If you live in a large city in the UK and regularly go to independent record shops, chance is you may have stumbled over Loud & Quiet magazine, a old print newspaper style music rag that actually covers some good bands from the UK as well as our foreign friends. This is the tape they made to promote the Crocodiles UK tour which has a new track as well as tracks from some of the UK bands that supported them on their trip around our little island.
Obviously i'll start with Crocodiles, a two piece band from San Diego that sound a lot like the Jesus ands Mary Chain and many of the bands around today. I have their album but don't normally get past the first side, all the songs have their merits but in a row they seem to meld into one and doesn't hold my attention. But this isn't a review of their LP, so i will say this song 'Hollow Hollow Eyes' is as good as their good songs with a nice organ thrown in the mix. Mazes step up next with my fave track of theirs so far. Seriously, if this was released on Matador in the mid 90's it would have been on MTV, 'Summer Hitz' does what it says on the can.
Next is Golden Grrrls who i love and am biased about as i released a tape for them and totally heart their self titled tape and live shows. Although this is buried under some lovely fuzz and cloud drones, you know there is a great pop tune waiting to come out, and live they are more of a full band affair that shows the great Scottish heritage, which is my way of saying they remind me of The Pastels (a good thing). Finishing off this side is Cheatahs, with a track from Nathans tape onParadise Vendors Inc. Blown out recordings again covering a good pop song that really changes when you see him live. Sweet vocals float over the top with one of the catchiest chorus on this tape that is part Guided By Voices and part The Bitters cave pop.
Side 2 kicks straight in with those sexy bastions for repetition from Brighton, Cold Pumas with a really early track that only hints at the potential these guys are now stepping up to. 'Day Monk/Night Monk' is noisy like most of their tracks but not as poppy as they became with 'Jela' and 'Beat Mystery'. Brighton / London is represented next in the shape of La La Vasquez who punch their way through 'Don't Rush Me' which flows like a Girls In the Garage track for the Captured Tracks generation. Mega catchy bass lines too!
Next is the power garage punk of The Hipshakes that is a punked up does of Nuggets sort of tune. Short, fast and Paisley maybe? I really like it and recommend getting their new tape album on Scotch tapes. The next band, Egyptian Hip Hop is my least favourite on here. Multiple vocals over keys and gtrs and drum machines which just seem to float about and not head in any defined direction. Pretty boring i thought in an inoffensive way.
Good tape made up of previously released tracks, but still worth getting for the unreleased gems on here. www.loudandquietcassettes.bigcartel.com
Side A
Crocodiles - Hollow Hollow Eyes
Mazes - Summer Hitz (Main Dyke)
Golden Grrls - Duane Denison
Cheatahs - Lycanthropy
Side B
Cold Pumas - Day Monk/Night Monk
La La Vasquez - Dont Rush Me
The Hipshakes - Not Like I've Had Before
Egyptian Hip Hop - Rad Pitt
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