The McTells

The indomitable Everett True has posted an interview with Paul Rixon from The McTells on the Collapse Board today, it's a great interview and one that I had a small tiny hand in- back in 2009 I was cobbling together the second issue of my fanzine 'A Fog of Ideas' and one of the bands I wanted to write about most of all- because they mean so much to me, because I want them to mean something to you too- was The McTells.  I wrote to ET asking for thoughts, memories and whatnot and he very kindly said he'd interview Paul (what a nice man!)... Simon/Crayola from the mighty Sarandon also agreed to pen a few words and I attempted to track down the other members of The McTells and other good folk who were involved with the band and Paul and Gillian Elam's DIY label, Bi-Joopiter and interview them... the fanzine eventually appeared in July 2010

I also contacted Daniel Treacy, he managed to be slightly less reverential about the band than I was

Seeing ET's piece online today I thought I should scan in the McTells pages from 'A Fog of Ideas, Number Two', for posterity, I suppose... also it should be noted that the excellent Captured Tracks has lovingly re-released the McTells first two cassette releases, the self-titled first and 'Expecting Joe'- there's talk of vinyl/CD reissues too- which is all jolly splendid and I'd heartily recommend you snaffle up those tapes and soon

I'd also like to guide you to this piece at the excellent Kill Your Pet Puppy blog to get a flavour of what else was happening in what seemed to me at the time a very staid, stuffy and extremely conservative (big and small 'c') corner of leafy Hertfordshire... KYPP have written about The McTells previously too

Many thanks again to everyone that contributed, it's not perfect (the bits what I wrote, the fact I concentrated so much on 'how it all started', that I never talked in much detail about the smashing music- askew, urgent, rumbledethump POP!- they made) but here it is (the scans are quite large, about actual size... to view and read click on the image and then right click and choose 'view image', you can then make the image full size by clicking again):

Let their howling hearts be heard: Shrag/Tunabunny/Horowitz, The Chameleon, Nottingham, Friday 2nd March 2012

I have no pictures, no recordings, nothing

But it happened

I was there, I witnessed it, it definitely happened

I'm going to talk mostly about Tunabunny which isn't to suggest Horowitz and Shrag weren't all that but during Horowitz there was a lot of door action for me (they sounded ACE mind and not at all like Status Quo like they'd feared beforehand, there was lots of new tunes I didn't know and I'd like to know better, hopefully we shall spend time together again soon) and during Shrag I was on a watching brief due to some drunk dude who spent most of their set leering and making remarks... he never quite grew the necessaries to be anything other than a very low level nuisance but he kinda' killed the mood for me, taking my attention away from a band I've not seen for too long, that I want to be reacquainted with properly... Shrag sounded even from my somewhat disadvantaged position awesome (despite a few technical hoohahs early doors and Helen's, um, jokes), their sterling set (a splendid anthemic 'Rabbit Kids' being one of many truly highpoints) ended in collapse with Helen and Bob on the floor, a triumphant noisy freak out finish, the drunk pushed his way to the front of the audience for this bit but like everything else he attempted it wasn't quite enough, he clearly couldn't get a good view of whatever it was he was hoping to see so walked out the venue in a huff but not before muttering a few disparaging remark about Shrag's abilities as a band 

I liked how he seemed so pissed off by everything that went on that evening, I think if he'd gone home happy I would've felt we'd failed somehow

'Bloody amateurs! Bloody racket!'

Or words to that effect

As any regular reader of this blog will appreciate being involved in putting on a show that Tunabunny are playing is something pretty special for me... that the band were over here playing is down in no small part to Mike Turner from Happy Happy Birthday To Me records, Sean Price and the good folks at Fortuna Pop and Shrag themselves... I owe you all (should you actually ever read this nonsense I call a blog) a deep debt of gratitude (it's cheaper than money but lasts longer), so thank you

Also, my co-(or should that be senior) promoter, Sam from A Layer of Chips blog did all the legwork and groundwork and deserves a very public thank you very much from me (I couldn't bring myself to say it in person, what with that awkward sexual tension between us that neither of us like to admit is there)

Likewise Snorks (more sexual tension) for doing the door all evening

And Horowitz just for being great always and being so supportive and obliging

(Please don't vomit at this, sometimes you need to say thank you)

My contribution to the gig was that I just paced about nervously a bit beforehand and grinned a lot during

I felt I should've done more, like the occassion demanded, I felt like I should've carved out a magnificient monument from some huge slab of marble as some sort of lasting testament to what occurred

It was a big deal for me

Typing out a few words here doesn't seem enough really

Tunabunny were everything I hoped they would be and then some, initially I feared the audience wouldn't get it but that was to underestimate the mighty power of Tunabunny, mad professors of sound and daring can do, and the audience, for the most part sexy, intelligent and having a good time

With Tunabunny Hayley hears elements of Sleater-Kinney and Sonic Youth, she digs Tunabunny, everybody seems to, some uninhibited frantic shuffling and frugging bursts out in the crowd, I make strange lurching movements myself, Tunabunny are taking us on a journey into sound, sometimes this means taking us places that don't feel comfortable, other times we're right in the eye of the hurricane and it feels perfect, noise and melody and rhythm combine, choruses are shouted, guitars klang and peal, the bass and drums are pounded, impressively tall bass player Scott leaves his bass behind to go for ranging walk/dance around the audience midsong, the band go at it like being in a band and playing music is something exhilarating and necessary, not just a pose, not just a put on, no hiding behind mike stands and instruments, something driven and alive, cathartic, a party band, some weird ritual, at the close Brigette takes on the keyboard stand with her guitar strings and it's both ridiculous and right on (Scott will flatten the keyboard stand into uselessness the following night in London)

Nothing will ever be the same again, I'm hoping

Sam points out that after as people hit the bar downstairs like people do that people's conversation is how they can't quite credit that Tunabunny seem to have come from nowhere and how come they didn't know about them already (I mean, honestly, does nobody read this blog? Sheesh! Did Magna Carta really die in vain? Etc.)

It's all over too soon, I don't want to go home anymore
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Sourpatch 'Stagger and Fade' LP (HHBTM 144, 2012)

 

I'm not entirely sure what the title of Sourpatch's new LP is in reference to but possibly it's what happens to a lot bands with their second long player... It's presumably tongue in cheek as it certainly doesn't apply here (unless it's a reference to something else that's eluding me)

Here's the first song off the album, it's called 'Cynthia Ann'

'Sourpatch endorses a gender freeing, queer positive, feminist thinking, body positive, crush worthy lifestyle!' says the record insert and their music is equally ebullient, unapologetic and vital... Sourpatch are an affectionate punch on the arm followed by a cheery kick up the arse

I've been walking around with this LP in my ears, in my head, in my heart, making my heart beat beat beat faster and putting a spring in my step for the last few months... Mike from HHBTM very kindly shared a virtual copy with me, wanting to know what I thought, wanting to share something he knew I'd dig, part-I want your opinion/part-a very thoughtful pick me up... and I fell in love with it instantly (so very crush worthy)*

*if you came here for some objective critical discourse in which I frown a lot, stroke my chin and chunter on about chord sequences and, I don't know, dobly I'd stop reading now, I love this band, I love this record, I'm a fan

But as much as I may have loved this record already it wasn't until I had the physical thing to have and to hold in my hands that I really went all dewy-eyed and weak at the knees.  Nothing quite prepares you for having that sleeve in your hand with the beautiful beautiful artwork by Tae Won Yu... in these modern times, dear reader, the notion of a record as a physical thing, an artefact, is sometimes lost but it's a little like seeing a work of art up close, not in a book or on a computer screen, but stood in front of the thing, appreciating the artist's brush strokes, the actual colours of the pigment of the paint, the scale of the piece both decided by the artist and not by the size of the page or the screen... if you get me, it's just better, more complete. Mind you seeing the Mona Lisa up close is not much to write home about, it's a bit poky and there's all these people stood between you and it, taking photos and buggering off sharpish to be replaced by yet more people... but that's not the point I'm struggling to make

It's just a beautiful thing, even before you plant it on the turntable (the label on side one has a photo the band took of the big wheel in the Market Square in Nottingham when they played here for a gig we put on last year, that was rather nice to see having the actual record)

Limited to 500 copies, by the way, and selling like the proverbial hot cakes (Mike asked me to say that*) Sourpatch's second LP consists of nine songs that'll frankly knock you bandy if pop music with plenty of pep, rambunction and giddy up are your thing and, quite frankly, I'd have to wonder about you if your answer was anything other than 'yes, please!'

*He didn't but I'm guessing it surely must be and that he'd want me to

Following 'Cynthia Ann' is 'Stare at the Sun' with Rich singing (Sourpatch mix it all up, Nicole, Christine and Rich taking vocal duties on different songs, sometimes Mander drums), it's great, rocking, crunchy, you can't sit down for this one. Sourpatch really will have you up and dancing (even you, the stubborn shy wallflower), if you can call throwing yourself about all loopy with a fat grin on your face dancing... I know I do, I'm not the dance police

Not that the songs are all rocketing richocheting bounce-along freneticism... in fact, I'm doing Sourpatch a disservice because as previous songs like 'Deli Dream' and 'I Want You Either Way' prove they can do soaring imploring songs with lovelorn lyrics and pulling at your heartstrings melodies and harmonies that absolutely floor you... and 'Stagger and Fade' continues that with the soulful shrug and hardbitten wistfulness of 'Nothing Lasts' with it's switch in tempo, to the lullaby-like lament of 'What You Already Know' with it's gradual build and feedback fade... with a flip of the record to side two on 'Moved On' Nicole seems to answer the song that ends side one ('Nothing Lasts'), providing I'm hearing the lyrics right and not making too many overly neat connections of my own...

Two of the most instant hits (if you will) for me were 'Even the Score' and 'Things You Say' which nod musically to Sourpatch faves Tiger Trap and Henry's Dress, both songs have some crunchy driving bouncing bass that brought to this old campaigner's mind the mighty Bogshed... 'Things You Say' also shows off Rich's drumming, he can really drum that lad, oh my, and then some!!

'Big Sigh' is fantastic, I mean all the songs are, I'm attempting to write a considered review here, song by song, but all I really want to say is how fantastic all the songs are, I'm trying to be a proper reviewer and failing... 'Big Sigh' has got all that good good Sourpatch drumming and bass and wild guitar and Nicole's lovely lovely insistent vocal and the only thing I really want to do is get up and dance around the living room and forget the world outside exists while at the same time feeling- because Sourpatch and all those other bands I love make me feel this way- that the world does exist out there and I can face it down, that I am worth something, more than the world outside often makes me feel or tells me to feel, it's bigger and wider and deeper than just POp music or pUnk music or whatever... it's ultimately just music I love but the music anyone loves I hope makes them feel this way because otherwise they are missing out on something utterly vital and brilliant

So, yeh, Sourpatch's new LP... 500 copies doesn't seem enough, every home should have one, the world would be so much better and brighter if every home did

Sourpatch are Mander, Nicole, Christine and Rich

They are from San Jose, CA

I've pinned them to my heart, a safety pin stuck in my heart

Go buy 'Stagger and Fade' here

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Sourpatch 'Things You Say'

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I've been feeling so very old of late, I look in the mirror and it is evidently an overweight 42 year old man looking back at me (because that's me and that's what I am), I seem to frown a lot, I feel tired all the time, those eyes just don't sparkle anymore, my hair has lost it's lustre (actually I shaved it all off again so it's difficult to have much lustre to your hair when it's mostly 2mm long, maybe there's lustre off my scalp or is that shiny? Questions, always questions)

I worry my job will soon come to an end (I work in the public sector so more fool me, right? I deserve to lose my job that's 'popular' opinion, isn't it?)

My teeth hurt

Sometimes I get chest pains

I never update this blog often enough

I'm always whining

Thank goodness therefore for Sourpatch

There not happy happy dipsy lala pop music, some of their songs really hit you in the gut, they do heartbreak songs and lovelorn yearny yearny songs that'll make you swoon and have that throw up feeling you get when you're finding somebody/losing somebody for the first time/last time but there's something about the band, the music they make and the way they play it (with gusto, damn you bet!), the words they sing and them as people that just gives me a splendid and much needed kick up the arse (not so much that I've finished a review for their new LP but enough to skip down the street and laugh at myself and, y'know, keep on keeping on)

I'll have a review of the new LP up soon enough, here is a video they've made for one of the ACE ACE songs off the album (you can probably pretty much write the review yourself, I'm guessing, it's all positive and will be super gushy)

The song is called 'Things You Say' and I love it so much, when those drums come in at the start my knees go bending

 

The 'Stagger and Fade' LP (500 copies made) is available here

I believe Mike from the record label has copies on sale at labelmates Tunabunny's shows with Shrag here in the UK that are happening right now (in Nottingham this Friday, he plugged excitedly)

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The Maxines 'Drugstore'

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The Maxines-Drugstore from Peaker on Vimeo.

I'm hoping to get a Maxines interview up on here very very soon

In the meantime... ENJOY!
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