The Repo Zone: 1999 - Music Diaries - Forums : Best Ever Albums

Komorebi-D

Gender: Male
Age: 26

Tilly wrote:

'91:15. Mole n’ Order

Untune The Sky by The Moles

Sequencing matters. Especially for the Lo-fi American Underground indie scene of the late 80s/early 90s. Stuff like Zen Arcade, Slanted & Enchanted, GBV’s Propellor, and Sebadoh’s III. These albums wouldn’t have worked half as well if the order of the songs had been different. These albums were not collections of songs. They were sound collages. One song melded into the next. Alone the songs were just neat little snippets of sonic pop experimentation, but they often made little sense isolated and apart from one other. No. It was together - one sound tumbling logically & expectedly into the next - that these lo-fi snippets were weaved into the masterpieces they are now generally recognized to be.

So when the Moles debut material was re-released and expanded as Flashbacks & Dream Sequences, they sort of got the order all wrong. I like it. A lot. It’s a great collection of lo-fi indie rock songs. But, it wasn’t until I recreated the sequencing with a Spotify playlist that I recognized it for the indie lo-fi benchmark it should of been. And album that fits right along with other lo-fi classics of the era such as III, Propeller, & Perfect Sound Forever.

Here’s the track listing I particularly like from the original Australian CD release of this album back in 1991 on Seaside Records...

Bury Me Happy
Tendrils and Paracetamol
This Is A Happy Garden
Breathe Me In
Lonely Hearts Get What They Deserve
the Crown Souls
Rebecca
Europe by Car
Curdle
Wires
Nailing Jesus to the Cross

Grade: A+ Like Pavement, The Moles ably pilfer The Swell Maps (R they most underrated but massively influentail band in all of indie rock?) aesthetic but their DNA is chiefly cobbled from lineage of The Clean and other legends of kiwi rock as opposed to The Fall.

Essential.

Well you’ve once again peaked my interest Tilly. I’ve never heard of these guys but I will give them a go now.
_________________
Some RYM paraphernalia:

2019: The 25 [RYM]
2020: The 25 [RYM]

Repo
BeA Sunflower

Location: Forest Park

Komorebi-D wrote:

Tilly wrote:

'91:15. Mole n’ Order

Untune The Sky by The Moles

Sequencing matters. Especially for the Lo-fi American Underground indie scene of the late 80s/early 90s. Stuff like Zen Arcade, Slanted & Enchanted, GBV’s Propellor, and Sebadoh’s III. These albums wouldn’t have worked half as well if the order of the songs had been different. These albums were not collections of songs. They were sound collages. One song melded into the next. Alone the songs were just neat little snippets of sonic pop experimentation, but they often made little sense isolated and apart from one other. No. It was together - one sound tumbling logically & expectedly into the next - that these lo-fi snippets were weaved into the masterpieces they are now generally recognized to be.

So when the Moles debut material was re-released and expanded as Flashbacks & Dream Sequences, they sort of got the order all wrong. I like it. A lot. It’s a great collection of lo-fi indie rock songs. But, it wasn’t until I recreated the sequencing with a Spotify playlist that I recognized it for the indie lo-fi benchmark it should of been. And album that fits right along with other lo-fi classics of the era such as III, Propeller, & Perfect Sound Forever.

Here’s the track listing I particularly like from the original Australian CD release of this album back in 1991 on Seaside Records...

Bury Me Happy
Tendrils and Paracetamol
This Is A Happy Garden
Breathe Me In
Lonely Hearts Get What They Deserve
the Crown Souls
Rebecca
Europe by Car
Curdle
Wires
Nailing Jesus to the Cross

Grade: A+ Like Pavement, The Moles ably pilfer The Swell Maps (R they most underrated but massively influentail band in all of indie rock?) aesthetic but their DNA is chiefly cobbled from lineage of The Clean and other legends of kiwi rock as opposed to The Fall.

Essential.

Well you’ve once again peaked my interest Tilly. I’ve never heard of these guys but I will give them a go now.

Awesome! Let me know what u think. Hey, how familiar r u with The Sea and Cake?

Komorebi-D

Gender: Male
Age: 26

Tilly wrote:

Awesome! Let me know what u think. Hey, how familiar r u with The Sea and Cake?

Love the album Oui but that’s only thing of theirs I’ve heard. I’d be up for getting into them more.
_________________
Some RYM paraphernalia:

2019: The 25 [RYM]
2020: The 25 [RYM]

Repo
BeA Sunflower

Location: Forest Park

Komorebi-D wrote:

Love the album Oui but that’s only thing of theirs I’ve heard. I’d be up for getting into them more.

ok. cool. I'm heading to see Sam Prekop - one of the founding members - this Monday night so was thinking of reviewing some of their early albums. Just curious how well u knew them. You're my barometer for what's hip. Wink

dihansse

Gender: Male
Age: 60

Tilly wrote:

ok. cool. I'm heading to see Sam Prekop - one of the founding members - this Monday night so was thinking of reviewing some of their early albums. Just curious how well u knew them. You're my barometer for what's hip. Wink

They’re releasing a new album with already one track pre-released. Are you a music journalist Tilly?

Repo
BeA Sunflower

Location: Forest Park

dihansse wrote:

They’re releasing a new album with already one track pre-released. Are you a music journalist Tilly?

No. But thanks for even thinking that that was a possibility based on my writings.

No. This will be the first show I've seen in a while actually so I'm pretty excited. I just meant "reviewing" (or whatever it is that I do) for you guys right here. Laughing

will have to check out that track prior to the show! Is it under the moniker Sea & Cake or Sam Prekop?
edit: Never mind! Found it right under my nose on Spotify. Sounds good. Maybe Monday will be a surprise Sea & Cake show!!! Cool

dihansse

Gender: Male
Age: 60

Tilly wrote:

No. But thanks for even thinking that that was a possibility based on my writings.

No. This will be the first show I've seen in a while actually so I'm pretty excited. I just meant "reviewing" (or whatever it is that I do) for you guys right here. Laughing

will have to check out that track prior to the show! Is it under the moniker Sea & Cake or Sam Prekop?
edit: Never mind! Found it right under my nose on Spotify. Sounds good. Maybe Monday will be a surprise Sea & Cake show!!! Cool

Well just thought you were gonna meet him in person instead of attending a concert. Good on you to go to another concert. But you do write great reviews so let us know what you thought of the concert.

Btw now listening to Cardinal, the duo project Richard Davies did after the Moles. At first listen not as good as the Moles.

Repo
BeA Sunflower

Location: Forest Park

dihansse wrote:

Tilly wrote:

No. But thanks for even thinking that that was a possibility based on my writings.

No. This will be the first show I've seen in a while actually so I'm pretty excited. I just meant "reviewing" (or whatever it is that I do) for you guys right here. Laughing

will have to check out that track prior to the show! Is it under the moniker Sea & Cake or Sam Prekop?
edit: Never mind! Found it right under my nose on Spotify. Sounds good. Maybe Monday will be a surprise Sea & Cake show!!! Cool

Well just thought you were gonna meet him in person instead of attending a concert. Good on you to go to another concert. But you do write great reviews so let us know what you thought of the concert.

Btw now listening to Cardinal, the duo project Richard Davies did after the Moles. At first listen not as good as the Moles.

I LOVE Cardinal's first album. I think it's pretty amazing. But, it's completely different from the Moles first album and more like their second ....

Instinct by The Moles

... which is (GREAT) Chamber Pop. NOT lo-fi indie rock like their first album Untune The Sky. Listen to The Moles second album - Instinct - and then head back to Cardinal and u will see what I mean. It's an entirely different sound. I like both incarnations of The Moles. But, they're pretty different.

dihansse

Gender: Male
Age: 60

Tilly wrote:

dihansse wrote:

Tilly wrote:

No. But thanks for even thinking that that was a possibility based on my writings.

No. This will be the first show I've seen in a while actually so I'm pretty excited. I just meant "reviewing" (or whatever it is that I do) for you guys right here. Laughing

will have to check out that track prior to the show! Is it under the moniker Sea & Cake or Sam Prekop?
edit: Never mind! Found it right under my nose on Spotify. Sounds good. Maybe Monday will be a surprise Sea & Cake show!!! Cool

Well just thought you were gonna meet him in person instead of attending a concert. Good on you to go to another concert. But you do write great reviews so let us know what you thought of the concert.

Btw now listening to Cardinal, the duo project Richard Davies did after the Moles. At first listen not as good as the Moles.

I LOVE Cardinal's first album. I think it's pretty amazing. But, it's completely different from the Moles first album and more like their second ....

Instinct by The Moles

... which is (GREAT) Chamber Pop. NOT lo-fi indie rock like their first album Untune The Sky. Listen to The Moles second album - Instinct - and then head back to Cardinal and u will see what I mean. It's an entirely different sound. I like both incarnations of The Moles. But, they're pretty different.

I did already what you just said and you're right: the Cardinal and Instinct album are very alike and I must admit neither of the two appealed very much at the first listen but could grow.
In any case: both are good enough to put in my 1994 chart (both are from that year) but currently not very high.

Repo
BeA Sunflower

Location: Forest Park

dihansse wrote:

Tilly wrote:

dihansse wrote:

Tilly wrote:

No. But thanks for even thinking that that was a possibility based on my writings.

No. This will be the first show I've seen in a while actually so I'm pretty excited. I just meant "reviewing" (or whatever it is that I do) for you guys right here. Laughing

will have to check out that track prior to the show! Is it under the moniker Sea & Cake or Sam Prekop?
edit: Never mind! Found it right under my nose on Spotify. Sounds good. Maybe Monday will be a surprise Sea & Cake show!!! Cool

Well just thought you were gonna meet him in person instead of attending a concert. Good on you to go to another concert. But you do write great reviews so let us know what you thought of the concert.

Btw now listening to Cardinal, the duo project Richard Davies did after the Moles. At first listen not as good as the Moles.

I LOVE Cardinal's first album. I think it's pretty amazing. But, it's completely different from the Moles first album and more like their second ....

Instinct by The Moles

... which is (GREAT) Chamber Pop. NOT lo-fi indie rock like their first album Untune The Sky. Listen to The Moles second album - Instinct - and then head back to Cardinal and u will see what I mean. It's an entirely different sound. I like both incarnations of The Moles. But, they're pretty different.

I did already what you just said and you're right: the Cardinal and Instinct album are very alike and I must admit neither of the two appealed very much at the first listen but could grow.
In any case: both are good enough to put in my 1994 chart (both are from that year) but currently not very high.

Yeah. Richard Davies of The Moles wrote and sang all the songs on that Cardinals album. sot it's not surprising it sounds just like his LP from the same year. Eric Matthews just tweaked it out with the arrangements and baroque touches I think.