The Sea-ders

Prior to yesterday, the only thing which connected the words 'Lebanon' and 'music' for me was this single by The Human League. That was before Russell in Monorail played me the first 4 songs from a little cd anthology of 60s Lebanese group The Sea-ders because they "sound like The Kinks with traditional instruments".  Now, a description like that was always gonna prick up my ears!  I really liked the first 3 songs (out of 8) just fine but a minute into "I Don't Know Why" I knew that Russell had successfully teased open my wallet yet again:

I can imagine arch pop classicists like Ric Menck and Paul Chastain or The Sneetches being sent spinning by "I Don't Know Why".  After stunning reissues by Sandhy and Mandhy and Index, it would appear that the folks behind Lion Productions have impeccable taste and an enviable knowledge of global pop's back pages.  I'll be keeping an ear on what they're up to in 2012, for sure!

Update!
Not Unloved will always be a sucker for naive, romantic lyrics especially when they're paired with a simple, instantly memorable melody.  Check out these delightful lyrics from the 100% huggable "I Like The Way" (it's not on YouTube...boo!):

I like the way you call my name
It sounds so nice, I could never explain
I like the way you hold my hand
It lets me know that you understand


I like the way you wanna kiss me
And I like the way you always miss me
I like the way (I like the way)


I like the way you come around
And cheer me up whenever I'm down
l like the way you make feel
The love we have is so very real 


I like the way you wanna kiss me
And I like the way you always miss me
I like the way (oooooh)


I like the way you kiss goodnight
It feels so good when you're holding me tight
I like the way you hold my hand
It lets me know that you understand


I like the way you wanna kiss me
And I like the way you always miss me
I like the way you wanna kiss me
And I like the way you always miss me...ba ba ba...


The 'cheer me up whenever I'm down' line is particularly great. Almost worthy of The Softies!

Sandhy & Mandhy

Oops, I broke my promise to myself repeatedly this weekend. Still, promising yourself that you won't spend too much money on music when there's stuff as good as Sandhy & Mandhy's "Para Castukis" reissue (Lion Productions) was a pretty wrong-headed thing to do.  It was yet another tip from the reliably astute Monorail crew (cheers Russell!) and marks Not Unloved's first foray into the world of Argentinian psych. By and large it's a soft-ish affair with acoustic guitars and lots of pretty organ lines which at times almost venture into perky Perez 'Prez' Prado territory, especially on "La Chica Sola y Triste".  Of course, this being from the late 60s, a few tracks get mussed-up by prominent fuzz guitar.  "Lluvia" has a particularly scrambled guitar break that would probably have been unbearable had it been recorded half a decade later but isn't thanks to it sounding small enough to fit inside a matchbox.  In places "Para Castukis" is as unthreateningly barking as John Ylvisaker's religious-psych masterwork/oddity "Cool Livin'", a record with which it shares the odd keyboard sound.  The original 13 track album is augmented by a few covers the most charming of which is a slightly awkward take on "As Tears Go By" that starts off as unbombastic and moving as 3rd album The Velvet Underground or The Modern Lovers of "Hospital". Also included are both sides of a single made under the name La Maquina de Musica.  All in all, a totally fascinating release which feels like it'll stand up well to repeated plays.  It's worth taking a few minutes to read what the label says about it here.

Read full review of Para Castukis - Sandhy & Mandhy on Boomkat.com ©