Back from Dublin, spent 4 days and a bit there and it was really nice. It wasn’t as rainy as I thought it would be. It was kind of cold, but it was good for walking and exploring the city. I notice it is very green there. I guess because of the weather. I didn’t find any indiepop though. Visited three or four record stores and aside from a 12″ by The Holsteins (which I already own) I didn’t find anything else worth buying. Shame.

I did find posters of The Frank and Walters at a pub called Whelan’s and at this same place I got to hear in the background “Rip it Up”. I guess that’s as indiepop as it got. Visited a bunch of museums, cathedrals, shops, restaurants and so on. The usual. Didn’t get to do any side trips as I would have wanted, I think if I had stayed one or two more days I could have. I just wanted to explore all of Dublin first. We missed a few things of course like the Dublin City Gallery, but I’m sure at some point I will return.

Now, let’s get back to blogging as we need to catch up!

Useless Youth: it would have been nice to catch this Mexican band on one of my many visits to their capital. I hope next year that happens. The band who has been featured on the blog in the past has just put up a new album called “Cities” up on their Bandcamp and it sounds gorgeous. Definitely a band to follow!

Ping Pong Club: the Bandung, Indonesia, band is back with a digital single called “Ecstatic” that sounds superb!! For some reason the melody reminds me of St. Christopher, right? This is a great track so it makes me look forward to their next efforts.

Chain Wallet: the Bergen, Norway, band is back with a new song called “Ride” after a two year silence. I believe this song will be included in an album called “No Ritual” which I’m not sure when it will be released. “Ride” sounds brilliant, jangly and dreamy, just how I like it!

The Hannah Barberas: I feel every month there are news by this English band and that is a good thing of course. Now they are releasing on Bandcamp four Christmas songs as part of their “Christmas Bandwagon” EP. The songs are “Oh Santa Claus!”, “Christmas Time is Here”, “A Dream for Christmas” and “Winter/Christmas”. Get in the holiday mood!

Whistler Post: two songs by this Indonesian band, “About” and “This is For Somethin Cool” are included in this digital single put together by the Jakarta label Don’t Fade Away. Don’t know much about the band, but it is a nice introduction to them!

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I don’t know much about this UK band but always loved their “Genius of Lies” song. So here I am digging on Google, trying to find any bits and pieces I can find about them.

That song I mention was the A side of “The Ice Babies Cometh” 7″ that was released in 1981 by the Groove Digger label (GOD 1). This might have been a self-release as there are no other releases listed on this label and this is the first release on the catalogue. Just an educated guess here. The B side of the single is “Reason Not Rhyme”.

I would of course love a copy of it. Listen to it at home on my turntable. Wouldn’t that be nice? The two songs were recorded at Cave Studios in Bristol on April 20th, 1981. Also there are some names on the sleeve.

Leisa Gurney on voice and organ
Tim Isherwood on guitar
Phil Goodland on drums
Fil Broek on drums

And then an address. We know now that they were based, in the area of Curdleigh Farm, Blagdon Hill, in Taunton, Somerset.

Taunton is a large regional town in Somerset, England. The town’s population in 2011 was 69,570. Taunton has over 1,000 years of religious and military history, including a 10th century monastery and Taunton Castle, which has origins in the Anglo Saxon period and was later the site of a priory. The Normans then built a stone structured castle, which belonged to the Bishops of Winchester. The current heavily reconstructed buildings are the inner ward, which now houses the Museum of Somerset and the Somerset Military Museum.

Sadly there is not much more written about them on the web. I could find a Tim Isherwood, musician and all, but from Toronto and based in Berlin. And probably much younger. So no. That’s not the one. It looks as if they were only involved in The Ice Babies and no other bands. But I would love to confirm this suspicion.

So I need your help so we can maybe get in touch, interview them, or at least learn if there were more songs. Anyone remember them?

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Listen
Ice Babies – Genius of Lies