Indietracks announced yesterday the first batch of bands that will be playing the festival! So as usual I will check out all the bands I don’t know. There are many of them this year too. I do have to say that at first glance this time the festival looks better than the previous years as there are some great bands like Tracyanne and Danny, The BV’s, Jetstream Pony, The Catenary Wires, Seazoo, Holy Now, etc. For those not aware of the festival, be sure that it will be happening at the same place as always, at the Midland Railway in Butterley, Derbyshire, between July 26 and the 28th. So let’s start the review!
I’ll start from the end, from the bands that are perhaps smaller towards the headliners if that’s ok.
She’s Got Spies: named after a Super Furry Animals song, the Cardiff band seems to be a one-woman project in reality. From what I understand the band has been going since 2005 which is a long time now. Their debut album though was released in September 2018 and is called “Wedi”. It is in Welsh. The Bandcamp doesn’t have any tracks to preview but I could find songs on Soundcloud. It is all right. What catches my attention is the Welsh language, though I must say I’m not bowled over by the music. These songs are 7 years old though, maybe they got better?
Rosehip Teahouse: another Cardiff band. Two in a row. Are the Welsh taking over Indietracks this year? I’m checking their latest song, “A Million Times”, which is available on Bandcamp. The band is formed by Faye, William and The One and Only Tony. It sounds fragile, and it could work in the church stage. I’m just not convinced by the vocals… they are a bit too much for me.
JC Quick: JC is based in Bristol and he plays some lo-fi punky songs. His latest song is called “Passport”. It seems it was recorded in his bedroom or on his phone (?), it is way too lo-fi. I suppose that’s the whole intention, but I don’t see the charm in it. Maybe well recorded these songs could be better. I suppose for a gig this doesn’t matter unless of course he plays by himself. I think with a band backing him it could be ok. If not, I think I would skip.
Jacqui and Geoff: So Jacqui and Geoff is not them two but also a third member, Stewart Harris. Their latest release dates from 2016, an album “Moon on a Stick”. They are more a folky pop band but I must say that so far this is the best I’ve heard on this little review! The guitars remind me sometimes of the great Zoey van Goey, and that is a good thing. They sound fine. I would see this Cambridge band at Indietracks.
Nim Chimpsky: “It Was Inside Us All Along” is the name of the digital EP the band put out on January last year. It seems that they are releasing their debut album sometime soon. They are based in Coventry and they play some punky pop that can be a bit all over the place. Like on “No Survivors”, it is fine track, with good melodies but at some point it slow downs and gets acoustic and loses my attention.
But do tell me, which bands are you looking forward the most?
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So I have started compiling tracks and bands for a series of compilations documenting Australian indiepop 1984 to 1994. It is coming along, a bit slow, but coming nonetheless. And one band I’d like to include in them would be the Frontier Scouts who released two records in 1983, a 7″ single and a 12″ EP.
To be honest though, I know very little about them. I remember hearing some of their songs many years ago when in Soulseek a folder called “Future of Leamington Spa” was shared and shared. I don’t know who made that selection of bands. There were many bands that weren’t English in there. So it wouldn’t have fit the bill. Nonetheless it introduced me to new music.
Based in Sydney, Andy Wilson on guitar and vocals, Bradley Allen-Waters on bass and tambourine and Graeme Hutchinson on drums formed the Frontier Scouts. Their first release was the single “When Daddy Blows His Top” with “Out of Your Shell” on the flipside. It was released in 1983 by the fine Au Go Go (ANDA 28) label. Debbie Auchnichie is credited for backing vocals. These songs were recorded between April and May 1983 at Central Recorders Sydney with Steve Marr as engineer. I believe there was a video made by Kriv Stenders who photographed it in Super 8 (who made the Go-Betweens documentary) is credited for film clip as well as Robin Gold, who directed. You can watch this video here! The video was shot in Darlinghurst, Sydney, April 1983. The photos on the record are credited to Tony Hayes and Marjorie McIntosh.
Their next release was “Museum Collection”, an EP released also on Au Go Go (ANDA 34) that had 5 songs. The A side featured “Soul too Sold” and “A Fact Unknown; Even to You” while the B side had “Under the Wings Of”, “You Should Be Shot” and “Like in Salem”. These songs were recorded at M Squared Studio between November and December of 1983. David McComb from the Triffids played feedback effects on “A Fact Unknown”.
There are two compilation appearances. The first dates from 1984 on tape called “Distant Violins Number 12” that was released by Distant Violins (DV CASS 1). The band contributed the song “Belmondo”. On this same comp we see other great bands like Tiny Town, The Particles or These Future Kings.
Then in 1999, Chapter Music put together “Amateurism” (CH28), a compilation of three bands Andrew Wilson had been involved with. These bands were Four Gods, Frontier Scouts and Andrew Wilson and Associates. There are 9 songs included here by Frontier Scouts, “When Daddy Blows his Top”, “Out of Your Shell”, “Soul too Sold”, “A Fact Unknown”, “Under the Wings of”, “You Should be Shot”, “LIke in Salem”, “Good Things” and “Belmondo (Live)”.
I could find quite a lot of information about Andrew Wilson. He actually started his musical career in Brisbane with the Four Gods. They were friends with The Go-Betweens and played many gigs together. Even Lindy and Grant played in the 7″ that the Four Gods put out on the Able Label.
And that’s all I could find. Would be great to do an interview with Andrew Wilson, or the other members too, I’m sure they have lots of stories and anecdotes to share. Anyone remembers them?
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