Cause Co-Motion - 'I Lie Awake' (Slumberland)

This is another blazingly short Cause Co-Motion 7", which just as much bounce, the same formula as the last one, and is really only distinguishable by having two b-sides. (So really, it's a bit longer than the first one). Of these bright and energetic pop songs, the third, 'Cry for Attention' has some nice reverb on the vocals. The tune proceeds at a mid-tempo rate, which distinguishes it slightly from the other four Cause Co-Motion songs i just listened to (in less than ten minutes) for the service of this blog. These are perfectly constructed artefacts, which pass by so quickly than I can't even really form an opinion. The vocals are an everyday/average Joe singer, sounding young and enthusiastic, and the guitars are scrappy yet confident. Is it supposed to be throwaway, disposable music? Is this music made in full acknowledgement of its predecessors and the inevitable retro-psychotic layers of bullshit that get thrown on top of anyone doing anything in late 00s New York hip culture? Or it this just a group of genuinely enthusiastic youngsters who know what they like, and know how to calibrate their own creations to reflect and commemorate said likes? You don't have to pick one or the other, that's the beauty of it all.

Cause Co-Motion - 'Which Way is Up?' (What's Your Rupture?)

Cause Co-Motion are actually from NYC I think, but from this record you'd think it was Manchester in '78. There's a British twang creeping out from the singer's voice, and the guitars are glassy and bright over the bouncy basslines. I'd almost say these songs are interchangeable, folding up with major key changes. 'Which Way is Up?' asks the question repeatedly but stops in a puff of 45 rpm dust before it's answered. 'Falling Again' on the flip isn't any longer but slightly more 80s-sounding. I always associated this band with noisy stuff like Times New Vikings but there's no sleep in these eyeballs. I think these guys are trying to reinvent the idea of the singles band, and this is certainly a good entry.

Car Commercials - 'Jar' (Leaf Leaf)

This is the debut slab of fucked-upness from these Jersey boys, and one that obviously resonated with me enough that I felt compelled to collect their discography. But how could I not, after hearing 'Holland's anthemic rush? Rock and roll lives, and this is a riff for the ages, and when it descends into bridge made up of an aimless arpeggio, muttering and other shrieking before rocking out on a total jam ... well, it's up there with the greatest rock mindmelds in the canon. And I'm not saying "this is a clever deconstruction of the greatest rock songs ever", I'm saying that this is one of the greatest rock songs ever, and who gives a shit about deconstruction? ( I bet they don't). My accolades aren't meant to diminish the accomplishments of the other 3 tracks here, all of which are previews of their future work. 'Make Me See Joanne' is a plodding, introspective trail that leads nowhere, and 'Water' is an exploratory introduction that is charmingly pastoral at moments, with hints of the walkman-fuckery we get later. 'Rest Stop' closes things out, a ballad of beyond-the-bridge strumming and naievely stupid narrating. This is still their best record, but isn't that always how it goes?

Cannanes - 'Prototype' (Little Teddy)

This is the Cannanes 7" I pull out most frequently. 'Prototype' is the A-side, a rolling jam that mixes in some feeble horns, semi-heavy electric guitars, and is led by the confident croon of the male singer (I forget his name and no one is credited by name here). It's bouncy and catchy and falls only a few hairs short of 'classic' status - a true anthem of just being. The band still has a strong 80s Brit influence, and if you don't hear it, just close your eyes and imagine 'Prototype' being performed by the Housemartins. Far more amateur, though, without being inept - this is why I like this band. 'Bad Timing' is a Frances-sung tune that bends around a strong electric bassline with glass shard guitars commenting throughout. It's another beaut, simplistic, yeah, but open and honest. 'Der Fuhrender Sydney Rechtsanwalt' is the real departure - another horn driven song, but this time, a murky, melting lounge number. It reeks of 60's Euro-pop, but with the horns all bending out of shape, resulting in a strange trip that's nonetheless adorable. Little Teddy Records, judging from the typewriter-set catalogue inside the sleeve, was a real force in 1993. Remember the Bartlebees? The label still exists, which means they've been releasing music for almost 20 years, some of it surely pretty damn good. Keep on keepin' on -- as to the Cannanes, I guess they're still at it. I saw 'em twice - once when I was about 15 and once again a few years later where I'm pretty sure they stayed at my house. But I don't even remember really.

Cannanes - 'Stumpvision' (Ajax)

A few years ago I made the plunge for one of those "audiophile" turntables (though I assure you, mine is very much entry-level) -- but the kind where you have to lift the platter and move the belt to change the speed. Because putting technology to do this any more easily (like, a switch) would compromise the sound. I may seem sarcastic here, but I actually agree with that. It's just annoying in the case of 7"s like this, which are labeled as being 45 rpms, causing me to go through the hassle of changing speeds -- only to find that it's been mislabeled, and then I have to switch it back. Grrrr. Anyway, this Cannanes single has a pretty weird sound, a bit hollow and empty. Frances Gibson's singing is really distant in the mix - not like she's faraway, but just unconfident. 'Passionfruit' is a rainy day in tweedom but her voice gives it the proper lift. The acoustic strum rings triumphantly throughout this record; on 'Another Fight' (which is a pretty bleak song), the band turns and stops on a dime, using the space between to create a haunting vibe. 'Singing to Satellites' on side 2 is similarly dark, with male vocals this time, and some layered, amped-up echo/chorus guitars. S' O'Neil is credited with playing 'a hundred guitars' but Branca this is not; still it's a pretty big sound for a band that's always struck me as being about small things. The drummer shuffles things along and things are over before you know it. Ajax Records is one of those labels that seemed important to me at some point, but it feels already like a million years ago since they were making any splash. This is 1992, after all.