bandcampsnooper

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8/10/23.

Drop Nineteens are another band reforming 30 years later. I've loved these reunion albums for a several reasons. First, I love the idea of friends coming back to make music years later - I appreciate that the passion and love for music stays strong. Second, some of these "reformation" albums are strong - the recent Vacant Lot post comes immediately to mind. Also, those Mission of Burma albums for the late aughts/early 2010s were outstanding. And finally, sometimes the reformation brings a band across my radar for the first time.

All three appear to be true on "Hard Light", the new album from Drop Nineteens (Boston, Massachusetts). And while I'm not the biggest fan of shoegaze, I do like it. This reminds me of some Yo La Tengo, and Erik Blood (listen to Touch Screens).

Wharf Cat is releasing this on the heels of another reformed band release from Bush Tetras.

#Drop Nineteens #Boston #Massachusetts #Wharf Cat Records #The Vacant Lot #Mission of Burma #Bush Tetras #Yo La Tengo #Erik Blood #Bandcamp

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2/22/22.

Palindrome date week continues. Arlt are a French band, whose album "ARLT Turnetable" is being released on Objet Disque (Montreuil, France). For a label we're just hearing about, there is a ton of stuff to peruse. Just in the top row of releases I found Fabio Viscogliosi...listen to "Chetty's Lullaby".

Arlt only has "Oh Bagnole" up right now. It reminds me of an amazing cross between Pianosaurus, Irmão Victor and Jean-Pierre Kalfon.

#Arlt #France #Montreuil #Objet Disque #Fabio Viscogliosi #Pianosaurus #Irmão Victor #Jean-Pierre Kalfon #Bandcamp

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1/30/22.

I can't really recall when I first heard Apollo Ghosts (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) or even when I bought "Landmark", but I remember thinking that Adrian Teacher is a great songwriter (also check out the amazing band Adrian Teacher and the Subs)

"Pink Tiger" - Apollo Ghosts first physical release in nearly 10 years only serves to reinforce my impression of songwriting genius. I immediately think of The Spires, but there are softer moments (check out "Pink Tiger") that can recall similar sounds from Yo La Tengo.

This is released by Vancouver based label You've Changed Records.

#Apollo Ghosts #Vancouver #British Columbia #Bandcamp #You've Changed Records #Adrian Teacher #Adrian Teacher and the Subs #The Spires #Yo La Tengo

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1/9/22.

I think I didn't post about Cool Sounds "Bystander" because it sold out so quickly. And while I'm stoked to own a copy, you can find reasonable prices on Discogs. They have a groove and sound that is hard to pinpoint - sometimes I think of Australia, and at other times I think of Sufjan Stevens.

I'm rearranging my records in order to file the numerous albums I bought last year, and I uncovered a treasure trove of releases from Osborne Again. While purchasing Pop Filter, Lachlan Denton (The Ocean Party, Pop Filter, director of Osborne Again) was nice enough to include a couple of Cool Sounds LPs as well as Dannika and the Snowy Band.

Don't forget that Lachlan has his own project - Partner Look. He mentioned that they're planning a tour of the U.S....COVID willing.

#Cool Sounds #Melbourne #Osborne Again #Lachlan Denton #The Ocean Party #Liam Halliwell #Snowy #The Snowy Band #Pop Filter #Partner Look #Dannika #Sufjan Stevens #Bandcamp

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10/15/21.

Meritorio Records (Spain) might be the most international label we mention here. I mean, they support a lot of Australian music (Wurld Series, Stephen's Shore) but have begun to branch out with bands like semi trucks and Rural France (and Smokescreens).

semi trucks (Los Angeles) sound like a cross between The Jesus and Mary Chain, Galaxie 500, and The Pastels.

As mentioned earlier, this is released by Meritorio Records (Madrid, Spain).

#semi trucks #Los Angeles #Meritorio Records #Spain #The Jesus and Mary Chain #Galaxie 500 #The Pastels #Smokescreens #Stephen's Shore #Wurld Series #Rural France #Bandcamp

[bandcampsnooper]

8/29/21.

Would-Be-Goods are a project that started in the 1980s and have always served as a vehicle for Jessica Griffin's (London, UK) pop vision. While this release doesn't have a physical copy, there are loads of releases on Discogs and Matinee Recordings (which has been releasing Would-Be-Goods music since 2001).

Griffin's voice has a "smoky" quality to it that keeps it from being too sweet. And her melodic sensibilities remind me of the Nick Currie (Momus, The Happy Family) or The Monochrome Set (Would-Be-Goods have work with a few members of the band over the years). There is also a bit of The Smiths or The Lucksmiths at work here.

"Saturn's Child" is a near perfect song. An otherwise terrible day made bearable.

#Would-Be-Goods #Jessica Griffin #London #UK #Matinee Recordings #Momus #The Happy Family #Nick Currie #The Monochrome Set #The Smiths #The Lucksmiths #Bandcamp

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5/13/21.

In the past few days I’ve seen people I follow on Bandcamp buy this.  So, I listened this morning, and was pretty much bowled over by its lo-fi diversity.  The backstory of the release of The Midnight Steppers (Beaverton (Portland area), Oregon) is another example of lo-fi genius.  The tape showed up at Radical Documents, a small label based in Chicago.  Nothing but the tape and a phone number.

A phone conversation later, “Isolation Drives” was set for production and release, under the condition that “the label was sworn to secrecy”.

There really are a lot of different sounds...so the bands I’m about to rattle off have one thing in common: a knack for lo-fi pop.  This reminds me of The Great Unwashed, The Bibs, Lab Coast, Departmentstore Santas and of course early era Guided By Voices.  It also sounds like early Clean, live and recorded on a cassette player.

#The Midnight Steppers #Beaverton #Oregon #Radical Documents #Chicago #The Great Unwashed #The Bibs #Lab Coast #Departmentstore Santas #Guided By Voices #The Clean

[bandcampsnooper]

5/12/21.

Combine the sounds of black midi, Teksti-TV 666, and any number of French bands on the Born Bad label and you get to an approximation of Pays P. 

Pays P. (Paris, France) is a 3 piece and “Ça v aller” is their debut album.  This is being released on Peculiar Works, a label started by members of SAVAK (New York).  In fact, after the two bands met in 2018, members of SAVAK extended an invitation to Pays P....come to New York and record an album.  Delays due to COVID only allowed SAVAK members to work on the mix and start a label.

So is the story (via Brooklyn Vegan) of how “Ça v aller“ came to be.

#Paris #France #Peculiar Works #Teksti-TV 666 #black midi #Born Bad Records #SAVAK #Brooklyn Vegan #Pays P. #New York

[bandcampsnooper]

4/13/21.

I have truly been enjoying Holy Hive and Aaron Frazer “Introducing...” this year.  It’s got a smooth R&B/soul/pop sound.  I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that I’m jumping on the Benny Sings bandwagon too.

Benny Sings is Dutch musician Tim van Berkestijn.  He has collaborated with numerous musicians, but on this particular release he and Mac DeMarco really complement each other.  In fact, look at Benny Sings.  He kind of looks like a bearded, red-haired DeMarco.

Really, though this has a groove and sound that recall some great bands of the 70s like Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder or Gil Scott-Heron.  This is being released by Los Angeles based label Stones Throw.

#Benny Sings #Netherlands #tim van berkestijn #Stones Throw #Los Angeles #Mac DeMarco #Holy Hive #Aaron Frazer #Steely Dan #Stevie Wonder #Gil Scott-Heron

[bandcampsnooper]

2/10/21.

The Clean (Dunedin, New Zealand) are easily one of the most important bands in my life.  I can’t overstate how much sheer joy they’ve brought to me over the years.  And while I always tend to gravitate to their 1980s material, “Mister Pop” is a late-career revelation - showing The Clean holding onto the sound that originally made them Kiwi heroes.  “Mister Pop” has one of my favorite Clean songs of all time - “In the Dreamlife You Need a Rubber Soul”.  

Merge Records has seen fit to reissue “Mister Pop” (2009) and “Unknown Country (1996) on vinyl.  Flying Nun Records (New Zealand) are releasing colored versions on vinyl.

Other amazing bands associated with The Clean:  The Bats, Bailter Space, The Mad Scene, David Kilgour (solo), Hamish Kilgour (solo) and Robert Scott (solo).  Gary Olson (Ladybug Transistor) produced this. He later went on to work with a band that no doubt is influenced heavily by The Clean - NYC’s Pale Lights.

#The Clean #Robert Scott #David Kilgour #Hamish Kilgour #Merge Records #Flying Nun Records #New Zealand #The Bats #Bailter Space #The Mad Scene #Gary Olson #Ladybug Transistor #Pale Lights

[bandcampsnooper]

1/24/21.

“Era Was” is the new album from California-based (they used to be from Ventura...not sure if it still is) band The Spires.  Jason, the only original member still in the band said that this album started as a band effort and then turned into a bedroom project thanks to COVID-19.

To me, the results are as stunning as any of their releases.  The one band that gets thrown around a lot as a comparison is The Velvet Underground - but I think this has a lot to do with the fact that they released an album of Velvet Underground covers.

I know Jason LOVES Flying Nun, but it’s hard for me to compare them to any specific band - maybe The Bats for their consistency.  In the past I’ve mentioned Dag and The Astronauts.

This looks to be self-released and is reportedly a limited run.  Hey, shipping is free!

#The Spires #Jason Morgan #Ventura #California #The Velvet Underground #Flying Nun #The Bats #Dag #The Astronauts

[bandcampsnooper]

1/12/21.

First, I’ve noticed that the 2021 releases are coming fast and furious and great.  I’ve bought more music in the last 4 days than I did in the previous 2 months.  Almost everything being posted is also being bought.

Ally Records (Raleigh, North Carolina) somehow has a direct connection with Graeme Jefferies - they’ve issued what appears to be a new Cakekitchen album, and are reissuing Jefferies “Messages for the Cakekitchen” (originally released in 1987 on Flying Nun).

Graeme and his brother Peter were members of Nocturnal Projections (recent reissue by Dais Records) and This Kind of Punishment (reissued recently by Superior Viaduct). 

To me it’s very hard to pinpoint either Jefferies.  Their voices and instrumentation are so unique.  Of all the Flying Nun bands, I would say Jean-Paul Sarte Experience is the most accurate comparison.

#Graeme Jefferies #The Cakekitchen #Ally Records #North Carolina #This Kind of Punishment #Nocturnal Projections #New Zealand #Flying Nun #Dais Records #Superior Viaduct #Jean-Paul Sarte Experience

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12/23/20.

Fievel Is Glauque is a collaboration between Zach Phillips (Blanche Blanche Blanche) and Ma Clément.  This collaboration led to others - to the point that this cassette contains songs was made by 5 different groups of musicians - each group containing 7-8 people.

The music has a jazzy/French/bossanova feel reminiscent of Sergio Mendes or Antonio Carlos Jobim.  Additionally, it recalls everything I love about Tredici Bacci.  Ryan Power mastered this, and as stated earlier a wide array of musicians play on it - including Chris Cohen and Quentin Moore (Big French).

This is released on Phillips’ new label, la Loi, based in Brussels, Belgium.  Phillips used to run OSR Tapes while he was in the United States.

#Fievel Is Glauque #la Loi #Brussels #Belgium #Zach Phillips #Ma Clément #Blanche Blanche Blanche #OSR Tapes #Sergio Mendes #Antonio Carlos Jobim #Tredici Bacci #Big French #Chris Cohen #Quentin Moore #Ryan Power

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12/5/20.

Some days are better than others.  A day with Bingo Trappers is always better.  I remember hearing “God’s Biographer” years ago, and since then I’ve been hooked. 

“Giddy Wishes” is the newest offering from Amsterdam, Netherlands band Bingo Trappers on Grapefruit Records (Omaha, Nebraska).

The first song is titled, “I Saw the Ghost of Gram Parsons”.  Gram Parsons, Bob Dylan, and Townes Van Zandt are clear references.  But, newer bands like Virginia Trance and Scott & Charlene’s Wedding must have heard Bingo Trappers.

Bingo Trappers have been making music together since 1995. 

#Bingo Trappers #The Bingo Trappers #Amsterdam #Netherlands #Grapefruit Records #Nebraska #Gram Parsons #Bob Dylan #Townes Van Zandt #Virginia Trance #Scott & Charlene's Wedding

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4/14/20.

theCatherines (Hamburg, Germany) just keep getting better and better.  This album has more of a Beach Boys vibe in spots, but I still think the influences of Teenage Fanclub, Belle & Sebastian and late-Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci still stand out.  But the musicianship seems a bit stronger, and the hooks maybe even more memorable.

Heiko Schneider (writes all the songs and plays all the instruments) and Sandra provides beautiful vocals (some lead, some backing).

Maybe even more remarkable is the speed with which theCatherines produce music.  They have produced four winners since December 2018.

This is self released under the Teeny Tiny label (looks to be the name Heiko has given to his home studio).

#theCatherines #Heiko Schneider #Hamburg #Germany #Teenage Fanclub #Gorky's Zygotic Mynci #Belle & Sebastian #Teeny Tiny #Beach Boys

[bandcampsnooper]

3/14/20,

Concept albums...they can be hit and miss.  The Kinks “Preservation Act One” was underwhelming, but plenty of songs were enjoyable the same could be said about “Preservation Act Two” (even more underwhelming, but still great!).

Of course, there are amazing concept albums out there (see The Who, or one of my favorites, Bryan Scary).  I can only say that this is the most amazing (and I’m assuming) unplanned marriage of The Who and Bryan Scary.  And my comparison skills would be questioned if I didn’t also mention Guided By Voices.

“C O S M O S I S” is being released on their own Cincinnati, Ohio based label.

#Joseph Airport #Cincinnati #Ohio #the kinks #Bryan Scary #The Who #Guided By Voices #GBV

[bandcampsnooper]

12/9/19.

Is this really our first post mentioning Savak (Brooklyn, New York)?  I find that hard to believe.  Savak contains members of The Obits, Holy Fuck and The Cops.  In all honesty, I don’t know any of those bands, but I do like Savak. 

Apparently members have played in Ted Leo & the Pharmacists.  AllMusic compares them to The Gotobeds.  I feel like early 1980s West Coast comparisons are more in line:  True West and The Dream Syndicate.

This is being released by Ernest Jenning Record Co (also out of Brooklyn).

#Savak #Brooklyn #New York #The Obits #Holy Fuck #The Cops #Ted Leo & The Pharmacists #The Gotobeds #True West #The Dream Syndicate #Ernest Jenning Record Co.