The Softies, Go Sailor, Rose Melberg

I've made my love of Tiger Trap abundantly clear here already so now I'll express my love for some of her other projects.

Go Sailor and The Softies were her projects immediately following the demise of Tiger Trap. I had the pleasure of seeing both projects many times including a melding of the two when Jen from The Softies joined Go Sailor on stage for a full band version of the Softies song Loveseat. I enjoyed that the bands were different from each other with The Softies covering the acoustic side of things and Go Sailor being poppy and punky but not pop punk!

Oddly, my favorite Softies song is actually one that Jen takes lead on. If I had the song mentioned above converted from vinyl I'd post it but since I don't I will default to my favorite. You can still hear Rose chiming in nice backing parts! Anyway, I always thought that this was a perfect crush song because it turns it on its head a bit. Talking about how perfect somebody is because they're as fucked up as you and that's why you can't be together.
As Skittish As Me

This song is a cover of the Rocketship classic! When I posted on Rocketship awhile back I posted their version (which is now down so don't bother trying to download it!) and have been meaning to post this cover. This version is slowed down and stripped down but I think that goes to show what a strong song it is. It's been said that a great full band song is really only a great song if it can stand on its own with just an acoustic guitar. I do recommend tracking the original version down though just so you can hear it in all its glory!
Hey Hey Girl (Rocketship)

The first Go Sailor song that came out was on the Periscope compilation put out by Yo Yo. It was instant love. I was still terribly distraught over the Tiger Trap break up but once I heard this song I felt a little less sad. It was proof positive that Rose was an incredible songwriter and had great taste in picking musicians to enhance the songs. They were a bit more poppy than Tiger Trap with the most glaring difference being the lack of the surf guitar leads that Angela Loy provided in Tiger Trap. I collected all the 7"s as they came out but enjoyed that those songs along with the compilation tracks were compiled for the self titled cd release.
Last Year

Rose's first solo record, Portola, was more like like a compilation of songs rather than a cohesive release. Featuring covers, Tiger Trap songs that never got full band treatment, one of her best songs (Golden Gate Bridge), and a collaboration with her old friend, Dustin Reske of Rocketship. Since Dustin is such a great songwriter in his own right and has been mentioned in this post that is the song you get!
The Love We Could Have Had

Rose also played drums in Gaze, got married, had a baby, and kind of disappeared for awhile. A bit over a year ago she released a new solo record and I got to see her play a few shows and couldn't believe when she pulled out a Tiger Trap song! I had never heard her do one live since they broke up so it was a real treat. I apparently don't have anything from the last solo record handy so perhaps another time.

Spider & The Webs

I've been busy AND not feeling well - sorry for the lack of updates lately.

All I really know about Spider & The Webs is that former Bikini Kill member Tobi Vail fronts them. I saw them live in the Summer of 2005 and enjoyed them so much that I bought an 8 song cd they had with them on tour. I would say that this stuff is much more akin to The Go Team (Olympia band from the 80s NOT the UK one!) than Bikini Kill. Pop songs, not riot grrrl anthems.

Since we left off with me posting a Primal Scream song I thought it would be fitting to post a cover of a Primal Scream song. I do not actually like the original version of this song but this cover (and the Half Japanese cover which I don't seem to have) totally rule.

Movin' On Up (Primal Scream)

Frozen Roses

Back to more regular posting soon, I hope!

Leave Me Alone

While riding the subway yesterday I was reminded by my iPod that I wanted to post these songs together. I love when I'm listening to something on shuffle and the pairings are perfect. I was feeling extremely depressed yesterday which only enhanced the pairing.

I've had several conversations about Bernard Sumner's lyrics. For the most part they're just not very good. However, if you think about where he was coming from and the shadow he had to step out of it's admirable that he didn't take the easy route and just rehash Ian's lyrical territory. I think everyone would have given him a pass if he had sung about wanting to off himself given the situation New Order formed from. Of course, this is a poor example of what I'm trying to illustrate. I do tend to prefer New Order guitar songs to the ecstasy fueled lyrics and synth/sequencer anthems. Once in awhile Barney could surprise.
Leave Me Alone

I actually dislike Primal Scream quite a bit. It's funny when a band has one (or two) excellent and amazing songs but everything else is not even tolerable! I never really got the Screamadelica love. I would almost think that love for it would be based on being there for it, but I certainly know people who love that record who have no physical connection to that time in the UK. I don't even try to understand when they turned into a very poor version of The Rolling Stones. Whatever, right? This song is gold.
Velocity Girl

The Bedsit Infamy Giveaway!

Lungs, My Heart. Blood, My Stomach is the title of the brand new Bedsit Infamy record which comes out April 1. The album is being released by Banazan Records so if you like what you hear please support them! Banazan was kind enough to pass along some giveaways - I have a t-shirt and cd for one lucky winner and I have 2 additional cds but no shirt with those. I looked and looked trying to find an image of the shirt but no luck so you'll have to take my word for it when I say that it is a very nice blue American Apparel t-shirt with a light blue design. TO ATTAIN SUCH FINE GOODIES E-MAIL ME! (the address is: thatwasinpoortaste@gmail.com - 1st response gets the t-shirt and cd, the next two get just the cd.)

Since I've written about Billy/The Bedsit Infamy before I will just leave you with a couple of tracks from the record. It was not an easy task to post only two songs because I find this record to be extremely solid from start to finish. I always default to posting my absolute favorite tracks, but if I could I would post the whole damn thing. However, I feel that these two songs best represent what the album sounds like and the feel behind the songs. Trinkets hidden in the songs to discover on each listen and an incredible sense of songwriting that will have you listening again and again.

Virginia, Lay Your Hands Upon Me
Red Lights

E-MAIL FOR FREE STUFF!

Russian Spy Camera

Russian Spy Camera are a band that J. got me into. The first time she took me to see them I heard hints of The Fall in some of their songs. However, when we saw them in Athens (their hometown) at the Popfest last August gone were The Fall influences and in were... I'm not sure what. The songs seemed longer and more drawn out, definitely less concise, and some even felt a bit jammy to me. Generally speaking I tend to like a shorter and catchier song but this is a wild generalization. The band has just released FOR FREE DOWNLOAD a new record. If you go to their website (linked above) you can find out what they're all about. I am choosing to put up what I think are the two catchiest songs from the record, Mutiny In The Kitchen With Knives, but on the record they stretch out on some songs and weird out on others. If you like it you can give them some money via a link on their site!

Pixels In Your Soup
Hotels

Times New Viking / Tyvek

I've become fairly lazy about seeking out new music. However, two newer bands I like quite a bit are Times New Viking and Tyvek. If you're familiar with these bands (or if you listen to these songs) it will probably be clear as to why. They tread a similar fuzzed out yet catchy territory. They're both doing pretty well so I'm obviously not the only person who finds this music to be quite appealing. Both bands will be at SXSW and playing various other shows around the country this month.

Another Day
Times New Viking on Myspace

Mary Ellen Claims
Tyvek on Myspace

Duck and Swallow

Duck and Swallow is the solo project of former Drayton Sawyer Gang bass player Lillie Jayne. She is playing a couple of shows soon - the first being this Wednesday (March 5) at Pete's Candy Store in Brooklyn. The second show is on April 11 at Goodbye Blue Monday, also in Brooklyn. These tracks are voice and piano, weird and disconcerting in the best way, though some of the songs available through the myspace page are not as weird and verge on pretty. I'm hoping to make it to the Pete's Candy Store show to see how this comes off live. I'm guessing pretty well because of the simplicity of voice without tons of accompaniment.

The Song In Which I Call You An Asshole

You Didn't Notice

Hazel

One of the joys of working at the record store in 1995 was all the free promo copies of cds we received. Our store actually kept them in the store and played them (which I later learned is unusual with most employees usually taking them and selling them to other stores) but we could claim them to take home at a later date. Sub Pop was excellent at sending us promos which was nice since 3 of us usually wanted what they sent and would fight over who got what! At the time I think that a lot of people thought that Sub Pop had slipped a little but I look back at that time frame and what they were putting out and strongly disagree. The Spinanes, Velocity Girl, and Hazel were probably my 3 favorite bands on the label at the time and I still listen to them all!

I first heard Hazel because of one of those promo cds. Are You Going To Eat That? came in and I was immediately taken. Simple yet catchy with just guitar, bass, and drums and dueling boy/girl vocals. I hear a little bit of The Wipers in Hazel. That same sort of energy with the guitar holding the same sort of sonic space in both bands - up front and in your face. I immediately bought their first album, Toreador Of Love, and loved it just as much. I always thought that this was the most apt description I read of the first album - "A tackle box full of hooks." This was a comment somebody left on the cd at KDVS. So, yeah, not a lot to say about this band other than they were fantastic and if you like more rock/guitar based indie stuff rather than say twee or pop you will probably enjoy this quite a bit.

In chronological order:
Day Glo
I'm Shattered Again
A bonus track! They released an ep on Candy Ass (the drummers label) in 1997 which was their last release. This is a live version of a song from that.
Mr. Magazine Man (live)

The Spinanes / Rebecca Gates

Back in 1993 (if memory serves me correctly) I was watching the late night alternative show Mtv had on Sunday night when my ears were caught by a song called Noel, Jonah And Me. A lot of what the tv show played was mainstream "alternative" music but once in awhile they would sneak something like The Spinanes in. People who have grown up with the internet have no idea what it was like to be interested in independent music before everyone had access to it along with blogs and myspace etc etc etc. If you were lucky enough to get reception of a college radio station you had a fighting chance, or if you happened to have a good independent record store in your area you might get recommended some music you probably wouldn't have heard on your own. Otherwise you needed a disposable income and luck along with some sort of knowledge of various labels putting independent music out. I was lucky in the sense that I had college radio reception a good amount of the time, a pretty good mom and pop record store, and friends who were also music nerds. Most of the time if I had committed to buying a record I knew I would like it. You may have guessed that I had no money to just buy things on a whim! Anyhow, I would watch this Mtv show regularly hoping to find out about new (or at least new to me) bands.

My reaction to The Spinanes was quite strong. It was incredibly catchy and fun - I could hardly believe that it was just guitar, drums, and vocals. I can't say for sure but they may have been the first rock band I had heard without a bass player. I had a pretty strong suspicion that I would like the record so I went and bought Manos from my local mom and pop record shop. The expressiveness of Rebecca Gates vocals coupled with her amazing ability as a lyricist were awe inspiring to me. Her guitar playing was inventive and suited the songs perfectly and Scott Plouf's drumming was simple but powerful. I was in love. Over time my favorite song from the record became a song called Sunday probably because of the chorus simply being the line "But you know how far away we are" repeated over and over. I'm a sucker for a simple yet meaningful lyric.
Sunday

Now we have to jump around a bit. Between their first and second albums I started working at a mom and pop record store (Spirit Records in Rancho Cordova, California for those who must know) and volunteering at KDVS which is the UC Davis college radio station. In the record stacks at KDVS I discovered The Spinanes releases that were only on 7" at that point. Of course now you can purchase the cd The Imp Years instead of tracking down the vinyl. One of my very first shows I played what is considered by many fans to be the classic Spinanes track. Maybe because it tells the most vivid story and has the most heartbreaking chorus of any of their songs. Once again just a line repeated for the chorus.
Hawaiian Baby

Working at the record store and radio station were probably the best things I could have done for my music addiction. Hearing tons of new music, being introduced to old stuff that I would have probably never heard, meeting a lot of wonderful people who definitely inspired me to keep feeding my interest. My interest in queercore and particularly the Chainsaw and Candy Ass record labels led me to buy the Free To Fight compilation. It was a joint release encouraging women to fight back against attackers. Rebecca Gates had a solo release on the compilation. The song is haunting and beautiful and the solo performance really captures pain and loneliness.
Carnation Red

Strand, their second album, was released in 1996 and was a big departure. The songs got less poppy and quite a bit slower. Less rocking out and way more mood oriented with the music. I'm a huge fan of bands that are able to switch gears and really surprise. I'm not sure if there's anything I love more actually - a giant and unexpected leap in greatness between albums. This album incorporates more instrumentation (keyboards specifically) and a lot more percussion which is a treat for headphone listening. Elliott Smith contributes some backing vocals which is how I was able to hook some people into this band! Nearly a minute and a half of tweaked guitar open my favorite track. This was not The Spinanes from 3 years before. This song is another amazingly vivid story. I think her ability to be so vivid comes from not being afraid of using words that most people shy away from in a songwriting context. This was not dumb bubble gum nursery school rhymes by any means.
Lines & Lines

By the time the last album under The Spinanes name came out in 1998 Scott Plouf had left the band to join Built To Spill. On this album she was joined by a variety of musicians, but probably most notable was The Sea and Cake's John McEntire and touring member of The Spinanes and current Jicks member Joanna Bolme. Arches and Aisles struck a balance between the up of the first record and the slow of the second. It was yet another move forward with the songwriting. I've always thought that Rebecca Gates is one of the most inventive songwriters out there. She just got better and more interesting with time. She's also terribly underrated. I feel that this song captures the mood of the last album quite well.
Kid In Candy

To date only one solo album has been released and that was back in 2001. However, it appears that she is writing and recording another one. I saw her perform at The Knitting Factory a year and a half ago and it was wonderful. She's one of the most engaging live performers I've ever seen. She's the right mix of funny and weird with the banter but all business with the songs. I wanted to post this song from The Ruby Series because it's a re-working of the song from the Free To Fight compilation. I find it interesting when songwriters go back to earlier material. Truth be told, I do prefer the original! I'm terribly excited to hear that a new record is in the works.
Move

The Spiral States

The Spiral States have gone through several name changes and line-ups over the years but as far as I know this is their first release - a 6 song e.p. available for free download at The Spiral States myspace page. It was difficult for me to pick which 2 to post but I wanted to show their capabilities at capturing various sounds.

The first song reminds me of Elvis Costello & The Attractions. Not such a bad thing to be sounding like! If we admit that the majority of music today is derivative of something I would much rather hear a band covering many different styles and stretching their abilities than somebody wanking off under the banner of originality. So bring on bands that actually add their own take to the mix.
XXX

This song definitely has a Motown feel to it. That is aces in my book. The brilliance behind almost every Motown song released in the 1960's and early 1970's is astounding. If more bands learned from that era and style of songwriting I think songwriting would be considered more of an art again. I really appreciate that The Spiral States are willing to bring that back a little bit with their take on it.
She's a Lover