Day 90. Okay. Three months now. How much longer?
New music for a Wednesday.
Mashmellow: so used to listening shoegaze from Russia that this band formed by Masha Shurygina and Egor Berdnikov is quite a fresh air. Much poppier and colorful than their peers, the Moscow duo have quite a nice arsenal of songs in their Bandcamp. Their latest is an EP titled “Someday Club” which we can preview two of their songs, “Share It” and “Heaven is You”
Stomp Talk Modstone: this terrific Japanese band has two new songs, “Timeline” and “Lucky” on Bandcamp. Sadly it is only a digital release but I hope a label will pick them up. They make some beautiful pop music with swirling guitars and dreamy and moody melodies. Check them out!
Superocean: now we cross the Pacific and head to Portland, Oregon. A dreampop band too, but a bit different. Much more luminous and bright in their intentions, but with great results as well. Their latest track is “Julia I’m Alive” which is really good.
Found Space: and we stay in Portland to check the song “Don’t Let it Go” by Mahera Smalley who goes under the moniker Found Space. This is the first song by the band on Bandcamp, and there is very little information about it. We know though that it sounds very good! And that’s good enough for me to recommend it!
The National Honor Society: “Be Gone (alternate version)” is an alternate take to the song that was recorded during the “Glory” sessions. The band has decided to release this track to raise funds for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
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Now I want to head to Australia because I want to know about the Sydney band The Rose Mary’s. Kind of late I must say, I bought the one and only 7″ they released many years ago. I believe in Sweden or Germany. I can’t remember now. I would think it was in Germany, in one of the many stores Uwe from Firestation Records took me in Berlin. That was my first trip to Germany and Sweden (and Europe too!) and I remember it with nostalgia. I got a bunch of very fine records then and 12 years after (!) I am re-listening and rediscovering. And of course I want to find out more about them.
As I said The Rose Mary’s released just one 7″. It happened in 1990 on the fine Australian label Half A Cow Records (MOO-02). This label, for those who are not aware was founded by Nic Dalton (from Love Positions, The Plunderers, Godstar, Sneeze and more) and Miles Ferguson. This label would release many classic Aussie indie records.
The 7″ had just two songs, “Freedom Riders” on the A side and “You Can Talk Now” on the B side. I also know that the band was formed by Gina Monaco on bass, Dale Thomas on drums, Patrick Hallam on guitar and Lisa Partington on vocals. We know too that the songs were produced by Nic Dalton and engineered by John Hesse. They were recorded at Powerhouse Studio on the 5 and 6 of July of 1990. The photos on the sleeve are credited to Emily Oquist. What else?
Well the band members had been in other bands of course. Gina Monaco had been also in Lawnsmell, Stitchface and lately in Chinese Burns Unit. And of course Lisa Partington was later in the fabulous Snow Leopards who I still think I should dedicate a post to them.
Something interesting that I read on Discogs is that the band started in 1989 and when they released their single, at their launch party at the Landsowne Hotel the band split up. Crazy! Why?! I would love to know the reason why. It also mentions that Dale Thomas went to become a model in New York and Patrick Hallam went to make furniture in the desert.
Many years later, 25, the band would appear with “Freedom Riders” on a compilation CD “Half a Cow 25 – Doing it for the Kinds since 1990!” (Promoo25th). This CD wasn’t for sale but was pressed just for promotion purposes.
But that’s not all. It seems the band has uploaded both songs of the 7″ to a Bandcamp. Which is great if you want to have a taste of their music. Sadly there is no other information here. Would be also great to know if they recorded more songs. Maybe they could upload that as well? I’d be thrilled to hear more songs by them!
Sadly that’s it about them on the web. I really hoped to find more information. Sometimes with Australian bands I am able to stumble upon PDFs of fanzines with some good information. Not this time. I hope then my Australian friends can help shed some light about this short-lived but terrific jangly band!
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