In 2021 there was a retrospective album by The Telephone Boxes on Detour Records (DRLP088) that I missed. I feel bad about it. My record buying habits have decreased considerably since becoming a dad.

It is hard to keep up. But I think this record is one I would definitely want to have. I should keep my eyes peeled. Maybe I’ll be lucky sometimes.

The first time I heard about this band was thanks to an interview I did with Pete Brickley of the wonderful band The Wallflowers. Before being in The Wallflowers he had been in The Telephone Boxes. This is what he told me:

I left The Telephone Boxes, shortly after our support slot on the first Smiths tour to start a solo career but was persuaded by Warner Chapell to take a band name (from page 1 issue 1 of Spiderman).

Telephone Boxes were utterly amazing (the Smiths invited us on their first tour and paid our expenses and a modest wage)we sounded like a cross between The Fall & an ice cream van. We recorded four demos for various record companies,every Smiths gig, and lots of home tapes. Maybe we can release some of it one day.

The Telephone Boxes was formed in 1982 by Pete Brickley (vocals, guitar), Charlie Allen (bass, backing vocals), Adam Wood (guitar, backing vocals) and Patrick Hunt (drums, and he would continue working with Pete on The Wallflowers). The band would be active until 1985. Also worth noting that on the song “Theme from Interpol” the drummer was Mark “Sparky” Davies.

Previously Patrick had been in Aztec Camera. Pete Brickley was on The Mystery Girls and The Xtensions. Adam Wood had also been in The Mystery Girls as well as in Frankenstein’s Baby, The Company and The Famous Men.

The record that Detour released in 2021 included a plethora of songs. It was an LP and CD combo. The songs on the LP are repeated on the CD, but the compact disc includes 12 more songs. These are: “Lazy Time”, “Language of the Land”, “Little White Lies”, “You’re the One”, “I Don’t Like to Repeat Myself (Live)”, “Thank You”, “Theme from Interpol”, “Please Yourself”, “Hallelujah I Was Born”, “One Day”, “Now That We’re Friends”, “A Twist of Fate”, “Love Was Here (Live)”, “STYLE”, “Affection”, “I Read a Book”, “Good Fortune”, “Boomerang Jack”, “Camouflage”, “A Great Big River”, “Down and Out”, “Everybody’s Fool”, “Broken Up”, “Living in Trees”, “Deadbeat (Live)” and “Relatively Speaking”. The songs were written sometimes by Pete and others by Adam.

This record was very limited sadly. 150 copies in black vinyl and 100 on red. The album includes their demos as well as live tracks from their Smiths tour.

On my blog I find another mention about the Telephone Boxes. It is on the post about the band Ala Pana Fuzo. There I wrote: “There’s an interesting bio on last.fm written by Ian Miller himself. Among the many interesting facts written, he mentions that they often played on the same bill with Peter Brickley, from the Telephone Boxes and the more known Wallflowers as he was also from Slough. They were also very close to signing to a major label but it didn’t happen.”

A post on The Guardian tells us a little bit more about Peter and The Telephone Boxes: “The Wallflowers were the creation of Peter Brickley (who always styled himself Peter d Brickley). He’d come to the attention of Marr via his previous band, the Telephone Boxes, who had supported the Smiths. It’s possible he didn’t have the Stakhanovite work ethic required to make a success of a music career: his RIckenbacker guitar was backed with a large sticker with the word “acid” written in block capitals; he played more often with Slough’s jokey country band the Company than he did with his own group.”

I start to wonder why did I miss this. I haven’t heard all the songs on the record. Just a few and they are fantastic. I’m pissed. Only now, 2 years after the fact I am seeing my mistake. And happily all the songs are on Soundcloud. Sure, not the same as playing the real thing, but this is nice too!

What else is there to say about them? Well yes, they played at many places including, at the Nelson Mandela Hall  and London King’s College (both with Hurrah! and Felt), at the Leicester De Montfort Hall, the Warwick University Arts Centre and Reading University (with The Smiths), at Dingwalls (with The Smiths and The Daintees), at the Lyceum in the Strand (with The Smiths, Billy Bragg and The Redskins), at Libertys (with Death Pop), at the ICA (with The Room and The Red Guitars), at the Windsor Arts Centre (with The Smashing and Death Pop), Mothers Wardrobe in Slough, Studio One and at The Rock Garden among others.

Lastly on Youtube there are two videos, titled “The Last Twist Part #1” and “The Last Twist Part #2“. Check them out!

I lost touch with Pete Brickley since I interviewed him ages ago. So yeah, would love to reconnect, maybe find out more about this wonderful band. Also hoping for a reissue someday! Anyone remember them?

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Listen
The Telephone Boxes – Language of the Land

Just a heads up that the last day to order records from Cloudberry will be on Sunday. After that I won’t be able to mail any orders until mid January.

I’ll continue blogging during this time though, I will have the computer with me.

Also keep an eye for an early release early next year by the label, our first 10″! By a beloved Swedish band! Very exciting!

I’m going back in time. Down memory lane as they say. Remember NYC Popfest 2007. That was my first Popfest. Seems like a long time. But I have vivid memories. I can still recall the Bunnygrunt gig in Coney Island. Or chatting with Duglas before the BMX Bandits played. Good times.

There are gigs I dont remember. I am sure I saw Affair D’Coeur but I can’t recall the gig. I remember their name very well though, and now and then it crosses my mind. I should have written about them before. I know I want to remember. Was it a full-fledged band? For some reason I think it was a duo. It is hazy.

They were from NYC. I think that’s right. And I remember they played at The Delancey. That night when I first saw The Baskervilles who at the time were among my favourite bands. I was impressed. The Secret History played that night too. I didn’t know Mike Grace yet. I was impressed by his band and giddy to see ex-My Favourite people on stage.

One detail I remember clearly about Affair D’Coeur was the photo/avatar they had on Myspace. A cartoon pigeon. That doesn’t show up anymore. There is still a Myspace but of course that doesn’t work.

There should be some songs in there. At least their names. “Don’t Tell Me”, “Heart on Demand” and “Oh No December” appear to me. Can you find anymore? They don’t play for sure. Click on music and you get a broken page.

A brief bio I find says they were from Brooklyn. That they recorded their tracks either on or using a Tascam 414 MK II. That they were a bedroom pop band. A lo-fi indiepop band.

Discogs only lists a compilation appearance. It is on CDR I have never heard about, “Loose Sips Sink Ships” released by Indieskys Records (ISY 001). Not sure what year it was. Four songs were included: “Long Drive AKA To My Friends”, “Do You Wanna Go With Me?”, “Heart on Demand” and “Port of Call”. I’m not familiar with the other bands on it.

Other than this I know the band played a gig on March 24 of 2007, before the Popfest. It was at 29 Wythe St. in Williamsburg along The Manhattan Love Suicides, Titus Andronicus, Fellows and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Just two months before the Popfest.

Perhaps the best find is that there was a video made for the song “What I Need“. Other videos on this account has songs by a band called MiamiBeachNY… maybe one of the members was involved in this band.

I can’t find names. I can’t find other songs. But clearly they made an impression on me. I remember them and have been wondering what happened to this band. It’s been about 15 years since I heard them. It’s been fun to at least listen to one of their tracks again.

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Listen
Affair D’Coeur – What I Need

Today we travel to Brisbane, Australia. Home of The Go-Betweens. But also many other good bands. Here is one I didn’t know about, that I just discovered, Modern Poets.

In 1989 they were making their debut with the release of a 7″ on Big Noise Records (M.P-1230NIT) which probably was their own label. This record had two songs, “Understanding Mary” on the A side and “Redsun” on the B side. It was recorded at Vibrafeel Studios in their hometown and was co-produced by the band and Michael Borkowski.

In 1991 the band would release a cassette album titled “Politics, Poetry and…”. It was put out by Big Noise Records (MP 223740) and was again recorded at Vibrafeel Studios and mastered by Jim Baker at Willowtree Studios.

The album had the following songs, “She Says”, “Ethic of Love”, “Rock Strength”, “Crushed”, “Understanding Mary” and “Driving” on the A side and “Big Slide”, “Planet Go to Rest”, “Fall from Grace”, “Forest Fire”, “Everything is Fine”, “Epiphany” and “This Burning Town” on the flipside.

We learn too that the band was formed by Jonathon Sargeant on vocals, Ben Thomson on bass, Timothy Hills on strings and Philip Neil on drums. Timothy was the one who wrote the music.

Other than these two releases we know that their song “Red Sun” appeared on “Triple M FM 104 Homegrown” LP compilation released by Wheatley Records (TWOHG 004) in 1990.

Then I find a Facebook page for the band. Here I learn that the band started in 1983.

I find there a video of the band playing the song “Feel the Light“. On that same account by Timothy Hills, there are more videos of them, for example the band practicing at Oxley Hall in the Gap in 1985. Recording at Star Sound after Winning the Triple MM Homegrown in 1988. Or live on Channel Seven on a Saturday morning. And what about a fun short video after an interview?

There’s a video for “Everything is Fine” too.

Then I find that the band reunited for a gig on October 4th, 2014.

And lastly on Yotube I find the band’s song “Fear of the Fall” being played live at the Festival Hall in Brisbane in 1985. There is no live footage though. But can check the song.

Another little detail I find is that these days Tim, Jonathon and Phil  make music with a project called Dolby System.

Good stuff, right?

What do you all remember about the Modern Poets? Did they play live much? Did they release any other records?

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Listen
Modern Poets – Understanding Mary