Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Excited About the New Pugwash


For those of you who don't know, the Irish band Pugwash is one of the finest Power Pop bands recording today. Band leader and writer Thomas Walsh has worked with Andy Partridge and Jason Falkner and he really deserves to run in that distinguished company. They have a new CD out in the UK entitled "Eleven Modern Antiquities" and from what I've heard it may be the best thing so far this year. I can't wait to receive my overpriced import copy from Amazon!

You can listen to snipets from the CD at their Myspace site.

I loved the single "Take Me Away". I downloaded from Amazon and I really recommend it. It has a great "Revolver" vibe to it. In honor of this new CD I'm posting a few (not so great sounding) rarities I've picked up. They're nice but I'd really recommend the albums if you don't have them:

2005 Jollity
2003 Earworm
(A compilation of some of the tracks from two earlier albums "Almanac" and "Almond Tea". If anyone owns these would you let me know please!)

These are all highly recommended.

14 comments:

Pugwash said...

Hiya.....!!

I have those early 'Pugwash' albums. Actually I have the 'Master Tapes' as I made them!! (See what I did there eh?) I'm Thomas from Pugwash and I just wanted to say I love your blog. Excellent stuff and a real honour to be talked about so kindly on here....Keep spreading the word my friend!!

Thomas.xx

Emily said...

Hi! Just wanted to say you can buy it from the US Amazon.com. I just got my copy in the mail today and am listening to it as I type. It's fantastic!

Haper said...

Thomas! Thanks a million for making the finest music around today (and thanks for the post! It's great to know you're out there.) I've got just one request (from a psycho U.S. fan who missed your first two albums first times around). Would you be able to release the tracks from those first two albums that didn't make Earworm? That Snowcap store of yours embedded on this site would work fine for this. Downloads on your Myspace would work but would take longer. How about it? Love what you do....

KingSizeMong said...

I like the rarities posted here and I see eMusic have Earworm, and after checking out the clips I've added that to the list of stuff I want to download when my sub renews mid month. Jollity is on there too but not available for download in the UK.

Does anyone know if snocap works for the UK yet? last time I tried to use it I failed to get it to accept a UK postcode so I couldn't register. If it's all systems go I might have a go at it come payday.

KingSizeMong said...

I caved in and upgraded my eMusic account to the 50 a month jobby. Which gave me the downloads to get Earworm NOW! Loving it!

Anonymous said...

I definitely think 11 modern antiquities is one of the best records of '08!

Great blog!

MC

jay strange said...

haper....do you know the album by this way that came out on atlantic a few years back? i think its a top notch fantastic album, great songs , passionately played wrapped in a dymamic detailed and clever production... and im sure you would soon think so too ....anyway while checking out this excellent new band all night chemist yesterday i realised that it is the main bloke from this way...very good news indeed because i always lamented that the band had done nothing more...but then joy of joys, heading over to their achive page and there in all their glory are free downloads of not only the this way album but the second totally unreleased album and 18 more unreleased tracks....this is bliss... a treasure trove, i tell you....
http://www.allnightchemists.com/musicarchives.htm

Haper said...

Jay,

You've done it again! I thought that "Spots" by the All Night Chemists was one of last years best. I liked it so much that I got their debut CD. Excellent. I had not bothered to check on their blog and didn't know anything about the previous band "This Way". I do now. I've downloaded all three and have been happily listening to them all day. Nice stuff. Sounds a bit to my ears like Zuckerbaby or Joe 90, maybe I hear a little Churchills in them. Anway thanks again for turning me on to "This Way". More great stuff!

harris said...

I LOVE PUGWASH! so glad i found your blog! keep it up. xo, harris, sc

Phil Andrews said...

Hi there, I just scored a radio interview with Thomas from Pugwash. If you'd like to hear it, it's up at http://blog.palopop.org/2008/07/pugwash-eleven-modern-antiquities.html. Cheers!

-Phil Andrews, host of the Palo Alto Pop Overthrow on KZSU Stanford 90.1FM

KingSizeMong said...

Haper,

go to the www.wordmagazine.co.uk

look for their podcast, this week has Pugwash on it. They do a killer acoustic cover of The Move's "I Can See The Grass Grow" at the end :)

Class.

Haper said...

KingSizeMong,

Great call. Loved that acoustic version of "I Can hear the Grass Grow". Thanks so much for calling it to my attention. I'll have to add it to my next Pugwash compilation. S

peaking of which, can you believe that Giddy is yet another greatest hits compilation? Am I crazy or did they briefly mention a bonus CD of rare stuff? Have you heard anything else recently from Thomas and the boys? I counted only two Duckworth Lewis tracks as mostly Thomas tunes.

Anonymous said...

"I counted only two Duckworth Lewis tracks as mostly Thomas tunes"

Ehhmmmm..'The Coin Toss', 'Gentlemen & Players', 'Mason on the boundary', 'Meeting Mr. Miandad', 'Flatten the hay' = Mr. Walsh.

xx

Anonymous said...

And 'Rain stops play'.....sorry.

xx