Total Gaylord Records retrospective
0 Comments Published by Russ on Wednesday, June 20, 2007 at 21:53.
In which we delve into the back catalogue of the little label from Brooklyn with the best name in the world. Yes they put out a Pipettes single and a lovely seasonal compilation called Christmas Twee, but what about some of the other releases?
The Lil’ Hospital’s album Heavy Metal is of course nothing of the sort. The best thing is the title track, which twists and turns while the vocals twang out of the deep south. The album as a whole can seem a bit repetitive, but it’s something that can be filed next to Herman Dune and BMX Bandits and hold it’s head high.
Unfortunately Shumai’s Tastes Like Summer is the sort of album that gives twee a bad name. The lack of quality is particularly noticeable on The Lonely Passion Of Joey Heatherton, where the singer’s voice is really weak, although the tune is ok, and on the woefully amateurish Tijuana Picnic. If you like your bands to sound like they might be blown away by the wind, then Shumai may be your thing.
Aboard A Spaceship Of The Imagination by The Specific Heats is probably the best of the three. It kicks off with Take The Wheel, which is a short, sharp tuneful number from the days of C86. Further in we see the darker heart of the band on Dependable Ninety-Two, Are You For Real Mehgan O’Neill that is reminiscent of the more tuneful side of the Jesus and Mary Chain and almost wrapping things up is Carl Sagan, some unassuming shuffle pop that sparks a grand shimmering wall of guitars ending.
There’s certainly enough on this showing to make you want to poke around further in the world of Total Gaylord.
0 Responses to “Total Gaylord Records retrospective”
Post a CommentLinks to this post
Create a Link