Tag: big takeover

The Safe Distance at Big Takeover

Adding to his super-extensive discography, Boyracer’s Stewart Anderson joins Sarandon’s Crayola andDavid Nichols from Cannanes and Huonfor an indie pop extravaganza spanning three continents (North American, Europe and Australia, respectively) and heavily rooted in the psychedelic garage rock of the second Nuggets box set. Opening with the fuzzy, snaking guitar line of “Hey You,” a… Continue reading The Safe Distance at Big Takeover

Crayon at Big Takeover

Out of print almost immediately after it was released, Crayon’s sole full-length, one of Sebadoh founder Lou Barlow’s top ten albums of 1994, finally receives its first reissue – on vinyl, no less. Brick Factory teeters between charismatic inept indie pop and early Nirvana distortion. Snotty melodic sing-a-longs voiced by bassist Sean Tollefson (pre-Tullycraft) merge… Continue reading Crayon at Big Takeover

Hobbes Fanclub at Big Takeover (print)

The moniker of this coed Bradford, England trio’s album may insinuate something like vintage ZZ Top, but that’s light years off course. HFC bowed in 2012 with the outstanding “Your Doubting Heart” single, aesthetically fulfilling the promise of by-gone no-hit wonders from their home turf’s C86 indie scene 25 years ago. Up follows suit with… Continue reading Hobbes Fanclub at Big Takeover (print)

The Primitives at Big Takeover

Triumphantly returning after their 1992 demise, Coventry, UK’s The Primitives deliver their first full-length of original songs in twenty-two years. Spin-O-Rama finds the band in top form, stripping down to the bare essentials that made the band so great in the first place. Taking a step away from the noisy Jesus and Mary Chain/Ramones attack of their earlier… Continue reading The Primitives at Big Takeover

Throwing Muses at Big Takeover

A whole year after its initial release as book and CD, Throwing Muses’ epic ninth studio album finally sees a proper vinyl release. While not as extensively packaged as the CD, this LP version of Purgatory/Paradiseserves as an exquisite companion to it for those who prefer their music on 12” plastic rather than compact discs. Musically,… Continue reading Throwing Muses at Big Takeover

The Black Watch at Big Takeover (print)

One of Jack Rabid’s top picks in the latest print edition: John Andrew Fredrick intends this as the final tBW LP, which is understandable on a commercial, not artistic level. Perhaps the even dozen he’s eked out to negligible notice since 1988 with various LA lineups will become cult/collector crazes someday hence; whatever, let’s salute… Continue reading The Black Watch at Big Takeover (print)

Close Lobsters at Big Takeover (print)

Somewhat overlooked during their initial run during the late 80s, Glasgow’s Close Lobsters mined the same vein of jangly, frenetic C86 guitar pop as many of their fellow countrymen. They recorded just two albums, Foxheads Stalk This Land (1987) and Headache Rhetoric (1989), before calling it a day, but fortunately, they’ve regrouped and now issued their… Continue reading Close Lobsters at Big Takeover (print)

Joanna Gruesome at Big Takeover (print)

JG are a bunch of hardcore kids who grew up and decided to play indie pop. That might be an overly simplistic description, but sonically its pretty accurate. Their tracks on this split, the Gruesomes’ first post-Werid Sister release, finds them toning down their aggressive side and focusing more on the sugarysweetness with bubbly, hook-laden… Continue reading Joanna Gruesome at Big Takeover (print)

Joanna Gruesome/Trust Fund at Big Takeover

Now gaining momentum after the success of their debut album, Cardiff, Wales-based Joanna Gruesome return with three new songs backed by some friends from Brighton, Trust Fund. “Jerome (Liar)” opens the Gruesome side with a punch. Aberrantly noisy within a spunky melodicism, it’s a quick bit of punk to get things rolling. An alternate version… Continue reading Joanna Gruesome/Trust Fund at Big Takeover