Black Watch at Snilch Report

The Black Watch began in 1987, the brainchild of primary songwriter and frontman John Andrew Fredrick.  The band history until 2011 is detailedhere; their 2013 album was my favorite of that year.  This interview took place over email in January 2015 into February. The Snilch Report:  I just listened to the album [2014’s sugarplum fairy, sugarplum… Continue reading Black Watch at Snilch Report

Black Watch at Examiner

The Black Watch is a long standing labor of love for John Andrew Fredrick. He has consistently churned out quality lo-fi music for god knows how long while building a devout legion of fans in the process. Hanging out below mainstream music’s radar has become Frederick’s home as he treats listeners to songs that fit… Continue reading Black Watch at Examiner

Black Watch at Big Takeover

After the departure of six-year guitarist/vocalist, Steven Schayer (The Chills), The Black Watch’s mainstay, John Andrew Fredrick went into a studio with drummer Luke Adams to make an album almost entirely by himself. Sugarplum Fairy, Sugarplum Fairy is so memorably melodic, yet enthusiastically noisy. Buried beneath Fredrick’s brilliant pop stories rests an undercurrent of distortion,… Continue reading Black Watch at Big Takeover

Black Watch at All Music

Named after an obscure John Lennon quip on an outtake of A Day in the Life, Sugarplum Fairy, Sugarplum Fairy is the 18th record by prolific L.A. indie stalwarts the Black Watch. At this point in their 26-year career, the band is (and generally has been) essentially singer/songwriter John Andrew Fredrick, who plays every instrument… Continue reading Black Watch at All Music

Black Watch at When You Motor Away

The Black Watch is a long-standing cult band founded by John Andrew Fredrick in the late ’80s.  They have released a number of LPs with various line-ups.  The one constant is Fredrick — singer, songwriter and, forSugarplum Fairy, Sugarplum Fairy, the sole musician for all instruments other than drums.  I confess to being thoroughly impressed by… Continue reading Black Watch at When You Motor Away

Eureka California / Black Watch / Primitives at The POP! Stereo

18) The Black Watch – Sugarplum Fairy, Sugarplum Fairy These guys have been kicking around forever.  They’ve never really gotten the respect they deserve but over the course of their career have been fairly consistent when it comes to producing very good pseudo-noise pop with an 80’s British pop feel. Sugarplum Fairy, Sugarplum Fairy is… Continue reading Eureka California / Black Watch / Primitives at The POP! Stereo