Let’s start the week! On Friday I got to see the New Zealand band The Beths in Brooklyn, at the Williamsburg Music Hall and it was great! There were no new records to buy, just the album, but I already got that one. If you haven’t got a copy yet I urge you to get it, it was definitely one of my favourite from last year. I did buy a cool t-shirt and took a photo with Elizabeth, the vocalist of the band while everyone was checking out one of the opening bands. It was quite a surprise to see that the gig was sold out. I didn’t know the band was that famous or well-known. The crowd as usual was very different, I didn’t see any friendly faces of other indiepop gigs. This is something that surprises me about NYC, the crowd is always different even if it is a small genre like indiepop. The gig lasted around an hour, from 10pm to roughly 11. I couldn’t get into the main floor as it was packed and was impossible to move there so went to the mezzanine this time where I got a good view of the band. Sadly this meant that I wasn’t going to be able to get a setlist. That was a bummer. But it was better than not seeing the band and being uncomfortable. The band was great of course. They played their hits and even a song from their earlier 2017 EP. They started with maybe my favourite of theirs, “Whatever”, and ended the gig with an encore of two songs. I was pretty happy to have seen a NZ band in NYC, it is not that common I must say. Indiepop gigs are not happening too often here, though today The Monochrome Set is playing but I think I will be missing it. It is tough on a Monday. Next week though I will go see Roxanne’s post Veronica Falls band Patience, which should be good too!
Now, what’s new in indiepop world?
The BV’s: the German/English band released our last 7″ so far and they’ve kept busy. They are releasing a new album on the always perfect Kleine Untergrund label from Augsburg, Germany. The album will be called “Cartography” and it will be out on March 14th. To celebrate this the band have unveiled a superb video for the song “Charlie, I don’t Know Who You Are!”. I have already been able to listen to the album and believe me it is a serious contender for best of 2019!
The Vegetablets: the lovely pop duo formed by Koichi and Miki (who I’ve interviewed in the past about their previous projects, Chain Lettery and Bitter Cherry Jam), are back with a lovely new album called “3”. It is available on CD and it includes 8 songs. If you want an extra souvenir the band is also selling a lovely handmade “vege bear” keychain which is really cute!
The Catherines: now the Hamburg duo, a band that appears time and time again on the blog because of their ability to create top songs all the time, are releasing an album on Mondo Canapé Records. Many of the songs are already familiar of course, but it is a good chance to get a copy on CD and tape. 8 tracks appear on this self-titled album.
Heartlings: on the Depok, Indonesia, based label Don’t Fade Away Records there are lots of treats. The latest are two songs by the band Heartlings that is formed by Andi, Amy, Christo and Yanu. The songs on this digital single are “A Hundred Wishes” and “Summer Breeze” and they are two breezy tracks!
Elenin: more on this label and from a band we’ve mentioned in the past too, Elenin. Now it is just the one song, “Turtleneck”, but as it is so pretty I had to recommend it of course. Check it out.
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Edward Montgomery “Monty” Clift (October 17, 1920 – July 23, 1966) was an American actor. His New York Times obituary noted his portrayal of “moody, sensitive young men”. He is best remembered for roles in Red River (1948), The Heiress (1949), A Place in the Sun (1951), Alfred Hitchcock’s I Confess (1953), From Here to Eternity (1953), The Young Lions (1958), Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), and The Misfits (1961). He received four Academy Award nominations during his career: three for Best Actor and one for Best Supporting Actor.
Along with Marlon Brando and James Dean, Clift was one of the original method actors in Hollywood; he was one of the first actors to be invited to study in the Actors Studio with Lee Strasberg and Elia Kazan. He also executed a rare move by not signing a contract after arriving in Hollywood, only doing so after his first two films were a success. This was described as “a power differential that would go on to structure the star-studio relationship for the next 40 years”.
Don’t confuse The Montgomery Clifts with another band with the same name from Australia, from the noughties. Nope. These Montgomery Clifts I like hail from England, from the late 80s and early 90s.
They were formed in 1986 by Andy Bevan (vocals, guitar), Jeremy Purches (guitar), Myles “Bill” Crampton (bass), Dave Burbidge (drums) and Bill Bell (mandolin, fiddle, percussion, harmonica & backing vocals). They debuted in Bristol, played an open air free festival in Cornwall, and ended up in London via Hull. Bill Bell was actually part of the Blue Aeroplanes before joining The Montgomery Clifts. They recorded a demo tape and got airplay on Capitol Radio and then Native Records snatched them. With this label they released their album “Deadwood Chronicles”, which was recorded in London with Creation in-house producer Ian Shaw and was released in 1990. That’s more or less the biography available for them on Last.fm.
Discogs gives me a bit more information. Two demo tapes are listed which is great. The first one is a 3 track tape that included the songs “Next World”, “Lovesville U.S.A.” and “Lakeside (1970)”. These songs were recorded at Granny’s Recording Studio in Fulham, London. The black and white photocopy sleeve gives us an address for the band in Bristol.
The second tape included two songs, “Moth to Your Flame” and “Cradle to the Grave”. Not much more information on this one.
For the album we do know that it was called “Deadwood Chronicles” and was released by Native (NTVLP 58) and included 10 songs. 5 on each side. The A had “Next World”, “Lovesville USA”, “Her Summers”, “The Fountain” and “Jessica Daydream”. The B side on the other hand had “Judas Introduce Yourself”, “Spine”, “Lakeside (1970)”, “Tumbleweed Girl” and “Swansong”.
Two compilation appearances are listed. Their song “Next World” was included on “Guitar and Drums” a compilation released by Native Records in 1991 on CD and LP. A superb compilation this one that included the likes of The Darling Buds, Treebound Story, The Kennedy Pill and more. The other compilation listed is a US CD from 2005 called “Holiday Heart, A Hospice Awareness & Benefit Project”. I’m 99% sure that this is a different Montgomery Clifts on this comp.
I look for more information. I find out that Bill, who had been in The Blue Aeroplanes, was also later on in a bluegrass-tinged band called Angel Band. Another mention I see is that the band Nautical William used to play gigs with The Montgomery Clifts.
Dave Burbidge played drums for Hazel Winter’s second album “Death Row Bride”. He also drummed for the album “Come Around” by Shaun McCrindle. I believe that lately he has been involved in the country influenced band The Leylines.
Can’t find any information on the rest of the members though. It may or may not be that Jeremy Purches passed away though. I hope he hasn’t there is a photo of a guitar player with the same name on a “remembering” site.
I am sure my Bristol friends remember them. Their album sounds great so I’m going to try to order myself a copy in the next few days. All I have listened by them sounds great. I wonder if any one remembers them and can give me a few more details! Would definitely want to find out more about this top sounding indiepop band!
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