Back now from Spain!! But to be honest I left this post ready before traveling. So won’t be able to tell my experiences here, that will have to wait until my next post. I just arrived last night, Sunday night, and I’m quite knackered. And I’m posting this Monday morning, right? So, no time to get my ideas and memories in order. But before I left to Spain I found some interesting sounds and news that might be a week old now but still worth mentioning!

Paris Popfest: the Paris, France, festival has announced its dates for their 2018 edition. The Paris Popfest 2018 will be happening during two days in September, the 21st and 22nd of that month. No other details have been announced but this is already great news! I’ll keep informing when the venue and the bands are announced.

Lucky Pigeons: I remember being a fan of this Swedish all-girl band back in 2006 or so. I believe I even exchanged some messages on Myspace, or maybe not. But I was never aware of a video for their classic song “Keep On Kingie” until Dennis from the Candy Twist fanzine/label posted it and I was quite surprised! Brought lots of memories and was singing along one more time since those golden days for indiepop!

Seven Tin Stars: the third release on the Mexican label Emma’s House is available once again. Already a classic when it comes to Mexican indiepop, Seven Tin Stars’ “Return to the White Tide” is a beautiful 4-song EP of dreamy indiepop including the songs “Return to the White Tide”, “Your Cigarette Was Glowing”, “Needless in Tour Shoes” and “Dissolve”. This new edition of the EP comes in a CD digipak and has brand new artwork. It is limited to 100 copies so run for your copy. The band is formed by Pablo García and Fernando de la Flor.

The King of Mirrors: the brilliant Swindon, UK, band will be releasing an album later this year. They have shared the first single for this forthcoming album. The new song is called “Fall into Place” and is really nice! The recording was made by Rich May on vocals, guitar and keyboard, Jase Bush on bass and Jamie Deighton on drums. The band is predicting the album to be finished by April, can’t wait!

Football, etc.: Just found out this Houston band formed by Lindsay Minton on guitar and vocals, Mercy Harper on bass and Daniel Hawkins on drums. They had released an album last May, and it was titled “Corner”. That’s what I’m checking out at the moment. There are 10 songs and it seems it got quite some support as it was released by Community Records in the US, Barely Regal in the UK and Stiff Slack in Japan. That is not common these days, to see releases by different labels in different regions. This is by no means their only release, it seems the band has been going since at least 2008 and there are many releases to stream on their Bandcamp. Direct guitar pop, no frills, some of my favourite songs on their last album are “Foul” and “Advantage”, where they sound the poppiest I think!

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An über obscure band and release today on the blog. I find out about this band on the From a Northern Place blog some years ago but only last week I managed to order a copy of Brown’s Gazette’s only known release, the “Jimmy Kept His Head” 7″.

As you might expect I know absolutely nothing about this band. I hope some of you know something about them, that maybe you can help me finding out even some basic details like who was behind the band. The few things that I do know, I will share with you on the blog as it has become the usual.

We know the band released this 7″ single in 1986 on their own label as a self-release probably as the catalog number is BG1, Fair to think that B means Brown’s and G, Gazette, right? This 7″ had two songs, on the A side was “Jimmy Kept His Head” and on the B side, my favourite, the bouncy “Blow Me Down”.

The art for the record is quite mysterious. It looks like ink drawings of a swan on the front and some tree trunks on the back side. There is no information on the sleeve. Just the BG1 on the upper right corner of the back cover. The labels have a print of a brick wall and in front a sign announcing Brown’s Gazette and the song on each side. There seems to be a signature on the drawings but I can’t figure it out, only the number 86. The year this record was released.

Discogs has an enigmatic note: “Apparently an off-shoot of the Crook Cassette label”. This, I thought, might be a good hint to keep on looking for information. I can’t seem to find much, but then on 45cat I see another comment that mentions that on “Sam Mauger’s website uk45.orgfree has this one listed as being a Crook Cassettes label release. There are no clues on the record or cover though. Anybody know the band who could confirm?”

That comment dates from 2016. I have my hopes up and try to find that website. I do and it looks so old. Like a pre-Geocities website if you can imagine that. Just plain HTML. And while I’m impressed by it, I search and I can’t seem to find the catalogue for Crook label. There are other catalogues listed it seems, but this one I can’t seem to find it. And when finally I find it and click the link for it to open. Guess what, it opens a porn page. Bummer. I guess the website was hacked not too long ago if that comment dated from a year and a half ago.

Now my best hint is useless. I do find that back in the days of George Washington subscribed to Brown’s Gazette among others. Who was this Brown? Or maybe it was a place? I also find that there was a famous horse in the UK that had that name but who died in a race in the 80s. Could this be the origin of the name?

I can’t find anything else. Not for the band nor the Crook Cassette label. Who were they? Where were they based? In which other bands were they involved? I’m hoping someone has some answers!

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Listen
Brown’s Gazette – Blow Me Down