The World Is A Groovy Place With The Cherry Orchard

June 22nd, 2009

The Cherry Orchard’s music is an elegant and lush Pastoral Pop with nods to The Left Bank and Burt Bacharach’s swinging sixties with French Pop sung in English, and modern references could be The Go-Betweens, The Wondermints, Tahiti 80, etc. - you het the picture.
 
I first heard their Song “Everybody Knows” on a March Records compilation and it is such a Groovy song that it should be playing on everyone’s stereo. If you have never heard it, or the wonderfully beautiful sounds of The Cherry Orchard then you are really missing out.

Check out a few of their songs here:

www.myspace.com/thecherryorchardpop

This Is Some Of The Most Beautiful Music In The World - The Soundtrack For Lovers and others.

A While back they also recorded a cover of The Go-Between’s “Streets Of Your Town” for the Firestation Records compilation “These Are The Songs We Always Wanted To Hear” , which will give you a hint of the style of Elegant Pop that they play so well.

Welcome Back!!!

Now if only I can convince them to do a Television Personalities cover, one of their love songs, that would be a real treasure.

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A Television Personalities Cover That You Must Hear

June 5th, 2009

A Television Personalities Cover That You Must Hear, WOW!!!

Check out this real treat by The Milestone Band doing a cover of Honey For The Bears, a fantastic song originally by television Personalities:

www.myspace.com/themilestonebandsite

This version is amazing! I’ve been playing it on repeat all day in my car and you just can’t get tired of hearing it. It really captures the magic of the original without sounding like a carbon copy - It has a great groove and it blends The Sea Urchins with Bruce Springsteen. - it is magnificent!

This was recorded for volume 4 of the TVP tribute series but since that is still a way off till completion it shouldn’t sit anywhere gathering dust so enjoy.

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Out Of The Garage And Into The Whirlpool With The Gruesomes

May 5th, 2009

It’s time for bit more Primal Garage Stomping Mayhem and what better band to provide this then Montreal’s own Gruesomes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gruesomes  and http://www.myspace.com/thegruesomes ) who have been doing this for over twenty years and have inspired the revival of the Nuggets and Pebbles loving folk the world over. Not only did this band sound great but they also had the look of 60’s mod mixed with early Rolling Stones circa Brian Jones with a measure of Ramones hair and jackets thrown in for good measure.

The fine folks at Ricochet Sound Recordings (www.myspace.com/ricochetsoundrecordings) have been doing a fantastic job re-issuing much of the Gruesomes output, old (all the albums and more) and new (Gerry Alvarez magnificent solo album and John Davis and Bobby Beaton’s absolutely essential Fuad And The Feztones side project - here is a nice write up - www.soundflat.de/shop/shop.cfm?artnr=12951) and I have been meaning to say a bit about the label and the releases for some time now, so after picking up a copy of “Guesomania” (RSCD - 006) it spurred me on.

To quote their liner notes “The study of “Gruesomus Erectus” and the evolving evolution of their development defy logic or explanation … With an equal mix of humour, sweat, sonic driven backbeat and supercharged kinetic energy … these gents sidestepped trends” and “gyrate their way into your tell tale heart … Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump … Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! Gruesomania lives on …”.

Here are a few tracks from 1987 starting off with a real favourite of mine “Whirlpool” and although this is not their traditional sound as it is an instrumental, I think it really shows how amazing they were/are and how they played so well together (and I am a bit of fan of instrumental music). The second track is “Unchain My Heart” and I will just let the music speak.
The Gruesomes - Whirlpool
The Gruesomes - Unchain My Heart
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The Ferrymen - Northern Pop For The Beautiful South

April 17th, 2009

Firestation Records (http://www.firestation-records.de/) have done it again, dug up another treasure from obscurity to quench our neverending thirst for great new Pop tunes. The Ferrymen - “Tunes For Saturday Boys” is joyous affair that recalls the heyday of The Housemartins and The Beautiful South (which very strangely held them back from getting signed to a major label - figure that one out) and traces of many other great bands like The Undertones, The Members, The Bluebells, Madness, The Jam and even a touch of The Pageboys (especially on the chorus of track “My Personal Drug” and parts of “The Green Eyed Monster Strikes Again”) and a hint of The Cure on “Time And Time Again”.
The Ferrymen were from Doncaster in the UK and had several releases on small labels in faraway places like Germany (Black Pearl Records) and Spain (Plastic Disc) which I am sure are quite hard to find and I have never seen on this side of the Ocean. They have a very jangly Pop sound with some wonderful piano and horns and a harmonica on “The Story Is Always The Same”, which I really love. This release compiles the songs from their releases with other demo’s along with another 10 tracks recorded live. It’s a great listen.

The Ferrymen - The Story is Always the Same
The Ferrymen - Many Times

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The Go-Betweens

April 6th, 2009

I know that in the wilds of northern Canada we can seem a bit isolated but I really thought that with Wally’s musical guru-ing I was ahead of the game. I guess I was wrong because I once again have just discovered another band that today’s major bands are sighting as ground breaking influences that changed the face of music. Yes the “quintessential cult band of the ’80s” the Go-Betweens. Robert Forster and Grant McLennan, this stuff is brilliant to say the least.
This from the Allmusic.com : “they came from an exotic locale (Brisbane, Australia), moved to a major recording center (in their case, London) in a sustained bid to make a career out of music, released album after album of music seemingly tailor-made for the radio in spite of their having little use for contemporary Top 40 musical/lyrical formulas, and earned considerable critical praise and a small but fervent international fan base. Although the Go-Betweens were absent throughout the ’90s before re-forming in the new millennium, both of the band’s songwriters embarked on respectable solo careers in the interim and, while rarely reaching the heights the Go-Betweens scaled, they still managed to uphold the group’s legacy.”
The Village Voice dubbed Robert Forester and Grant McLennan “the greatest song writing partnership working today.” Each developed a distinctive but complementary style: Forster’s songs were angular and angst-ridden, making much use of irony and unusual lyrical imagery, while McLennan’s were generally softer and more sensitive, his lyrics often based on character study and reported speech.
In May 2001 “Cattle and Cane”, written by McLennan and Forster, was selected by Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) as one of the Top 30 Australian songs of all time With the death of Grant McLennan on May 6, 2006, Robert Forster announced that The Go-Betweens were no more. (Wikipedia) Why wasn’t I informed? Wally said he included them on a mixed tape back in the day but I admit I was into noise at the time, sorry to have missed it first time around. I can’t turn this stuff off!

Stars -Cattle and Cane (Go-Betweens cover)
The Go-Betweens - Finding You

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Everyone Wants To Be Part Of The Jetset - Do You Wanna Be In The Show?

April 6th, 2009

It’s very hard for me to contain my excitement upon receiving a copy of the long awaited Jetset tribute - “Do You Wanna Be In The Show? - A Pop Tribute To The Jetset” (Twist Records - TWISTUS5). The Jetset are a band who blended the best parts of the 60’s (surf, beat, mod and soul), 70’s (sugary Pop) and 80’s (Mod Revival) to create a legendary band of Epic POP proportions. Whether it was the charm of the Monkees and the cool striped pants, the jetsetmobile or their playfulness or their exceptional ear for a great Pop song, with influences from the Beatles, the Monkees, the Motown soul, Mod and Beat to Vaudeville - this band had it all - The LOOK, The SOUND, The EXCITEMENT. They should have been massive and a tribute to them is long overdue.

Thankfully this tribute (www.myspace.com/thejetsettribute) was put together by real fans like Bart Mendoza of The Shambles and Manual Scan (he also provides brilliant liner notes), Dean Hoth (The Eddies) and Mark Gallez (The Risk) and folks who understand the music and the emotions behind the songs to give this tribute a real authentic sound and feel (and it is released on a great label Twist Records - www.twistrecords.co.uk/ - who have already done an exceptional job with a Squire tribute a short while back). The tribute includes some stellar bands making it an absolutely amazing listen - here is a few comments on the bands and songs, in no particular order:

Rinaldi Sings (www.rinaldisings.com) are an excellent choice to include, not just because he does a wonderful version “Do You Wanna Be In The Show?”, which alone is worth the price of admission but also because Steve Rinaldi was a label mate with Paul Bevoir and The Jetset on Chris Hunt’s fabulous Tangerine Records with the band The Moment (and he still records for Tangerine).

The Eddies (www.theeddies.net) do a marvelous version of “Colour My World” and Dean and Dale are not new when it comes to covers, having done many exceptional covers already of songs by The Times, The Shambles, Squire, and more, always adding their own touch with a real punch and a flair.

The Shambles (aww.theshambles.net/wuznew.htm) are actually experts when it comes to a great cover - they can capture the original feel of a song without being just a carbon copy, and although I am not sure how they continue to pull it off (it must have something to do with their hearts being in the right place and their skill and precision being second to none), having lost track of how many tributes they have been on, it is always a pleasure to hear them do a cover.

Jeremy (www.jamrecordings.com/) has been around for ages and has so many albums out it is a bit scary when you listen to them and they are all impressive - a real talent. His cover of “Every Little Moment” is pure magic and the perfect song to listen to while you slip into a daydream.

The Che Men (www.myspace.com/chemen) allow the reggae groove of “Wednesday Girl” to come out and create a beautiful mod reggae cover. Bazza being no stranger to great music having played in numerous bands including Strawberry Mynde and doing a mod radio show.

Joe Mendoza with The Spring Collection (www.myspace.com/joemendozasd) also recreate a fascinating rendition of “The Other Side Of Joe”, which was a great choice as he inspired the song title. Pick up any of The Spring Collection releases and you will not be disappointed.

Tetters Plays Pop (http://www.myspace.com/tettersplayspop) are another band I quite like who can be traced back to links to The Threads, a relatively unknown mod band who put out some great music and a band I really loved, so it is nice to see them included here with a fab cover of “Vaudeville Park”. I think you will be hearing these folks again, possibly on a Times tribute.

Richard Fairclough (www.myspace.com/richardfairclough)  does a great version of “Mr. Maybe” - he knows how to get just the right sound, maybe because Richard has played with a reformed Jetset and Squire and still plays with Paul Bevoir and many others.

 

Cola Jet Set’s (www.myspace.com/colajetset) Spanish cover of “The Man Who Lives Upstairs” is a pure dreamy Pop confection and although I know very little about them, other than they have releases on the ace Elefant label in Spain, I see their name around a lot these days and after hearing this song I can see why.

I’m going to stop here as I am running out of time but want to say for the record that the bands I have not said much about are equally impressive and each have a story of their own - there is not a bad track on this compilation and it is a worthwhile investment for any Pop or Jetset fan. Come join the Jetset and be part of the show …

Jeremy - Every Little Moment
Cola Jet Set - The Man Who Lives Upstairs

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Pop Art Perfection And A Groovy Ride

March 18th, 2009

Thanks to Ali from A Riot Of Colour and Uwe from Firestation, who directed me to Tony Jenkins (Plume, Everlasting Records, etc.) and to my pleasant surprise before I could contact him, I rec’d a message from Tony with a very kind offer to send me some of the rare recordings I have been searching for by Emily, Plume and AROC). He casually mentioned that he was now recording with a band called Pop Art (www.myspace.com/popartsongs) with Chris Free (ACraze - who recorded on Paul Weller’s Respond Records) and that I might enjoy them.

That was an understatement, to start with I love the name Pop Art (I had considered that for a label name at one point and those words appear on the cover of several of our releases) as it conjures up visual images of cool art forms like Lichtenstein and Warhol and hints at a very groovy, swinging sixties underground as might be found in films like Modesty Blaise or Darling with Dirk Bogarde, or a Fellini film, and with a soundtrack by mod bands with soul and freakbeat stylings. This band actually meets and exceeds those expectations and I have only heard the demo’s so far.

This is the stuff Mod/Pop dreams are made of - there are traces of The Jam in their more reflective and soulful phases on tracks like “Secondary Modern” (also hints of The Direct Hits), the smack of The Creation, the song “Biff Bang Pow” comes to mind as I listen to track 2 which is likely called “Pop Art” and takes you from a dreamy folky psychpop to quick wake up as the influence of The Creation’s BBP knocks you over. The Kinks “Waterloo Sunset” and it’s dreamy soundscapes also seem to surface, as well as hints of The Beach Boys and The Pearlfishers (who I sometimes use interchangeably), early Aztec Camera, and the early soul influenced songs by The Truth and much much more.

The band are currently recording their first album, which judging from the songs I have heard should be a magnificent release. Welcome to the world of POP ART, you will be in for a thrilling and groovy ride, one you will not regret taking.

Pop Art - Runaway Baby
Pop Art - State of Mind (demo)

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Superstar - Greatest Hits And Groovy Numbers

March 16th, 2009

I first heard of The Groovy Little Numbers (http://www.twee.net/Bands/g/groovylittle.html) when I purchased a copy of the 53rd and 3rd Record Label compilation (A label run by Stephen Pastel) that was released on Avalanche Records which featured some amazing tracks and a brilliant song “Happy Like Yesterday” - one that just thrills you and gets you excited about discovering a new band. Since this was a retrospective, (The Groovy Little Numbers ) sadly no longer existed, having only released 2 singles to my knowledge, but the names credited seemed familiar Jim McCulloch (BMX Bandits, The Soup Dragons, Green Peppers) and Joe McAlinden (BMX Bandits, Superstar, Nom, Teenage Fanclub).

Already being a fan of the BMX Bandits and the many related bands like Superstar, I noticed that these names were the same that feature on various releases with The BMX Bandits. It was the BMX Bandits that also got me started with Superstar (wikipedia.org/wiki/Superstar_(band)) also, along with the fact that they were on one of my favourite record labels - Creation Records - a label that kept releasing amazing records. one after another. Superstar, was one of those bands that just kept releasing amazing songs, originally influenced by the sounds of Big Star and having similarities to Teenage Fanclub and The BMX Bandits and also The Sneetches (which was all fine with me), but they kept developing their sound and heading in various directions and always delivering exceptional music with every release. Here are a few treats from their earlier work taken from - Greatest Hits Vol. One CD which was released in 1992 on Creation Records - CRECD 134 which very strangely is still available here vinyltap.co.uk/shop/artist/Superstar 

This is before the launch of their very own Camp Fabulous label where they released many more treasures and if you have not already heard these - search them out. They even inspired Rod Stewart to do a cover of their signature track “Superstar”. Members of Superstar are now in the Green Peppers ( www.greenpeppers.info/) and Nom (www.ready-steady-go.org.uk/superstar.html) as well as record in various other guises, solo and with other bands.

Enjoy!

Superstar - The Reason Why
Superstar - She’s Got Everything I Own

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The Revolving Paint Dream - The Mystery Lives On

March 13th, 2009

  “According to legend, Innes received a late night telephone call and took a cab to the studio. What he found was allegedly a scene of utter desolation, smashed instruments, the walls daubed with pink swastikas and a smell of burning. Outside was a bonfire of clothing, guitars and recording tape and a note which read: “We are invisible … we cannot see you”. Rumours trickled in …” - Partial quote from the back of the CD re-issue “Flowers In The Sky” on Rev-Ola www.cherryred.co.uk  

 I first heard of the Revolving Paint Dream (The Revolving Paint Dream on the Whaam! Records compilation “All For Art And Art For All” with their very dreamy paisley pop influenced “In The Afternoon”, but very little was known about them although the vocals sounded strangely familiar (like Alan McGee who was in The Laughing Apple at the time). They later released a single on Creation Records “Flowers In The Sky/In The Afternoon” which was incidently the second single on Creation with a new version of “In The Afternoon” and an album a few years later “Off To Heaven”. They very coincidently sounded a lot like Biff Bang Pow which eventually started to make more sense, as there were definitely links to both bands with members being shared and interchanged - Alan McGee, Andrew Innes, Christine Wanless, Dave Musker, Richard Green, Joe Foster, Ken Popple etc.  

 According to website - www.revolvingpaintdream.com/creation.htm - The Revolving Paint Dream was not only the most mysterious band on Creation Records’ original roster back in 1984, but also one of the most inventive…, after the single … the band disappeared for three years before a strange collection of what seemed like out-takes, OFF TO HEAVEN, reached the shelves in June 1987. ’60s-influenced psych-pop sat alongside weird, distorted soundscapes to create an album that lacked any overall identity but was stacked full with ideas. It transpired that the band comprised Primal Scream’s second guitarist Andrew Innes, Nico-like vocalist Christine Wanless (both present on several Biff Bang Pow! recordings) and Luke Hayes, with some involvement from label organizers Alan McGee and Richard Green , among other members from Creation Records’ bands. (like Dave Musker - keyboard player with The Jasmine Minks & Television Personalities). January 1989’s MOTHER WATCH ME BURN was even more experimental and the listener was hard pushed to believe that it was the same band performing the fragrant pop tune, Sun, Sea, Sand (issued as a single) and the ferocious instrumentals.”  

“Mystery still shrouds who did what, though Andrew Innes (of Primal Scream) was heavily involved, until (according to legend or the press release) he withdrew during the latter stages of recording. Innes wrote most of the songs” - www.recordcollectormag.com/reviews/  

 The re-issue on Rev-Ola Flowers In The Sky: The Enigma Of The Revolving Paint Dream CRREV184 of most of their back catalogue is found here (www.cherryred.co.uk) and this quote is borrowed from that webpage with the info on that release - “The sleevenote on the first album mainly propose them as some species of zookeepers or mental health nurses to be honest. There is an almost total absence of pictures - those that do exist seem to feature early Creation Records scene figures like J. C. Bouchard and Luke Hayes with several shadowy figures, sometimes on the Paris Metro, at unidentified airports, somewhere unspecified but clearly in California, or on what appears to be the West Coast of Scotland on a particularly disappointing day. There are even some of an open air show at some European location - perhaps the greatest mystery of the Indie label era will it be unraveled by this definitive CD release? Who knows? There will be input from all the known players and some with people alleged to be involved in the worst way - and perhaps an inkling of the shocking secret at the very heart of The Revolving Paint Dream”  

As a postscript and to pass on very important information to the fans, I must tell you that the UK band The Painted Word has recorded a fabulous version of “Green Sea Blue” which I am told features the fine talents of Dave Morgan (drummer extraordinaire) who also used to play with The Revolving Paint Dream, so the mystery continues to unravel as the fans grow.  
Listen and see if you can solve the mystery …

The Revolving Paint Dream - Green Sea Blue

The Revolving Paint Dream - Flowers in the Sky
 

 

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Beautiful B-Sides - Butcher Boy - React And Buy

March 6th, 2009

Butcher Boy (butcher-boy.co.uk), are another great band from Scotland (Glasgow), who have been around for several years and have been likened to bands like Felt, Tindersticks, The Go-Betweens, Belle & Sebastian, Love, The Pale Fountains and The Smiths (which alone should give any Pop fan sufficient reason to check them out). They have a very rich and poetic sound and sing from the heart with passion and brilliance. They are on one of UK’s premier POP
labels How Does It Feel To Be Loved? (howdoesitfeel.co.uk), the same label that brought us the wonderful “The Kids At The Club” release a few years back.

Butcher Boy have released an album “Profit In Your Poetry” and several singles, which are sadly sold out, and are about to release, what will be one of the finest releases of 2009 “React Or Die” next month. The single “Carve A Pattern” is already available as a free download, so you may want to react quickly and you don’t even have to buy it.

That is all fine and good, but the real reason I am writing this is that I included “Permanent Past Tense” on my latest mix tape Beyond The Beautiful Music - Volume 14 as I think this song is amazing. This song is also proof that Butcher Boy is a band of quality and distinction and heading for greater things when the B-Side is this good.

Butcher Boy - Permanent Past Tense

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