Friends Again - State Of Art
Friends Again - Trapped And Unwrapped (1984)
“This train is free wheelin’/there is love on board,” exclaims Chris Thompson (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) on “Lullaby No. 2,” one of the most electrifying numbers on Friends Again’s debut album, Trapped and Unwrapped. The unbridled glee in which those lyrics are sung could also epitomize the LP’s rollicking mood. The lyrics are not always decipherable, so there might be stinging words hidden beneath Friends Again’s otherwise sunny melange of funk, new wave, and country, but why ruin a good party? The band plays with contagious exuberance. “Lucky Star” moves briskly, buoyed by funky riffs and sprightly piano. The soulful guitar pop of “Lullaby No. 2” is reminiscent of fellow Scottish band Orange Juice; it is unbelievably catchy. “Sunkissed” soars with its sparkling synths and jaunty rhythms. Every track on Trapped and Unwrapped is embedded with keen hooks. Thompson’s voice could be mistaken for David Bowie’s; however, none of Bowie’s work in the ’80s was this invigorating. Surprisingly, two of the album’s best songs are among its slowest. The jangly “State of Art” illustrates adolescent infatuation with a poet’s ear for dialogue while the moving “Old Flame” glides over a breezy, laid-back groove. “Who needs the old flame/when I’ve got you, baby/burning so bright,” Thompson croons, his voice emitting the warmth of a summer’s day at the beach. Now imagine an entire LP like that. ~ Michael Sutton, AMG
VA - A Sandwich And A Sweater (Cassette, 1996)
Old school indiepop!!! Love this cassette.
Tracklist:
1. MacGuffins - Rich Together
2. Calloways - Kalamazoo
3. Windmills - The Day Dawned On Me
4. Prayers - Puppet Clouds
5. Man Of Westnesse - The Coldest Water
6. Chefs - 24 Hours
7. Gangway - Out On The Rebound From Love
8. Moss Poles - One Summer
9. Lovenotes And Lithium - When Love (Gets In The Way)
10. River Roses - Innocent June
11. April Showers - Abandon Ship
12. Room - One Hundred Years
13. Would Be’s - I’m Hardly Ever Wrong
14. Big Gun - Heard About Love
15. Dislocation Dance - You’ll Never Never Know
16. Apple Moths - Kymri
17. Servants - The Sun A Small Star
18. Buba & The Shop Assistants - Something To Do
19. French Impressionists - Castles In The Air
20. Spinning Jennys - I’d Laugh If Your Head Exploded
21. Wallflowers - Blushing Girl, Nervous Smile
22. Trixie’s Big Red Motorbike - Norman And Narcissus
23. Laugh - Paul McCartney
24. Dubious Brothers - Don’t Laugh At Me
25. Club Hoy - On And On
26. Honeycrash - One False Move
27. Passmore Sisters - June In The Water
28. Cinematics - Puffa Train
29. Moving Jelly Brothers - Oddball
Hurrah! - The Sun Shines Here
Hurrah! are one of the finest 80’s guitar bands from Newcastle Upon Tyne. This is their first single in 1982.
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Memphis - You Supply The Roses (You Supply The Roses 7”, 1985)
… and I supply the wine! ;)
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Real Estate - Beach Comber (Real Estate, 2009)
Real Estate waft in on vibes of hazy summers past. The New Jersey quartet of Martin Courtney IV, Matthew Mondanile III, Etienne Pierre Duguay and Alex Bleeker cut the sleeves short and the pop smooth to shade you from the midday heat. Every song works its way to that part of your consciousness that reveled in the fleeting waves of freedom that eked in once classes broke and the sun lingered a little longer over suburban roofs. And with three quarters of the band holding down Garden State roots its no surprise that a bit of Jersey indie-pop heritage sneaks its way into their sound, lifting the most sun streaked moments from The Feelies and Yo La Tengo and filtering them through the kaleidoscope of memories aimless drives through parched neighborhood streets.
