Day 95. The big news today is that the Macguffins CD is going to press this week! That is super exciting. On Wednesday I’ll tell you some more details as there will be a surprise with this release!
And here’s the new music from over the weekend!
Suburban Living: this fine dreampop project from Philadelphia has a new track out on Bandcamp. It is called “Indigo Kids” and it sounds great. This is the 3rd single out from the “How to Be Human” album that will be out on August 28 on Egghunt Records.
The Orange Peels: the classic California band fronted by Allen Clapp will be back very soon with an album. In the meantime the band has posted three new versions of the song “Everybody’s Gone”. They are a 4-track demo, a previously unreleased California version and the 2020 remastered version.
Nah…: one of the albums I am looking the most this year is Nah…’s debut on Shelflife Records. The self-titled album will include 12 songs and will be released on vinyl (no CD?). At this moment we can preview three of the tracks, “Perfect Game”, “Apple Blossoms” and “Under the Radar”. Classic indiepop just how we like it!
Saturnshine: back to California, this time to sunny San Diego. This cool duo formed by Christian Mesiano and Melodie Mesiano have put together a wonderful EP called “All the Time in the World”. It has 5 songs of boy/girl vocals, sweet melodies and dreamy vibes. Very cool find!
Angvstia Pop: “Amor y Ansiedad” is the album by this Argentinean duo formed by Row Vinoyporkerias and Fran Fracaso. This is bedroom pop. The recordings are lo-fi, very lo-fi. But they are fun. And that’s what matters!
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Sumpfloch Records from Germany. What did they release? Just stuff that Ken Steen was involved with. Does that mean it was his own label? I want to think that is the case. But I can’t confirm that. Either him or my German friends will do. Sumpfloch released just two bands, both of them with Ken as I said, Fluffy Pillows and Space Kelly. I want to research the first one today.
The first ever release was a 7″ with three songs. This EP was called “Say Hi!” (SUMPF 01) and was released in 1993. I am happy to say I have not just one copy, but two I believe. It is sort of limited as only 500 copies were pressed. And it is a very fine record, so if you can get a hold of it, do it. The A side had two songs, “Say Hi to You” and “An Der Waterkant”. The B side had “Untitled”.
On this 7″ the band was formed by Ken Steen on guitar and vocals, Barbara Schulz on drums, percussion and backing vocals, Lutz on guitar and Tim on bass and doublebass. All tracks were written by Ken and were arranged by the band. It was recorded and mixed by Meike R. at Steilshoop Tonstudios in Hamburg in October of 1993. Then on the sleeve there are a bunch of thank yous and I recognize many names like Mind the Gap, Ulli, Jörg and Steinpilz Tonträger as well as Ken’s other band Space Kelly.
After this 7″, the year after, 1994, the band released an 8 song mini-album “No Pop No Stars”. This came out too on Sumpfloch (SUMPF C01). The songs on this CD were “Bleeding (Instr.)”, “Summer”, “Alone”, “I Could Never Ever Imagine”, “This Means War”, “A Role in Your Life”, “Nehmen & Geven” and “Quiet & Peaceful (Karstadt Reisebüro-version)”. The songs were recorded and mixed at Musikaufnahme Beethoven except the last track which was recorded at Sumpfloch Records Office on August/September 1994. The producer was Gerrit Herlyn who had been part in so many terrific bands like Jesterbells, Knabenkraut or Red Letter Day. The songs were mastered by Recording Service Halvé in Hamburg. Fair to say then that the band hailed from Hamburg? I think so.
The art for the record is credited to Ute Herrndorff, Call Me Cat and Hello Gestaltungsservice.
Aside from these two releases the band would appear on two tape compilations. The first was on the Blam-a-Bit compilation “Hat Das Schaf Die Blume Gefressen Oder Nicht?” (BLAM 003) from 1990 with the song “Mein Mädchen”. This might be the earliest recording I am aware by them. The second comp appearance was on the classic “Frischer Morgentau” tape released by Steinpilz Tonträger (STEIN 1) in 1993. There they contributed perhaps there most known song “Say Hi to You”.
And then the trail stops. No more info about the band. I read on a Japanese site that Ken decided to go solo in the mid-90s and concentrate on Space Kelly. It seems Fluffy Pillows didn’t sell well according to that interview. But that’s it. I do have more than a few questions. For example are there more recordings? When did the band start? Whatever happened to the other members?
German friends, let us know!
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