Not many updates today. Been reading Pete Paphides book “Broken Greek”, it is a nice memoir of how he fall in love with pop music. I wonder if any of you have read it. On my Goodreads just two friends have and have given superb reviews, 5 stars. So far, I’m halfway through, I am really enjoying it.
Dayflower: there is an expanded version of the “Popping Candy” EP our friends of Leicester released two years ago. This time there’s more songs including a cover of The Flaming Lips as well as different versions of other songs of their catalogue. It is always a good idea to check them out as they are one of the most creative bands out there.
The Photocopies: originally from London but now based in Michigan, we find this nice indiepop project. Their latest release is titled “Quadruple A-Side” which doesn’t have 4 songs but 5. Nice melodies, sunny and jangly, this is a very nice EP. Let’s keep an eye on The Photocopies.
Arts & Letters: now we head to Clare, Australia. To listen to the wonderful song “Asleep”. This is the latest single by this project by Caleb Carr. Previously I believe his project was called English Summer and I had recommended it more than a few times! So yeah, I like his chiming music and don’t mind recommending it even if the name changes!
Swimming Pools and Movie Stars: I already have this on CD. It came out on Jigsaw Records with the title “Modern Architecture”. An 8-song mini-album by this newish Los Angeles project formed by Laurence and Droo. Jigsaw Records comparees theem to Brittle stars, Aberdeen, New Order and JAMC. It’s a good combination of influences and the record is really pretty.
Crystal Eyes: “Don’t Turn Around” is the name of the latest single by Calgary, Canada, band Crystal Eyes. From what I understand this shoegazy song will be part of the dreampop band’s new album “The Sweetness Restored” that is coming out on April 22 on Bobo Integral from Spain. Good stuff.
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This is weird. I was looking at the Change of Seasons Soundcloud page and noticed two songs from 2010 with a female singer. The songs sound very different to the ones I knew that date from back in the early 90s. Anyone would know? They are called “Like This” and “Why”. The strange thing is that they are in the band account as far as I know.
But let’s rewind. Let’s remember this fine Canadian band…
I first discovered them through Egg Records. In the early 2000s they were part of their “restoration” program. I didn’t get the band’s releases then but I was aware of them. A few years after I managed to get the band’s sole 7″ that was released in 1991. This was the “Soft Spoken” 7″ on Egg Records (EGG 008) that had the song “You Again” as the B side.
This wasn’t the band’s first release. According to Discogs there was a demo tape from 1990 with 6 songs, “You Again”, “Echoes of Sadness”, “Wish I Had”, “Soft Spoken”, “The Waiting” and “Pirates on the South China Sea”. I start to wonder how a Canadian band ended on a Scottish label in those pre-internet dates.
A tape was put together by Egg Records in 1991. It was a promo release that had three of the band’s songs on the B side, “You Again”, “Waiting” and “Soft Spoken”. The A side had three songs by the wonderful The Church Grims (which I’ve tried to interview, no luck yet).
When Egg Records decided to re-release the band in 2003, they put out two releases. First was the “Echoed in Sadness” (EGGREST003) CDR single that had four songs, “Echoed in Sadness”, “Tragic Town”, “Speaking too Soon” and “Buttered Toast”.
The second release by the Toronto band was the album “Pretty Mouth” (EGGREST002). 15 songs were on this CDR, “Idiot Home”, “Closet Full”, “Soft Spoken”, “After All”, “You Again”, “Portrait of these Times”, “Echoed in Sadness”, “Crocodile Skin”, “Wish I Had”, “The Waiting”, “Pirates of the South China Sea”, “Smoked Eyes”, “Restless Heart”, “Hairdressers Daughter” and “Try”. All of these songs had been recorded at Friendly Fire Studios between the summer in 1989 and April 1990. In Toronto of course.
Other than thees releases the band appeared on many compilations. In 1990 their song “Echoes of Sadness” appeared on the classic French tape compilation “Heol” released by Karen (KAREN02). “Wish I Had” appeared on “Spying on the Blue Sky” tape as well as in “Egg Records Compilation” (ER-008) tape that Elefant Records released. On this tape their song “Echoed in Sadness” is also included. Lastly on the Spanish compilation “Film Fun “There’s No Stopping Her!” released by El Vicio Seecreto de Sister Mary they had the song “Pirates”. This was all in 1991.
“I Wish” appears on “Seahorses” cassette comp that Red Roses for Me (RRT03) put out in 1992. Elefant Records releases another tape that year, “Around the World” and the song “The Waiting” is included. Also the song “Wish I Had” appears on the vinyl LP “Eating a Fish-Shaped Particle” a superb ccompilation released in Germany by Pico Records (CheW 065).
IN 2003 the band is featured on the CDR compilation “Egg Records: An Introduction to 1988-1991” (EGGREST001). Three songs are included, “You Again”, “Soft Spoken” and “Wish I Had”. Then in 2006 on “Souvenirs from Egg Records” (EGGREST015) their songs “Pirates on the South China Sea” and “Soft Spoken” get included.
There is another compilation tape called “The Cordelia Records Presents”. I don’t know when was this released. What we know is that “Wish I Had” was included in it and was released by Project Press & Tapes (PRT 14).
What else do we know aabout them? Well, that the band was formed by Mike Caricari on guitar and vocals, Cameron Gray on guitar and vocals too, Rico Gasborro on drums and Marc DiGirolimo on bass. Many Canadian-Italians in this band!
They had been involved in other bands too. We know that Michael Caricari was in Danko Jones and Tugboat. Cameron Gray was on Tugboat too.
On Last.fm there’s a bio that is really helpful. It tells that the band actually started in 1987 by Marc DiGirolamo and Mike Caricari. Then they added Rico who happened to be Marc’s cousin and Cameron.
The band’s first gig was at a high school gym in Toronto. Their proper debut was at The Slither Club in March 1988 and they would eventually open for bands like The Chills, The Verlaines and The Wedding Present.
The band released two tapes in Canada. The first was called “Up North under Opulescent Skies” that came out in the summer of 1989. The second was “Pretty Mouth” from April 1990. Both had 9 songs, and it was thanks to the second tape that Egg Records found about them and offered a release.
In March 1991, Mike and Cameron moved to Glasgow. There they recruited two members, Scott on bass and Cliff Henderson on drums. With this lineup they recorded the “Soft Spoken” single and played in Glasgow. At the end of the summer of 1991 Cameron returned to Toronto and Change of Seasons was over.
I suppose then that all recorded material by the band was included in the Egg Records album. I do wonder why they took the risk to move to Glasgow. Also why just be there 3 or so months? Were they involved in other bands before Change of Seasons? And again, what about these two songs that are on their Soundcloud!
Who remembers them?!
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