Just got back from a small break in Puerto Rico and I wanted to start blogging immediately, being sure that I’ve missed a lot of music these past few days! What have is new in the world of Bandcamp?

The Perfect Kiss: “Filter” is the name of the 10″ mini-album that the band released on Elefant Records late in June. There are 8 songs of terrific synth-pop that I’m already hooked with. I definitely need to order this record in the next couple of weeks after I recover of my trip expenses! I hope by then it is not sold out. It does look as its 500 copies are only available on vinyl.

Ultra Material: Sarah Deasy, Nick Skepper, Zuzana Kovar and Matt Deasy form this band from Brisbane, Australia, a city that in the past few years have given us so many great bands and songs. The band are releasing their second full lenght titled “Cosmic Anti Stuff” on August 29th on Black Wire Records and you can hear/stream two of the songs to be included, “Rhodamine” and “Transfer” at their Bandcamp. They sound ace!

яблоня: I have no clue about this Moscow, Russia, band. But it sounds AMAZING. At least that was my first impression when I played “мысли”, their latest song on Bandcamp. Who are they? There is very little information. But there is a trove of super bedroom indiepop with boy/girl vocals. Would be great to know if their music was available in physical format.

Hyperdream: the new project by Jesús Sandoval from Emma’s House Records and many great bands, shoegaze and indiepop, from Culiacán in Mexico. There are three songs on his Bandcamp (with lyrics!), “Abstention”, “Selfish Dream” and “Someone Like You”, were their trademark are a fuzzy wall of guitars. My favourite is the oldest one of them all, “Someone Like You”, which perhaps is also the poppiest of them all!

Arsenic!: this New York band which I have never seen live have two lovely classic sounding songs on their Bandcamp: “What Tone Colors The Whole?” and “Amy”. Please have a listen to both of them, they do sound great! The band formed by (two Italian-Americans or second or third generation, am I guessing right?) Tony Fischetti and John Mazzoni (with help from friends) may have recorded their best two songs!

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I stumbled upon “Crashing Down” by The Gift on Youtube and wondered how come I have never heard about this brilliant track before? I’ve been an avid guitar pop fan for a long time I think, but had no clue about it. Well, it happens. Of course you can’t know it all, though I do try to find out as much information about the songs and bands I like. I will have to find out now, anything, any details, related to this obscure band.

Discogs lists one record the one that has “Crashing Down” and “It’ll End In Tears”. A double A-sided record. But the mystery starts here. There are two versions of the same single! Let’s investigate!

The first version was released in 1982 on Venus Records (Orbit 1). It is no surprise to anyone that this is the only record listed on this label. It might have been a self-release. Also notice the year. 1982. It was pre-indiepop. Around the time where a bunch of bands were starting to create what I like to call proto-indiepop, bands that were punk and new wave influenced, like many that appear on the Messthetics comps. Though it must be said that The Gift sound more elegant, more proficient than the bands on those comps.

Both songs were recorded at Spaceward Studios. This was a recording studio based in Cambridge, in the UK, that was founded by Mike Kemp and Gary Lucas. The studio was around from 1972 to 1988.  The producer for the record was of course Mike Kemp and the band. We do get some credits on the sleeve for the band members. We get to know it was formed by Carl Walker, Dave Hodges, Daz, John Jacques and Nick Halliwell. We also find an address for Venus Records in Exeter.

The second version of the single came out two years later, in 1984. This time it was released under the name Nick Halliwell & The Gift. I wonder why they changed the band name, why now Nick’s name was on the front. Also as I mentioned earlier, the A side was now “It’ll End in Tears” and the B side was “Crashing Down”. Maybe because “It’ll End in Tears” was written by Nick while “Crashing Down” was written by Carl? The art also changed, before we had seen the band’s name typed big using kind of a Japanese looking font, whereas this new version had the black and white photo of a woman. This 7″ was released by Off Chute Records (OCS1), and as you imagine, it was the only release on the label. So probably a self-released record.

Discogs also has 3 compilation appearances. One of them dating from the 80s and the other two much more recent. The 80s one was a tape called “Advice From a Caterpillar” that was released in 1985 by Acid Tapes (TAB 022). I’m familiar with Acid Tapes as they released the Stormclouds, a big favourite band of mine, but to be honest don’t know much more of their output. This label was started by Alan Duffy in 1983 and released records until 1998 I believe. Anyhow, on this tape, The Gift contributes a song that wasn’t included in the 7″, one called “I Saw Blue”. I wonder then if the band had more songs, more recordings. I definitely would love to hear them.

Then in the year 2000, the band contributes “It’ll End in Tears” to a compilation called “Year Zero: The Exeter Punk Scene 1977-2000” that was co-released by Hometown Atrocities (Home 008) and Boss Tuneage (Bostage 509). To be honest I don’t know any of the bands that appear on the comp, but what I do get from it is a very important detail, what each of the members of The Gift played. Daz Coles played bass, Dave Hodges played drums, Carl Walker played the guitar and sang while Nick Halliwell sang and played the guitar.

Lastly there is an unofficial CD listed called “2008 Choking on Cufflinks Gift Pack” that was given away to the people who pledged to the Choking on Cufflinks show during the 2008 WFMU fundraising marathon. It is a CD compilation put together by this US radio station. I wonder if they got permission by the band to include their song “Crashing Down”?

I look as always into the band members, if they have been involved in any other bands. I see Daz Coles had played for The Lou Reichner Band who released a 7″ in 1980. The only other band member who seems to have other bands listed on Discogs is Nick Halliwell. He was also in The Lou Reichner Band but most interestingly he was in bands that I have recommended in the blog before like The Distractions or The Granite Shore. And that’s not all, in 1984 he released a solo album called “Tender Hours”. It was put out by Acid Tapes on tape. Would love to hear that too!

More interesting details. Nick Halliwell also runs the label Occultation Records who released the comeback of The Wild Swans for example. And of course I was aware of the label and his bands, but never knew about his 80s past, about this great record by The Gift.

I find an article on the page Velvet Sheep where Nick picks 7 songs. On there he mentions that when he was in The Gift he used to play Kim Wilde’s “Kids in America”. Are there any recordings of that? Then on another interview, on the Stereo Embers magazine, Nick mentions The Gift but he doesn’t seem to be pleased with the record, he says it wasn’t noteworthy.

I can’t find any more information about The Gift. Of course there is quite a lot written about Nick’s other projects, and there are a few interviews with him. But none really mention this band. But I’m curious. I would love to know more about The Gift. And if possible listen to more recordings. Do you remember them?

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Listen
The Gift – Crashing Down