20 Years: Astonishing Sound Show Stories Volume 2
(Dig The Fuzz Records)
Let’s do the big reveal right at the top. Boutique groove makers Dig The Fuzz Records have done themselves proud with their second instalment of their ASSS series, and you should get online pronto and get yourself a copy or download. It would be nice to have enough space here to detail the minutiae of each song and band here, but since we are limited we will pick some of the higher highs contained on this superb 26 tracks CD (30 tracks in the digital download). From the post-punk, psychedelic mood-pop side comes Nottingham’s The Six Ten with thee swaying “The Night” while U.K. mates The Barons Boys mythologize the Syd Barrett sound wonderfully on their cool “Beautiful Day”. Toss in the nocturnal, buzzing tones of Green Fuzz’s “I’m Not Here On My Own” and you are set for a trip outside reality if you wish. We can’t forget the influence of Salford lad Mark E. Smith on top examples Clambake (“Eye Ball Song”) and the brilliant Deano’s Hose (“Fat White Belly”). A kind of F-sharp punk rock vibe threads into fine tracks by Fight Fuck or Dance’s screamadelic “Pakistan” and bluesier grinders Clambake and “Fuck My Luck”. Jangle pop (Bad Buildings “1 to 12”), chick-a-billy (Kathy Freeman’s superb “Let’s Rock Tonight”) and soundtrack-y essences (“Mo Tucker” by Dukebox Accelerator) and surf (The Terrorsaurs “Avalanche”)… it’s all here. Popping his Canadian guitar neck and ruddy vocals over the digital ocean expanse comes Winnipeg’s own Colin Bryce as Mohair Sweets and the rocker “The Green Light” which is in all honesty unlike anything else you have on this extensive sampler. In limited edition of course and track-for-track this set will lead you down new sonic paths that should keep even the hungriest searcher happy for months. Nice one! (26 tracks CD/30 on download)
