FST 008  V.A. - The Sound Of Leamington Spa Vol.1

  1. The Pooh Sticks - Indiepop Ain't Noise Pollution
  2. Episode Four - Strike Up Matches
  3. Big Red Bus - Strike Up Matches Big Red Bus - Cathedral walls
  4. The Man From Delmonte - Drive Drive Drive
  5. Hey Paulette - I Really Do Love Penelope
  6. Where Gardens Fall - Search
  7. The Anyways - Silver
  8. Metro Trinity - Spend My Whole Life Loving You
  9. The Hepburns - Andy & Valerie
  10. Asia Fields - Dazzed
  11. The Siddeleys - Sunshine Thuggery
  12. Hot Rain - Time Is On Our Side
  13. The Desert Wolves - Mexico
  14. Clamheads - Summer's Coming Down
  15. Sister Rain - Burt Reynolds
  16. Cherry Orchard - So blind
  17. North Of Cornwallis - Billy Liar
  18. The Windmills - The Day Dawned On Me
  19. Last Party - Barbecued
  20. The Wishing Stones - Beat Girl
  21. The Aurbisons - Holy Cow

 

Ernsthafter kann sich niemand mit Pop auseinandersetzen.
Fuenf Fans haben sich zusammengetan und ihre Lieblingslieder der Achtziger gesammelt, die sie der Nachwelt erhalten wollen. Die endgueltige Liste umfasst 200 Stuecke, wovon die Berliner Feuerwerker 21 fuer ihren ersten Sampler aussuchten.
Die Lieder der Pooh Sticks, Clamheads, Hot Rains oder The Man from Delmonte sind die Entdeckung wert, denn sie beweisen eindruecklich: Es gab ein buntes, kreatives Leben im Schatten der Smiths.
 

ABRA, Lift Magazin, Stuttgart, 12/2000


Die Idee ist gut und geklaut! Aus einer Zeit, in der man Mix-Tapes aus dem Radio aufnahm oder Kasetten fuers Auto bastelte. Diese Compilation ist ein Art Brit-Mix mit den Lieblingsliedern der Label-Crew Firestation Tower Records. Die Jungs und Maedchen der Plattenfirma haben einen feinen Geschmack: Meist unbekannte, aber dadurch nicht minder schoene Stuecke im Klang von The Smiths sind hier vereint.
 

Prinz Berlin, 12/2000


1997 gruendeten ein paar Leute ein Label, um verschollene britische Lieblingssongs der Achtziger der Nachwelt zu erhalten. Diese Ausgabe ist so ruehrend schoen wie die Idee.
 

Allegra, 01/2001


As mentioned before, there's been a quite an increase in the amount of 80s style indiepop coming from small labels lately, and here's a comp of the real thing (which, incidentally, doesn't seem to have any connection with Leamington Spa). The cover includes pictures of lots of gig posters from the same era, two of which were for Sea Urchins gigs! The Sea Urchins aren't on this comp but it's great to see them get a mention. Many of the members of the bands on here went on to join, or write songs for, big bands, eg the singer from Metro Trinity is now in Republica and has written songs for Saint Etienne, Episode Four also have Saint Etienne connection, The Hepburns' drummer is in Catatonia, and Lester Noel from North of Cornwallis was in Norman Cook's band Beats International. Also, one of The Wishing Stones is now the co-editor of GQ magazine! On a more alternative level you might recognise Last Party as being the previous band of The Bitter Springs, and the aforementioned Episode Four went on to be East Village and one of them is now in Birdie. Although some og the people involved with this comp are now famous, don't let this put you off. Metro Trinity, Cherry Orchard and North of Cornwallis sound a touch too much like mainstream 80s guitar pop in places, but all the other songs are old-style indiepop, usually of the jangly variety, and most of the stuff here is well worth listen. Apart from the bands I've already mentioned, this features The Pooh Sticks (theirs is one of only two tracks on here I've heard before, Indiepop ain't noise pollution .As I've always thought, part of this song has practically the same tune as The Sea Urchins' Pristine Christine!), Big Red Bus, The Man from Delmonte, Hey Paulette, Where Gardens Fall, The Anyways ( who were previously in other bands with people from Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, Marine Research, Razorcuts and The Relationships), Asia Fields, The Siddeleys, Hot Rain, The Desert Wolves, The Clamheads, Sister Rain, The Windmills (who, as I suspected, were doing similar music in the 80s to what they're doing these days) and The Aurbisons. An absolutely essential purchase for anyone into old-school pop music.
 

Aquamarine / Bliss / issue 19