Rocky Lorelei "He Said, She Said"

Last Wednesday, Not Unloved's good pal Tara Quinn played a recently uploaded Rocky Lorelei (of Hairband and Spinning Coin) song on her essential fortnightly radio show on LP Radio. "He Said, She Said" is a beautifully sung slice of post-Softies pop heaven with a skippy little guitar solo and some endearingly romantic lyrics e.g.

"Teeth stained with red wine
Honey, you are so divine"

If the hushed majesty of The Cat's Miaow or Galaxie 500 ever raised the hairs on the back of your neck and made the world feel like a more welcoming place, this song is for you.

Best of 2017 lists for Monorail Music

Most years, there's nothing I like better than to be asked what my favourite records have been. This year, however, it was a little tricky as, although I bought a lot of (okay, way too many) records, I didn't always find the time to listen and absorb them so a lot of what I listened to was whatever made it onto my phone which is a bit silly when virtually everything I bought was on vinyl. Enough excuses, though; here are the lists I submitted when Monorail Music kindly asked for my thoughts a few weeks ago. There are some shameful local omissions e.g. AMOR's two 12"s for Night School or Golden Teacher's self-released lp. That's what happens when you use the first thought=best thought approach to compiling these lists, I guess.

LPs:

1. The Clientele "Music For the Age of Miracles" (Tapete)
2. Kelly Lee Owens "s/t" (Smalltown Supersound)
3. The Luxembourg Signal "Blue Field" (Shelflife/Kleine Untergrund Schallplatten)
4. A Certain Smile "Fits and Starts" (My Lil Underground)
5. Mope Grooves "Joy" (See My Friends)
6. Sacred Paws "Strike A Match" (Rock Action)
7. Spinning Coin "Permo" (Geographic)
8. Rat Columns "Candle Power" (Upset The Rhythm)
9. The BVs "Speaking From A Distance" (Kleine Untergrund Schallplatten)
10. Ekin Fil "Ghosts Inside" (Helen Scarsdale Agency)

Singles:

1. Spinning Coin "Raining On Hope Street" (Geographic)
2. Corner Boys "Just Don't Care" (Drunken Sailor)
3. The Luxembourg Signal "Laura Palmer" (Shelflife)
4. Wallflower "Nowhere" (Fastcut)
5. The Flying Stars of Brooklyn NY "My God Has A Telephone" (Colemine)
6. UV-TV "Go Away e.p." (Emotional Response)
7. Mick Trouble "It's The Mick Trouble e.p." (Emotional Response)
8. The Love-Birds "Filled With Hate" (Empty Cellar)
9. Omar S feat. Nite Jewel "I Confess To U" (FXHE)
10. Davy Kehoe "Short Passing Game" (Wah Wah Wino)

Reissues:

1. Dion "Kickin' Child: The Lost Album 1965" (Norton)
2. Look Blue Go Purple "Still Bewitched" (Captured Tracks)
3. William C Beeley "Gallivantin'" (Tompkins Square)
4. Jackie Shane "Any Other Way" (Numero Group)
5. 14 Iced Bears "s/t" (Optic Nerve)

Compilation:

"I Won't Have To Think About You: Compiled by Bayu and Moopie" (A Colourful Storm)

^^^ BUY THIS NOW.

Spinning Coin "Albany"

Sometimes you go to a show and there's an unfamiliar new local band on the bill and you're not really expecting too much of them so you're chitting and chatting but then they play a song and it stops you mid-witter.  That song then plays in your head on and off for days so you get fired-up with evangelical zeal, hellbent on telling the world, only to remember that it's 2015 and that unless you can let people hear the song in question, it'll be forgotten in the time it takes to read 'View 4 new Tweets'.  The last time that happened?  When I heard 'Albany'" by Spinning Coin at Audio last December.  Helpfully for evangelists, it has now been posted to Winning Sperm Party's  - they're releasing the group's tape - Soundcloud page:



What an endearing slice of weed-dazed, vulnerability! A friend astutely mentioned the name Further on hearing them. To that I'd add Tomorrow's Tulips. I suspect that the Burger Records' collective hearts will pogo when they hear it. If the rest of the tape is as affecting it'll be a must purchase.  From the two times I've seen them live, however,  I know there are at least two or three more stunners, one of which is in the vein of Teenage Fanclub's unageing, untouchable "Everything Flows".

UPDATE:

Sean Armstrong, one of the singers in Spinning Coin, has just made available his solo version of "Albany" and it's a dreamy, Alex Chilton-like affair.  Plain lovely.