Vivian Girls’ S/T album  encapsulates all that made C-86 great, that fortunate connection between Spectorian Pop and Post-Punk lo-fi, topped up with a good dose of cavernous feedback which makes us think of the ‘Girls in the Garage‘  compilations, i.e. teen turmoil unfurls over a spanking 60s psyche beat, natty!

This is an In The Red affair after all, but it wouldn’t be out of place in the distinguished catalogue of Sympathy for the Record Industry, just check out the awesome ‘Alright This Time Just The Girls’ pts. 1 & 2.

Somehow in between the angelic melodies of Love is All and the charismatic raucousness of Mika Miko or Times New Viking, with a pinch of B52s, ‘Tell the World’s’ conjunction of chugga-chugga take no prisoners rhythm and reverb drenched instinctive incantations cast in a shadowy voodoo bedroom (that’s what this music is for) is the kind of song I would have put in every single cassette mixtape for a friend back in the 90s when I used to wear stripy tops. As it is, I am putting in this erm, ‘virtual’ cassette mixtape for you guys, because I heart you.

Vivian Girls- Tell the World

As you well know, we have been keeping an eye on Abe Vigoda, smiling delighted as they ride the skies in a rhythmic walkaround full of jaunty melodic pirouettes , well, we have their ‘Skeleton’ album now and the promise is fulfilled, all those hits you have already danced to like crazy in the discotheque are included, as well as a few tunes we hadn’t heard yet, all of ‘em upholding the proud heritage of supreme nerdy masters of jangly discoid post-punk Talking Heads with illuminated & fierce spirit.

This is party music which is both passionate, intelligent and good natured, kind of twee, but in the right way. It makes Vampire Weekend sound like the second-rate ska act they are without even trying because it’s not about that, the Paul Simon’s ‘Graceland’ reference is truly valid for these kids, not plain wishful thinking.

They plant the seeds of a tree and the tree grows and its leaves spread towards the sun and the sun rains a shower of light upon them in the same way in which we stretch our fingers to touch something pretty, so that shadows of strange species of bird with wild eyes and colourful plumage flying up high in the sky, and free, can be projected upon the ground to dance jittery over the patch of luscious green where we stand, as we said, smiling, sweet, sweet!

Abe Vigoda- Dead City/Waste Wilderness

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We mentioned Times New Viking above, well, they have teamed up with the excellent folks at Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction to bring us some t-shirts which are ace and true (hippies are the new punks, punks are the new avant garde, and new wave hippies should listen to Psychedelic Horseshit), get them here before they run out! (the Paper Rad ones are also well sweet, of course)