If I Can't Have You

Remember when Rhino followed their boxset version of the "Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968" compilation with "Children of Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the Second Psychedelic Era, 1976–1995"?  Should they ever do likewise with their comprehensive overview of the girl group era, "One Kiss Can Lead To Another: Girl Group Sounds Lost And Found", they would be duty-bound to include The Yearning's sweet dream-inducing "If I Can't Have You":

In a fair world it will be clutched lovingly to the hearts of the legion of vintage clothes-wearing Camera Obscura obsessives.  Tests have shown that it sounds best at twilight and in the movies, heartbroken teenage girls would play it to their friends on portable record players. It's a shame, therefore, that (thus far?) it's only available as a digital download.  Thanks to this and the singles by Parcel Post and The Luxembourg Signal, I've well and truly fallen back in love with indiepop; for much of 2014 we were on a break.  

Parcel Post "Centimetres"

Lisle Mitnik plays guitar just the way Not Unloved would have it.  When Very Truly Yours appeared at The Captain's Rest in Glasgow a couple of summers ago I was in constant awe of his flawless playing.  He has such an intuitive way with a jangle!  The A-side of the debut 7" by Parcel Post, his new collaboration with Scott Stevens of the always adorable Summer Cats, was recently uploaded to Soundcloud and it's as hummable (that melody!) a slice of post-Sarah Records pop as you could ever hope to hear; Kingfisher Bluez and Cloudberry must have turned cartwheels when they first heard it.  The lead vocal is dreamy while Kristine Capua (also of Very Truly Yours) provides some winningly sweet backing echoes.  With such glistening guitar-work and so much glockenspiel "Centimetres" radiates.  I hope the vinyl comes in the classic wraparound sleeve/poly bag combo. Singles are just that bit more alluring that way, aren't they?

Distant Drive / Looking For Real Love / Footwork

There are some immense singles around just now.  Here are 3:

> The Luxembourg Signal "Distant Drive" (Shelflife)

A solid contender for Single of the Year So Far.  It's been out for a couple of months but I just broke my 'no vinyl from the US due to prohibitive postal rates' rule to get it so it's current for me.  Beth Arzy from Sarah Records group Aberdeen is a member; I loved them, too.  That guitar line is a dream and a half and the vocals, well, they're Belgian chocolate sprinkles.

> Hollie Cook "Looking For Real Love" (Mr Bongo)

Now that the good weather feels comfortable enough to hang around for a bit in Scotland, Hollie's lover's rock makes even more sense.  Why this isn't blasting out from radios and car stereos and mobile phones up and down the land is a mystery.  Hollie's under-played singing style serves her well making her voice as welcome as a Magnum on a hot day.  Go on...treat yourself to one of the 100 copies on pretty green vinyl!

> Theo Parrish "Footwork" (Sound Sculpture)

Addictive. Not overly banging or attention-seeking, just addictive.

I Wish You The World of Happiness

If Beatin' Rhythm in Manchester wasn't quite the palace of delights it had been the last time I visited it 4 years ago, I still came away an essential reissue 45 (on the shop's own label) of a Northern Soul diamond:

Eddie Holman and James Solomon's lyrics recount a moving tale of stoicism in the face of rejection:

The world's just not the same

At least not to me

'cause I won't see you again

You're setting me free

But I wish you the world of happiness

Though you're hurting me

Musically, it's archetypal mid-60s dancefloor-targeted soul.  It could prove a pricey acquisition as, if I keep playing it so much, I'll need to buy a rug to cover the living room carpet's threadbare patch.

Stroll On!

Of late it seems as if the world has gone a bit psych daft what with Loop touring again, festivals such Austin Psych Fest and Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia flourishing and a procession of new and old cosmic groups releasing records to great acclaim: Temples, Night Beats, The Brian Jonestown Massacre etc.. All of which would suggest that Stroll On Records' recent 4-way split 7" landed at just the right time.  It boasts a couple of lovely tracks by established acts from the janglier end of the pop-psych spectrum in The See See's "The Evil Clutch of Dawn" and The Young Sinclairs' "In This Room" to reel in the Shindig readers.  These are paired with blinding tracks by newer groups Triptides and Frankie and The Witch Fingers.  "Shaman" by Triptides has the most arresting intro in many a light year and the shady feel and messed-with vocals of The Byrds' "Natural Harmony" while Frankie and The Witch Fingers' "Revival" is a wired blast of keyboard-enhanced psych that quickens the pulse and never lets up.  There's no point playing a record like this quietly - sorry neighbours!



I got mine from Vinyl Revival on a recent visit to Manchester.  The shop's well worth a visit and the chaps talk an enthusiastic and informed game on psych, Freakbeat, garage etc..

Screen Prints

In recent weeks it's been thrilling to read such positive reviews of The Clientele's "Suburban Light" (Merge Records) reissue.  That record and the singles from which it was compiled are nigh on untouchable in terms of music released in the 1990s.  Coincidentally, another group who also touched perfection at around the same time has seen its music restored to print recently: Manchester's brilliant Screen Prints.

Fastcut Records of Japan have done the honours with their collection "Hum and Hiss" and it's an utter joy from start to finish.  "Missed" still has the power to make your heart swell and your eyes moist with its sweet, Gerard Love-like vocals (I wonder if they ever played with Teenage Fanclub; they seem such kindred spirits) and crisp, delightful melody:

What an arrangement! The hesitant intro, the distant drums, the glockenspiels, the cooing backing vocals, the changes in pace, that crystalline little guitar line; it breaks my heart that it's all so beautiful.  When they use strings as on "Her Name I Don't Remember" they soar to Michael Head and The Strands levels of majesty. There isn't a track on "Hum and Hiss" that doesn't deserve to be cherished.  If anything, Screen Prints sound better now than they did at the time and there's something about the fidelity of the recordings - home recorded, anything but anodyne - that adds to the poignancy.  Listening to "Hum and Hiss" is like going through a shoebox full of old Polaroids remembering and at once feeling happy and sad.  I hope desperately that it isn't overlooked and is clutched to the heart by a legion of romantic melody lovers.

There's talk of new Screen Prints recordings being made.  I, for one, will be waiting impatiently to hear them!

Follow them on Twitter here.

Note the Shop Assistants record at the front of the picture accompanying this (Japanese) interview - evidence of impeccable taste!

The Delmonas

2014's tsunami of much-needed reissues shows no signs of abating.  My heart flipped (and my bank manager fainted) recently when Damaged Goods announced their plan to reissue Billy Childish affiliated girl-group The Delmonas' first 2 lps.  What great news!  They covered a lot of '60s material in their time but their choices were invariably smart ones as exemplified by this:

The Delmonas also appear on the latest volume of Ace Records' indispensable Girls With Guitars cd series with this:

Hopefully by June, when the aforementioned lps are reissued, my bank balance will have recovered from recent excesses.