I wonder if this was a good challenge, going through all the alphabet. I like these sort of things as it makes me dig deeper. I wonder what other sort of “challenges” one can don. I know at the Janglepophub they do themes for songs. Maybe that is an idea. Would love some suggestions so I can find out more music that way.
It feels too like sometime this summer I may revive the Cloudberry podcast. There is the possibility that I will get help with the “production” part. When my friend Toni couldn’t help anymore with that a few years ago, the podcast was over. But there’s some interest now though I’ve been told interviews have to be much shorter!!
New finds? Bien sur!
Friedrich Sunlight: Tapete Records will be releasing the new album “Sagt es Erst Morgen” on June 28th. To promote the album the label and the band have put together a video for the title song and what can I tell you other than it sounds great!! It was so cool by the way to see Ronny from Kleine Schallplatten and Fred from The BV’s in the video!
Tennis Club: another video, this time from the US band that has just released a 10″ on Elefant Records. The name of the song is “Vodkas” and it is a catchy one.
Lisasinson: went to check other new sounds on the Madrid based label Elefant Records. This band is totally new to me. None of my friends have mentioned or linked to them. From what I know it is a trio from Valencia formed by Miriam, Mar and María. The band has a new video for the track “Barakaldo” which is being released as a mini-LP though not sure in what format it will be released. Sounds fun!
Girl from Mars: I feel transported back to the early/mid 2000s where lots of lo-fi bedroom pop bands appeared. Everyone was recording at home. That’s the effect the Los Angeles based Girl from Mars made on me. She has a new 4 song EP called “Mousy” which is worth the listen. Fragile, cute, and very personal.
Blue-Very Pavilion: the Japanese label run by our friend Kei is turning 20 years! For this occasion the label has put together a tape compilation that features lots of great Japanese bands like Sloppy Joe, Thee Windless Gates, 101 Dalmatians, Johnny Dee, Alvysinger and more! Great release!
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The last letter of the challenge, letter Z. I made it! The turn now for letter Z is for the German band Zirf Gum Gum Baddel!
I can say I do own their “Poppin’ Pies in Flowerland” 7″ that was released in 1991 by the Love Lane label. I bought it many years ago, can’t remember where. Might have been on eBay. If my memory serves me right I saw their name in the Twee.net website and without knowing how they sounded like I just bought their record. A good idea, right?
This 7″ had not 2, not 3, but 5 songs on it. A good deal you might say. The A side included 2 songs, “Dentalmania” and “Potato Pie” while the B side had “Let Me Go”, “Simplicity” and “Fisherman”. All songs were recorded and mixed at Soundgarden Tonstudio in Hamburg between August 27 and 28 in 1991. Does this mean the band was Hamburg based? The answer is yes.
I love Hamburg. What can I say. It has been many years since I visited though. I hope I can remedy that next year. See all my good friends that live there. And had some good German food. Labskaus anyone?
The record was recorded by Vijay Sapre who had been in a band called The Gift which I’m curious about now as Discogs lists their album as an indiepop record.
Now, the band members. We know Zirf Gum Gum Baddel was formed by:
Jörn Tietgen – drums, tambourine, bass and vocals
Martin Dobkowitz – guitar, bass and vocals
Gregor Hartz – guitar, bass, vocals, drums and keyboards
Interestingly no compilation appearances are listed on Discogs. But there is a tape that the band release in 1993 that I was totally unaware it existed. This tape titled “The Abstract Happiness!” was probably sort of a promo tape with their latest songs. I don’t know how many copies were made but there are a few details that we do know. For example that it was recorded over a weekend in autumn 1993 on an 8-track recorder. There were four songs, two on each side, “Dirty” and “Scared” on the A side while “Come Inside” and “Like Spiders” on the B side. Now I notice that the band had lost Gregor Hartz at this point. Frank Andersohn was playing bass while Mathias Geisler played guitar and vocals on “Scared”. Also at this point the band was calling themselves just Zirf!
I see if any other bands are listed for the band members. Gregor Hartz actually went to be in Liedertafel Margot Honecker, Tulip and Die Singende Tulpe. He is the only one on Discogs that appears to have been involved in other groups.
I do find though that Jörn might be a book writer. I found three related Hamburg books that he might have published, “Das große Hamburg-Erklär-Buch” (2016), “St. Pauli & Schanzenbuch” (2014) and “Altona & Ottensenbuch” (2002).
I keep googling and it seems to be that Martin Dobkowitz is a media planner in Hamburg.
Not sure about the rest. But that sounds like worthy information I found. I do wonder though if this was their first band ever? Did they have more recordings? If they appeared on any compilation? Why no more releases? When did they split? I hope my Hamburg friends remember them and can point me in the right direction!
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