Song Of the Day: March 6, 2005
Beginning with Haircut 100's "Love Plus One," Nick Heyward's career has seen its share of artistic triumphs, but it's possible that The Apple Bed represents the pinnacle of his acheivements. This album, which was released on Creation in the UK, was licensed to the defunct Big Deal records in America and can probably be found for cheap in many record stores with huge sale bins. This particular track reminds me of Crowded House, and features a particularly memorable chorus.
Song Of the Day: March 5, 2005
Todd Newman and the Leatherwoods-To Win You Back45, Reverb Jr. Records, 1988
Former Topekan and current Minneapolitan Todd Newman has made records for a variety of labels including Medium Cool, the Bus Stop Label, and Barber's Itch, sometimes using the Leatherwoods moniker, sometimes not. This 1988 45 on Cody Ochs's Reverb Jr. Records is typical of Todd's ability to take advantage of an opportunity; both songs contained lyrics that assured that they would never be played on the radio. Nevertheless, Mr. Newman has amassed a fine discography and can count Paul Westerberg amongst his collaborators and Gerard Cosloy amongst his fans. He's just a ridiculous guitar player; give him the cheapest crap guitar and a functioning amp, and he can work magic. Just ask Ed Rose.
Song Of the Day: March 4, 2005
Since they were a Chicago band, and were active as the 70s became the 80s, it seems safe to assume that the Kind had heard and enjoyed Cheap Trick. I've seen one other Kind 45 and an LP on this same label, but this is the one you want. The versions of these songs on the LP are a bit smoother, and not quite as exciting. The Kind were a pretty good club draw back in the day, and there are still plenty of copies of this one floating around the Chicago area. Mark Henning (ex-Zoom) scored this one for me.
Song Of the Day: March 3, 2005
Steve Mitchell was relating a story of a discussion he once had with Clare at Sarah Records. She told him it was annoying that people so frequently said that the best Sarah single was the first one, "Pristine Christine" by the Sea Urchins. "Well, it is," Steve repiled. And he might be right. It's pretty hard to top something like that. That said however, my favorite Sarah single is the grandest one, St. Christopher's "Say Yes To Everything." I remember getting this home and thinking how remarkably huge it sounded compared to most of the other Sarah 45s, with the big electro drums, tympani, and crashing bass notes on the piano. Fortunately, St. Christopher, a band who went so far as to name one of their EPs "Bacharach," composed a song that would have made their chief influence proud. The result is undeniably "indie", yet atypically bold, big, and ambitious.
Song Of the Day: March 2, 2005
It was the Bandables' misfortune to present their strongest material at a juncture in US rock history where their most obvious strengths cut no mustard with hipsters. They had two talented songwriters. They had nifty boy-girl harmonies. They had smartly strummed and jangled guitars. They were cute. In 1990 the latter alone immediately wiped them off the cool radar, as the influence of the early 70s was about to re-emerge via grunge, and bands like Pussy Galore were spazzily raved on by every Forced Exposure-wannabe fanzine. Can you imagine what it must have been like to be a pop band in New York at that time? 10 years earlier they might have been hanging with the Bongos and dB's and perhaps received a bit more attention (although they did release a swell 45 as early as 1984), but such are the cruelties of the calendar.
Jerry Kitzrow and his mates are planning a Bandables retrospective for release later this year. We'll try to keep you posted. Should be very cool.
The Little Hits Current #1 Song
Hey! Everybody should go check out the video for the Futureheads' cover of Kate Bush's "Hounds Of Love" at the NME site. It's just frigging adorable.
Song Of the Day: March 1, 2005
Tucked inside the awesome picture sleeve is a disc we like so much that our first choice for the name of this blog was lovelycrashes.com. The Dazzlers had at least three singles and an LP, though we've never seen the latter. Another example of the huge influence of the Who upon many of the major label UK power pop bands, even the ones who weren't overtly part of the Mod Revival spearheaded by the Jam. It's interesting to contrast this with US power pop bands of the same era who tended to have influences that were either closer to home (the Byrds), wimpier (Merseybeat), more commercial (AOR bands like Journey), or keyboard driven "new wave" acts (The Cars).
Song Of the Day: February 28, 2005
I'm sure everybody has their own particular favorite, but to me, the Cavedogs are perhaps the first band I think of when pondering the notion that maybe success in the music industry isn't always merit-based. Here were three guys who could all write, sing and play like hell, were a terrific live act, and made an absolutely smashing debut CD which heaps on hit after hit. And what good did it do them?
I always kind of think of this record as a parallel to Badfinger's Straight Up, an early 70s LP that began fetching ridiculous prices in the 80s when everyone discovered how good it was. I hope this album has a similar fate; it has elements of both mod pop and psychedelia, yet sounds absolutely contemporary even now. Check out also their follow-up, Soul Martini, a worthy effort, if not quite so immediate as the debut.
Any similarities between the guitar intros of "Tayter Country" and "Summer Everywhere" by the What Gives are absolutely no accident.
And a couple of geek questions: Was this ever issued on vinyl? Anybody have a copy of the "Step Down"/"Proud Land" 45 to spare?
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