The Monochrome Set: Strange Boutique 1980 + Love Zombies 1980 + Eligible Bachelors 1982 ( Deluxe edition 3CD)

 

The Monochrome Set was formed in London in 1978 from the remnants of a college group called The B-Sides, whose members had included Stuart Goddard, later known as Adam Ant. Their first

live gig was on 15 Feb 1978, at Westfield College in London. The original line-up consisted of Indian-born lead singer and principal songwriter Bid (real name Ganesh Seshadri), Canadian guitarist Lester Square (real name Thomas W.B. Hardy), drummer John D. Haney (formerly of The Art Attacks) and bass guitarist Charlie X. The band had two more bassists, Jeremy Harrington and Simon Croft, before Andy Warren of the Ants, a childhood friend of Bid, joined in late 1979.
                  

When the British art school punk band the B-Sides changed their name and direction to become Adam

& the Ants, guitarist/vocalist Bid and guitarist Lester Square opted out to form their own group, the Monochrome Set. The Monochrome Set started out as a witty, urbane take on post-punk that owed a debt to swinging '60s pop and twangy surf music. Steered by the darkly clever songs of Bid and the crisp playing of the band, their first records were smart and weird, covering obscure lyrical territory while also delivering snappy hooks.
               

Their jumpy debut single, 1979's "He's Frank," set the template for the band through the early '80s on a string of albums like early masterpiece Eligible Bachelors that balanced Bid's songs and the group's

growing sonic presence. They released several singles for the Rough Trade label before recording their debut studio album, Strange Boutique, produced by Bob Sargeant for Virgin Records' imprint DinDisc in 1980. It peaked at No. 62 in the UK Albums Chart in 1980.[7] Their follow-up effort, Love Zombies, was produced by Alvin Clark and the band later that same year. Haney left the band in 1981, and was replaced by Lexington Crane.
                   

In 1982, the band switched labels to Cherry Red to release their third album, Eligible Bachelors,

produced by Tim Hart. Square and Crane left soon afterwards, and were replaced by keyboardist Carrie Booth and drummer Nicholas Weslowski. This line-up recorded a 1982 single, "Cast a Long Shadow", for Cherry Red, before Booth was in turn replaced by new lead guitarist James 'Foz' Foster (later of David Devant & His Spirit Wife).
                  

The first incarnation of the group ran out of steam in the mid-'80s but Bid rounded up a familiar

supporting cast in the '90s to release albums that captured their original sound and tweaked it gently for the times. After another split, then a reunion spurred by Bid's recovery from an aneurysm, they came back in the 2010s to issue albums like 2016's Cosmonaut, which showed that their brand of sophisticated, hooky guitar pop not only still sounded fresh, but was better than ever. 2022's Allhallowtide did nothing to change that impression.
                  

1.  STRANGE BOUTIQUE 1980

                                  

By the time it was scheduled, Andy Warren (ex-Adam & the Ants) had replaced Jeremy Harrington on bass, and the lineup was completed by guitarist Lester Square (also ex-Ants), Indian-born vocalist/

guitarist Bid, and former Art Attacks drummer J.D. Haney. There are a number of superb, non-single album tracks that make this an essential purchase for fans -- especially "Ici les Enfants," "The Puerto Rican Fence Climber," and "The Lighter Side of Dating." Amid the austerity of post-punk England, and before we became awash with irony and archness, we needed a band who could raise their eyebrows and smirk at it all without ever being condescending.

                 

The Monochrome Set – Strange Boutique
Label: Tapete Records – TR394
Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered Apr 2020
Country: ?
Released: 1980
Genre: Rock
Style: Post-Punk, New Wave

TRACKS

                

01. The Monochrome Set (I Presume)    5:14
02. The Lighter Side of Dating    2:45
03. Expresso    3:14
04. The Puerto Rican Fence Climber    3:00
05. Tomorrow Will Be Too Long    3:00
06. Martians Go Home    2:05
07. Love Goes Down The Drain    2:29
08. Ici Les Enfants    3:09
09. The Etcetera Stroll    4:42
10. Goodbye Joe    2:43
11. The Strange Boutique    3:12

LINE - UP

                   

Alto Vocals [Eager Alto] – Princess Tagmemics
Bass Guitar, Vocals – Andy Warren
Drums, Percussion, Vocals – J.D. Haney
Keyboards, Vocals, Producer – Bob Sargeant
Lead Guitar, Vocals – Lester Square
Lead Vocals, Guitar – Bid (Ganesh Seshadri)

Flac Size: 249 MB

2.  LOVE ZOMBIES 1980

                  

The group's second album (and last for Virgin subsidiary Dindisc), Love Zombies features more accomplished songwriting from main man Bid -- especially the title track and the playful "The Man

with the Black Moustache." Fans -- BBC Radio DJ John Peel among them -- had long since recognized the Monochrome Set's supreme compositional agility. This is amply demonstrated by Love Zombies, which switches from sweet pop to wry ballads to a kind of alt-rock rhumba with disarming ease. "The Weird, Wild and Wonderful World of Tony Potts," incidentally, is a tribute to the band's visual designer and "fifth member." And isn't "In Love, Cancer?" one of the all-time great song titles?
                 

The Monochrome Set – Love Zombies
Label: Tapete Records – TR395, Tapete Records – TR394
Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered Apr 3, 2020
Country: US    
Released: 1980    
Genre: Rock
Style: Post-Punk, New Wave

TRACKS

                  

01. Love Zombies    4:05
02. Adeste Fideles    3:48
03. 405 Lines    3:18
04. B-I-D Spells Bid    3:18
05. R.S.V.P.    3:33
06. Apocalypso    3:37
07. Karma Suture    4:48
08. The Man with the Black Moustache    3:19
09. The Weird, Wild and Wonderful World of Tony Potts    3:26
10. "In Love, Cancer?"    3:23

LINE - UP

              

Bass Guitar – Andy Warren
Drums – J.D. Haney
Keyboards, Producer, Engineer – Alvin Clark
Lead Guitar, Synthesizer [Wasp] – Lester Square
Lead Vocals, Guitar – Bid (Ganesh Seshadri)

Flac Size: 221 MB

3.  ELIGIBLE BACHELORS ( 3 CD DELUXE EDITION) 1982

                       

One of the classic albums of the early '80s by a band that doesn't get the love it should, the Monochrome Set's Eligible Bachelors from 1982 is a tour de force of wit and musical imagination.

Bustling through 11 songs so sharp and intelligent that it's easy to listen to the album multiple times without getting bored, the band and Bid are at the absolute top of their game, a game that others like Haircut 100 and Orange Juice were also playing. If creating their masterpiece couldn't get the job done, what was left for them to do? Luckily for fans of Bid and his band, they didn't give up, but even if they had, Eligible Bachelors would stand up as a definitive work of the post-punk/new wave era.
                

The Monochrome Set – Eligible Bachelors
Label: MSI – MSIG 1201-3
Format: 3 x CD, Album, Deluxe Edition, Box Set, Remastered 2018
Country: Japan
Released: 1982
Genre: Rock
Style: Post Punk, New Wave

CD1. ELIGIBLE BACHELORS    

                 

   
01. The Jet Set Junta    2:06
02. I'll Scry Instead    2:51
03. On The 13th Day    3:08
04. Cloud 10    3:31
05. The Mating Game    3:23
06. March Of The Eligible Bachelors    3:02
07. The Devil Rides Out    3:04
08. Fun For All The Family    3:47
09. The Midas Touch    4:55
10. The Ruling Class    2:44
11. The Great Barrier Riff    3:43

BONUS TRACKS: SINGLES AND B-SIDES        
    
12. He's Frank    2:38
13. Alphaville    2:46
14. Eine Symphonie Des Grauens    2:23
15. Lester Leaps In    2:33
16. The Monochrome Set    2:20
17. Mr. Bizarro    2:52
18. He's Frank (Slight Return)    2:43
19. Silicon Carne    3:14
20. Fallout    2:57
21. Ten Don'ts For Honeymooners    2:55
22. Straits Of Malacca    3:19
23. J.D.H.A.N.E.Y.    3:22
24. Cast A Long Shadow    3:22
25. The Bridge    3:07
26. The Jet Set Junta    1:51

Flac Size: 527 MB

CD2.  RARITIES AND BBC SESSIONS - BBC RADIO 1's JOHN PEEL SHOW, 22 FEBRUARY 1979         

                     

           
01. Love Goes Down The Drain    2:43
02. Noise (Eine Kleine Symphonie)    2:03
03. Espresso    3:11
04. Fat Fun    1:28
05. Ici Les Enfants    2:39

BBC RADIO 1's JOHN PEEL SHOW, 6 SEPTEMBER 1979            

06. Martians Go Home    1:52
07. Fallout    2:26
08. Goodbye Joe    2:08
09. Strange Boutique    2:56
10. Viva Death Row    2:04

BBC RADIO 1'S JOHN PEEL SHOW, 23 APRIL 1980        
    
11. 405 Lines    3:06
12. Love Zombies    3:36

CAPITAL RADIO'S NICKY HORNE SHOW, JUNE 1980        
    
13. The Man With The Black Moustache    3:51

EMI SESSION, RECORDED MARCH 1981        
    
14. Fun For All The Family    3:07
15. The Ruling Class    3:08

DO IT RECORDS DEMO, RECORDED DECEMBER 1981        
    
16. Avanti    2:06

RARITIES        
    
17. Yo, Ho, Ho And Three Bottles Of Wine    4:49
18. Andiamo    3:01
19. Cowboy Country    3:38
20. Jacob’s Ladder    2:53
21. Inside Your Heart    2:30
22. White Noise    2:56
23. We Are Zarbie    3:10
24. I Don't Know    4:11
25. Flesh/Trash/Heat    2:03
26. Private Dick    3:59
27. It's More Than Just Love    2:58

Flac Size: 514 MB

CD3. FIN        

                   

    
01. He's Frank    2:39
02. Martians Go Home    2:05
03. Straits Of Malacca    3:13
04. Sugar Plum    3:10
05. B-I-D Spells Bid    2:30
06. Alphaville    2:30
07. Heaven Can Wait    2:45
08. Goodbye Joe    1:59
09. The Strange Boutique    4:36
10. The Strange Boutique (Reprise)    0:40
11. Jacob's Ladder    2:08
12. Wallflower    2:49
13. Apocalypso    3:17
14. Mr. Bizarro    2:36
15. I'll Scry Instead    2:47
16. Espresso    3:18
17. 405 Lines    2:42
18. Eine Symphonie Des Grauens    2:03
19. The Monochrome Set    5:13

BONUS TRACKS        

    
20. Up (1986 Demo)    3:15
21. Bid  –Reach For Your Gun    3:39
22. Bid – Love    3:39
23. Bid – Sweet Chariots    3:15

Flac Size: 435 MB

LINE - UP

                 

Bass, Vocals – Andrew Warren
Drums, Vocals – Lexington Crane
Guitar, Lead Vocals – Bid (Ganesh Seshadri)
Lead Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals – Lester Square

Locanda Delle Fate: Forse Le Luciole Non Si Amano Più 1977

 

Another great entry from Italy. Intricate and complex, melodic and enjoyable. The style is a symphonic

rock with arrangements and developments that make the most out of a rich and varied instrumentation. The delicate melodic work, shared by vocals, keyboards, guitars and flute, is supported by dynamic rhythms to create a sound that alternates from acoustic to electric.
           

1977's "Forse Le Lucciole Non Si Amano Piu" is a beautiful masterpiece that few other albums

can match. LOCANDA DELLE FATE were a 7-piece band consisting of two keyboardists, two guitarists, a bassist, a drummer, and a singer. Unfortunately, they began their careers as a band just as prog was starting to die in Italy.
       

After the album was released, the band found little to no demand for live performances and little

interest for their music. So after a short tour, and a couple of failed singles, they quit. The music here is colorful in a symphonic way, and emphasizes intensely melodic interaction from the various instruments.
                    

What really impresses me about this recording is the attention that went into detail. I'm still discovering new melodies, countermelodies, and harmonies every time the CD gets played. Themes are stated,

developed, go through variations, and resolved in such a majestic manner that it's tough to compare LDF to other bands. Leonardo Sasso, the singer, reminds me a bit of Ian ANDERSON. His voice is warm, and at times close to operatic. Overall, music doesn't get much better than this! Fans of lush, complex symphonic progressive rock will adore "Forse Le Lucciole Non Si Amano Piu". This cd is sort of a final fulfillment of the potential of the symphonic progressive rock style. A masterpiece!!!
                     

LINE - UP

                       

Leonardo Sasso / lead vocals
Alberto Gaviglio / electric, 12-string & acoustic guitars, vocals
Ezio Vevey / electric, 12-string & acoustic guitars, flute, vocals
Michele Conta / piano, electric piano, Polymoog synth, harpsichord, clavinet
Oscar Mazzoglio / Hammond organ, Fender electric piano, Moog & Polymoog synths
Luciano Boero / bass, Hammond organ
Giorgio Gardino / drums, vibraphone
                     

Locanda Delle Fate – Forse Le Lucciole Non Si Amano Più
Label: Polydor – 519 389-2, Mellow Records – 519 389-2
Format: CD, Reissue 1990
Country: Italy
Released: 1977
Genre: Rock
Style: Prog Rock

TRACKS

                    

01. A Volte Un Istante Di Quiete    6:30
02. Forse Le Lucciole Non Si Amano Più    9:49
03. Profumo Di Colla Bianca    8:23
04. Cercando Un Nuovo Confine    6:39
05. Sogno Di Estunno    4:40
06. Non Chiudere A Chiave Le Stelle    3:34
07. Vendesi Saggezza    9:36

BONUS TRACKS        

    
08. New York    4:32
09. Nuove Lune    4:14

Flac Size: 350 MB

Cykle - Featuring The Young Ones 1965 - 1970

 

Three bands are presented on this CD, covering a period more-or-less from 1965 to 1970. These sorts of albums typically take one of two forms; either a band is followed through a series of incarnations or it is a geographic compendium of various bands. That’s not the case with this album, however. The link between these three outfits – all of which underwent the archetypical personnel shifts during their existence – is one person. Jimmy Sossaman was a member of The Young Ones and a later version of The Rhodes Scholars. He was the primary song writer for those bands and for The Cykle. In addition, he acted as manager and producer for the bands. (It could be a comment of Mr. Sossaman’s modesty and commitment to the success of the groups that none of the groups ever used the moniker Jimmy Sossaman and The <fill in the band name.>)
                            

As stated in the line notes, The Young Ones and The Cykle (ne The Glory Cykle) were heavily influenced by the Brit Invasion. That’s apparent in the first track (“Too Much Lovin’) with its rhythm line sounding very Beatlesque. Reference is made to a rave-up version of ‘House of the Rising Sun’ and ‘Shake a Tail Feather,’ neither are to be found on this disc Instead, we get the only weak track on the album; ‘Harbor Melon’ which is a pure instrument cover of ‘Watermelon Man’ offered in a live-in-the-studio format. It was the B-side of a 45 with “’Too Much Lovin’” as the A-side. It’s possible the fan base would listen to “harbor Melon,’ but I doubt I would have done so but once. Cykle produced one album's worth of solid garage rock, and it certainly proves that the band was an enthusiastic bunch of musicians.
                                   

Sossaman became involved with The Cykle after The Young Ones ended due to ego, immaturity and crappy management (aka the satanic trinity of musical groups). He was the alpha to omega of this group, writing all their material, booking their shows and acting as the major domo. Another member tells of being fined for playing the aforementioned “Shake a Tail Feather” because Sossaman thought the lyrics too raunchy. During 1969, the band labored on a ten-song album, produced by Sossaman in his garage studio. The tracks how a transition underway. Unlike The Young Ones, where the Brit Invasion was the influence, this block of songs seems more based on the SF Bay sound. The organ is more in the forefront and there is much psychedelic jangle from the guitarist. We also see increased use of tempo shifts and extended outros.
                         

The album was not picked up by a label and The Cykle ended – or at least Sossaman’s role with them did. He accepted a job with a Charlotte recording studio as a staff drummer/producer. It appears he left after the album failure. The recording studio gig his brought him into contact with The Rhodes Scholars. We have but two songs by The Rhodes Scholars. The first is the Sossaman-penned “in My Dreams;” it is also on here as a demo. At this point The Rhodes Scholars were a sextet that included horns and had Sossaman as a non-member producer. Their version of the song is marred by a very tinny sound as if recorded off a 45. Stylistically,
                   

it is not unlike early Chicago Transit Authority albums with peppy jazz-influenced horns. The second recording (“What’s on Your Mind?” is a quartet with Sossaman on drums, but sans horns. The result is a classic rock sound appropriate for the time and place but nothing single worthy. It was a this point that fate intervened. Faced with the draft, Sossaman and another member returned to college for the exemption and played local gigs. In late 1970, the band was offered a three-month tour in Florida. The Young Ones did reunite in 1996 for a one-off reunion. What we are left with is some very good music typical of the period but missing that mysterious thing that brings success.
                        

Cykle – Featuring: The Young Ones
Label: Gear Fab Records – GF-106, Gear Fab Records – GF 106, Gear Fab Records – Gear Fab-106
Format: CD, Compilation, Remastered
Country: US
Released: 1997
Genre: Rock, Pop
Style: Garage Rock, Beat, Rhythm & Blues

TRACKS

                                

01. The Young Ones – Too Much Lovin'   2:12
Written-By – The Young Ones
02. The Young Ones – Harbor Melon   2:49
Arranged By – The Young Ones
Written-By – Trad.
03. Psychic Motion – Big Teaser   1:55
Written-By – Warwick, Sossamon, Hayes
04. Psychic Motion – It's You   2:14
Written-By – Warwick
05. Cykle – If You Can    2:40
06. Cykle – Walkout Of My Mind   2:13
Rhythm Guitar – Warwick
07. Cykle – Maiden Girl    3:06
08. Cykle – Walkin' Through My Mind    2:30
09. Cykle – A Little Faith   2:49
Backing Vocals – Carlton Warwick
10. Cykle – It's Her   2:01
Lead Vocals – Rick Wilson
11. Cykle – Lesson To Learn    3:14
12. Cykle – In Love My Friend    3:38
13. Cykle – Do My Thing   4:03
Piano – Yvonne Aiken Spencer
14. Cykle – What You Do To Me    7:26
15. Jimmy Sossamon–In My Dreams (Demo)   2:45
Piano, Guitar, Vocals – Jimmy Sossamon
16. The Rhodes Scholars – In My Dreams   3:49
Bass Guitar, Trombone – Bill Hartman
Drums, Vocals – Bob Whitfield
Keyboards, Lead Vocals – Steve McCrae
Lead Guitar, Vocals – Mike Emmitt
Saxophone, Vocals – Scott Beazley
Trumpet, Vocals – Ray Purvis
17. The Rhodes Scholars – What's On Your Mind   2:17
Bass Guitar, Vocals – Cleon Natty
Drums – Jimmy Sossamon
Keyboards, Lead Vocals – Steve McCrae
Lead Guitar, Vocals – John Wayne

LINE - UP

Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals – Grady Pope (tracks: 5 to 14)
Bass Guitar, Vocals – Johnny Hayes (tracks: 1 to 4)
Drums – Jimmy Sossamon (tracks: 1 to 14)
Lead Guitar, Lead Vocals – Carlton Warwick (tracks: 1 to 4)
Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals – Ralph Stephens (tracks: 5 to 14)
Lead Vocals – Ken Allen (tracks: 5 to 9, 11 to 14)
Organ – Dicky Britt (tracks: 1 to 4)
Organ, Backing Vocals – Rick Wilson (tracks: 5 to 14)
Piano, Harpsichord, Vibraphone – Jimmy Sossamon (tracks: 5 to 14)
Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals – Jeff Hardin (tracks: 5 to 14)
Rhythm Guitar, Vocals – Ronnie Baxley (tracks: 1 to 4)
Written-By – Sossamon (tracks: 5 to 17)

NOTES

Tracks 1 and 2 originally released as The Young Ones (8) - Too Much Lovin' / Harbor Melon
Tracks 3 and 4 originally released as Psychic Motion - Big Teaser
Tracks 5 to 14 originally released as Cykle - Cykle

Flac Size: 316 MB

Les Big Byrd: 3 Albums 2014 - 2022

 

Les Big Byrd is a psych-leaning indie act formed in Stockholm, Sweden around 2011 by Joakim

Åhlund and Frans Johansson. With their love for experimental rock sounds, the duo joined forces with former Fireside drummer Nino Keller and keyboardist Konie to create Les Big Byrd. The band's music is a blend of garage-flavored rock and electronic elements, showcasing their expertise as music heads and studio engineers.
                     

Joakim Åhlund and Frans Johansson were Two stalwarts of the Swedish underground music scene,

Åhlund was formerly in garage-flavored act the Caesars, played in Smile with Bjorn Yttling, and co-founded the more electronic project Teddybears. Johansson played bass in the dark indie rock band Fireside, who were signed for a time to Def American.
                     

In 2014, Les Big Byrd released their debut album "They Worshipped Cats", which was born out of

a chance encounter at a record store with Anton Newcombe from Brian Jonestown Massacre. This meeting led to an invitation to Newcombe's Berlin studios where they jammed together for several days. Alongside the album release, the band also put out the vinyl-only companion piece "Back to Bagarmossen 10". Both releases received critical acclaim and further established Les Big Byrd as an influential force in the Swedish underground music scene.
                      

Les Big Byrd played an expansive style of indie rock that leaned on psychedelic influences on the 2014 debut album They Worshipped Cats, while 2018's Iran Iraq Ikea welcomed synths and

Krautrock to their sound. When the duo began work on their next album, they sought out a producer, since handling that task while also trying to make the music was too much for Åhlund to handle. They chose Pete Kember (aka Sonic Boom) and began working in Stockholm. Newcombe also showed up to the sessions and it turned out he and Kember had very different production ideas. Their disagreements forced Åhlund to take on more responsibility, which was exactly the opposite of their plan.
                    

Understandably, the band grew frustrated with the situation and decided to pull the plug on the sessions.

After some time away, the duo started work on the album again in 2017, this time taking control themselves. The resulting Iran Iraq IKEA was released in late 2018 by Stockholm label PNKSLM. The title came from political graffiti they had seen in Germany and featured a sleeker, more ambitious sound that used more synths and at times verged on stadium indie.
                             

LES BIG BYRD - THEY WORSHIPPED CATS 2014

                         

Swedish psych rockers Les Big Byrd deliver a unique blend of minimal Krautrock-inspired one-chord riff glory and sinister rock from the darkest corners of the night on their masterfully produced debut full-length They Worshipped Cats. Newcombe's ( Brian Jonestown Massacre) involvement in the

project as a guest and mentor-like figure can be felt as well, if more so on the less Kraut-centric and more rocking tunes. The guttural wall of guitars and reverb-soaked vocals that make up "Back to Bagarmossen" have all the sinister swagger and palpable sense of danger as Brian Jonestown Massacre at their best. The combination of Motorik meditations and depraved madman rock culminates in an incredibly strong debut heavy on trippy textures, wandering synths, and remarkably tight production.
                

Les Big Byrd – They Worshipped Cats
Label: A Records – AUK11OCD
Format: CD, Album
Country: Sweden
Released: May 12, 2014
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Psychedelic Rock, Space Rock, Krautrock, Electro

TRACKS

                        

01. Indus Waves   4:54
Music By – Jonas Lundqvist, Les Big Byrd
Words By – Joakim Åhlund
02. Tinitus Aetérnum   4:51
Music By – Joakim Åhlund
03. They Worshipped Cats   4:49
Music By – Anton Newcombe, Les Big Byrd
04. Vi Borde Prata, Men Det Är För Sent   4:47
Music By – Anton Newcombe
Words By – Joakim Åhlund
05. Just One Time   4:01
Featuring – Maria Lindén
Music By – Joakim Åhlund
06. White Week   4:55
Music By – Joakim Åhlund
07. War In The Streets   4:27
Music By – Frans Johansson, Joakim Åhlund
Words By – Joakim Åhlund
08. 1,2,3,4 Morte   4:19
Music By – Joakim Åhlund
09. Back To Bagarmossen   4:34
Music By – Joakim Åhlund, Robin Keller
Words By – Joakim Åhlund

LINE - UP

                   

Frans Johansson
Joakim Åhlund
Martin "Konie" Ehrencrona
Nino Keller

NOTES

Featuring – Anton Newcombe (The Brian Jonestown Massacre) (tracks: 3, 4)
Maria Lindén (tracks: 5)

Flac Size: 257 MB

LES BIG BYRD - IRAN IRAQ IKEA 2018

               

PNKSLM Recordings are beyond excited to announce the second full length from Stockholm's

Les Big Byrd. Consisting of Jocke Åhlund, Nino Keller, Frans Johansson & Martin "Konie" Ehrencrona, Les Big Byrd have been consistently one of the most exciting bands at the forefront of the Swedish music scene. Following on from 2014's "The Worshipped Cats" LP (A Recordings), Iran Iraq IKEA showcases the band perfectly with their strongest collection of songs yet. Les Big Byrd's second album "Iran Iraq IKEA" has been one of the best out of Sweden in 2018.
               

Les Big Byrd – Iran Iraq IKEA
Label: PNKSLM – PNKSLM052
Format: CD, Album
Country: Sweden
Released: Oct 12, 2018
Genre: Rock
Style: Indie Rock, Krautrock, Synth-pop, Psychedelic, Space Rock

TRACKS

               

01. Geräusche    6:03
02. I Tried So Hard    7:03
03. A Little More Numb    6:14
04. Pink Freud    3:39
05. I Fucked Up I Was A Child    4:43
06. I've X-ed Myself From Your World    2:06
07. Eon    4:36
08. Interlude    0:28
09. Mannen Utanför    7:05

Flac Size: 261 MB

LES BIG BYRD - ETERNAL BRIGADE 2022

           

A motorik beat (Motorik is the 4/4 beat often used by, and heavily associated with, krautrock bands) with poppy keyboard elements and classic rock guitar stylings creates a unique style. Eternal Light Brigade continues this same trend. At times you can dance to tracks like “I Used To Be Lost

But Now I’m Just Gone”. Then on Katamaran its straight up Motorik with an acoustic guitar and some Wah Wah on the electric. Another change of pace follows with an acoustic folky number with some piano solo on “Sunspots”. I think the band is at it’s best when they pick up the pace a bit on tracks like “Wasting My Life Is Taking Forever” One of the few bands where you actually get to listen to the lyrics, there is always a dark side to the words that makes me think this guy isnt well but maybe that’s just his style.
                    

Les Big Byrd – Eternal Light Brigade
Label: Chimp Limbs – CL010 CD
Format: CD, Album
Country: Sweden
Released: Dec 2, 2022
Genre: Rock
Style: Psychedelic Rock

TRACKS

                   

01. Eyes Like Dead Stars
02. I Used To Be Lost But Now I'm Just Gone
03. Katamaran
04. Sunspots
05. Feels Like Wasting My Life Is Taking Forever
06. I Gave It All Up For You
07. Desolation Raga
08. Falling And Never Hitting The Bottom
09. September Endless

LINE - UP

                     

Band [Les Big Byrd], Bass Guitar, Percussion – Frans Johansson
Band [Les Big Byrd], Drums, Percussion, Synthesizer – Nino Keller
Band [Les Big Byrd], Vocals, Guitar, Synthesizer – Joakim Åhlund
Featuring, Flute – Per Ruskträsk Johansson
Featuring, Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer – Jesper Nordenström
Featuring, Organ, Synthesizer – Björn Yttling
Featuring, Synthesizer, Keyboards – Christian Olsson

Flac Size: 487 MB