Mazes - Mixtape

I have to start by giving the IBB blurb which describes this tape as:

'In the tradition of Sebadohs 'The Freed Weed' and the series of Fucked Up mixtapes, Italian Beach Babes will be releasing a 30 track mixtape of covers, acoustic versions, alternative takes, samples and ideas from the band Mazes.'

And this tape does exactly what it says on the can, with loads of tracks culled from loads of different sessions and ideas. Kicking straight off is 'Huffing NV' which is basically just Jack with his guitar plugged in which then quickly moves into 'Church Street' with its distorto keyboard refrain and fuzzy backing vox that barely lasts a full minute. All these 30 tracks keeping on going like this, a non stop mix of full band studio takes,  bedroom 1 man takes and over fuzzed home recordings.

There is definately two great albums worth of ideas on here and i'm really glad these recordings are coming out now, like a pre-emptive 'Suitcase' for the UK's answer to Robert Pollard. The are definate Guided By Voices-isms on here, but not in an American lo-fi way, more so in the way that the tape flows with everything thrown in for the listener to wade through, letting your favourites climb out of the speakers themselves. Also, the version of 'Bowie Knives' on here is my favourite, what can i say, less is sometimes more!

Buy from Italian Beach Babes, only 50 copies on lilac cassette.

Mazes - Mixtape (Italian Beach Babes)


1. Huffing NV
2. Church Street
3. Urgh
4. I Don't Wanna Know
5. Bowie Knife One
6. Shuffle Board
7. A Metric Tower
8. Athens Song
9. What D'Ya Reckon
10. I Don't Know What's Wrong
11. I'm A Smoker
12. No Way
13. Iz It?
14. Checkers
15. Jarin & Jay Don't Like This
16. Sand On Your Neck
17. Munchkins
18. Temperton Tecker
19. Jump
20. Illegitimate Love
21. Urgh x 100
22. Shit Priest
23. Don't Worry Baby
24. Dire Strait's Brothers In Arms
25. Vampire Jive 1
26. Fingers
27. Amelie
28. Eva
29. Till I'm Dead
30. Danny Elfman
Don't Worry Baby - Mazes by Suffering Jukebox