I was told not to slow down with the blog posts. Well, it was just one vote against none. I do think that a good thing about posting more often is that more often I’ll get in touch with the bands I want to hear their stories. That is perhaps my main drive for running the blog. Mind you, it’s been almost 9 years!
But at the same time, I think giving new bands the spotlight, featuring the better ones I find on my forays on the world wide web is as important. So here are some of my latest findings:
Following the announcement that The Marteens will be releasing a retrospective with Firestation Records, now Twelve Angry Men, a band that I have interviewed on the blog and who I got in touch with the German label, announce the same thing, this time with a release date, October 21st. It is coming out on CD. And I look forward to it a lot!
The Raft, the band from Neston, UK, that I reviewed some time ago have a new digital EP out on Bandcamp. The band formed by Phil Wilson and JPedro have three new and sweet dreampop tunes as part of the “A Lullaby EP“. The songs are “I’m So High”, “No She’s Alone” and “A Lullaby/Nobody’s Daughter”. Which is my favourite? Perhaps the jangly “No She’s Alone”.
Last week I was recommending the Norwegian band The Age of Colored Lizards. A week after they release another digital EP. Bands are not slowing down either. The “Summer Rain EP” is available to stream from the band’s Bandcamp and it has four shoegazy songs, “See You”, “Wake Up”, “Hold Your Hand” and “Summer Rain”.
La Otra Cara de la Nada is an Argentinean band from Posada, Misiones Province. That’s an area sandwiched between Paraguay and Brazil, not the usual area to find guitar pop. I have just discovered them through the Facebook page Latin American Twee. I first check the band’s Facebook page and I find out they are formed by 5 guys, Germán, Ignacio, Ariel, Nicolas and Bruno. I find it funny that they name el Coco Basile, an old Argentinean coach, as an artist they like. With the voice of el Coco, I wonder what sort of band that’d be! On Bandcamp the band has a 9 song album titled “Sobre Permios y Tormentas” There are some songs though on the second half of the album that are downbeat which I’m not a fan of, but the first half is pretty good! That half sounds summery even in the instrumentals like “Alegoría”. And you know, I’m not a fan of instrumentals.
Another band Latin American Twee has recommended in the last few days is La Llamada de Héctor. I don’t know much about this band, I know they come from Chile, and their songs are a jangle explosion! When I listen to their latest song, “Mañanitas” I know this is upbeat and fun, think of The Chesterf!elds maybe, in Spanish. The vocals take some time to get used to, but in general, I’d say this sounds very promising! There are more songs in their Youtube channel.
Continuing with the Latin American invasion it is time to check the band Sway from Costa Rica. The band only has one song on Bandcamp and its name is “Medio”. As soon as I hit play I acknowledge the guitars and the effects. I like them. But why just one song? I want more. The band is formed by Allan on bass, Cordero on drums, José on guitars and Kevyn on guitars and vocals. Sure there are no more songs, but one has to cheer that there seems to be a growing guitar pop scene in the Central American country. On the Bandcamp I notice that the band will play Glasgow in September. That is big news too!
And lastly, time to check out the last release by the Lima, Peru, band Suerte Campeón. The band has just released the “Este es el Comienzo de Todo lo que No Quieres EP” on the label La Flor from Peru too. I’m not sure in what format the record is available. I only know you can stream it all on Bandcamp and Youtube. Definitely it isn’t the most convenient way to listen to it. But that’s how it is. The EP has 7 songs, “Andrés”, “Días Más Cortos, Noches Más Largas”, “Asmáticos que Fuman”, “Elena”, “Lluvia de Verano”, “Problemas Emocinales” and “Vacaciones de Verano del 2004”. This jingle jangly band is formed by Santino Amigo on vocals and guitar, Santiago Aragón on bass, Bruno Bardo on vocals and keyboard, Andrés Gutiérrez on drums and Angel Mejía on guitars. I had reviewed one song by the band before on the blog I think, and I don’t think I was that impressed then. Or maybe my mind is playing me tricks In any case I think this EP is much much better. Looking forward to see what they do next, and hopefully the EP gets a physical release.
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One more stop in this indiepop world tour. Now a country whose bands I’ve featured more and more this year, Ireland. And yet again, my main source of information is the most important blog The Fanning Sessions Archive.
On the blog there are a few details about the band, perhaps the only details I am going to find on the web. I’m thankful for that. The band was formed in 1987, in Dublin, by Anto Healy on drums, Brian King on bass and Pat O’Sullivan on vocals and guitar. So She Said were formed from the ashes of The Delegates.
The post on The Fanning Session Archive has 3 songs available for streaming, “So Happy”, “Let Me Out” and “At Home in June”. The first two appeared on the compilation “Swimming Out of the Pool” that was released in 1988 by Danceline Records (DLP 1001). I had mentioned this compilation before, when I wrote about another Irish band, The Outpatients. Then I asked if anyone had a spare copy, I must say I’m still looking for this record.
The third song, “At Home in June”, won Hot Press/Murphy’s song of the month in 1989. The band split right after. I wonder though if this song was released in any way? Even if it was as a demo tape? And if there were more recordings done when they recorded this song. There must have been more songs by this band. I’m sure of it.
I couldn’t find any other information about the band. Nor I could find anything about The Delegates. I decide to just look for the band members, see if I could find any other music they must have made.
I look first for Anto Healy. I don’t know how common the name might be. I suppose it is the less common of the band members. I first find a Soundcloud for a band called Cabin. Was this the same Anto? The music is quite eclectic and the last song was uploaded four years ago.
Looking for Brian King was quite difficult, there is a famous Irish sculptor by the same name. So that was a dead end.
With Pat O’Sullivan it wasn’t easy either, finding several people with the same name in Limerich, Dublin, Galway and of course, Dublin. Dead ends.
It has been a while since I decide to track down a band and I find so little information. The songs sound great though and that only adds to my interest and curiosity. Whatever happened to them? Why didn’t they get a proper release? I would love to get in touch with them and ask them a few questions!
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Listen
So She Said – So Happy
