The Photocopies: the Michigan based Londoner Sean Turner is a very prolific indiepopster. The good news is that Subjangle Records has done a double CD compilation, with 45 of his songs, that is available right now. The album is called “Pop Trivia” and it is a true jangle extravaganza!
Field School: five new songs by this superb jangle fuzz pop band from Olympia, Washington. “Swainson’s Thrush” EP is the name of the new cassette that is available now! There are 50 copies available of this beauty, that comes with original art by Jimmy Ulvenes. Very recommended.
The Age of Colored Lizards: a new song by the Oslo band called “Don’t Say Goodbye”. ON this new single thee band gets two of their original members, Anders and Håvard to play and record with them again. This new song will be part of the band’s upcoming album to be released early 2023.
Annual Leaf: now we head to Melbourne, Australia. Annual Leaf just released a 5 song digital EP titled “Racing Heart” that sounds pretty good. IT says that the band was gestated in Christchurch, New Zealand, and nurtured in Seoul, Tokyo, London and Auckland, to end up in Melbourne. Interesting!
Trementina: It’s been a while since I heard from Valdivia, Chile, band Trementina. The good news is that they are back with a song called “I Can Show You Wonders”! It is as ace as their older songs and that makes me happy. The band is currently working on a new album so I promise to keep an eye on them!
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Another great Soundcloud find is the UK’s The Finest. This band was active between the late 80s and the early 90s and recorded a bunch of songs, though it doesn’t look like they put out any releases.
The band hailed from Ancoats in Manchester and was a four-piece.
Their songs had been uploaded 9 years ago and well, there’s a link to a website and to a Facebook page that don’t work. So this may prove a bit difficult. Their name is not the most original so it will be hard to google them. But I am going to try.
The songs uploaded are “Sacred Heart”, “Sound of Your Voice”, “That’s Alright”, “Believing”, “One Day a Week”, “Mirror Man”, “Foolish Feelings”, “The Key”, “Bottles & Chains”, “Indian Telephone”, “Send” and “Like Dreamers Do”.
The last song has some more details. “Like Dreamers Do” was the 1st track off “Death of Green” and was recorded at Abbey Road in 1996. What is “Death of Green”? An album? An EP? I have to find out.
But then there’s more to be found on Youtube!
The account I have linked has live footage of the band. Here is them playing “Foolish Feelings” at The Witchwood in Ashton-under-Lyne in the early 90s.
I am not sure if it is from the same gig but there are more videos from The Witchwood, them playing live there. On this one we find them playing the songs “Send”, “That’s Alright” and “One Day a Week”. The second part of the gig where they play “Foolish Feelings”, “Mirror Man and “Bottle & Chains”. Part 3 has “You”, “One for the North” and “Annabelle” while part 4 has “The One I Love”, a REM cover and “One for the North” again.
There’s another gig by them divided in part 1 and part 2. This one was at Manchester University but this time we don’t get a tracklist.
Then I found the name of one of the members, Stephen Maylett, their drummer. Then I find that he owns a boxing gym in Manchester called… guess… The Finest!
Then another good find, on the Manchester Digital Music Archive there’s a photo of the band from 1996. Here we learn a few more names. Bernard Maylett (is he Stephen’s brother?) and Andy Barcoe.
And that’s what I could gather about them. Not a lot, but not little. Anyone that has more details please share!
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Listen
The Finest – Send
