Desperate Journalist @ The Garage, London, 10 November, 2017

A second Desperate Journalist gig in London within a few weeks of the last. I grabbed the chance! Just a 30-minute set, which left me hoping for an encore, but it was perfectly delivered - in the usual crisp, shiny indie style,.

Why Are You So Boring? continues to sound like an anthem. Lacking in Your Love, epic as ever with its crepuscular, swirling guitar notes winding around dreamily, all hazily reminiscent of This Twilight Garden by The Cure.

Resolution sounds better with every live performance, or maybe it's just grown on me as another indie pop hit single sounding success. Christina burst in with further pop aplomb.

Great to be down the front, singing along and enjoying the splendour of it all.

From my spot, I didn't get the whole band in the photos, but I thought I'd include them anyway for the lights and the pop stariness of the three quarters of the band I did capture under pink and green dazzle.

All the chorus pedal guitar riffs are still ringing out in my ears and I'm full of adoration for this band.

The Pop Guns, at The Borderline, 22nd November, 2014

The buoyant return of The Pop Guns was one of my favourite gigs in recent months. I was familiar with a couple of records and a flexi disc care of my boyfriend, who is a long time fan. Waiting for The Winter was the song I knew best: melancholy in sentiment yet soaringly bright, hopeful pop. I was looking forward to seeing the band who'd hit their stride in one of my cherished periods for indie (the start of the 90s).

I was also thrilled to take the chance to get over to the Borderline off the Charing Cross Road in London - one of very few gig venues remaining in that once thriving area. We've just lost the 12 Bar Club on Denmark Street, and we were forced to say goodbye to the once dependable, pivotal Astoria and LA2, as well as the fantastic basement bar Metro (indie club extraordinaire + spotlight for new bands). The Borderline was a great choice for gathering the band's original fans, as well as new ones, in an atmosphere akin to a student union circa the 90s. Big 80s pop hits played as we waited, mixed in with new wave bands like The Go Gos, and the Buzzcocks.

As soon as Wendy Pickles and band stepped on stage, their sense of jubilance to be playing together for a crowd could be warmly felt. If memory serves, it was City Lights, the opener to their newest album that dazzled us first. Bold, strident, twinkling and tuneful, it felt like a well-worn favourite. Lovejunky had a similar effect, so immediately catchy, kinetic and smoothly sung. It's a song worthy of indie club playlisting and delighted dancing.

Wendy's singing was complemented with brilliant effect by Kate Mander - 60s girl band backing style, or lending strength with joint lead. This had resonance with me, as this sort of female-led, jaunty, jangy, guitar pop is all too rare in current times, and we need more. There simply hasn't arrived a new female indie singer who is equivalent to Wendy Pickles or, say, Amelia Fletcher, another longstanding indie great. At times, I found it hard not to be reminded of the great Amelia Fletcher. Wendy too has the knack of singing with a full, genuine smile, which only makes the Pop Guns' songs seem all the more gleeful, giddy, model pop, much like Amelia's many ace bands over the years, Tender Trap/Marine Research/Heavenly/Talulah Gosh.

Waiting for the Winter was received with appreciative ebullience by the audience. Pleasant heckles about 80s and 90s Pop Gun gig memories came along with other older songs.

I ought to add that the Pop Guns are not typically sensitive, gentle, jangly indie pop -there is a real sense of punk influence at work, which thrives when played live. Guitars are as threshing, thrashing as the Buzzcocks. At times, The Pop Guns are more akin to the heavier moments of The Wedding Present than anything from Sarah Records.

But, given there is also the reminiscence of Amelia Fletcher and jangly indie pop, it did come as a huge surprise to witness an encore that night of Wendy Morgan expertly rapping (!) A Tribe Called Quest's hot song, Can I Kick It....! She sang an unfaltering version of the 90s novelty hip hop song. It was the perfect bit of pre-Christmas fun. It turns out the band recorded it as a B-Side years ago.

I don't bother much with thinking about albums of the year type lists, but Pop Fiction by Pop Guns was a highlight of 2014. It lends memories of that perfect indie pop from the early 1990s, but also sounds very now, and is very essential, emotional, confident pop. The charcoal drawn album cover also gives smitten delight:

Elefant Records' 20th Birthday party

An excellent Elefant Records party at the weekend. Coinciding with the anniversary of John Peel's passing on, it felt right to be at a night filled with upbeat indie and lo‐fi pop bands, joyously running amok! A fledgling outing for Amelia Fletcher's new band with her husband, Rob Pursey was really welcome. Acoustic guitar and voices alone laid bare how wonderful Amelia's voice is, and how it's one of the best sounding voices in pop, ever. To hear her singing fill up the room so much, with just gently strummed strings backing it felt really moving. When Rob joined her on vocals, the music was very reminiscent of Magnetic Fields ‐ no bad thing, especially as they're pals!

Evans The Death may have passed me by up till now. I think they played a Twee as F*ck Night years ago. Hearing them live, their music really appealed. Strong vocals, and atypically structured indie guitar rock backing, quite chaotic as well as heartfelt. A lively set, and me and my friend were really sold! 

Another draw of the evening for me was Wild Balbina, all the way from Spain. I'm always after recommendations of Spanish indie, and Elefant Records is something of a bastion for such things, so there was already a feeling that I'd enjoy this band. All female singing, fuzzy guitars, and a surfing feel. Excellent fun!

Bought the single and a mini album on vinyl, one for me, one for a friend. Also got a Helen Love album for my boyfriend, and there was a free Elefant Records sampler on double CD which can't be bad!

I love the Parks and Recreation quote in the title of Wild Balbina's mini album!

Eat Tacos is one of the best recent singles of any band, so much fun. I really hope Wild Balbina have much success and can come back to the UK really soon.

1998 mix tape

Found this old mix tape that a pen pal made me in 1998.

In true indie-pop teenager style, the holes of a kids' audio story tape were sellotaped over to enable recording, and the tracklisting is stamped with pink Barbie images and red hearts. Lost touch with this pen pal way back, but I sometimes get to wondering if the people from those pen pal days still listen to indie, and if music is still quite as important to them as it was then. I'm still in touch with the odd few, but those that are just out there somewhere, that I haven't had contact with in years, I wouldn't know and get curious when I find old pieces from the past.

I'd forgotten all about that Snug song. And I couldn't place the song that turned out to be by Ballroom, but oddly could sing along a bit after all these years. I think I owe it to this pen pal for encouraging my love of Uresei Yatsura. Another sadly missed/overlooked little 90s band. I had never heard Millie before this, and I still remember my reaction to how much she stood out like a sore thumb on the tape! Grew to love that song, though. It's a wonderful, playful mix up of stuff on this tape - Abba, Nirvana, reggae singer Millie, Radiohead, Angelica, Sebadoh... summed up her tastes well. This was before the internet, and this pen pal was a bit younger than me, so for a 16 year old, a pretty amazing compilation/tastes. I love the mix between CD sound and the scuffle of vinyl stopping and starting too. Internet/digital, you just can't provide that! The tape still plays perfectly well - 15 years on.

Here is a ropy photo of the tracklasting - handwritten in biro:

 

And here's the exact tracklisting, for reference:

 

Side A:

 

1. Snug: think i'm square

2. Belle and Sebastian: dog on wheels

3. Pavement: passat dream (actually, the song on the tape is 'Starlings in the Slipstream', if you're curious for precision!)

4. Yuresei Yatsura: no no girl

5. Ballroom: her sweet saliva

6. Blue: villa rosie

7. The Bluetones: heard that you were dead

8. Millie: my boy lollipop

9. Ultrasound: kurt russell

10. Nirvana: about a girl

11. The Pastels: don't worry baby

12. Sebadoh: temptation tide (cuts off)

 

Side B:

 

1. Radiohead: prove yourself

2. Abba: dance (while the music still goes on)

3. Delgados: M-emulator

4. Uresei Yatsura: black holes

5. Elastica: stutter

6. Bluetones: sleazy bed track

7. Blur: peter panic

8. Belle and Sebastian: Dylan in the movies

9. Bis: dance to the disco beat

10. Radiohead: lucky

11. Angelica: teenage girl crush

12. Uresei Yatsura: strategic hamlets

 

Would anyone else save their boxes of old mix tapes in a house fire? Mine are all in different places and in quite a jumble, but no less the precious.

Sunny pop

Make it feel like a pretty summer's day on holiday on this freezing cold November night! -

I've just been enjoying bopping to this whilst watching fireworks from my window!

I still miss Kenickie, and there's still not been anyone quite like them.