Thursday, June 8th, 2006

I've Been Here Before

Not quite done with the shoegaze theme yet. Released in the Fall of last year, Club AC30’s Never Lose That Feeling tribute comp was far better than I had any right to expect. Featuring new artists who fell under the “shoegaze” stylistic banner covering tracks by their forebears, I reviewed it last October so in the interests of not repeating myself, I’ll just direct you back there. But this Fall will bring the second volume in the series, and AC30 has just released the tracklisting.

While the first edition featured a respectably varied number of different artists being covered, from major artists to more minor ones, the sequel sticks mainly to the big guns. There’s three from Catherine Wheel, three from My Bloody Valentine, a pair of Ride covers and a couple of the Drop Nineteens, and amongst the rest are Spiritualized, Slowdive, Lush, the usual suspects.

But there are a few curveballs in the lineup that promise to keep things extra-interesting. Britta Phillips of American ‘gazers The Belltower and more recently of Luna covers “How You Satisfy Me”, originally by Spectrum, AKA Pete Kember of Spacemen 3 while Paula Kelley, formerly of Drop Nineteens offers a lovely chamber-pop version of Ride’s “Vapour Trail”. But extra cool is the fact that the Lush cover of “Sunbathing” from Gala is done by Sing-Sing, the new band featuring Emma Anderson… ex- of Lush. Four tracks from the new comp are streaming on Club AC30’s MySpace and you can hear Piney Gir’s Bossa Nova-ish cover of Catherine Wheel’s “I Want To Touch You” at her MySpace.

More shoegaze covers – Are You Familiar also has some rare Chapterhouse MP3s including Beatles and Spacemen 3 covers. And I mentioned Greg’s “History Of Shoegaze” series a few months back – while it’s still not complete, the first five entries are excellent reading (and listening). Check it out – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

I’ve also re-upped some or all, I’m not sure, of my relevant past MP3s of the week. I’m only leaving them up temporarily so get them while they’re hot. Full info on the tracks here – use ye olde browser search command to find the track you’re looking for.

MP3: Mira – “When You Sleep”
MP3: Trespassers William – “Vapour Trail”
MP3: Buffalo Tom – “Cupid Come”
MP3: Mogwai – “Honey”
MP3: B Fleischmann & Ms John Soda – “Here She Comes”

Credits/links – My Bloody Valentine by Mira (MySpace), Ride by Trespassers William (MySpace), My Bloody Valentine by Buffalo Tom (MySpace), Spacemen 3 by Mogwai (MySpace), Slowdive by B Fleischmann & Ms John Soda (Myspace & MySpace).

And because I have never really, given Lush enough ink in these pages and YouTube makes it SO easy to be lazy:

Video: Lush – “Sweetness & Light” (YouTube)
Video: Lush – “Nothing Natural” (YouTube)
Video: Lush – “De-Luxe” (YouTube)
Video: Lush – “De-Luxe” – alternate version (YouTube)
Video: Lush – “For Love” (YouTube)
Video: Lush – “Superblast” (YouTube)
Video: Lush – “Hypocrite” (YouTube)
Video: Lush – “Ladykillers” (YouTube)
Video: Lush – “Single Girl” (YouTube)
Video: Lush – “500 (Shake Baby Shake)” (YouTube)
Video: Lush – “500 (Shake Baby Shake)” – UK version (YouTube)

And also topical – ex-Velocity Girl Sarah Shannon will release her second solo album this Fall on Minty Fresh. No idea if it will continue in the Bacharach-pop style of her self-titled debut of a few years ago, but I’m just pleased she’s still making music. As for her bandmates, I accidentally tracked them down last year.

Dave Gedge of The Wedding Present complains to Belfast Today about kids these days and their music and Event Guide also sits down for a chat. The Weddoes’ Search For Paradise comp came out a couple weeks ago – not as strong as Take Fountain, where the a-sides originated, nor even the Cinerama b-sides comps, but still worthy.

Billboard reports that Doves are holed up somewhere in the English countryside working on album #4. Expect it to be influenced by cattle.

Exclaim! rounds up the sordid history of Primal Scream. Riot City Blues is out now.

The Toronto Sun, eye and NOW preview Television’s NxNE show at the Phoenix tomorrow night. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Seattle’s The Stranger also talk to Tom, but not about NxNE. I’m pretty sure they don’t care. I may have an extra ticket for tomorrow night’s show which I’m more interested in seeing go to good use than getting fully reimbursed for. If you want it, email me.

Couple new show announcements – The Late BP Helium, alumnus of Elf Power and Of Montreal, will be at The Boat on June 28, cover $8, while the next night (June 29 for the chronologically impaired) sees The Organ at The Drake Underground, $13.

np – Josh Ritter / The Animal Years

By : Frank Yang at 8:15 am
Category: Uncategorized
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  1. Eric says:

    DOOD. Amazing! Thanks for all the Lush stuffe. My morning is lost.

  2. Greg says:

    Thanks for that, Frank. Maybe I’ll lock myself in my apartment for a few nights next week and work on finishing up the retrospective.

  3. Uncle Grambo says:

    More shoegazer posts, please! SO BEST!

  4. Matt S says:

    Holy smoke, that new AC30 comp is going to be bananas. Thanks so much for the heads up.

  5. Worldwide Short Film Festival says:

    Be sure to check out the hilarious promo spots from the 2006 Canadian Film Centre’s Worldwide Short Film Festival, complete with irreverent extras – goofs, actors’ commentaries, oddly sexy outtakes, and the director’s thoughts (who is this guy?) on eating alone, Liam Nieson, working with sheep, etc. at http://www.worldwideshortfi… Feel free to pass it along.

  6. hanson says:

    new sarah shannon… sweet! i dug the hell out of her first solo disc; i hope this one doesn’t disappoint!

  7. Patanoia says:

    Okay, that Piney Gir track is obviously indebted to Hall and Oates "I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)". 10 out of 10.

  8. Denis says:

    Thanks! Nice blog. I the big admirer Lush,
    and looked recently – Final Concert @ The Fillmore San Francisco 09-07-1996 – it is fine, shoegazing-not-dead. )))