I'm not quite sure why Chicago's Liz + the Baguettes haven't been covered on IDHAS before, particularly with the strength of this year's Highway Gothic album, another offering that you should get your lugholes around. It's time to remedy that with Every Thing I Think I Know Is Wrong.
Originally released in 2015, thus was before IDHAS's time, but the remaster allows a revisit and yet again the quality of Liz Bagby's songwriting stands out most. Whether the song is straight ahead or more stream of consciousness lyrically, every one hits the spot.
Firstly the remastered version here has been really worthwhile, there was nothing wrong with the original, but this revisit has brought out the quality of the songs more so. The addition of four songs from the same Recording Sessions is welcome, but this was already an exemplary album.
There is a real Chrissie Hynde feel that washes over a lot of the album. Bagby's streetwise sassy vocal is at its best when it's all attitude, but there are also a lot of different directions taken. The band are as comfortable with the Garage Rock of Get Out as they are with the Country of Whiskeyboots.
It's this variation that makes the album so listenable and the band so hard to label. EITIKIW has always seemed an album of two halves. The back half is far more acoustic, more ballad led with the likes of the Jazzy, Whatever, I Know and the weeping Sleepwalker. This complements the much noisier front half.
Candy is about the best of the four additional tracks, a real clap along. However, it's the sass that gets me most. Like is a wonderful thing, all attitude and the title track is more of the same. Hookup Song is another in a similar vein, but a bit more Alisha's Attic.
Everything I Think I Know Is Wrong was already a splendid album. This remastered version makes it even better. It should be added to your collection forthwith. You can listen to and buy it here.
Another Volume of the Audio Extravaganza and listening to this over again. it's top notch. A little more calm than normal first halves, but fear not, it does explode at times. Get om tp it quickly, because Volume 80 isn't too far away.
22 of the latest releases to tickle your aural senses.. The playlist is below and will also be in the comments section of the Mixcloud page. Thanks as always to Jim Moody for his technical excellence
You can listen to the previous IDHAS Audio Extravaganzas on Mixcloud here.
01 Lost Ships - Drugstore
02 Blackbirds FC - Bye Bye Pride (Popboomerang)
03 Scott Gagner - Baby Gets What Baby Wants
04 Pernice Brothers - The Devil And The Jinn
05 Broke Royals - Saint Luxury
06 Barns Courtney - London Girls
07 Thee Moot - Executive Temptress
08 The Sums - Here To Stay
09 My Little Hum - Don't Build It Alone
10 Static In Verona - Ruin The Riot
11 Magic Pie - Table For Two
12 Party Members - Restaurant Owner
13 Those Pretty Wrongs - Hurricane Of Love
14 Big Wreck - In My Head
15 Mark Moldre - How Long
16 The Needs - I Regret It
17 Bryan Scary - The Word
18 Foggy Tapes - Here Comes The Fog
19 Rheostatics - Rearview
20 The Black Watch - Crying All The Time (Psych Mix)
21 Bill March - Nobody Knows
22 The Amber List - Hiding In Plain Sight
Started by Keith Jones and Andy Bracken back in 2008 the Walton on Thames based psych/prog/folk label Fruits de Mer records soon grew into the coolest and most collectable imprint of the moment. It has perfectly caught the current vinyl zeitgeist with beautifully packaged, strictly limited edition single and album releases. They are in the enviable position of each new release being snapped up by music lovers and serious vinyl collector across the globe whilst garnering endless amounts of high profile and glowing press along the way.
With the likes of The Luck Of Eden Hall, Soft Hearted Scientists, The Bevis Frond, Nick Nicely, Anton Barbeau, The Pretty Things and The Chemistry Set all appearing on various releases there’s a lot to interest the average IDHAS reader. We thought it was time to sit down with Mr. Jones, who now runs the label and have a relaxed chat about what’s happened so far.
So what music were you into before you started the label?
"My first big obsession was progressive rock, especially krautrock, at the start of the 70s. I worked back from there to 60s psychedelia, which i missed out on by a couple of years first time around. In the eighties I then kind of got sidetracked by the real world of marriage, kids, work and mortgages.
Then The Orb and Pete Namlook rekindled my obsessive side at the start of the nineties. By the time we started Fruits de Mer in 2008, I was musically all over the place - electronica, IDM, drum and bass, post-rock etc. I gradually worked my way back to the 60s and early 70s and falling in love with vinyl all over again."
How did the label first get going?
"An old mate, Andy Bracken, had moved to the States and started up a label on his own, coincidentally called Bracken Records. We got chatting on one of his visits back to London and somehow the idea for a singles label developed.
Andy's experience of the pitfalls of running a label and too much beer had a lot to do with it and we somehow stumbled into Fruits de Mer. The label would never have got off the ground without Andy driving it. Although I'd worked on a few music magazines over they ears, I wouldn't have had a clue where to start."
Did you have any inkling that the label would get such legs on it and how do you feel when you see your stuff up on ebay at such high prices?
"God no, we always thought in terms of, "if Fruits de Mer was someone's else's label, what would get us hooked on it". It never really occurred to me that we might actually become 'collectible'.I find ebay quite funny, sometimes releases from the label sell for crazy money, but I suspect most stay unsold for a long time.
The only thing that does irritate me is to see promo CDs that I've sent out to radio stations and magazines getting listed for sale and marked 'unplayed' that really is taking the piss."
Run us through an average day in the life of FdM
"Catch up on overnight emails, catch up on Facebook, pack and post a few orders, correct a couple of cock-ups that someone has spotted on the website, say hello to Liz (my wife), that's most days sorted. Then it's working up the next releases, checking out new bands, talking to artists I've worked with in the past and planning for our very occasional gigs and our annual summer festival.
Fruits de Mer is somewhere between a hobby and an obsession. It takes up far more of my time than it should, or I ever thought it would, but it beats watching 'Homes Under The Hammer' and taking up golf.
We came to terms early on with FdM never becoming a commercial proposition and that was hugely liberating as it meant we could do whatever we wanted to do. Andy handed his half of the label over to me seven or eight years ago to concentrate on writing. So now I have no-one to answer to other than myself when I come up with another stupid idea for a release, except perhaps the odd dirty look from Liz."
What have been your personal favourites on the label so far and what is your criteria for which artists you choose?
"They say you never forget the first time and Schizo Fun Addict's 'Theme One' our first single, still means a lot. Having The Pretty Things record for the label was quite unbelievable because they happen to be my all-time favourite band. Their manager, Mark St John, even allowed me to use the original design to 'SF Sorrow' for a live EP by the band, I mean, bloody hell!
The 'Head Music' double LP of krautrock covers in 2012 was very close to my heart and it was the first big project I took on when Andy stepped down. More recently, having The Orb appear on Fruits de Mer is another dream come true. Alex Paterson is in large part responsible for me regaining my enthusiasm for music the best part of thirty years ago.
Choosing artists is really down to the music. If I love a track I hear, I'll try to find an excuse to release it. If the first release has worked well then, I'll chat to the artists about what they're planning next. With a few people, such as Crystal Jacqueline and The Honey Pot and Anton Barbeau, it's reached the point where I can throw song suggestions at them and they'll either throw them back or take them on."
What memories do you cherish of the various FdM concerts down the years?
"The Pretty Things headlining the first Fruits de Mer gig at the Borderline in 2013. A queue forming outside the venue for the first Dr. Sardonicus festival in 2014. Meeting up with people who are rapidly becoming old mates at each year's summer bash in Wales. Seeing the 'Fruits de Mer' name in lights at the Half Moon in Putney. Nick Saloman referring to all record labels as 'bastards' at this year's festival."
What are the upsides of running the label and what are the downsides?
"I wake up thinking "I'm running a fucking record label!", I still get a real buzz out of the whole thing. The downsides are that I commit to doing far more than I should, without thinking it through and then have to deliver on it. It results in the (more than) occasional cock-up that i have to admit to, find excuses for, cover up or rectify."
Are there any projects you had to give up on?
"Well, we nearly gave up before we started when we initially approached established labels to license the use of specific tracks and they, for some reason, didn't want to work with a label that only existed in our minds.
A few years back, I fancied the idea of playable postcards, but they turned out to be horribly expensive and the manufacturer wouldn't be pinned down on schedules. I went for flexi discs instead, which turned out to be just as expensive. That wouldn't have been so bad, if I hadn't decided to do a box of ten of them."
Is it still as exciting for you as it always was?
"Even more so, it all started as a lot of fun, but it's turned into something that I also feel really proud of. Reissuing Nick Nicely's 'Hilly Fields', releasing a single by 'lost' 60s US band Touch and putting together a all-singing, all-dancing reissue of Fuchsia's classic album were all a bit special.
As was seeing a new album (by SEN3) launched at Ronnie Scott's. Plus, if I ever get too smug about it all, I go and screw something up and that brings me back to size (and I wasn't very big to start with).
I do like the fact that although the whole thing has grown into something more than I ever imagined, I can still do off-the-wall stuff. A stick-on moustache free with a Zappa covers single, a Rubik's cube with an Astralasia's double album, my granddaughter Molly designing a Bevis Frond sleeve..... and get away with it."
What bands would you like to work with if you had a fantasy wish list?
"I didn't start out with a bucket-list, but if I had, The Orb and The Pretty Things would have been on there. Todd Rundgren and Roy Wood would still be there, but it's just as much fun finding and working with remarkable new artists like Elfin Bow and Moon Goose."
What future plans have you got in store?
"I think it's time that I worked with more artists that are new to the label, so a lot of next year's releases will be compilations including bands I've not worked with before. There'll be a taster for what's to come with a 7" EP towards the end of this year, featuring one or two new names, including...Chad & Jeremy!"
You can find out more about Fruits De Mer label here. The FdM You Tube channel has a wealth of delights here.
Here are my cover notes included with the Big Stir Singles : The Third Wave release. You can buy it here.
The Big Stir story continues apace and it’s delightful to see. It’s hard to believe that it has only been around for a few years, because it has created such a buzz and is fast becoming dominant in what it does. Big Stir has grabbed a Pop Rock scene that was fractured and divided, and certainly far too localised, and made it a community-led project that is rapidly becoming worldwide.
Christina Bulbenko and Rex Broome have built Big Stir from its roots as a monthly live showcase in Los Angeles to a record label with the highest of reputations. As the album releases have grown, so have those live showcases to far beyond L.A. One of the most enjoyable inventions has been the weekly Digital Singles Series, an inspired idea. You never know what to expect each Friday, but you know it’s going to be quality. What’s more there are guest appearances that add to the delight. This weekly event is not limited to the Big Stir artists, because the community encourages everyone.
The Single Series features an A and a B Side from each artist. You get both tracks for a dollar – yes, a dollar! The label has always been a big supporter of the physical format and that’s why you have me blabbing on. This is the third collection of the singles and you can hear the quality. Eleven Singles form the third collection of Big Stir Singles.
There’s plenty here for everyone. In Deed’s Guitar driven excellence, David Brookings' jangle, and pop sensation Kai Danzberg. Psych pop is well represented too with the Toybox sounds of Sundial Symphony and the Laurel Canyon twang of Librarians With Hickeys. It’s great to hear the Tsar boys back as The Brothers Steve and Jim Basnight remains one of the most underrated singer-songwriters around. That’s not to forget fantastic contributions from Butch Young, Paula Carino, Steve Rosenbaum and Blow Up.
The most interesting thing is that these 22 songs stand up as a great Pop Rock album. The collection is diverse, the variety is exceptional, but you wouldn’t necessarily think of The Third Wave as a bunch of singles. That point, probably, explains Big Stir more than any other. It’s a collective based on Melody. I won’t be the first to tell you this, but I’m still gonna say it. Big Stir are taking over the world.
I've admired Darrin Lee's excellent Jangle Pop Hub Blog since it's inception. It was one of the reasons that I started to cover less Jangle Pop, he does it so well. He's not just about Jangle, there's some great Indie Pop present. So when I saw that he'd formed the Subjangle label, I knew it was going to be one to watch and this release of the UK's Lost Ships EP is proving that theory.
Since I started to write more about the new with IDHAS, I see sounds like comparisons in volume daily. Those who know the type of music I cover generally aim for Badfinger, Big Star, XTC, Jellyfish and Teenage Fanclub. The Nada Surf comparisons seem to have calmed down.
Over the years, I've become more adult about these comparisons and realised that I'd rather hear something that's great than worry about who it sounds like. The comparisons that I personally make are just to help the undecided to give a great song a listen.
All Of The Pieces is a cracking listen. The front half of the four songs could very well be the best songs that Teenage Fanclub haven't written. There's an attention grabbing Jangle that just hooks you. A lot of attention will be paid to the opener, All Of The Pieces, but it's the following Drugstore that is the absolute gem.
The other two songs have a Brit Pop ring to them. How Can I Face The World has a real Oasis feel in it's vibe, that's an Oasis without the unnecessary song length and withour cat sat on the mat lyrics. It rolls along at a fine pace with a splendid middle eight.
Sheila Believe Me is very different to what has gone before. It's a melancholic piano ballad that contrasts beautifully with what has gone before. It's moody and magnificent. I can't praise this EP highly enough, it's top drawer stuff. I can't wait for a subsequent album.
You can listen to and buy the EP here. It is available as a download and CD. You can read and learn more about great new music at the Jangle Pop Hub here.
I'll be back in action over the weekend, we are getting over the loss of Crash. He was well into his 15th year and had a led a great life, much longer than expected for a Lurcher, but his death was a complete surprise.
What started as a joke led to a mini phenomenon with artists asking for their album to be in a photo with him. It led to Magazine Features and articles on him and even review requests addressed to him. So many messages to me included a "How's Crash?" I wouldn't normally post this tribute so publicly, but there's been such a mass of comments on Facebook since his passing.
This was his last photo taken in his Promo role. Rest In Peace you lovely boy!
Power Pop seems to be in two camps, the 90's led largely by releases after the Jellyfish debut and the 60's - 70's, the 80's get little mention, but that's another story. New bands and albums are then generally compared to one of those two periods leading to endless arguments over if it is Power Pop and if so who does it sound like.
This may say seem inconsequential in a review of Cloud Eleven. However, I believe all fans should enjoy Melodic Pop whether it's New, Old or Older and Cloud Eleven fit into all three. They arrived in the Not Lame Years, sound like the 60's - 70's yet release relevant albums now.
I've been meaning to review Footnote for a while and so I finally do. Released in May this year, it is everything that you would expect from Rick Gallego, melodic. laid back and harmony driven. You really wouldn't want it any other way. Bedroom Headphone listening for the Wondermints fans.
I certainly don't put the album down, quite the reverse, Footnote is wonderful, beautifully put together with big sweeping sound and complicated harmonies. There's also a really intimate feel when a song is stripped down, particularly on the splendid Skywriting.
Your Mind's Eye shows how to orchestrate such a song, Same Sky is top notch Mellotron led Psych Pop. The Title Track, Footnote, has a fine arrangement to accompany the brooding feel. Aural Illusion sounds like something off an Alan Parsons Project with a fantastic Psych Out touch.
Cloud Eleven's self titled 1999 debut was a revelation and Gallego has never disappointed since. He makes ace sounding albums, expertly arranged and harmonic joy. His albums are song cycles. Long may this continue. Footnote is a splendid listen.
You can buy the album here. You can listen to the album here.
Static In Verona return for album number five and The Loud Nothing is a great big Pop Bag Of Tricks. Chicago's Rob Merz is known in Power Pop Circles, but he shies away from straight ahead Bass, Guitar and Drums. There is a real soundscape to his songs.
The hooks are Power Pop, but the sound is expanded by a wall of keyboards and Big Beats. A song like Daggers is very much in Mid 80's Territory, think Howard Jones and Nik Kershaw. Howeber' he's equally at home on the Kaiser Chiefs like Fade To Gray.
Even with the Synth Surround of Stuck With Silver has a Mod Pop Anthem trying to get out. (The Quiet) Nothing could be Teen Pop and Silent Sky borders on Psych Pop, emphasis on the Pop. Isolation is a wonderful, semi instrumental giant sounding closer.
Amongst all this killer melody, it's ironic that the stand out song is a simpler affair. Ruin The Riot edges on Pop Punk, but it's a winning three minutes. The whole album is Great Pop, stretching out of the simplicity that can mar such. The Loud Nothing is Top Notch.
You can listen to and buy the album here. It's available at Name Tour Price, so what have you got to lose?
