Today’s a holiday here in the US but I will be working. I still had my long three day weekend from Friday to Sunday. It was good.

In the coming days and weeks I should have many interviews in the blog. I have been in touch with many bands as of late so I am hoping to get their answers soon. That’s always great. It is interesting to learn more details about these bands. And most importantly, rediscover them, not let them be forgotten.

Dead Famous People: copies of “Lost Person’s Area” are available on Bandcamp. This was the band’s first release back in the day, but the copies available are from this year’s reissue for Record Store Day.  5 songs on vinyl, all of them classic songs by the Auckland, New Zealand, band. Price is not very nice, 24 pounds plus shipping. I guess I may need to figure something out to afford this. Have you noticed that just a few years ago a 12″ vinyl was $15. How did it suddenly become more than $25? Inflation? Gas prices?

Helpful People: “Broken Blossom Threats” is the name of the 5-song EP that the bay area project has just released digitally on Burundi Cloud Music. Behind this project we find Carly Putnam and Glenn Donaldson, two well-known musicians in this blog. The songs are lovely. You hope they get properly released sometime.

Cosmicdust: now some cool Japanese shoegaze from this two-piecec formed by SIS K and YAF. Who are behind these nicknames? I don’t know. The latest song they have released is called “Ramblingly” and is now available on a tape that includes an extra song, “Reframe”.

High Sunn: and back again to San Francisco. The latest release by this one man project is called “Flawless Recollections”. On the Bandcamp bio it says that this was a project, past tense. Does this mean it doesn’t exist anymore? That’d be a shame. Justin Cheromiah, who was the person behind this anime-loving project, did know how to make some good popsongs.

Mint Julep: and we end the short reviews with a blog favourite, Mint Julep. The duo formed by Keith and Hollie Kenniff released last month a digital single titled “If I Say Tomorrow” that is beautiful. Do check it out.

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Banbury is a historic market town on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, England. It had a population of 46,853 at the 2011 census.

Banbury is a significant commercial and retail centre for the surrounding area of north Oxfordshire and southern parts of Warwickshire and Northamptonshire which are predominantly rural. Banbury’s main industries are motorsport, car components, electrical goods, plastics, food processing, and printing. Banbury is home to the world’s largest coffee-processing facility (Jacobs Douwe Egberts), built in 1964. The town is famed for Banbury cakes, a spiced sweet pastry dish.

Banbury is 64 miles (103 km) northwest of London, 37 miles (60 km) southeast of Birmingham, 27 miles (43 km) southeast of Coventry and 22 miles (35 km) northwest of Oxford.

Don’t think I’ve ever written about a band from Banbury. Also about one with such a long name. I think. At least I can’t remember doing that in the past.

On a Soundcloud account by David Cooper (the keyboardist of the band) we find four songs from a demo tape. The A side having “Forget Tonight” and “Ocean of Blue” while the B side “Problem Girl” and “Blue Mood”.

All of the songs are credited to Richard White but “Forget Tonight” which is credited to Sean D’Oyley and Richard White. They were all arranged by the band.

The band was formed by Sean D’Oyley on leaad guitar, Richard White on vocals and rhythm guitar, David Cooper on keyboards, Sean Joyner on bass and Steve Joyner on bass. Are the last two related? Possibly!

We also know that the demo tape was released in 1986.

But we don’t find any other info on this page. Sadly. The songs are really great! It’s a great surprise, a great find.

I find later that Desert Island Dick was actually a comic strip character that was stranded on a desert island with only Olly the octopus for company.

I keep searching. I find that as of late Sean D’Oyley has been playing in a band called The Duckworths. This is a band that plays covers from the likes of Blondie, The Clash or The Specials. I also believe that Sean is a joiner and cabinet maker.

About Richard White, I find one that might be him. I don’t know as the name is a bit more common of course. But this Richard White loves music and has a website called Chalkys. It sells music, film, books and more. The store was established back in 1987.

Sean Joyner? There’s a cricketer from Banbury with that name. I wonder if he is the same Sean? That’d be amazing!

And lastly I do find David Cooper. He owns a shop called ePianos in Banbury that opened in 1995.  There he sells not just pianos but also other instruments including guitars and saxophones. So cool!

It is superb to see the band members become successful.

Now I am wondering if they recorded any other demos. If they had been in other bands. Would be good to know. I am glad to have find out many details about them!

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Listen
Desert Island Dick and the Palm Trees – Ocean of Blue