Tsunami/Velocity Girl "split" 7 inch (Sub Pop/1992)

In anticipation of the Chickfactor Anniversary Festival featuring Black Tambourine, The Softies, Small Factory, Versus,  Lois, The Aisler's Set, The Lillys, Lorelei, and many others I am going to be posting a few of those bands and their various offshoots in the coming months. Some I have already shared, specifically a few Pam Berry projects already. As a side note I will be attending the April 10th show so if any readers will be attending let's meet up and chat indie rock and such!

In addition to featuring members of bands taking part in the Chickfactor Festival they also represent pretty much the lone 90s indie rock bands that I wish would get back together as everyone else already has gotten on my wishlist which consists of Further, The Summer Hits, Tiger Trap, June of 44, Kicking Giant and probably at the top would have to be Velocity Girl. Don't get me wrong I'd love to see some Tsunami but Velocity Girl has been a band that has always been one of my faves! Both Archie Moore and Brian Nelson were in Black Tambourine and after that band broke up they formed Velocity Girl a band who balanced noisy guitars, melody as well as harmony so well. Their songs were super catchy, and always had really strong guitar work. And while their later stuff became much more polished, removing the noise in my opinion they were still a great band. Most fans pan their later work but I have to say their second full length Simpatico! is the album I probably listen to the most which is a straight up pop album. The song captured on the this split with the wonderful Tsunami is a song called "Warm/Crawl" which is most definitely a shoegaze/indie pop hybrid with its sprawling noisy guitars.

This single was a part of the Sub Pop singles club which was limited to "only" 4,000 copies. And to think that back then that was considered super limited. And my copy as you can see is on pink which back in the 90s give me some serious record collector assholic bragging rights. Sub Pop totally hit a nerve with the Singles Club and while other labels over the years have tried to replicate it but as far as I am concerned no one has come close.

Velocity Girl/Tsunami "split" tracklisting
1. Tsunami "Left Behind"
2. Velocity Girl "Warm/Crawl"

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Bright Coloured Lights "Open Your Eyes" 7 inch (Slumberland Records/2000)

Seriously who doesn't love Pam Berry? I have been following her music and projects that she has been involved with for a long, long time and I can safely say there isn't a single one that I am not really into. And the only 7 inch from this Pam Berry related project is no different. Open Your Eyes was the only release from Bright Coloured Lights which is a band Pam and Mike started after Black Tambourine folded. The single contains two original tracks and a Desperadoes cover. Musically speaking, Bright Coloured Lights sound like a marriage of two of Berry's projects- the noise pop bliss of Black Tambourine mixed with the peppiness of one of her later projects, The Castaway Stones. Seriously just download the damn thing already..

Oh yeah this 7 inch was originally issued on A Turntable Friend Records and then later re-mixed and re-issued in this form on Slumberland Records.

Bright Coloured Lights Open Your Eyes track listing
1. Open Your Eyes
2. Leave You Behind
3. Count The Raindrops

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The Castaway Stones "In the Devil's Garden" (Boa Records/1997)

Shame on me for not sharing something Pam Berry related in this space sooner. Pam Berry is probably known for her work in the highly influential American noise pop band Black Tambourine but she has also contributed to her wonderful voice to a plethora of other projects such as Glo Worm, The Shapiros, Belmondo, Bright Coloured Lights, and this project her The Castaway Stones. Musically, The Castaway Stones can be identified as pristine indie pop much like Glo Worm but mixed with stuff like Belle & Sebastian and some Comet Gain. I can also detect elements of stuff like Love and even Free Design. Pam Berry's voice is beautifully hypnotic and I personally can't get enough of it. The Castaway Stones were active in the late 90s releasing this single in addition to a few others as well as a wonderful full length CD Make Love to You. This single features what I do believe is the same version of "Rose in the Devil's Garden" that appears on the full length but the version of "Autumn" that is presented here is different. Regardless, this is a wonderful slice of indie pop, enjoy!

The Castaway Stones In the Devil's Garden track listing
1. Rose in the Devil's Garden
2. Autumn

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