I Need a Window to See You Through

I feel I need to say something about California Snow Story's album Close to the Ocean, because unlike the Trembling Blue Stars album - that Everyone was waiting for - this one might have slipped you by. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes the things you discover by chance are the ones that stay with you. I called The Last Holy Writer one of the best records this year earlier, but somehow I feel more strongly about Close to the Ocean. It might even be the year's best album so far, if it hadn't been for that darn Love Dance album. Maybe it's just because I met David and got a chance to see them play live, which I doubt will happen again for a long time with David living in Japan now. I feel very fortunate about that. California Snow Story is a very old band actually, but their only release up until now was the One Good Summer EP, a Shelflife classic from 2002. I played "Summer Avenues" from that on the radio on Monday. The new California Snow Story is quite a different band however. It's still David Skirving of course, but now joined by Spanish singer Sandra Belda Martinez who used to be in a band called Superété. The album showcases some brilliant songwriting and "A New Light to Guide You" is still my favourite with its exquisite guitar solo topped by a sparkling xylophone. But already from the opening "Begin Again" you are lulled into dreamy state by David's soft, caressing voice that reminds me of Bobby Wratten but is still distincly his own. David's and Sandra's vocals blend perfectly on songs like "Brook Lune" and "Wishing Well" and Sandra sings some of the songs on her own, bringing a unique atmosphere to e.g. "Future Perfect". But if there is something that strikes you about this record it's the arrangements and the production. It's one of a few albums that seem to me as if every single sound is discernable, justified and placed exactly where it is for a reason. Other albums I feel that way about are The Young Tradition's Northern Drive, Language of Flowers' Songs About You, The Clientele's Strange Geometry and Belle & Sebastian's Fold Your Hands Child You Walk Like a Peasant. Is there a connection? Well, they were all in the top of my end-of-year lists. And it's not a bad company to be in!

I've been waiting anxiously for this album since January, when it was originally set for release. Letterbox who have put it out have connections to Shelflife I'm told (maybe they've inherited their "celerity"?) and looks to be a very promising venture after this their second release, which comes with the most beautiful cover of the year. The first Letterbox release was the latest album by The Arrogants, who I have reappraised lately after finding out their singer is Jana previously of Majestic 12! Future releases include a new album by French duo Watoo Watoo, which will be great judging from "Perdu" that you can download from the Letterbox website. Go download, purchase, cherish, eulogize and remember.

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The Mixers is a legendary Glasgow beat/powerpop group that formed around 1980, when two of the members were just fifteen. Two of their songs were included on the Art For All and All For Art compilation on Whaam! and came out as a 7" on Vinyl Japan years later. The Mixers have an excellent Myspace page here, where you read more about their history and they've also been kind enough to put up some songs from their first demo. This is one of them, and it was recorded at the Glasgow studio CaVa which now seems to be the studio of choice for indiepop bands (Belle & Sebastian, Hefner, Camera Obscura and loads of other great bands have recorded there). There's also a website for their label Spirophone, where there's lots of stuff about all their related bands. Ulric currently has The Catalysts and Dannie has The Void.

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The Mixers - You Know She Knows

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I was at National Pop League last week, I forgot to say. It was good and hotter than ever. John didn't play Horowitz though. To make up for it he's invited me to a Butcher Boy rehearsal on Thursday. Which is like... far out! Definitely a privilige, as they're one of the best Scottish bands in ages. But here's a song from Horowitz new single (a 3" cd like all Couldberry releases). Their claim to fame is that they have an ex-Rosehip in their line-up ...And they have written an indiepop anthem, that I played on the show a few weeks ago ...And they've also written this song about TC from Camera Obscura! Which is the band that Butcher Boy is the best Scottish band since, to tie it all together. I really look forward to seeing Horowitz live at Indietracks! This one is for John. And TC of course. And a golden star to the person who manages to make out the most Subway Organisation record sleeves in the picture!

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Horowitz - Tracyanne

That's Hard When You're Living a Life of Dreams

It does feel like a dream. Have I seen The Orchids live? Can't believe it. Well, this photograph must have come from somewhere! It must have been quite an experience, The Orchids being one of my favourite bands. Ever. Like seeing Felt play live. Of course I was too young to be there twenty years ago, but sometimes you get a second chance. And Keith sent me this setlist:

Obsession No. 1
Down to the Ocean
Thaumaturgy
Take My Hand
Welcome to My Curious Heart
Feel the Magic
You Could Do Something to Me
A Place Called Home
Moon Lullaby
The Last Thing (On Your Mind)
Beautiful Liar
Something For the Longing
Another Saturday Night

Peaches
Caveman

It was one of those dreams where you can't tell if it's reality or not. The band comes up on stage (a small square stage at one end of the basement at Maggie May's, just a few inches above the ground) to the sounds of "The Perfect Reprise. They look calm, old, but beautiful, and nervous. The first gig in their hometown for over a decade. But people remembered them - that basement was almost full. People are standing really close, on two sides of the stage. I'm almost in front of the speakers, and suffice to say the sound wasn't great, with people talking excitedly everywhere. Alistair Fitchett is there, back in Glasgow for the first time in a long while, and I can imagine a lot of other old friends are there too. I thought they were mostly going to play songs from the new album, but as they start playing I recognise "Obsession No. 1". James' voice is still magnificent, if not as strong maybe. But in a way "I hate your body, I hate your mind, you're so unkind" sounds even more haunting sung so softly. The new songs sound best on the whole, they have an urgency and as always when bands play live those are the songs they feel most passionately about. I was surprised at how good the new album Good to Be a Stranger is. I think it's because the key members are still there: singer and chief songwriter James Hackett and guitarist John Scally. Some of those songs jangle as delicately as "Apologies".

Then they play "Thaumaturgy", which means the ability to work miracles (usually possessed by saints) and is one of my favourite Orchids songs and one of the best Sarah singles ever. I can see why some people insist that The Orchids were always the best band on Sarah. The two songs that stand out during their set however, is the closing track from the new album "You Could Do Something to Me" with it's rolling guitar line and their perennial pop classic "Something For the Longing". We can all see the setlist, so when they go off stage we shout for "two more", and James says "ok, we'll do two more". And they were not any two songs, but probably their two most well-known songs: "Peaches" form their masterpiece Unholy Soul and "Caveman" from their first album, which I have trouble standing still to. Then it's over, before you know it, and only the balloons are left.

I'm going try my best to get them over to Sweden so I can share my dream with you. Until then you can put these songs into a playlist on your computer and listen to them while you're looking at this picture (don't even ask me about the image on the back wall!) and try to feel the magic. Just like I am doing now. I want a Perfect Reprise.

SPLASH 27

A summer mixtape from me to you! I made this a long time ago to be honest, but here it is at last. And summer is as well. This is what I'll be listening to on the beach on a small tape recorder, when I get back to Sweden. This programme is also the last to feature a cover pic based on a Partick Camera Club photograph, so time to shed a tear.

The Beach Boys – Summer Means New Love

The Search Engines – Lost Summer Days

Aberdeen – Super Sunny Summer

The Chills – Double Summer

The Outsiders – I’ll See You In the Summertime

The Fuzz – I’m So Glad

The Cherry Orchard – That Summer Feeling

California Snow Story – Summer Avenues

Postal Blue – Summer Is What You Call It

The Tidy Ups – Summer Will Be Really Nice!

The Lil’ Hospital – Summer Reading

Brighter – Next Summer

Gentle Despite – Summer In Me

Strawberry Story – Midsummers Daydream

Friends – Every Summer

The Beathovens – Summer Sun

Three Berry Icecream – A Towering Cloud In the Summer

The Zombies – Summertime

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Let's Get Away From It All

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Phew! Writing exams must be ergonomical suicide. My hand still hurts! Exams should be banned... or at least they could allow us to type them. Or maybe I just need to learn not to clasp the pen in despair! Incidentally, here's another death-themed one (chosen long ago). Malaysia's Ferns released one of the best albums of the year not long ago, on Fruit Records from Singapore who released Mocca's My Diary in 2002. (I just found out Mocca released a new album too, early this month, and three tracks are playing on their MySpace!) I really love Ferns' album On Botany although the sleeve is a bit too impractical (fake grass!). They remind me a lot of Majestic 12, and the singer sounds a bit like Scott's vocals on the Majestic records. I'm planning a radio programme with bands from Asia and other faraway places, and there will be more from Ferns. Thanks to Isman from Fruit who allowed me to post this. Cheers!

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Ferns - Death of a Lifetime

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No more Snowdrops records, and no more Beaumont or Lovejoy records with Keith Girdlers sweet voice and heavenly guitar playing on them. Even for those of us who only knew Keith through his music, it is a terrible loss. This affected me as deeply as when I heard about Grant McLennans death last year. And I played a song by Lovejoy, on which he sang, on the radio only the day before yesterday! Unknowing that he had passed away. Naturally the next drop - let's make it a snowdrop - had to be a song by Blueboy, Keith's first band, and one of the very best indiepop bands ever. This song if from one of their singles for Sarah Records, called the Some Gorgeous Accident EP. I hope it will make you feel better.

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Blueboy - Stephanie

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In 1993 The Anyways released their second single. It was called the Sunshine Down EP and came out on Marineville. It was followed by an album on the same label the next year, called Older Than Yesterday (kind of betrays their influences, wouldn't you say?). I still only have the single, so here is the first track on it for you. Two of the members later started The Relationships, but Richard Ramage is now the only Anyway left in that band.

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The Anyways - Wish Away

SPLASH 26

Whatever happened to Matinée's proposed singles club? I couldn't wait so I made a Matineé themed radio programme instead. The bulk of it of it is from 1997-2002 and I've tried to cover most of the bands and releases that haven't been played on the show before. If you haven't bought their latest single yet, the Hermit Crabs one, you know you ought to! That's Anna Karina in the picture, in case you hadn't noticed. I wonder if anyone has placed a bet on whether or not they'll reach one hundred? (You have to go to the end of this, to hear the first two songs, then there's apparently a gap until the file here starts, so I've uploaded the missing tracks here. It's not my fault, at least.)

Sweet William – A Map of the World (matinée 001)

Ego – Do You Want to Be My Love 'till 1998? (matinée 002)

Bella Vista – Nothing New (matinée 003)

Sportique – Obsessive (matinée 007)

The Lucksmiths – Paper Planes (matinée 008)

The Fairways – Darling, Don't You Think? (matinée 009)

Harper Lee – No Happy Ending (matinée 014)

Remember Fun – Car (matinée 015)

Melodie Group – Goodbye (matinée 020)

Slipslide – Firefly (matinée 023)

Lovejoy – Hug Me Honey (matinée 028)

Pipas – Troublesome (matinée 035)

The Windmills – Walking Around the World (matinée 038)

The Liberty Ship – Don't React (matinée 040)

Kosmonaut – Desert Song (matinée 041)

Razorcuts – Sometimes I Worry About You (matinée 047)

The Guild League – Between Delta and Delaware (matinée 050)

Math & Physics Club – When We Get Famous (matinée 056)

SPLASH 26

Matinée Singles Club

EDIT:

As I said on the show the Lovejoy track is very special because Keith Girdler sings on it. Unwittingly, it has also turned out to be special because of the terribly sad fact that Keith died six days before the programme was broadcast. I just recieved an email from Richard Preece of Lovejoy that says:

"It is with immense sadness that I write to inform you that my dearest friend Keith Girdler died on May 15th 2007. Keith passed away peacefully after a recent deterioration in his condition - he was diagnosed with cancer in July 2004. Keith was a truly special person and I know that many people will hold very fond memories of their time spent in his company. Keith is survived by his partner, his siblings and their families. We are all devastated at the tragic loss of Keith and we will miss him enormously."

"Keith wanted to be remembered, to use his own words, with 'happiness and smiles' - which for those of us fortunate enough to have known him, will come all too easily despite our grief."

So let this song be a tribute to Keith Girdler, and let's hope it will make many pop fans smile in the future!

/chris

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Tibi Lubin's first album was released on Rev-Ola in 2004. It's beautiful, produced by Joe Foster, and called I Don't See You As a Dead Girl. It's sold out now, so thus the initiative for this post. They have a new single out though! That's called Frankie Quinn and is available on creamy yellow vinyl from Aufgeladen und Bereit. I think a song from that might turn up on the radio show eventually, but in the meantime, enjoy the swoon-worthy sounds of this album track.

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Tibi Lubin - Recipient Unknown

You Laughed At My Jokes But Not At My Scheming

"...you called me the boy who couldn't stop dreaming." Sometimes I feel like Dan Treacy. No, when I think about it... not really! On Thursday it was Electric Honey's single launch at the Oran Mor. Any owner of a Tigermilk should know that Electric Honey is Stow College's own label and that each year they sign a new band to release a 7". Only in Belle & Sebastian's case, they baked them enough cakes to allow them to make a whole album. Well, they couldn't just have thrown away the rest of the songs now could they? Anyway, the band Electric Honey chose this year was Wake the President from Glasgow - masterminded by twins Erik and Björn Sandberg (and no, they're not Swedish). It's a double a-side with "Sorrows For Clothes" and "Mail Alice", you can hear both on their website. But if you think "myspace fucking sucks", who'll get to hear "Sorrows For Clothes" on the radio show anyway. It was a nice gig, but the lead guitar was a bit quiet. Wake the President were followed by The Bluebells. I thought "no, it can't be THOSE Bluebells!". But it was the ancient Scottish chart-toppers from the 80's. They were funny. But more in a laughing at than with way.


On Sunday it was the premiere of Monorail's new Film Club at the Glasgow Film Theatre. They were screening Masculin Féminin by Godard, and it was presented by Stephen, who introduced himself as 'a musician'. Before it they also screen what I think was Godard's first short, All Boys Are Called Patrick, on which he collaborated with Truffaut and which was simply amazing. It was cool to see so many people had turned up just because it was arranged by Monorail! Otherwise the average audience for a Godard screening would be about fifteen, I guess. Or fifteen and a half - to be generous. Next month it's The Last Detail, presented by Stuart Murdoch.

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Someone was asking if there were more recordings by North of Cornwallis, except for "Billy Liar" and "One 2nd Class Return". This has now turned up, thanks to Ally who gave me a wee tape with this song and some interesting stuff by other bands, that might see the light of day soon. It sounds more like a demo, because it only has vocals and two guitar tracks, but I love it all the same. If you were living the UK around 1990 you might have heard Beats International (started by Norman Cook post-Housemartins) in which Lester Noel sang a bit. I haven't, but I can't imagine it being as good as this. Lester was previously in Grab Grab the Haddock, and they're REALLY good! Apparently he also did backing vocals on a song by Danish pop band Gangway... And Cornwallis is apperently a Canadian island. Named after a Lord Cornwallis from England.

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North of Cornwallis - Falling Over December

I Must Have Looked a Hundred Times

But as you know, at night all cats are foxes. Potentially. In the West End at least. We saw a fox on Gibson Street last night, walking home from a Draytones gig. Oh, that reminds me, I've seen quite a few gigs lately that I need to tell you about! As I just said, we went to see London garage group The Draytones yesterday. I had high hopes after Brogues alterted me to the stomping sounds of the their debut single "Keep Loving Me", and they didn't let me down. They were a fashionably dressed (white shirts and jumpers, black chelsea boots) three-piece, and the pretty guitartist & singer was apparently from Argentina, but it was impossible to tell. They were actually only the support band for female singer Candie Payne, who was quite good as well and very suave. She had a five-piece garage-style backing band, although the music had some hints of soul and funk too. Those high heels looked very uncomfortable!

The 1990s are bit more pop than garage and we went to their album launch at Mono last Sunday. Mono was packed (maybe because it was free?) and "everyone was there". 1990s consists of former members of The Yummy Fur and V-Twin and released their first single last year. This three-piece is from Glasgow and they had lots of friends there, and we all had a good time. I managed to squeeze my way into Monorail as well to buy the new Trembling Blue Stars album, which is ace!

On Tuesday we were at The Admiral to catch Au Revoir on one of their seemingly all the more frequent Glasgow visits. But a happy surprise was the support act Slow Club - an insanely fun duo from Sheffield. It's safe to say they charmed the pants of everyone with their playful little tunes, harmonies, alternating vocals, chair/bottles/spoon-percussion and madly strummed country guitar. They have a 7" due out on Moshi Moshi in June and are playing at Tchai Ovna on the 10th of that month (it's free!). It'll be worth going just to see if their 'mega fan' turns up (whoever bought their one and ONLY t-shirt! If you like Mates of State, Tilly & the Wall and Architecture In Helsinki this band could be your life.

Australian Ned Collette played before them and we missed the start of his set, but I think he was a notch sharper at his Camera Obscura support slot. And of course the three girls in Au Revoir Simone played too! I still hadn't seen them play live so I'm glad I finally got to do that. The songs from the new album sounded great, but it must have been a bit ungratifying playing after Slow Club.

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Tiny picture or what? It's from the Bus Stop gallery page. Allen Clapp is a relatively new aquaintance for me, but is quickly becoming one of my favourite artists. Before he was just a name on the Bus Stop website, and there are plenty of them left to discover. He started recording on his own, then formed Allen Clapp & His Orchestra and eventually The Orange Peels who are set to play the NYC Popfest this year. This is one of his older songs and it came out on a Bus Stop 7" in 1992. It's also included on the new compilation of stuff from his "four-tracking heyday" called Something Strange Happens, which is a must-buy if there ever was one! Check Skatterbrain in the link list, where there are two more songs in a recent post. And there are some great podcasts on The Orange Peels website.

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Allen Clapp - Mystery Lawn

SPLASH 25

Arrrgh! We've been cut short again. There's no trusting the Subcity server. Well, all you've missed is the better part of "Bellshill's Son". But maybe the better part of of it IS what it's included in the file (cause the singer's stopped singing)? If you want to hear Off Key Singing you can always download the whole song from the Waaah site. Anyway, it's tweepop galore today, and the cover picture is of Claudia Cardinale and Luchino Visconti - perhaps the two biggest fans of tweepunk the world has known (who would have known?!). Claudia was also on the cover of James Dean Driving Experience's "Dean's Eleventh Dream", if you're lucky enough to own that (I'm not). If you're NOT lucky enough to have heard of Tales of Jenny, go download seven cracking songs here.

The Duglasettes – Bellshill’s Son
The Applicants – Crush
The Electric Pop Group – She’s Playing With Your Heart
The Garlands – You Never Notice Me
The Budgies – Friends In Literature (session)
Cub – A Picnic
Laura Watling – So Responsible
The Haywains – I Have Confidence
Bouquet – Do Re Mi
Roadside Poppies – Erosion
Happy Birthdays – Every Week
Funday Mornings – Killing Thomas
The Parcels – I Dream of Jean-Genet
Buster Jones – Baby Boy
Tales of Jenny – Reading Oscar Wilde In Public
Strawberry Story – For the Love of Billy
Fat Tulips – Treason
Talulah Gosh – I Told You So
The Candees – I Don’t Want to Be a Grown-Up
The Rosehips – Something Happened
Brighter – Half-Hearted

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Fluff Fluff Fluff and Cuddleyness

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I just recieved Love Parade's Lazy Days EP in the mail - the first release on A Turntable Friend, remember? On the insert Ulrich writes about how he wishes he had enough money to buy the whole Claim back catalogue and reissue it. I know how he felt. There still hasn't been a single reissue of the stuff indie-mod Medway band The Claim recorded in the 80's! They did a load of singles and two albums that are equally brilliant, although the first one has a slightly rougher production. It was called Armstrongs Revenge & Eleven Other Stories. This is the opening track, and it'll floor you straight away, I promise.

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The Claim - Ronnie's Orchard

What Was I Thinking?

I'm back from a brief visit to Sweden, where it was even warmer thanhere! All the hours sitting in the sunshine has left me feeling drousy for days. While in Malmö I managed to go to two clubs and one party, well done eh? On Friday night I went to first instalment of the Function soul weekender. It was at a place called Moriskan, where I'd never been before and which was really nice. They had two djs over from the UK and they both played some great nothern soul and some almost-as-great modern soul (you can see where my loyalites lie...). On Saturday it was the last ever You Can't Hide Your Love Forever, which has been the best (yes, you guessed it) indiepop club there for years. So a bit sad, but the two guys have new projects on the way. In fact Daniel is thinking about getting John Hunt over for a new summer club at KB!

SPLASH 24

Well, here I am, back from Sweden. No time to do the regular programme though. So here's a bunch of mp3s to entertain you throughout the week. There's lots of bands consisting of Ric Menck and Paul Chastain (and a few other guys). I also just found out that the last broadcast for my show will be on June the 4th. Then Subcity will be shutting down for the season, but as I've decided before I will continue doing one SPLASH a week for the rest of the time I'm here. The format might go back to the original one though, with just mp3s. The cover pic today is a still from Gregorys Girl, with Clare Grogan’s character reading A Midsummer Night's Dream.

The Springfields – Tranquil
A Clouds cover from Ric Menck's The Springfields. Paul was in the band too of course, but most of the songs – that were released on labels like Sarah and Bus Stop – were written and sung by Ric. This cover was originally released on the Summershine 7” Reach For the Stars in 1987.
Uni – You're So Much
I think this is the only song Brent Kenji released with this post-Skypark band. It was on the A Smile Took Over double-7” on Matinée, and like the rest of the songs on it it's a cover of a Sarah Records classic. The Sea Urchins recorded the original.
Aerospace – Better Days
The Swedish band of the week released their pop classic of a first album The Bright Idea Called Soul in 2001. Referencing bands like Belle & Sebastian, Skypark, The Fairways, and in this song, The Byrds, it was bound to be memorable!
The Byrds – She Don’t Care About Time (single version)
What a coincidence, here they are themselves, those giants of janglepop! This is the single version of the song from 1965's Turn! Turn! Turn!.
Danny Wagner – This Thing Called Love
The northern soul track of the week can be found on Wigan 30, celebrating thirty years of keeping the faith at Wigan Casino.
Francoise Hardy – Le temps de l'amour
Another 60's classic, but from France of course. Think it's from 1962 or 1963.
Bag-O-Shells – Back In Your Town
One of the best releases ever on Bus Stop was the Pocketbook 7” from Bag-O-Shells. Menck and Chastain again, but this time with Paul on vocals. I just love how the melody is subtly exposited in the intro, and then the jangle begins!
The Sunny Street – Rainy Hearts
One of the best albums this year is They Hurt You Everyday from the very French sounding couple that are The Sunny Street. This song was originally meant to be released on 7” by Andreas' And Then Suddenly!, but it never happened and it's now included on the album on Lavender.
Honeybunch – You're Killing Me
An old one from Honeybunch, who had connections to the Menck-Chastain collective of bands. Honestly, I couldn't find out where it's from! Does anyone have a clue?
The Nines – Too Late (to Change Your Mind)
Before Ric met Paul Chastain, Paul was in a band called The Nines. Their Like a Top EP from 1983 was recently shared to the public by Fire Escape Talking.
Paul Chastain – Am I Right
After that he released the Halo EP under his own name. Nick Rudd plays guitar on this record that came out in 1984.
The Castaway Stones – Eight Days
The Castaway Stones' album Make Love to You is one of Shelflife's proudest moments. Pam Berry was in this band before she moved to London. This is a b-side to the Leave No Stone Unturned 7” that preceded the album and that, in contrast to album, can still be had for a handful of dollars.
The Reverbs – Nevermore
This is the pre-Choo Choo Train project of Ric Menck. He played drums in The Reverbs before teaming up with Paul Chastain, and he released an lp called The Happy Forest in 1984.
The Big Maybe – Some Things Never Change
This was just a one off Ric and Paul did with Nick Rudd, before the two of them settled for the Choo Choo Train moniker. It's from 1987 and came out on their own Picture Book label.
The Choo Choo Train – Flower Field
From the legendary second 12” on Subway Organisation The Briar Rose EP from 1988. A truly collaborative effort from Paul and Ric that was the early stage of The Velvet Crush in many ways. As in that band, Paul is on vocal duties.
The Velvet Crush – One Thing 2 Believe
The first single by The Velvet Crush came out on Bus Stop, naturally. It's from 1990, then they were signed by Creation, and the rest is pop history.
The Wind – You Changed
This is the band Lane Steinberg was in before Tan Sleeve (another Bus Stop band) and Wall of Orchids. It's from 1982 and the classic album Where It's At With the Wind.
The Autumn Leaves – Ballad of Plum Tucker
This Byrdsian Minneapolis band released their first album on the great but forgotten Grimsey label in 1997. Treats and Treasures was then followed by The Twilight Hours of the Autumn Leaves in 2002.
The Nashville Ramblers – The Trains
Probably THE lost pearl on Children of Nuggets. This stormer is presumably from 1983, but sounds as genuine as anything from the 60's. The Nashville Ramblers was only a loose constellation of San Diego garage scenesters and the song was not released until the Bomp Records comp The Roots of Powerpop! came out in 1986.

SPLASH 24
Wishing On a Star

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Wall of Orchids have figured in one of my radio programmes before so I don't think they need too much of an introduction. It was essentially the project of Lane Steinberg, previously of The Wind (who are in the next programme), and subsequently of Tan Sleeve (who are on Bus Stop). Lane's only release at the time was the Life Must Go On 7", and the rest of the songs were kindly released by Bus Stop in 2002 as the Wall of Orchids EP.

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Wall of Orchids - No One Is Looking At the Rain

Rings On Her Fingers

Now I'm sitting here in my garden, watching my ebay auctions (I won't tell you what they are in case you might bid against me). Only 31 minutes left. I've handed in my essay and done the presentation for my opera course group project, and I feel so relieved! I still have two exams in a month though, but that's Far Away.

Yeah, I went to see The Pastels last Friday and I finally have time to write something about it now. It was a part of the Triptych festival and they were not the only ones playing at the CCA - they were joined by Electrelane, Tenniscoats, The Royal We (who I really, really loved) and Pierre Bastien. It was great to finally see them, I know they don't play too often even in Glasgow. It was Stephen and Katrina, Norman and Gerard from Teenage Fanclub, two people from International Airport and the two from Tenniscoats. They played two sets! (As did Electrelane.) The first one was a bit quieter and included some stuff from their colloboration with Tenniscoats and the play Caesar staged last year. Both of them were great, but in the second one we got to hear some real classics. Like "Nothing to Be Done" and... for the encore... "If I Could Tell You"! How about that? It was a great day at the CCA, everyone was there including the local indie celebrities, it was really beautiful and everyone seemed so happy. It kind of encapsulated everything good about The Pastels, Geographic, Monorail etc.


The day before I'd been to NPL, and it was one of the best ones I've been too. It was Sarah's birthday as well and she was quite overwhelmed by her surprise party. I would like to have my birthday on an NPL night too, I think everyone should! They really should change the constitution... The last three songs were "What Difference Does It Make?", "Shady Lane" and "Roadrunner". But the best songs were probably Ian Matthews' "She May Call Up Tonight" and The June Brides' "No Place Called Home". I also discovered I need to listen more to Lloyd Cole & the Commotions. And not one but TWO Felt songs. And "Expectations"... but that was probably after Stuart left.

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I haven't seen any signs of politcal agitation today, although it's May 1st. But maybe it's not like in Sweden where lots of people actually go out and demonstrate? Anyway, here's a nice song by The Rain that was never released. It was meant be an a-side for Medium Cool but did not become available to the public until the self-released compilation To the Citadel came out in 1989 (as Stephen was kind enough to inform me about). I don't know many indiepop songs (in fact none that I can think of right now) about working class issues, but this one is great. Indiepages had a 'rain' theme on their sounds page before, maybe it's still there, where there was fittingly a song by The Rain, called "Dry the Rain". Have a look. I think they were the best band on Medium Cool (The Siddeleys aside), so it might be worth it!

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The Rain - First of May