Stand up

the feelers - Reimagined - Greatest Hits (2023) ***

Nominated by: Kevy

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: Stand Up

I have a lot of questions this week. Like why did they write their name in lower case? Inferiority complex?

the feelers Reimagined - I don't know their material well enough to judge whether these are better or worse than the originals. Did that song I've forgotten the name of come with all those strings attached (ha ha)? I wouldn't have thought so - sounds a bit weird in this setting, too. Why have they reimagined their songs? Wouldn't be a Taylor Swift scenario.

Did they maybe wake up one morning and say to each other - "You know - if we reimagined our back catalogue to sound more like Hootie and The Blowfish, we could shift a few units!" Why not just reissue the original songs as a compilation? Was there something wrong with them?

See - questions.

I did once own an album of the feelers. The one with Venus on it, because I really liked that one. When I got the album I couldn't hear anything as good as that song, so I flicked it off.

This album is also called - Greatest Hits. Aside from Venus - a bone fide hit, I only recognise one other song - Pressure Man. Was it a hit though? Were there other hits that passed me by? Quite possibly. A better name may have been 'Best of the feelers - Reimagined' methinks.

So, all up, I'm a wee bit non-plussed. My main issue with their songs other than Stand Up (a real standout and boy do they sound like Hootie on that one), Pressure Man and Venus, I struggle to differentiate the songs from each other (aside from the one with strings). Actually - even Pressure Man - I'm struggling to remember how it goes, as I type this. I also have no idea who was in the feelers. The singer sounds good - did he go on to have a solo career?

So, bottom line - it's all nice, pleasant, well played, slick, nineties rock. I know they are Kiwis but this material sounds like it was aimed at the American market (not that there's anything wrong with that). Maybe they were huge there? 

Oops - more thoughts: on reflection, this doesn't seem like Kevy's normal fare - i.e. it's a long way from low-fi obscure Flying Nun singles in a limited press of 10 copies. What's the appeal here Kevy?

Sorry to end on more questions. 

The last word

Reb Fountain - Reb Fountain (2020) ***

Nominated by: KS

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: The Last Word

Previously, I have reviewed the three Reb Fountain albums in my collection for the Goo Goo G'Joob blog, but this presents me with a great opportunity to reassess that three-star review and to compare my thoughts between then and now (without reading my previous review which you can find here and here btw).

The good news: she has a gorgeous voice - so much potential. There are elements of latter day Taylor, Lorde, even a bit of Lana Del Rey about her modern vocal style, but Reb is Reb for the most part.

My favourites are the first song - Hawkes and Doves and The Last Word.

In some ways it's a normal debut album in that it feels a little tentative in terms of her comfort levels around material and arrangements.

Lyrically, there is not enough succinctness for me. Too wordy, too obscure, too much obtuseness, too much detachment, apart from The Last Word. On that one she opens up more, and is more succinct in her lyrics.

These are all things she would work on for Holster and Iris (which is why I think that they are superior records).

Okay - that's my current thoughts. Now to compare to my previous review and see if I'm thinking the same things.

Turns out I was a tad brief in my impressions. However, I'll stick with my overall evaluations, based on my thoughts above.

In summary - this is a mighty fine debut, which she would build upon to reach even greater heights.

A campfire song

10,000 Maniacs - In My Tribe (1987) ****

Nominated by: GK

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: Don't Talk

The three amigos are deep into their latest Spotify 'spring in their steps' playlist. Anything in this album would be a great choice. Although the subject matter is serious at times, the delivery is light, bouncy and fun.

I've always associated lead singer Natalie Merchant with Michelle Shocked and the music of 10,000 Maniacs with R.E.M. (1984 - 86 era) and The Smiths. Johnny Marr and Robert Buck, the guitarist in 10,000 Maniacs, have quite a lot in common in their guitar styles. They are both great at creating folk-pop works of art while keeping in the background of their lead singers.

This is the only 10,000 Maniacs album I've heard before. I was drawn in by their great version of Peace Train (which has been left off this Spotify version).

By selecting this album, GK is in effect taking us back 40ish years. When this record came out in 1987, we (me, Jacky and two kids at that stage) were living in Three Kings, Auckland.

Not sure what look Kevy was rocking at the time but here's what we (me and GK) looked like at the time.

Ahar - you're right. Gregarious G-String and Buster Bloodvessel were all grown up, and cool hip young dads!

Thanks for the album, GK. Great to listen to this one again in 2025.

Was I wrong?

Hotline TNT - Raspberry Moon (2025) ***

Nominated by: Tom  

Music club: MNAC

MNAC playlist addition: Break Right

I listened to this album a couple of weeks ago on my commute, and then dialed in today for a final listen before writing this review. Sadly, the album appears to have been taken down from Spotify, so it's Bandcamp to the rescue.

I'm a fan of shoegaze as a genre. Are you kidding me? Heavily distorted guitars in layers with dreamy/hazey harmony vocals? Yes, please!

Hotline TNT are very good practitioners of the shoegaze arts. Not heavy heavy (like My Bloody Valentine or The Jesus and Mary Chain), more poppy (like Kevin Shield's solo work on the Lost in Translation soundtrack, Slowdive, or Ride).

Critics may say that a little goes a long way with shoegaze but I've found you just have to let the sound wash over you. I have no idea what Hotline TNT (not an especially shoegazey name) are singing about. They can get a bit whiney but on the whole, listening to Raspberry Moon was an enjoyable experience.

Favourite songs would be the poppier/ gentler ones - Was I Wrong, Dance the Night Away, Lawnmower (acoustic guitars are a nice variation) and especially Break Right.

Thanks for the introduction, Tom.

What am I going to do

Pop Art Toasters - Pop Art Toasters (1994) ****

Nominated by: KS

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: Go Ahead

Kev introduced this as a bit of Flying Nun fun. Ha ha I thought. Dunedin and Flying Nun are usually associated with chilly (pun intended), lo-fi, darkish days - not a lot of sunshine and rainbows or funster associations generally.

But then - along comes Pop Art Toasters with a fun cover and name.  The music comes to the party as well. The nod to sixties Beatles/Hollies pop during the start of the opening track on this EP sent me dancing around the music room at Maple Grove in a paroxysm of joy. Really.

Kev also teased that we'd know the lead singer and sure enough - this is clearly Martin Phillipps leading the line for these merry pranksters. His vocals are very distinct. The other band members I'd have to guess at - maybe a Verlaine, another Chiller perhaps and a Cleaner?

Having just 'searched them up' (as my students would say) I see David Kilgour was also on board so I was kind of right (no Verlaines, but Clean and Chills input fersure).

This is expert pop music. Great having a short rush of songs via the EP. Pop is always about singles and EPs (now downloads): the immediacy of two minute singles, the catchy hooks, and the facile lyrics are all part of the deal.

As there are only five songs here are my play by plays.

1 - What Am I Going To Do: An instant hook and some nice harmonising - woulda coulda shoulda been a hit but the retro fit works against it in that regard.

2 - Everyone's Gonna Wonder: the closest Chills' style amid this bunch (now the official collective noun for EP tracks). It's light, catchy, pop froth - almost a pastiche. Again - very sixties British pop.

3 - It Won't Hurt You: Slower, moodier. A tad out of place in this bunch.

4 - Go Ahead: back to the pop froth of the first two songs. Why wasn't this a massive hit?

5 - Circles: A heavier sound but again, mid sixties British pop. Not the strongest song as they go for a more Yardbirds style Psycho Daisies type of vibe but don't quite sound convincing enough.

So, yeah - 4 out of the five could easily have been pop hits but maybe the retro nature of these songs didn't fit the mid nineties zeitgeist.

Cool to listen to Kevy. Maybe they should be re-released - they'd now fit the breezy pop times, I'd think.

Everything matters

Aurora - In Gods We Can Touch (2022) ****

Nominated by: Alex

Music club: MNAC

MNAC playlist addition: A Temporary High

Aurora is a Norwegian singer-songwriter - there must be something going on in the Scandanavian/Nordic countries - they produce an inordinate amount of gifted musicians - in all sorts of genres. 

There are aspects of Abba (Sweden), Sigur Rós (Iceland), Bjork (Iceland), and even my favourite Lene Marlin (also from Norway), about Aurora. She retains a kind of off-kilter weirdness while also being very accessible. 

I don't know about her other work but In Gods We Can Touch uses electro pop/synth pop sounds as well as folk to great effect on these songs. She has a beautiful clear voice that floats about and the musical backing is sympathetic to her approach.

While listening to the album, I kept getting images of that scene in Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? where the sirens are enticing Pete with their alluring singing. Aurora sounds, at times, as if she's doing the siren call, and her lyrics often touch on water themes. The folky Exhale, Inhale even has an allusion to sirens singing.

I really like the variety throughout the album - pop songs (A Temporary High is a highlight for me), folk stylings (Exhale, Inhale is another highlight), introspective moments, playfulness (bizarrely I thought of Disneyland's The Tiki Room while listening to Cure For Me), some dark corners in songs and big themes - all adds up to a wonderful experience. 

Fab choice Alex - thanks for the introduction!

Olé, Olé, Olé

Chumbawamba - Tubthumper (1997) ****

Nominated by: GK

Music club: Wander to Wozza's

Playlist addition: Scapegoat

I know very little about Chumbawamba outside of the two hits that came from this album - the title track and the football anthem Top of the World (Olé, Olé, Olé), so it came as a pleasant surprise to hear the whole album.

When GK and I were crazy schoolkids, we amused ourselves by making what I called 'Eclectic tapes' on cassettes (a.k.a. crazy tape). We'd take snippets of spoken word from records, TV, anywhere and add them to jumbled up music snippets. The tapes made a crazy kind of sense and we had a lot of fun.

I was reminded of this when listening to Tubthumper (the album) because they share this approach (albeit 20 years after Gregarious G-String and Buster Bloodvessel pioneered it). Various cut ups of politicians, TV characters (Leonard Rossiter has a cameo before Drip Drip Drip frinstance) are added to the music which displays all the hallmarks of an ADHD student on a sugar rush.

On the evidence of this album's themes, it seems the band trades in highly politicised approaches but done in a general way (class warfare figures big time) and I would have got long odds on GK being the first of the three amigos to choose an album housing a string of F bombs and the c-word (shock horror - it's before Mary Mary). The lad loves to surprise us.

I pretty much loved it, although they are strictly of their time (late nineties) and a few songs are a tad repetitive (Creepy Crawling). It is also one looong album - clocking in just shy of an hour. However, there are plenty of 'bangers' along the way (I believe that's the expression the youngsters are using du jour).

Favs would be Tubthumper, Amnesia, Drip... and Top of the World. They are obvious standouts but there are a few others I put into my favourites file as well, like The Good Ship Lifestyle and Scapegoat.

It was worth the eye rolls at Maple Grove while it played out and I bet Mrs. Knowles doesn't approve either (I suspect AM is a fan). They'd definitely hate those eclectic tapes as well, though, to be fair.