Bunnygrunt
Action Pants! CD
No Life. NL06.
by Scott Zimmerman.
December 31, 1995.
See more about this title.
Out of Stock.
Bunnygrunt has been accused of going beyond the lines of acceptable
cuteness, but my ears do not mind. The often hard to understand,
little girl resembling vocals to which the accusers shuddering
thoughts most probably drift alternately can be regarded as
terrifically charming, in a timeless, memories of youth way. And with
approximately every other track on Action Pants! featuring Matt's
vocals up front instead of Karen's or Renee's, an overdose of twee is
kept safely and quite perfectly on the verge of occurring anyway.
The vocals are a key to making the majority of the eight guitar oriented, lightly keyboard dashed songs on this LP tremendous. I most like the understated, transparent "awwwws" backing Matt's singing on "Transportation Pants." Like the music of Velocity Girl, it is a fine experience no matter whose vocals are highlighted, and who is relegated to the background. And the turns taken on the lead vocals even occur within songs, bringing about a playful atmosphere.
So, yes, the songs here are quite pop, and usually concise, ending at points that would draw you to the turntable in order to plop the needle right back to the beginning if it was not for the knowledge that the next song would likely be just as good.
However, the final track, "Open Up And Say Oblina," noticeably does not measure up. It starts off alright, but then moves on repetitively, without vocals, for far too long, providing no real substance along the journey, while simultaneously failing to provide an engaging atmosphere.
The other almost out of place song on the record is "g.i.2k." It presents a subtle guitar section with calm vocals, followed by thrashing guitars and screamed vocals, repeated a few times. It is the kind of song that could be a bit difficult to figure out how to dance to the first time out.
It is also a song that works, successfully providing agreeable, rewarding contrast to this quick and catchy, overall splendid album.
Byron's Girlfriend
Hey Beauty 7" vinyl
Pop Art. pop01.
by Keith McLachlan.
July 21, 2000.
See more about this title.
Out of Stock.
Ah Greece, the cradle of Western Civilization, and now
it appears the cradle of twee pop. This 7" appeared
at my door the same day as the stunning Edwin Moses
lp, which of course is my new favourite record, and
well I'd have to say this is easily my favourite
single of the year so far. I am not a big singles
guy, I've only purchased a handful this year, but none
of those or anything I have heard matches up with this
one.
The a-side is remiscent of many of the fantastic songs on the 'Try a Little Sunshine' compilation, breezy, Sarah Recordsy and impressively beautiful. The b-side is more contemplative, minimal and prettier still. It reminds a bit of the Orchids at their brightest moments, and yet the b-side here hardly seems retro to anything from the rainy countryside of 1980s England, simply pure elegance.
Oh and i forgot to mention the clever gimmick of packaging the single in a blank white sleeve while including stickers inside that allow you, the listener, to custom design a cover of your own. This record has in it a reinstatement of the wonderful air of optimistic sadness that once permeated so many classic 7" records.
Camera Obscura
Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi CD
Andmoresound. and17cd.
by Keith Mclachlan.
March 9, 2002.
See more about this title.
Out of Stock.
What joy must be brought the the heart of Stuart
Murdoch on those rare days when he can escape the
skullduggery of his own group of musical miscreants
and find himself among what are essentially his
children in Camera Obscura. He beams when they come
to him asking him whether their new songs are good and
when he nods in approval the children scream with
passionate excitement and beg him to place the score
on his refrigerator with his collection of precious
moment magnets. And after a day when Stevie J and
Miss Isobel are complaining angrily about there being
not enough of their two chord dirge contributions on
the quite excrementable Todd Solondz' soundtrack he
can think only of sugar plums as he drives his car to
the studio where his children in Camera Obscura have
been working overtime to write a song even more to his
liking and when he arrived on that day when 'Eighties
Fan' was presented to him he was so overwhelmed with
the whiff of nostalgic happiness of his own youth when
he penned breathless wonders such as 'Get Me Away I'm
Dying' and 'Boy With the Arab Strap' with little worry
over whether the others might complain 'Oh look at
Stuart with his classic songs again', the whiff so
bravura that he decides to strap on the old six-string
himself and live vicariously for a moment through
Lindsay Boyd's voice and the perfect strums and feel
pleasure even at the stifling of tears when he thinks
back to his days of stalking Lawrence Felt and the
drama of adolescence. And his children respect the
old man, they can't understand his patience with those
who wish only to displace his mantle of glory, but in
response they push themselves even harder to achieve
the greatness within his admiring gaze and pull even
harder to wrench him from his funk at the fount of
irreconciable differences. Pity the poor old pop star
then his only winning moments the thoughts that come
to him when he listens to the marvelous 'Biggest
Bluest Hi-Fi' and the knowledge paired that he played
a grand part in its magnificence.
the Cannanes
Tiny Frown CD-EP
Yoyo. Yoyo CD-9.
by Keith McLachlan.
December 4, 1998.
See more about this title.
Out of Stock.
Am I the only one who thinks this
is the best album title of the year? It is just so Cannanes! I remember
someone once telling me Francesca once wished for snow and mere moments
later it began snowing and even though it was Chicago in the middle of
January well I think that is an effective detailing of the power of the
Cannanes.
Sure they constantly lie in their liner notes about how incompetent they are but there is something to be said about knowing your limitations then living within them and thus being shy because you didn't try to blow them up but still managing to exceed expectations. Huh?
This cd was recorded in Seattle and is on the doldrumic Yoyo label and it only includes seven songs and it is pretty much the same thing they have always done only it is better! Better because the sunshine from their souls is particularly warm here and maybe better because after hearing the much hyped Lucksmiths fall semi-flat on my ears I have discovered a new appreciation for the Cannanes and their effortless charms (how many times have I used this phrase in a review? It seems like hundreds :)
Dave the drumming Phd candidate was still in the band when this record was made so there are none of the crazy drum'n'bass experiments that are sure to sprinkle their future instead it is still all Beat Happening-esque (or would Beat Happening be considered Cannanes-esque? which came first?) lazy strum, mumbly vocals and songs sung to you like you really are their best friend! Viva la Cannanes!
the Carousel
Abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz CD
Vinyl Japan. MASKCD50.
by Aurore Bacmann.
May 1, 1995.
See more about this title.
Out of Stock.
Sometimes you just browse in records shops, barely looking at the
records, and not at all expecting to come across anything worth
buying. Let's say you're just there seeking shelter because it's
raining outside. Moreover, you're not even in the mood to spend
some money on a circular mirror-like piece of plastic -- they
call it a "CD" -- viciously packed inside a case that will
undergo an unexpected self-destruction phenomenon the first time
you try to open it. Counting out the fact that the case itself is
wrapped up in a sheet of plastic and it usually takes you longer
to take off than to listen to the record.
Yes, there was a time when a record shop was a magic garden, full of surprises, crammed with 12"s of all kinds in large colourful sleeves, and where some incredible little records could be found.
Now the invasion of CDs has made music more and more market-oriented and while CDs made themselves comfortable in record shops, the frustration of never finding the records they were looking for never made itself comfortable in popkids' minds. Especially those who were into lovely homemade "I recorded it in my kitchen" sort of things. How can you hope to find the first ep of a group that split up after 2 releases and whose only fans are the few lucky people who bought the record because the sleeve had silly pink drawings on it? So there you are, half looking at the records while the sighs of disappointment at the sight of the records have replaced the frequent excited "Aaaaagh, I must buy this" or other "Hm, why no buy that" of yore.
However there are some cases of happy surprise when a sudd en cheery "Oh my God!!!" distracts you from your lethargic, aimless search, makes you look at the person who uttered those words in a puzzled way and grab the record from his hands "let me see let me see what is it oh the Carousel oh the new album oh wow I can't believe my eyes." Grin.
This second album by the Carousel will not turn upside down the landscape that I Forgot to Remember to Forget, the first one, had painted. The songs are still built on the basis rhythm guitar/strings/vocals and have kept their simplicity and enchanting, catchy melodies.
Helped by almost the whole of Heavenly (fans can have fun trying to spot Amelia's voice), Gregory Webster and his Rickenbacker -- the pop reference! -- Elizabeth Price reigns like a princess on her new album, her voice leading the instruments. Like in I Forgot to Remember to Forget a religious atmosphere floats around on the LP but sometimes the voice becomes less ethereal and emerges from the music.
For, in her songs, Elizabeth Price lays emphasis on the singing -- the rhythm guitars are wrapped up in several tracks of perfect vocals. This new album by the Carousel is globally more energetic than the previous one. An effort has been made on the sound -- the guitars are less harsh, the reverb rounds off the angles. Moreover, the LP is full of bubblegum lyrics praising "him so sweet" which made so glorious the songs Elizabeth wrote for Talulah Gosh. She sings about a dreamlike Prince Charming (the enthusiastic "Like a honeybee") or stories of pride and preciousness like in "Sidesaddle."
In a kind of music often hated by the conventional and well-established indie music press (too twee, too childish, not deep enough, not violent enough, etc.), yet adored by the numbers of a certain Pop Underground who draw flowers on every piece of paper that comes under their hands, (play the guitar neatly and sing shyly -- sometimes out of tune) Elizabeth has put her personal touch which gives her songs their originality and special sound. In those 8 short popsongs, she proves that it is possible to write great music just with acoustic guitars -- no drums, no distortion. As straightforward as the alphabet.
the Cat's Miaow
This Is All I Ever Wanted 7" vinyl
Quiddity. Quiddity 004.
by Scott Zimmerman.
December 31, 1995.
See more about this title.
Out of Stock.
Maybe the reverb on "I Fall to Pieces" is just a little bit excessive,
but, gosh, what a beautiful song! It's a Patsy Cline cover, and it sounds
like it, seeing as how she was given so much sorrowful, lyrically
brilliant material to work with in her day. The second song on this record
ends almost as quickly as it begins, which is sort of the Cat's Miaow
trademark for both the A-side and B-side of their 7" singles--first a
normal length song, then a really short one.
Turning the record over, "Portland, Oregon" brings the pace up a bit, and features male lead vocals instead of female leads. Great song! And the next track is also snappy, and it finishes in about 30 seconds. Now that is concise song writing!!