”

Will it be a safe guess that the band name comes from Picasso’s painting of the same name? Let’s check what wikipedia has to say about this famous work of art:
The painting shows three dancers, the one on the right being barely visible. A macabre dance takes place, with the dancer on the left having her head bent at a near-impossible angle. The dancer on the right is usually interpreted as being Ramon Pichot, a friend of Picasso who died during the painting of Three Dancers. (Some critics believe it could well be Picasso’s wife Olga Khokhlova.) The one on the left is claimed to be Pichot’s wife Germaine Gargallo with the one in the centre being Gargallo’s boyfriend Carlos Casagemas, also Picasso’s friend. Casagemas shot himself after failing to shoot Gargallo, twenty-five years before Pichot’s death, and the loss of two of his best friends spurred Picasso to paint this chilling depiction of the love triangle.

There is a copy for sale now on Discogs for 265 euros. If anyone can afford it. Ships from Czech Republic of all places. Not a common place for obscure indiepop records. But who knows. The information Discogs has about the record shows that it was released in 1987 by Dilettante Disques (catalog 007). This is quite interesting as I’m not aware of any other releases in this label.

The only true fact is that the A side, “Seventeen”, is one of the finest slices of indiepop. It feels timeless and classic. It does have vocals that can remind you of Edwyn, but the music is like the one Reserve, Holyday Makers, or even Bob was doing at the time. It’s such a great record that no wonder it is sought after. I dream of one day having it of course. Anyone know anything else by them?!

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Listen
Three Dancers – Seventeen