Lo Moon:
They were mentioned a while back but I think Lo Moon certainly deserve to be better known.
They have released 3 albums now, all worth a listen.
Here is a really good studio live thingy they did recently…
Bands that deserve more success
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I bought the first Lo Moon album and enjoyed it even if it was a bit too The Colour of Spring.
How do the next two sound?
I loved that first album, and played it to death… and then stopped. It’s the first of a wave of acts that are trying to be Talk Talk, and they managed to capture the sound of Colour of Spring really well.
Coming back to it, there’s something pedestrian about some of the songs though, there’s a streak of Californian rumpy-pumpy rock about it.
“Don’t marry me for my money
I’ve got this love for you honey, it’s baby blue”
I bet there’s something about ‘being inside you’ somewhere in there as well.
I will mention a band I feel were due a lot more success than they achieved. Were, in that their final gigs are next month, before they call it a day. Niteworks took the idea of folktronica further than anyone had before, proving dance music had more in common with Gaelic song than anyone might have deduced. (Neo-trad is the preferred genre name now, I gather.) Three albums over about 8 years, and, despite being huge in Scotland, that was never enough to be able to ditch their day jobs. I have seen them at a packed out Skye Live and a sold out Barrowlands, but also a scantly filled Dance Tent, mid afternoon, at Bearded Theory and at Shoreham’s Rope Tackle, to about 100 souls. It’s true, they had Cambridge Folk Festival heaving 2 years ago, which I thought may have tipped their English penetration further.
My point, and it is a question. Are they deemed as too folk, or more gallingly, as traditional folk?
There are now quite a few bands treading a similar path, notably Valtos, from Lewis, who combine their own material with remixing other Scottish artists, in exciting collaborations.
Indeed, here they ‘do’ Niteworks
Oh crikey, how long have you got?
I see your Lo Moon and raise you Fonda 500. {repeats with random band names until someone shouts “get on with some bloody work, Fenton”}
Haven’t Lo Moon (who are excellent) only got themselves to blame? They make beautiful, low key pop music that heaviliy influenced by one of the most underrated pop bands of all time. They’re not going to be Coldplay are they?
Saw Lo Moon yesterday and they were great. His voice does get a bit Hollis-like at times but it all works
I saw this by chance when browsing YT and liked it enough to watch all the way through.
They impressed me in a Luna style/vibe/sound, though now I can hear the slightly whiney tones of Talk Talk, unfortunately.
My go-to (indie) bands for deserving more attention are Strangelove and Vega4.
I saw Strangelove at the Junction. They were great, in a poundshop Suede kinda way, but not as bonkersly brilliant as Geneva were.
Knowing the city as I do, I can’t imagine a band named as such could ever be described as ‘bonkersly brilliant’. I may check them out. I superficially put them in the same category as Head, Mansun, Menswear, Editors, etc – bands with a really ‘will this do’ approach to naming themselves. I am so shallow.
Edit – I’ve listened to Geneva – reasonably impressive voice, a bit high for my tastes. the rest seem like that indie band on The Fast Show that were talked up as being raucous, and were very tame and twiddly, Sorry!
While browsing, I found that Strangelove had a greater discography than I thought, and Patrick Duff, the lead singer, seems to have had a very interesting musical career – that I will look into. Now, Strangelove – there’s a name to juggle with!
Andrew Montgomery of Geneva’s helium voice was/is Marmite.
If I remember correctly, one of the AW musos had something to do with Patrick Duff. I’d completely forgotten the link to the Blue Aeroplanes.
See also Puressence as to the voice
I think Puressence are another who should have been much bigger than they were. This Feeling is an absolute gem.
That would be me I think (unless someone else has done something similar), did a few bits and pieces with Patrick post Stangelove and with The Aeroplanes and a couple of other things around Bristol before that
Everyone has been in the Blue Aeroplanes at some time!
Quite so.
Geneva’s first album is excellent. Into The Blue is fabulous pop music.
I saw Strangelove supporting the American Music Club. Incredible bands, both of them.
I’d nominate The Pearlfishers (effectively ex-BMX Bandit David Scott and friends), residing somewhere on the Afterword-friendly powerpop spectrum, with that peculiarly Scottish sense of pop melody. They’ve not long released their 8th album “Making Tapes For Girls”, and as far as I can tell they have no “footprint” whatsoever…
I’m with you Metal. Wonderful albums each and every one.
On the moon thread I fear that The Big Moon may not make it quite as big as they really should. Three albums in, on a major label, and the breakout moment appears to have not quite happened yet. Ten years in and I fear it may not. I saw them support The Pixies a decade ago and they were great. All three albums are stuffed full of catchy stuff, but their second album probably shades it.
Agreed, they deserve more success. This is a lovely performance by them:
I’ll add The Regrettes. Great wee band that have sadly split up recently.
I was always hoping The Strypes could make the long game – great live, and with support from Paul Weller and Wilko Johnson and many others of importance (plus Noel Gallagher) one would’ve hoped for great things.
Great albums (OK, not all 100% bangers) and great live, but fell just short.
Their version What’s So Funny About Peace Love and Understanding is as good as any
(is it possible to do a bad version? never heard one)
Current hope for successful things?
Block 33 – Third album due very soon – no major label backing, doing it all themselves with a dollop of crowdfunding support.
And that crowdfunding support might get your name in the album credits (it worked for me)
I’ve always thought The Milltown Brothers should have been huge. A House also should have been huge.
When I lived in Lancaster the drummer of The Milltown Brothers lived down the road from me. If they had become huge that could have been a claim to fame, if I had ever even met him that is.
Certainly their first album was top. As was I am the Greatest by A House.
If I was in charge of such things, The Birthday Massacre would be a household name, rather than occasionally scraping into the lower reaches of the US charts and making very small ripples on this side of the pond.
They’re a Canadian darkwave band with a wonderful 1980s synthpop or new wave tinge to their music. Frontwoman Chibi has a voice that sails over the top, and I love the crunchy guitars that chime in.
Nine albums in, they’ve carved a niche among we black-clad goth creatures of the night, but never quite broken through to the mainstream. It’s about time they went really big.
Here’s the title track of their latest album, 2022’s Fascination.
And here’s one of their most 80s-sounding tracks, Video Kid.
I saw one of the best concerts of my life some time in the late 90s. The Unbelievable Truth supported by Sunhouse. Both of these bands were absolutely on fire at the time, performing brilliant songs with conviction.
Sunhouse really were undeservedly ignored. RIP Gav.
I didn’t know… but I’m also not surprised. Sad loss, he was very talented.
After Sunhouse, he made some lovely records with Ted Barnes and Ali Friend as Clayhill.
That first Unbelievable Truth album still sounds really good today although in true family Yorke fashion, it’s the opposite of a party good time listen.
One again, for me the answer is Pugwash:
Campfires in Winter. One album, Ischaemia. And it was good. Really, really good. You wouldn’t know it was their first album. Brims full of confidence and maturity. I keep checking for new releases, and I’m always disappointed.
Would they have been arena huge? Nope. Never. Could they have taken that niche Scots Indie spot – We Were Promised Jetpacks, Frightened Rabbit, Twilight Sad – and been there comfortably? Oh yes.