Day 572
Rachel Love: I just preordered the album “Picture in Mind” by the ex-Dolly Mixture! I am so looking forward to this CD! Right now you can preview two of the songs that will be included in it, “Primrose Hill” and “The Long Way Round”. Both are truly something. I can’t wait to listen to the remaining 8. Very excited. Don’t miss this one out I’d say!
David Christian: the Comet Gain leader is back with an album worth of songs titled “Lullabies for Lives You Never Had”. This release is only digital but it is really good. This is the third volume of recordings done at home and other rare sounds. Definitely worth a listen for the fans and not fans (can that be possible?) of Comet Gain.
Les Yeux Mi-Clos: I wonder where Melotron Recordings from Greece found about this band! I have never heard them and they do sound fantastic. Jangly, chiming guitars. From what I understand it is the project of Correntin Cornieres. And here there is a limited CD of 6 songs that is being released on October 1st.
Humdrum: “Wave Goodbye” is the first song from the latest project of Loren Vanderbilt who used to be in the fantastic Star Tropics. This song is perfect janglepop. The guitars jingle jangle and the melodies work in a dreamy way. It is classic indiepop, well-crafted, and I really hope more songs appear on his Bandcamp soon!
Stomp Talk Modstone: the Japanese shoegazers have a new release on Bandcamp, a four song EP titled “Melissa/Keep on Mind”. As you might guess there are those two songs that give title to the EP plus an instrumental and a version of their song “Only Illusion”. Fuzzy and warm. Good stuff.
—————————————————————–
I was in touch with Noel Attride of the fantastic Beyond the Blue. It was a fantastic opportunity and I asked to do an interview. I sent questions, and as it happens more often than not, I never received answers. So I can’t really tell the whole story of the band as I would have wanted. But I feel not having a write-up about this obscure but amazing band goes against the blog ideals.
I may be doing this a bit more often. There are many bands I’ve tried to interview but never got their answers. As this blog is a good resource for the history of indiepop, I feel at least a write-up of what I know, could be helpful.
From what I understand the band recorded only 6 songs. Only one of these songs, “Return of the Prodigals”, ended up being released. This song would end up on the compilation “Beyond the Fence Begins the Sky”, a vinyl comp released in 1987 by the Plastic Head Records Limited (PLAS LP 008). This label based in Oxon is still going to the surprise of many as a proper record store. On the record thee band appears as the 3rd song on the A side.
I have talked about this compilation in the past. Bands like The Jeremiahs or Home and Abroad appear on it. Also the Enamel Animals who would later be The Chalk Giants.
Beyond the Blue was formed by Noel Attride on guitar, Brendan O’Sullivan on vocals and guitar, James Field on bass and Nick Warren on drums.
The 6 songs the band recorded are on Soundcloud. They are “Time to Smile”, “Acid Rain”, “Beyond the Blue”, “Never Never Girl”, “Return of the Prodigals” and “Time in my Heart”.
Some info appear on the songs. We learn that the band was formed from two disbanded groups (which groups? it doesn’t say).
As you’ll notice the songs are quite something. They are amazing. Proper jangle pop. How come they didn’t release a record is a mystery to me.
I keep looking for any other details. I see a comment on a Firestation Records blog post by Nick Warren. He mentions that he was in a band called Sideways Laughing in 1985. In this band a member of Beyond the Blue was involved, Brendan O’Sullivan. His brother Kieran was also on Sideways Laughing. Nick and Brendan would start Beyond the Blue. He mentions that Brendan was in a band called The Tenderhooks. Would love to listen both of these bands, Sideways Laughing and The Tenderhooks.
Noel also comments on the post. He adds some more info. He says that he was more involved in the later stages of the band. He says that Nick, James and himself, before being in Sideways Laughing had been in a band called Breaking the Ice. Oh! Another band that would be great to listen to. He also mentions that Beyond the Blue played a few gigs in Reading and one in London, at the Hippodrome.
And that’s all the info I could find on the web. Would be fantastic to find out more. Maybe I can get in touch with the other band members and get an interview done. Would be great! Who remembers them?
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
