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Price / Format / Artist / Title / Label / Comments

CD / DOTS + BORDERS / Tokyo Tapes / Trattoria Records

This is a five song collaboration between Hedeki Kaji and Hirohisa Horie http://www.i-radio.fm/c-h/neil_iraiza/profile_e.cfml . The sound is much more 'rock' than Hedeki Kaji's solo stuff, and has a bit of mayhem and psychedlia in it as well, parts reminding me a bit of the 'Funeral Pyre' era of The Jam. Some info on Hirohisa Horie, half of Escalator Records act Neil & Iraiza: After he played with the MODS band I SPY=STUDIO APES, he joined FREEDOM SUITE. He also plays keyboards for GREAT 3 and Plagues. He now works as a producer of a Japanese artist Kahimi Karie, Noriko Kato, and others. "Dots & Borders" is the unit he started with Hideki Kaji recently. In 1999 May, he produced an album "Hiromix`99" for Hiromix.

---Carl

CD / FONDA 500 / 8 Track Sound System / The Village Records

This band from Hull in the UK remind me a lot of another Hull band, Salako. Fonda 500 blend Salako's everything-but-the-kitchen-sink-plus-Syd Barrett style with the scattered into chaos Kleenex Girl Wonder style, with a definite dose of The Rentals in the keyboard sound and the backing vocals. Here's a review of one of their live gigs. Here goes: " "This is a love song about bears" is probably the best introduction to a song ever, and tonight Fonda 500 have used it. Funny, but then Fonda 500 are a funny band. With a frontman who huddled over his discount keyboard comes across as a mix between Clint Boon and John Shuttleworth, they make a sound not dissimilar to the Super Furry Animals. Whether there's room on this planet for another Super Furries is another matter, but Fonda 500, with their songs about tape formats (see two minute opus 'Betamax') have enough individuality to hold their own in the 'wacky pop' market".

---Carl

CD / HIDEKI KAJI / The Fireworks Candy & Puppydog Store / Trattoria Records

Hedeki Kaji is the undisputed king of Japanese pop: not the 'J-pop' sound so much in fashion now (he has one song on this CD in that style, the electronic/sample song "Tunafish Sandwich"), but the old fashioned pop style closest to something like early Tommy Keene, Mitch Easter's Let's Active, the dB's, or Scott Miller's Game Theory. Hideki Kaji bobs for apples in a bucket filled with these names and takes a solid bite every time. He has many releases, and even released a song with Sarah Cracknell joining him on vocals on an earlier record. Listening to this record after I wrote all this I fear I didn't do him justice. His songs sound great and very natural: not forced or "retro". He really is a master. I'd love to hear some of the earlier records to see if they're all this good.

---Carl

CD / MINT ROYALE / On The Ropes / Faith & Hope Records

Mint Royale put out what Rough Trade called "The best independently released dance record of 1999" in this CD, which was recently re-released to meet the demand for it generated by it's massive single "Don't Falter", which featured the vocals of ex-Kenickie frontwoman Lauren Laverne. Mint Royale just released another album track "Take It Easy" as their new single. It is a latin beat song that could easily fit on an Arling & Cameron record. Another album track "Shake It" is based on the song "Come Back & Shake Me" that Mark Wirtz his Orchestra and Chorus recorded in 1967, which can be found on the excellent 1996 CD on RPM Records (RPM 172), "The Go-Go Music of The Mark Wirtz Orchestra & Chorus". Mint Royale have 2 versions of this on the disc. Last year a Mint Royale EP was added to the playlist at WZBC. The Bollywood sounding "From Rusholme with Love" and kicking "Diagonal Girl" from that CD5 are on this too.

---Carl

CD / SPEARMINT / A Week Away / Hitback Records

Spearmint's second CD is actually their first proper full length. Their first one (which we also have at WZBC) "Songs For The Colour Yellow" was a collection of the B-sides of their many early singles. "A Week Away" is a really great album which has the A-sides of their last 4 singles ("It Won't Be Long now", Sweeping The Nation", "We're Going Out", & "You Are Still My Brother") as well as 8 other songs. Spearmint bring together the best of The Wannadies and the Northern Soul styled songs of Comet Gain. Spearmint are not very Glamorous, but they may be the best pop band in their style in London, and their consistenvy level is amazing. Sadly, no US releases of any of their stuff, so this CD holds a special use and importance to me, and hopefully to you. In Parasol's description of the German Apricot Records version of this CD, they describe Spearmint as "Jangling guitars, energetic rhythms & melodies akin to recent outings by Sportique & The Windmills".

---Carl