Back from holidays!
Orders placed during the last two weeks will be posted tomorrow.
Other than that, not much news. I had a good time in France and Belgium. Saw many museums, cathedrals, churches, and castles. Also lots of great food, though I am a bit tired of fries by now!
Was also lucky to meet Yves from Hands and Arms and Joanny who is part of the Paris Popfest team.
Anyways, next holidays are in September. In the meantime expect posts like usual.
Pipiolas: “El Verano que me Debes” is the name of the 10″ Elefant Records is releasing by this newish Spanish band. The record includes just 4 songs packed with great pop tunes. The songs are not as immediate as other bands Elefant releases, but these are really lovely. The band is formed by Paula and Adriana who met at the Royal college of the Performing Arts where they studied acting.
No Suits in Miami: this is a must have for me. The Swedish band from Lund released their album “Nothing Ever Happens” earlier this year, but now the American edition, released by Shelflife is finally available. I’ve praised this band time and time again and is one of my favourites of the last few years. So don’t miss it.
Monogamy: now a Chicago band that sounds great. If you like bedroom pop, lo-fi pop, this will be up your street. The band is releasing a lathe cut 7″ on July 29 with two songs. It is very limited, 50 copies. The A side is available to preview and is titled “Never Seen You Dance” and is really good!
Lande Hekt: Bristol’s Lande Hekt is a favourite too. I have reviewed them a few times and always loved their songs. Now here is some great news. On September 23 the band is releasing an album! It will be titled “House Without a View” and will include 11 songs. We can now preview “Gay Space Cadets”, just the one song. The album is going to be released on CD and vinyl and on UK and US versions!
Ribbon Stage: who are these New Yorkers? Never heard about them! And they love Dolly Mixture and the Shop Assistants! Wow! I need to go and check them out when they play live. The band is releasing an 11-song album on October 12 and will be titled “Hit with the Most”. One song to preview, “Playing Possum”, but what a fun song it is!
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It’s been years since I thought I had to find out more about The Best Wishes, write about them, feature them on the blog. I don’t have an answer why it has taken such a long time, but it is better late than never.
The Best Wishes were an American band that released a 7″ single and a split 7″ single with Bella Vista. I don’t own any of these records, which is a shame, but I have heard a few of their songs and always enjoyed them.
Their first release was the “Shoebox Full of Love EP” in 1997. It was released by the Secret label (SHHH 7), the label that had released The Rosehips compilation. This was the label run by Leonard from Bella Vista. And even though I never interviewed him about Secret, I did interview him about the great Bella Vista.
300 copies were made of this record that featured Catherine Holt and Josh Feldman. The EP included 5 songs, “Luckiest Love”, “Sticker Box” and “Love is for Saturdays” on the A side and “Can’t Wait for Summer” and “Boy of my Dreams” on the B side. The songs had been recorded in October of 1996 at Tummy Button.
Catherine would contribute vocals to a Musical Chairs’ song called “Brand New Day”, but not sure if she was involved in other bands. Josh in the other hand was in caUSE co-MOTION! and in Sapphire Mansions.
The band’s second release was the split 7″ with Bella Vista. This time around it was released on Turn Up the Treble! (02). This label was Josh’s record label. Each band contributed two songs, and we find The Best Wishes’ on the B side. They were “I Never Wanted Any of This” and “Beautiful Morning”. This last track was actually a cover of the wonderful Snowbirds (another band that I need to feature on the blog). On this song David Klein, from caUSE co-MOTION!, The German Measles, What Next? and arno Kleni!, contributed guitar.
Other than these releases the band had the song “Boy of My Dreams” on a Shelflife compilation tape called “I’ve Got it Now… A Popfest Compilation” that was put together for the 1997 NYC Popfest.
Then in 1998 they appeared on “Seven Summers International Pop Volume 2” released by Kindercore (KC023) and TweeNet. On this CD comp put together by the great Peter Hahndorf the band contributed the song “The Best Sort of Wishes”.
I find some info about their time at NYC Popfest 97. Mike Appelstein mentions that The Best Wishes stayed at his place inn Hoboken. I believe The Best Wishes hailed from Connecticut, but I might be wrong. He also mentions that the band had some great songs that weren’t included in the EP. He also gives us some of his own insights:
The Best Wishes, aka The Artists Formerly Known as Shoebox Full of Love. Of all the bands that played on Friday, I was especially glad they got ap appear, because Catherine and Josh have been making shimmery pop songs in their bedrooms and dorm rooms for a few years now and releasing them on poorly-distributed cassette and 7″ releases. Along with the Receptionists, Vehicle Flips, Kitty Craft, the Moonlings and the like, the Best Wishes epitomize the best by-product of the lo-fi revolution — private, melodic, quietly winning songs that come across almost as musical journal entries. At Fez on Friday night, Catherine and Josh played about half old Shoebox Full of Love material (“Can’t Wait for Summer,” “Luckiest Love,” “Boy Of My Dreams,” etc.), and maybe half new songs that were just slightly edgier. What I hadn’t noticed up until Friday was just how distinctive Josh’s drumming is. He is like a college-aged Dave Weckerman and Stan Demeski, except he does it all himself with just a floor tom, snare and cymbal. They were model houseguests, and our post-show dinner at Kiev was fun, too. Some friendly advice to you all: stick to the obvious dishes when you go to Kiev. Do NOT order stuffed cabbage. Just trust me. Don’t.
So were they called Shoebox Full of Love previously?
And that’s all I could find about them. Who remembers them? Where can we find more songs by them?
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