tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83994458673979173872024-03-05T09:28:01.432+00:00cinnamon songsbrightening your life...three minutes at a timeCinnamon Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17508062709152722110noreply@blogger.comBlogger1064125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399445867397917387.post-46206863647423454402012-09-01T18:41:00.000+01:002012-09-01T18:41:11.320+01:00The endWell my indiepop friends, after almost three and a half years I have decided to wrap up the blog. Sadly, I don't have much time for it any more, and because of this it's become more of a chore than a pleasure. So it's time to call it a day.<br />
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Many thanks to those who read and commented, those who regularly read without commenting (I know <strike>who</strike> <i>where </i>you are :)) and especially those who sent me stuff. I love getting stuff. Sorry I couldn't use it all.<br />
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Let's end this on a classic, shall we? <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-n-xfkehJ80?rel=0" width="480"></iframe>Cinnamon Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15371377956110462955noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399445867397917387.post-88671589865373837002012-08-14T19:05:00.001+01:002012-08-14T19:05:43.256+01:00...and speaking of summerI'm off for the rest of it. See you in September!Cinnamon Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15371377956110462955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399445867397917387.post-70104654334050748222012-08-13T19:01:00.000+01:002012-08-13T19:01:12.208+01:00Moss Poles - One Summer1987 single from this London band who went on to release a debut album and then vanish. Though they were seen as sort of a peripherally C86 band, I actually think this comes very close to late '70s power-pop territory - it wouldn't seem at all out of place on one of those compilations with the likes of The Records, Bram Tchaikovsky etc. Great tune, anyway.<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Lm96bnBJAno?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Cinnamon Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15371377956110462955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399445867397917387.post-88141767413363318962012-08-12T09:43:00.000+01:002012-08-12T09:44:14.692+01:00Last Days of 1984 - Wave LifeI've been kind of neglecting the local scene lately, so here's one to make up for that. Last Days of 1984 are more electronic than I would normally be into, but their stuff is nicely atmospheric and (most importantly) there are good tunes underneath it all. Here's one from their 2010 debut album, <i>Wake Up to the Waves</i>.
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<iframe width="400" height="100" style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/track=2837754600/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0"><a href="http://lastdaysof1984.bandcamp.com/track/wave-life">Wave Life by LAST DAYS OF 1984</a></iframe>Cinnamon Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15371377956110462955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399445867397917387.post-17759336583119914382012-08-11T11:49:00.000+01:002012-08-11T11:49:34.152+01:00The Driscolls - PC RobertsLate '80s jangle-pop band from Bristol whose entire recorded output seems to consist of a handful of 7"s and compilation tracks. Most of which are worth tracking down, if not exactly <i>essential</i>.<br />
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This is from a 1987 cassette comp which mostly features bands of equal obscurity, though there are tracks from the McTells, Mayfields and Haywains - as well as a familiar one credited to "The Palesaints".<br />
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<br />Cinnamon Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15371377956110462955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399445867397917387.post-20004346242690759222012-08-10T18:02:00.002+01:002012-08-10T18:02:43.292+01:00The Specific Heats - End of an ErrorFrom Brooklyn and they sound like it, although (as you might guess from the cover art) they do have a slightly more psychedelic tinge than most of their contemporaries. Only slightly, like.<br />
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Title so good you wonder why nobody ever thought of it before.
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<iframe width="400" height="100" style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/track=2052125801/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0"><a href="http://thespecificheats.bandcamp.com/track/end-of-an-error">End of an Error by The Specific Heats</a></iframe>Cinnamon Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15371377956110462955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399445867397917387.post-87733974356917086422012-08-09T19:19:00.000+01:002012-08-09T19:19:14.547+01:00My Bloody Valentine - Don't Ask WhyAn atypical MBV tune, especially for their later years - it's almost minimalist, with unusually prominent vocals and some of their most heartfelt lyrics ever. That line, <i>from the look in your face, I believe it's not too late</i>, that gets me EVERY time.<br />
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I'd rank this in my top five MBV songs ever, actually. Probably top three in fact.<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5qQ0N4cBqXM?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Cinnamon Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15371377956110462955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399445867397917387.post-41870940811575227962012-08-08T20:48:00.000+01:002012-08-08T20:48:52.331+01:00Engine No. 9 - WaterfallGreat b-side to a 1991 Bus Stop 7" - the only Engine No. 9 release ever, although half of them went on to become Fudge (who I never particularly rated). It's a bit more serious and less twee than a lot of what Bus Stop put out, in fact I think it's just a tiny bit overwrought, but <i>mostly </i>as affecting as it tries to be. Actually it sort of reminds me of McCarthy with an American indie-rock accent.
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<br />Cinnamon Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15371377956110462955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399445867397917387.post-13516529897492810562012-08-07T20:28:00.000+01:002012-08-07T20:28:46.199+01:00Love Dance - Skisse #3An absolutely stunning, upbeat shoegazey pop tune, the kind of song you fall in love with over and over again.<p>
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It was released earlier this year on the <i>Beko 100</i> digital comp.<p>
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hPjmcOWz4uw?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Cinnamon Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15371377956110462955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399445867397917387.post-56355820676167139292012-08-06T21:29:00.001+01:002012-08-06T21:29:42.714+01:00David Bowie - Life on MarsSure I'm not the only one who had this running through their head all day today.<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/v--IqqusnNQ?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Cinnamon Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15371377956110462955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399445867397917387.post-70387163127725224502012-08-05T10:33:00.001+01:002012-08-05T10:33:55.622+01:00Cowboys International - AftermathThe Cowboys' first or maybe second single, released in 1979. It doesn't hit the heights of their masterpiece, "Pointy Shoes", which I've already posted, but it's still a good solid specimen of lost early new wave.
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5XgjxXOLXcs?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Cinnamon Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15371377956110462955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399445867397917387.post-84415584689505216712012-08-04T22:12:00.000+01:002012-08-04T22:12:02.992+01:00Peru - CluelessEast Midlands band who appeared on a couple compilations and a split 7" in the early '90s, disappeared for yonks and then resurfaced a couple years ago sounding like they'd never gone away at all. Which is always nice. You can get this one on their <i>Across Blue Skies</i> compilation on Jigsaw.
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<iframe width="400" height="100" style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/track=3490687799/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0"><a href="http://peru-indiepop.bandcamp.com/track/clueless">Clueless by Peru</a></iframe>Cinnamon Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15371377956110462955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399445867397917387.post-49872874372347597862012-08-03T18:26:00.000+01:002012-08-03T18:26:26.821+01:00Bedroom Eyes - Norwegian PopI could make up a good excuse for not posting yesterday, but why bother? Truth is I went out with friends after work and got plastered. So sue me.<br />
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Here's a great '80s-ish pop tune by Bedroom Eyes, who is really called Jonas Jonsson and is Swedish. From his 2010 album <i>The Long Wait Champion</i>.<br />
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<iframe width="400" height="100" style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/track=776525199/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0"><a href="http://naturebliss.bandcamp.com/track/norwegian-pop">Norwegian Pop by Fennely</a></iframe>Cinnamon Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15371377956110462955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399445867397917387.post-79171264675013888362012-08-01T18:40:00.001+01:002012-08-01T18:40:36.665+01:00Ash - Girl From MarsHadn't heard this for ages but it was on when I went into the shop today and it knocked my socks off all over again. Radio friendly alternapop just doesn't get much better than this.<br />
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From <i>1977</i>, from 1996.<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FkSl9GGOFHM?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Cinnamon Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15371377956110462955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399445867397917387.post-23455361796049847992012-07-31T20:33:00.002+01:002012-07-31T20:33:57.651+01:00Bunnygrunt - Favorite FoodLo-fi punkish twee from St Louis, Missouri. I never saw Bunnygrunt, but listening to this makes me flash back to a million gigs in people's garages during my US East Coast visits of the mid-1990s. Anyway, haven't they got one of the best names ever?<br />
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From a 1993 EP, <i>Standing Hampton</i>.<br />
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<br />Cinnamon Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15371377956110462955noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399445867397917387.post-17857447846486845582012-07-30T20:51:00.001+01:002012-07-30T20:51:43.521+01:00Technical difficultiesBlogger is acting up again, so let's give it a rest for a day. See you tomorrow!Cinnamon Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15371377956110462955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399445867397917387.post-80697933931042276972012-07-29T13:52:00.000+01:002012-07-29T13:52:37.602+01:00Girl of the World - 5 Years Old1993 single from a pre-Cat's Miaow band of Bart and Cameron. I think it's almost got a bit of a Britpop tinge to it. They went on to better things.<br />
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<br />Cinnamon Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15371377956110462955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399445867397917387.post-84795744721391403892012-07-28T09:33:00.001+01:002012-07-28T09:33:31.092+01:00Graeme Elston - Take Me Back to EalingLovely track from Graeme Elston (Eva Luna, Love Parade etc) which I think is an exclusive to last year's Indietracks compilation. There's a very '80s soft jangle-pop feel to it; it's one of those songs you'll swear you've heard before, even if you haven't.
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<iframe width="400" height="100" style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/track=692913358/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0"><a href="http://makedoandmendrecords.bandcamp.com/track/take-me-back-to-ealing">Take Me Back To Ealing by Graeme Elston</a></iframe>Cinnamon Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15371377956110462955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399445867397917387.post-28286956514687790282012-07-27T22:19:00.000+01:002012-07-27T22:19:02.835+01:00Dead Angle - Why Don't YouLo-fi fuzzy girlpop from an LA band who used to be the Tartans (well, most of them anyway). It's familiar, but I still can't get enough.<br />
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Released last month on Loglady Records, part of a split 7" with Terry Malts. <br />
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<iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F45198150&show_artwork=true"></iframe>Cinnamon Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15371377956110462955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399445867397917387.post-1200951101930906552012-07-26T20:11:00.002+01:002012-07-26T20:11:54.523+01:00The Minutemen - Doctor WuThe Minutemen were such geniuses in their own right, I feel a bit guilty that their first appearance here is with a cover (of a Steely Dan song, of all things). I suppose the reason for that is that much of their music is the kind that I cerebrally appreciate without necessarily <i>enjoying</i>, if you know what I mean. Though lumped in with the LA punk scene, it would always be more accurate to describe them as post-punk - and even within that genre they were unique, drawing on jazz and funk influences to a degree almost unheard of by their contemporaries. Unfortunately, not being a fan of either jazz or funk, I couldn't really get into a lot of their stuff. But I always felt kind of bad about it.<br />
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In any event I did love this one, first of all because I thought it was brilliant that they covered it in the first place - an '80s punk band covering Steely Dan? Seriously? - and secondly because I love what they did with it, the dual vocals where one person sounds like he's trying to do a faithful version and the other is clearly taking the piss. As I said...geniuses.<br />
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It's from their 1984 (third) album <i>Double Nickels on the Dime</i>.<br />
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<iframe width="480" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yky0elCSeGg?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Cinnamon Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15371377956110462955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399445867397917387.post-40727142315421456582012-07-25T19:08:00.000+01:002012-07-25T19:08:05.465+01:00Full Sun - AnxiousHere's some very lo-fi punk-pop from what appears to be this band's second release, <i>Bare Floor</i>, from earlier this year. The first release was called <i>High Ceiling</i>. I'm sensing a pattern here.<p>
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They're from Indiana and have a bit of a late 1980s Homestead Records feel to them, though with a bit more melody. This one's dead catchy, anyway.<p>
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<iframe width="400" height="100" style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/track=1744356959/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0"><a href="http://fullsunband.bandcamp.com/track/anxious">Anxious by Full Sun</a></iframe>Cinnamon Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15371377956110462955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399445867397917387.post-91769081320595714152012-07-24T19:24:00.002+01:002012-07-24T19:24:56.083+01:00Julian Cope - SunspotsA great tune from Julian's second solo album, <i>Fried</i>, from 1985. Sometimes I think it's one of the most straightforward pop songs on the album, other times I think it's just weird in a different way. I'm actually particularly fond of the horns.<p>
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<iframe width="480" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/I0z8LukyzjY?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Cinnamon Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15371377956110462955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399445867397917387.post-41329881585180806012012-07-23T19:43:00.001+01:002012-07-23T19:43:24.645+01:00Lone Justice - Ways to be WickedThe first single, a Tom Petty cover, from their self-titled 1985 debut album. I didn't care for this at all back in the day but Maria McKee and her <i>massive </i>voice got their charms into me eventually and I grew to love it. Still not sure about a lot of the rest of the album, though.<p>
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AOCT5RDnJIY?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Cinnamon Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15371377956110462955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399445867397917387.post-88508669633788241152012-07-22T14:03:00.001+01:002012-07-22T14:03:56.858+01:00The Would-Be-Goods - The Camera Loves Me1988 single and title track to the Would-Be-Goods' debut album, a collection of ornate and sophisticated twee girlpop with lyrics and vocals so contrivedly upper-crusty I almost feel like a class traitor just listening to them. I always thought they had a bit of the novelty act about them, though they're not without their charms.<p>
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1Ak0_rfJVEc?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Cinnamon Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15371377956110462955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8399445867397917387.post-39130122603130637772012-07-21T15:24:00.000+01:002012-07-21T15:24:46.734+01:00Baffin Island - You Make Two Weeks Two DaysAs much as I love the idea of EardrumsPop - I mean, free downloadable indiepop, what's not to love - I do think you have to be willing to wade through a fair amount of mediocrity to get to the really good stuff. Fortunately, tracks like this one make it worth the wade (sorry). It's a Mel Hermit Crab/Jeremy Very Most collaboration, a charming '60s-influenced bubblegum girlpop tune from a 2010 EP which you can get <a href="http://www.eardrumspop.com/2010/11/20/epop009-baffin-island/">here</a>.<br />
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<iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F2143183&show_artwork=true"></iframe>Cinnamon Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15371377956110462955noreply@blogger.com0