Another compelling issue of the In The Club Magazine from Perfect Pop Co-Op and another treat in word and sound had us basking in some of the very best independent goodness. The autumn 2019 edition of the online magazine from the label, issue 41 to be exact, comes with the fourth edition of their free sampler Impulsive Compulsions featuring artists and sounds from within the embrace of the Perfect Pop Co-Op family. It is fair to say that its three predecessors left us and an increasingly great many basking in a rich array of sounds and flavours but No 4 might be the most eclectic and irresistible mix yet meaning to ignore it would be an act of great stupidity.
Formed in 2011 by members of The Tuesday Club; Dave Worm, The Beautiful Wolf and Andreas Vanderbraindrain for the sole purpose of releasing their own music, Perfect Pop Co-Op has grown and stretched its reach to, as mentioned earlier, bring a great many other artists into the family; they regularly featured on The Andreas and The Wolf Radio Show, the in house monthly podcast, and teasing the imagination within the Impulsive Compulsions samplers.
The latest begins with Andreas and the Wolf and their track All I want is you. Its relatively calm entrance belies its pop punk instincts yet it is the melodic enterprise and drama from guitar and keys which enlists the imagination most firmly. The track is a ridiculously catchy affair, an aural romancing of ears and for us the most captivating offering from the band yet as the Sampler gets off to a potent start which continues with the mystic rock magnetism of Nashville hailing duo Hello Dearies. Like a shadow bound nursery rhyme All The Pretty Boys and Girls simply beguiled, its Wicker Man-esque spiced chant a tenebrific celebration and just delicious upon our musical palate.
Nine Day Decline is a newcomer to these ears but swiftly through their contribution to the sampler had us rushing to their social media profiles to learn more. With the likes of Altered States, Dead Heaven, Complicity, Christian Death, Counting the Mad, F.O.C., Section 3 and more in their histories, the British trio cast a goth clad post punk tempest as atmospheric as it is emotive. Decisions is a haunting slice of sonic dissonance, its raw melodic drone and impassioned breath akin to a mix of Play Dead, Sisters Of Mercy, and London After Midnight but openly unique to the London based outfit.
Inadequacy (day 197) is the track from sampler regular Reverse Family, an electro spattered piece of DIY enticement from the solo project of Dermot Illogical and a piece of soul searching reflection with its own sneaky swing while Dislocated Flowers immediately after wraps its psychedelic seduction around ears and imagination with Orange Roses and Yellow Tulips. Both tracks quickly and easily got under the skin being rapidly joined by The Scratch through their punk nurtured power pop rocker No two castles are the same. Taken from their excellent last album, Great Adventure, the song infested and resonated beyond its stay; always a sign of something rather tasty.
Equally flavoursome and a spark to greed is 50ft Woman and Psychic Hygiene. From its initial sonic squeal a devious swing erupts, the just as guileful tones of Minki riding its infectious pop punk ‘n’ roll sway. The track is another which leaves on-going tendrils of flirtation igniting continual companionship before She Made Me Do It ensured they get their chunk of the passions through their track, Fun and Games. The union of Shaheena Dax (Rachel Stamp) and Will Crewdson (Rachel Stamp, Adam Ant, Scant Regard) is one of our favourite propositions to erupt from speakers and their latest song is pure alt-pop manna, a virulent contagion defeating any ill wished cure.
One of the biggest traits of these samplers is that we have yet to come across anything which merely satisfied, no fillers ever on offer and the fourth is no different as it continues with GLUE from The Dodo, a keenly catchy post punk/punk rock stroll with a definite Swell Maps tinge and heart to it, and straight after Night of the Wild Mind courtesy of Suicide Tapes. A quartet from Ware in the UK, the band similarly has post punk instincts to a goth rock heart and upon a contagion of rhythms weave a magnet of a track which had us hungry for more. Originally formed in 1983, the band reformed a short while back and are raising a stir, no surprise with tracks like this Flesh For Lulu scented incitement.
The Tuesday Club and Venus Overload bring this particular treat to a close. The first gives us a live slice of fan favourite Lady Gargar, a track revelling in all the mischief, imagination, and uniqueness which fuels the band and its rare fusion of punk, indie and the creative devilment which shapes the best rock ‘n’ roll. The latter of the two provides Afghanistan Bananastand, a ravening dance of garage and psych rock intimation which had hips and feet as keenly engaged as ears and imagination.
That is Impulsive Compulsions 4, a release which had us basking in great sounds, fresh adventures, and new explorations of artists which like those before them deserve proper attention. The fun involved was just icing on the cake.
Check out the latest and past editions of In The Club Magazine @ https://perfectpopco-op.co.uk/magazine/ and further releases from within Perfect Pop Co-Op @ https://theperfectpopco-op.bandcamp.com/
Pete RingMaster 31/10/2019
Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright
Alongside and around it, the goodness is just as potent as epitomised by tracks like I’ve Had Enough and Superslider from Tagas and Venus Overload respectively. The first is a lively simmer of electro pop rock, a bubbling slice of melodic radiance echoed in similarly warm vocals, a track which just nags at the senses with its teasing harmonics. Tagas is a solo project, an intimate exploration and reflection of its creator and the track here an embrace of melancholy and warmth with a great early Depeche Mode hue to its temptation. The second of the two is a band which released a self-titled album back in 2012 from which their contribution to the sampler comes. Their sound is a collusion of experimental and noise rock, a challenging and rewarding mix which had us mesmerised. It is raw, abrasive and persistently compelling with a great whiff of Buñuel to it.
There is great diversity to the sound and personas of songs with 365 too, Was I a good man (day 15) swinging along with a sixties garage pop hues as guitars offer their psych kissed jangle while No Reason to run (day 6) has the rhythmic shuffle of a King Trigger aligned to an off kilter twee/ indie pop croon. Hugging a melody which enthrals in its nagging simplicity, the track is simply mesmeric, almost shamanic in its virulent enterprise.
The forcibly captivating start only continues as We Fall to Pieces steps in with its folk ska rascality, the song like a fusion of Blur and Tankus The Henge around the throbbing lure of Tim Connell’s double bass and the crisp beats of Terry Mascall. Again Baker’s piano and James Stickley’s guitar collude in creative chicanery as the former’s tones and words tantalise across two minutes of instinctively bold rock ‘n’ roll before Pretty Boy swaggers in with its own infectious dynamics and enterprise. Imagine Television Personalities and again Blur bursting in on Bad Manners and you get a flavour of the track’s gorgeous recipe of enticement.