Kevin
Mathews:
February,
2006
So Much Music…So
Little Time
Thank you for the music!
Methinks it's time for label spotlights again.
This time around we focus on indie labels that are making
a difference and look at a couple of their offerings. Let's
dive in…
Words On Music www.words-on-music.com
Eric Ostermeier launched the Minneapolis
label Words On Music in 1998 with his brother, Marc. Originally
conceived as a means by which he could release albums of his
own musical work (Motion Picture) as well as that of Marc's
(Should), Words On Music has gone from strength to strength
and now boasts seven more artists on its roster including
Brit bands Fiel Garvie and Lorna.
Recently, Words On Music acquired the rights
to reissue albums of obscure albeit seminal 80s bands like
The Lucy Show and For Against. The latter's Mania was
original released in 1986 and this reissue boasts liner notes
from indie rock guru Jack Rabid, publisher of the Big Takeover,
as well as numerous bonus tracks and a video of "A Million
Things." Mania was the Lucy Show's sophomore effort
and like their acclaimed debut …Undone drew comparisons
with the Comsat Angels, the Cure, Felt and Echo & the
Bunnymen. By 1989, a combination of bad fortune and mismanagement
put an end to the Lucy Show. This reissue puts into perspective
what the fuss was initially about - …Undone hit
#1 spot on the CMJ charts - well-crafted guitar work, strong
melodies and haunting vocals, with its influence certainly
felt in the shoegazing movement of the early 1990s.
Speaking of which, For Against also comes
to mind for their contribution to the dream pop genre with
their epic, atmospheric guitar sound. 1988's December
stands out as the pivotal album when discussing the origins
of dream pop. Notably, it was the last For Against album with
original guitarist Harry Dingman III. Long out of print, this
reissue also features 2 videos of "Autocrat" and
"Echelons" from For Against's debut. Vocalist Jeffrey
Runnings does not have much of a range and things can get
alarmingly repetitive after a few songs (and this is a common
gripe that I have against followers like Ride as well) but
the sumptuous instrumentation more or less compensates. Tracks
like "Sabres," "Stranded in Greenland"
and the title song are classics of the form.
Pink Hedgehog www.pinkhedgehog.com
Simon Felton is the man behind Pink Hedgehog,
a small label out of the south west of England. Simon has
been graciously sending me CDs for some time now and he specializes
mainly in the power pop arena with bands like Cheese and his
own Garfields Birthday. Who, by the way, have the three-track
Mr. Newton E.P. as its latest release. The title track
sways along with a Britpop feel that would not be out of place
in UK's latest obsession with the new wave of the new wave
of the new wave save that Garfields Birthday have been in
the game for longer than a decade. Blur would probably be
a better reference point. "The Bastion of Teenage"
has the Byrds/Big Star ambience you might expect from Teenage
Fanclub whilst the cover of Tears for Fears' "Memories
Fade" is warmly evocative of the original's power.
In 2005, Pink Hedgehog released three notable
albums. First, we have *The Hypnotizing Sea" by the Black
Watch. Now, John Andrew Fredrick formed the Black Watch in
1987 after he'd received his Ph.D. in English from the University
of California at Santa Barbara. That's a sentence you do not
often read in a rock bio but indeed Fredrick has been making
Black Watch music in seven albums of shiny wonder. With album
#8, Fredrick continues to produce dreamy, bright rock and
pop music that is light yet substantial with lyrics that are
literate and yet down-to-earth. Next up, is Peter Lacey with
his next chapter chronicling his love affair with Brian Wilson
called Songs from a Loft. Containing compliments from
Paul Williams (of Crawdaddy fame - high praise indeed!) in
its liner notes, Songs from a Loft is everything you
would demand from a Wilson acolyte. Blessed with a lovely
voice that rests easily in the upper register (reminiscent
of the late great Carl Wilson), textural arrangements and
songs that recall the mid-60s Beach Boys, Songs from the
Loft is an essential collection for all lovers of great
Beach Boys-inspired music.
Lastly but not leastly, comes the reissue of Anton Barbeau's
1995 album Waterbugs & Beetles which if you really
dug Robyn Hitchcock in his days with the Egyptians, will absolutely
adore this. Sure, it's psychedelic and Barrettesque but not
in an obvious way. No doubt, some of you will be able to trace
the influences of Andy (XTC) Partridge and Guided by Voices
as well, which is all good news. "MTV Song" is a
cracker!
Bomp www.bomp.com
Bomp Records was founded by the late Greg
Shaw in 1974 when Shaw issued the Flamin' Groovies' "You
Tore Me Down" as a single. In its more than 30 years
of existence (give or take an eight year hiatus), Bomp was
been instrumental in promoting the cause of punk (Stiv Bators),
power pop (The Plimsouls) and garage. It is the latter genre
that dominates their catalogue now and what's in store for
the garage fan follows.
Seattle's The Invisible Eyes believe in keeping things basic,
well, downright primitive in fact with its new album Laugh
in the Dark which relentlessly pummels you with down &
dirty fuzztone dragged out from the deep recesses of the mid-60s.
The Konks? Yeah, one letter away from the Kinks and that's
no insult because certainly, the Konks have, like the Stooges
before them, taken "You Really Got Me" to its logical
conclusion. Except maybe that the Konks are sludgier…if
that's possible. "Cheap guitars and two lousy drums…"
Remember Aussie power pop wonder Dom Mariani? Well, the Dom
is back shovelling his trademark pop melodies into rock 'n'
roll coffins and setting it all ablaze with the Stoneage Hearts.
A lot of subtlety involved here and slightly more sophisticated
chord progressions make Guilty As Sin a dirty pleasure
for power pop and garage fans alike.
That's all she wrote for February, kiddies!
Keep on rocking!
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