Some good news for our European friends is that I will be bringing to Paris records to Hands and Arms, the great mailorder and store that is based in the French capital. So, if you are in Europe and want to save on postage, check this great store next month and order from them!
Again, I’ll be in Paris and Brussels next month, anyone that wants a record let me know and I’ll bring with me. I know postage is a killer.
3 A.M. Again: Subjangle Records is releasing a limited CD titled “Let Me Take a Picture”. This collection of songs by the Gloucester, MA, band includes 18 songs of wonderful pop. I have recommended this band time and time again, so there’s no need to continue praising them. They know how to craft wonderful pop songs. So have a listen and order one of these rare CDs!
Blue-Very Pavilion Vol. 2 – 3rd Anniversary Edition: another superb release on Blue-Very label from Japan. This one is a CD compilation of many covers by many superb bands including Bubblegum Lemonade, Den Baron, Ivory Past, The Caraway and more.
Re:lapse: continuing in Japan, here is a great shoegaze band called Re:lapse. Their latest song is a digital single titled “Say” that the band says was inspired by The Jesus and Mary Chain, Medicine, Westkust and The Primitives.
Soft Set: the latest from the Toronto duo formed by James Gray and Nathan Athay is a digital single titled “Diamond”. Here we find some great jangly guitars and post punk vocals. Nice!
Wilt: the second single from the band’s upcoming EP that Shelflife Records is releasing on July 1st is titled “Amour”. It is up now on the band’s Bandcamp so you can all check out this new track by the Manchester combo. On this song Thomas Lee and Mayzie Cocco Wallen from the Melbourne band Oceans contribute vocals.
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Giraffe in English. Giraff På Engelska.
Fredrik Trossö, Christian Lilja and Jonas Svefors formed this terrific Swedish band that released a CDR titled “Ta Inte Sönder Någonting Nu” in 2003.
I was able to include them in Plastilina Records’ “The Sound of Starke Adolf Vol. 1” (PLAST020) in 2011. There they told me a bit of their story:
You have probably heard the story before; a few young friends who decides to start a band in an attempt to canalize their middle class teen-angst into something fun and good sounding. This is a true statement about Giraff på engelska, but not very interesting. Instead it’s the numerous members that at different points in the short time span of GPE played and rehearsed with the band (none mentioned, none forgotten). If there was a contest regarding the most members over the shortest time, it’s more than certain that this band would win the gold.
With a main troop of three people, more members than anyone tried to count, came and went. Songs were written, composed, rehearsed and thrown away before anyone learned how to spell twee punk. As strange as it seems, only three people ended up recording the CD-R single and only two of them were part of the original trio. Nonetheless, all of the members legacy echoed on between the walls of the garage. With these rough pop gems, a name with pun and an adventurous mind, GPE made a few, but very memorable gigs on the swedish indie scene. But that, of course is another story and again, one you have probably heard a thousand times before.
The song I included was called “Need to Be Cheated”. This song had originally appeared on the 2003 CDR they self-released. The other two songs that were on that record were “Falling in Love Again” and “Contempt to the Rich”. The producer of the CDR was Hampus Bengtsson according to Popfakta.
The CDR was distributed by Popkonst I believe. They also announced a new demo to be put out in September of 2003, but I don’t think that was ever released.
The only other appearance of the band was on the compilation “This is Popkonst and We Love You” (POPK02) that came out in 2004 on Popkonst. The song they contributed was “Falling in Love”.
I am now filled with nostalgia. How I wish I had released a second volume of the Starke Adolf compilation. Maybe I should do it some day. I think it is one of my most favourite records I have released.
Christian Lilja would later be in the band Pale Corners who released a split 3″ CD in Cloudberry. He was also in The Last Party. I believe nowadays he works as a publicist for Universal Music Sweden.
I believe Fredrik Tross¨ö is now a photographer in Malmö. I recently discovered that he used to have a Myspace for his solo music with songs like “My guineapig”, “Jag Minns” or “Xmas Love”. Sadly can’t listen to them.
That’s what I could find, that’s what I remember. I don’t have a copy of the CDR which is a shame, but it was great to be able to work with them even if it was for a compilation.
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