Adds for September 14 1999
Price / Format / Artist / Title / Label / Comments

CD / SUPERSTAR DISCO CLUB / Welcome To The Superstar Disco Club / Che Trading Limited

A trio. Cedric guitars while sister Amelie basses and Jeremy drums. Geographically straight outta Marseille ("Gangster town, every smuggling route crosses there"), via New Mexico and Ireland. Musically head-long into the Stooges via Buzzcocks and er... Cerrone. "Our youth was all discos. That's the reason for the mirror balls on the sleeves."

CD / ECHOBOY / Echoboy / Earworm

" The roots of the echoboy story start with the slow demise of The Hybirds, the group with whom echoboy aka Richard Warren learned his trade. Until this point Richard had only ever listened to standard rock bands. His influences had come mainly from family and friends in the east Midlands home town. Through The Hybirds however he had come face to face with a wider musical pallet, opening him up to a world beyond the pop rock he'd previously experienced. What followed was a time of musical discovery. Richard soon realised that with The Hybirds he had only ever really scratched the surface of music. It was now time for him to explore the possibilities in leftfield pop experimentation so, suitably inspired and armed with little more than a Tascam 8-track recorder and a basic Casio keyboard he set off on his own musical adventure.The first results came in the shape the twelve and a half minute opus "Flashlegs". In July '98, after The Hybirds had played their last ever gig as support to Paul Weller in Finsbury Park, Richard could be found handing out copies of "Flashlegs" to anyone who was interested. Both Richard and his manager felt so confident about this music that they decided to go it alone and set up their own label to release echoboy's increasingly prolific output. Slowly the media started to pick up on echoboy with Dazed and Confused, Sleaze Nation and NME all giving rave reviews for the single (giving equal support to both 'A' and 'B' sides). The next step was to put together an album. The resulting eight track collection came out on the Pointblank imprint again. Wrapped in its home printed cardboard sleeve, the album echoed the DIY ethos of early punk while the rich and varied music amply displayed Richard's ever widening vision. The response from the press was equally enthusiastic with Select - among others - adding their support. Soon after the release of the album in early '99 Earworm Records expressed their support. As a result they released "Scene 30" (from the album) as a 10" single with a new cut "Vitamins and Oil" on the B-side. Another track, "Smiler" was also provided for an Earworm Compilation album. Throughout this time the staff at Rough Trade Record Shop had continuously requested tracks for one of their famed 7" singles. Richard provided a tape full of tracks for them to choose from however the shop staff couldn't decide on only two tunes. Each, it would seem, had their favourite. So they put out an unprecedented double 7" featuring "Temporarily Drifting", "She", "57-59 Bite the Bullet" and "Pure New Wool"." - from Mute's biography of Echoboy

12" / TANK / "Gunnar (Alternative)" b-w ""Klakinn Mist." & "Juni Ein." / Earworm

From France. The A-side sound like an Appliance instrumental, while the two B-sides remind me of Kreidler. They have an LP coming soon on Earworm as well.

7" / LOW / "Joan Of Arc" b-w "Long Long Long" / Tugboat

A re-issue of the first release ever on UK's Tugboat Records. The B-side is a Beatle's cover from their White Album.

7" / COMET GAIN / Red Menace EP / Piao! Records

4 new songs by the rejuvinated Comet Gain, who are due to have an LP shortly appearing on Kill Rock Stars. One of the songs ("Germ Of youth II") is sung by a girl who sings in Japanese, two songs ("Orwell Liberty Dance" & "Hands Fit") are sung by the new female vocalist he has for his band, and one song is sung by David ("Young Lions Devour")

7" / THE SECRET GOLDFISH "You're Funny 'Bout That, Aren't You" / THE NECTARINE NO. 9 "Walter Tevis" / Creeping Bent

2 of Creeping Bent's most popular Scottish bands split the latest in their series of split singles. Nectarine No. 9 are fronted by David Henderson, who used to front The Fire Engines. The Secret Goldfish play pop with female vocals.

7" / TINDERSTICKS / "Can We Start Again?" b-w "One Way Street" / Island UK

Their newest single, the first from their new album.

7" / HONEYRIDER / "Starcrossed Summer" b-w "California U.S.A." / Damaged Goods

Damgood 168 Honeyrider's Starcrossed Summer (7")....It's the first release from the forthcoming second album which is gonna be called 'Standing On The Sun' which will be out in late September it follows on nicely from the debut album 'All Systems Go' (DG138) summery sounds and a great selection of classic pop songs. Cool bubblegum fuzzpop like the Mary Chain hanging out with the Beach Boys, or like The Barracudas crossed with Further.

7" / SLAB / "Fade Into You" b-w "Tears (Two Lone Swordsmen Mix)" / Hydrogen Dukebox Records

A really different version of Mazzy Star's "Fade Into You", heavily featuring the original sampled into the electronica of Slab. It works quite well. The B-side is an instrumental and much more chaotic.

7" / THE GERMS / "Forming" b-w "Sex Boy" / Alive Records

A re-release of their first ever single, which came out in May 1977 as What Records 001. At this stage Darby Crash called himself Bobby Pyn. The a-side is very good. It is lacking a verse/chorus/verse structure, but is carried by Darby's continuous vocals to the tune of the guitar riff.