C86: Redux

Now I'm older enough to remember C86 the first time around and having been (amongst others) a huge aficionado of jangly guitars (with and without a little bit of added fuzz box) and female vocals. So I'm familiar with a number of artists who've cut their teeth on the Bay Area's Slumberland Records (The Pain of Being Young at Heat, The Aislers Set, Liechtenstein, Dum Dum Girls and Frankie Rose to name but a few). 

As to Veronica Falls, well I'm guessing I can thank LastFM's radio station algorithm for pointing me in their direction (OK, so just like Pandora, it's a bit hit and miss at times - "Like Bettie Serveert? Then you must like Golden Earring..." Why? 'cos they're Dutch?)

However, even though I wasn't sure my aged frame could handle gigs on consecutive nights, and even though it would be only 24 hours after catching a spell-binding set from the working man's Poet Laureate ("I don't make Pottery. I move the 'e' and lose a 't' and write Poetry"), the Big-Nosed Bard of Barking, Mr Billy Bragg, Esq, when I discovered that London's Veronica Falls were headlining a triumvirate of Slumberland Records' roster at the Troubadour on Santa Monica Blvd Friday evening (and all for only $13 - or about 8 quid in real money - bargain!!!) it was a no brainer... 

First up our Glasgow's Golden Grrrls, who unfortunately suffered from the curse of being bottom of the bill, playing to a (more) than half-empty venue and fighting a losing battle with the sound system... Still having spun their eponymous album via Spotify (the $0.01 royalty cheque is undoubtedly in the post) there's more than a hint of Girls at our Best, and Talulah Gosh in the Glaswegian trio, and if they're playing in a town near you they're well worth checking out. 

San Francisco's Brilliant Colors have been around a little longer and are certainly more assured on stage. If lead singer / guitarist Jesse Stone strapped her guitar any higher she's probably strangle herself, but boy if you're an aficionado of tight jangly guitar driven pop, you could do a lot worse. There's a legacy of Postcard's finest and influences drawn from a range of diverse female bands (From the criminally under-rated Dolly Mixture through to La Sera) as well as the usual suspects from Slumberland's illustrious past. Seriously, why didn't this band appeared on my musical horizon earlier? Brilliant Colors are touring the UK in April and come highly recommended (by me anyway). 

By the time Veronica Falls hit the stage, the venue had definitely filled out and there was a palpable buzz of anticipation. No nerves here as the band launched straight into "Tell Me", driven by Patrick Doyle's tight percussion and crystal vocals of Roxanne Clifford. Ably backed by co-vocalist James Hoare and soon to be birthday-girl Marion Herbain plucking a mean bass, the band whizzed through a 14-song set which was over before it began!  "Heartbeat", "Beachy Head" and the thumping "Found Love in a Graveyard" (to which Roxanne and Jame's vocals always remind me of Helen McCallum and Carl Evans from another band from my "yoof", The Chefs) were all delivered with gusto and as for "Come on Over", I love the way how on record this always reminds me of how The Damned's "Smash it Up" segues from Part I to Part II , but live the band just took it to the next level. 

All in all this was a stunning performance from a band, who if there is any justice, have a great future ahead of them. 

Seriously, is there is a better purveyor of Indie Pop practising today than Veronica Falls? I don't think so.

Golden Grrrls Website 
Brilliant Colors Website 
Veronica Falls Website