Indietracks Festival / all things C86 and indiepop!

[Flex Your Head]

You can keep your REMs, but if you start mentioning the Groove Farm I'm back in..

I take it you've got this lil beauty put out by the lovely folk at Big Pink Cake?



And what about the Beatnik Filmstars...

 

[boik]

I listened to Hunkpapa the other week, quite under-rated. Mania is still rather mental.

Great stuff! Have you read her book? Listening to the first album again after reading it makes you realise what she was going though at the time it was recorded. "Hate my way" is such a classic track.

 

[Staly]

OK Staly - we know you're hardcore...Just been looking at the Cherry Red website - lots of books and CDs I'm tempted by, but at the same time suspect that I don't really need. However, an interesting assortment of compilations and remasters. The 14 Iced Bears retrospective has already been mentioned on these pages, but there's loads of other stuff, as you'd expect - just about all the Felt albums, a June Brides collection, Best of the Chesterfields (?! - see what I mean?), Bodines reissue, HoL 3 x deluxe CD, etc etc, book by Jon Robb on fanzines 1981-1987.

For a while in 1986, when they released Forever Breathes The Lonely Word, Felt were my favourite band in the world. Lovely silky elegant guitar jangles and Hammond organ, great songwriting. Their later stuff was patchy, but every house should have a Felt album or compilation so that they can enjoy the range of songs from jangly pop to Baroque guitar instrumentals.

I'm not particularly "hardcore", just never liked college rock much. I was always more of a fan of the paisley underground lot- Rain Parade etc. I do listen to other stuff as well as indiepop - soul, reggae, punk. 60s garage etc etc.

Felt were also my favourite band for a long time, and probably still in my top 10. I don't think they went particularly "patchy" though- me and a monkey's a fabulous album, and the Denim stuff's good as well.

To my shame I have the best of the Chesterfield's compilation - I still like the early stuff but they did go patchy (to say the least). There's a Rosehips compilation available, you know....

The Waltones compilation that Cherry Red recently issued is well worth having - a very underrated band.

 

[Staly]

I take it you've got this lil beauty put out by the lovely folk at Big Pink Cake?

View attachment 46064

And what about the Beatnik Filmstars...

I didn't buy that because I've still got all the vinyl. I just used to adore the Groove Farm. I got chucked out of one of their gigs once for drunkenly spinning in a circle in the middle of the dancefloor for half an hour....

I've got a couple of Beatnik Filmstars albums, but they were never the same....

 

[tinycowboy]

I was always more of a fan of the paisley underground lot

Revolving Paint Dream fan? Have you got the Feminine Complex album?

I don't think they went particularly "patchy" though

I'm thinking of Train Above The City - passed me by.

 

[Staly]

Revolving Paint Dream fan? Have you got the Feminine Complex album?



I'm thinking of Train Above The City - passed me by.

Oh, well, that's Duffy's album. I don't think Lawrence is even on it, apparently. You're right, it sucks.

I've got a Feminine Complex compilation on Teenbeat. Can't say I've listened to it recently....

 

[hans kraay fan club]

He still makes solo records. He went country early on but his latest stuff's quite June Bridesy: http://www.amazon.co.uk/God-Bless-Kennedy-Phil-Wilson/dp/B0045K0LG4/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1375173093&sr=1-1&keywords=phil+wilson

Thanks. Useful review there too. Seem to remember now that he took a country direction. I never listened to any of his output though.

Cheers Staly. I've just ordered it (for £5.03, can't go far wrong). I think its shipping from the states, so expect a first-hand review in about two weeks!

Listened to this three times now, and it is genuinnely really good. If you like the June Brides, then you cannot fail to enjoy this album. In fact, it has such a familiar feel to it, that there are songs that I felt I already 'knew' even on the first listen. Thanks for the heads up Staly.

 

[Albumen]

http://www.thisisfakediy.co.uk/articles/news/cassette-store-day-adds-further-2013-releases/

When do you think the kids will realise this is a bad idea?

 

[Flex Your Head]

http://www.thisisfakediy.co.uk/articles/news/cassette-store-day-adds-further-2013-releases/

When do you think the kids will realise this is a bad idea?

It's funny, I was having this conversation yesterday. I hate cassettes and think it's a bit elitist to release stuff in this format as so few people have working cassette descks.
But, when I was speaking to some 20 year olds in a bands a short while back, they were saying that they release stuff on tape as compact disc is the format they equate with their parents' music and MP3 downloads are dull and come with no physical artwork. I kinda see their point and have been tempted by some of the recent releases particularly as they come with download codes.

Fika have some great releases with lovely artwork - http://fikarecordings.com/releases/cassette/
And the Art is Hard label are releasing a gorgeous looking double tape set in a gold tobacco tin. I can't access their site at work, but if someone can post a picture, you'll see what I mean. 100 only and I want one!

 

[tinycowboy]

When do you think the kids will realise this is a bad idea?

The sooner of:

1. Realising they don't have access to a cassette player/realising their parents' cassette player doesn't work any more
2. Their tape being chewed up by an old cassette player that's seen better days
3. Their tape melting in the car and sticking to the car seat
4. Realising that the sound quality is worse than vinyl and has none of the charm or ritual
5. Something more exciting happens

I'm all for revivals of cherished objects, but did anyone love cassettes, or just enjoy the convenience and portability which has been completely blown away by more recent technological advances?

 

[hans kraay fan club]

And the Art is Hard label are releasing a gorgeous looking double tape set in a gold tobacco tin. I can't access their site at work, but if someone can post a picture, you'll see what I mean. 100 only and I want one!

No, no,no, no! I bloody HATED stuff like that. You'd see it, in its big shiny DIFFERENT box, and go "Ooh, that looks nice, and special, and that. I need one of those".
Then you'd get it home, to your perfectly ordered music collection, and put it where it should go, and realise that it looked ALL WRONG. Bad times.

 

[tinycowboy]

It's funny, I was having this conversation yesterday. Fika have some great releases with lovely artwork - http://fikarecordings.com/releases/cassette/
And the Art is Hard label are releasing a gorgeous looking double tape set in a gold tobacco tin. I can't access their site at work, but if someone can post a picture, you'll see what I mean. 100 only and I want one!

Firstly, it's funny - I was just listening to It's Kinda Funny. Secondly, I sort of take back what I said a bit in that I like the idea of limited edition tapes with tea bags and booklets and stuff, plus access to a "proper" quality mp3, as long as I like the music. I'm tempted by the Tullycraft tape (I'm afraid "Limited edition of 100" gets my interest every time - I'm reminded of the lyrics of "This Is Fake DIY" by bis), but I only like Tullycraft 4/10, so may not bother.

 

[Stato]

I still owns cassettes, not through fondness for the medium, but 1) because my old car still plays them, 2) shops gave them away for next to nothing when they were on the way out & 3) I haven't got around to transferring loads of John Peel tracks onto digital.

Having large numbers of them in cardboard boxes around the house is also really useful for things like collecting dust and arguing with your wife.

Coincidently, looking through a box last night, I came across a tape called 'Rewind' which I bought at some eighties gig in Brighton for a quid. Its kind of a tape version of a flexi, home made (I think by someone called Rick & Ross with an address in Old Shoreham Road). Features, amongst others, Mighty Mighty, Ever, John Dowie, The Long Tall Texans and has 'Sound as a Pound' typed on the cassette sticker. Anyone else got any of these or any background knowledge?

 

[tinycowboy]

Then you'd get it home, to your perfectly ordered music collection, and put it where it should go, and realise that it looked ALL WRONG. Bad times.

I've got some really annoying CDs that just don't fit in my aesthetically charming Loop CD shelves - they have to be placed on top which completely ruins the minimalist effect. Which has been ruined admittedly ever since we had kids. Plus, my vinyl is in boxes in the loft and includes ridiculous items that don't fit. I once had the Spiritualized "Ladies and Gentlemen.." full-sized pill boxes with 10 CDs and trod on it, breaking all the fancy packaging. Once again, having kids cured me of such extravagant purchases.

 

[Albumen]

The Spiritualised Electric mainline glow in the dark case

and the MBV Glider EP are two of my bugbears. Why change the size!!

 

[Flex Your Head]

Tullycraft are worth waaaay more than 4/10.

Interesting dicussion on the revival of th etape format here:
http://anorakforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=5502

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I've got some really annoying CDs that just don't fit in my aesthetically charming Loop CD shelves - they have to be placed on top which completely ruins the minimalist effect. .

Exactly.

My cassette tapes were stored in four hand made wooden presentation units, that a couple of fabulously skilled Bangladeshi carpenters had made as a present for my Dad, when he was working as a site manage, while I was growing up in Dubai. The units each had 4 rows of 4 little compartments, that held ten STANDARD cassette cases.

STANDARD.

A Josef K special edition cassette in an irregular oversized cardboard box might look lovely in the shop, but it when it lives in the pile of ODDMENTS on the floor, rather than neatly filed between (The) Jesus and Mary Chain and (The) June Brides its a source of enormous discomfort.

 

[tinycowboy]

I came across a tape called 'Rewind' which I bought at some eighties gig in Brighton for a quid.

Not heard of this. There was always an obscure section of a decent record shop with a load of homemade-looking tapes for sale featuring the same old names. I remember I had one called Out of the Blue, but I think my mum threw it away when I left home, along with a load of records and personal items from my childhood...

 

[tinycowboy]

The Spiritualised Electric mainline glow in the dark case and the MBV Glider EP are two of my bugbears. Why change the size!!

The Glider EP!! WHY is it about 0.5cm too big WHY?? Love the music, hate the size!

Tullycraft are worth waaaay more than 4/10.

OK - 5.5 at a push. Two nights ago, I couldn't get past "Ticket Tonight" on City of Subarus without feeling like I'd eaten 3 Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Good signles band, average albums band.

A Josef K special edition cassette in an irregular oversized cardboard box might look lovely in the shop, but it when it lives in the pile of ODDMENTS on the floor, rather than neatly filed between (The) Jesus and Mary Chain and (The) June Brides its a source of enormous discomfort.

Factory records - hang your head in shame: lovely font, design, box, etc but they're lying prone in a drawer that also contains sellotape and envelopes - can't find an appropriate place for them.

 

[Stato]

My boxed seven inch singles by Cud and the Darling Buds were useful for sticking at the end of shelves as they were too thick to slide down the crack. The ones that annoyed me were 10" singles. Do they go with the seven inches, as an over sized nuisance or with the twelve inches and then get lost at the back? I've got a 10" copy of the Proclaimers 'Letter From America' which the record company thought wasn't annoying enough and so made it double grooved as well: Pot luck as to which song plays.

Even more annoying was a five inch single I had (I can't remember who by, but I think it was someone like Green On red). This would never play as whenever you took the arm over to the beginning of the smaller disc the auto return would kick in.