(ojo001) A Sunny Day in Glasgow Scribble Mural Comic Journal
1. Wake Up Pretty
2. No. 6 Von Karman Street
3.A Mundane Phonecall to Jack Parsons
4. Our Change into Rain is No Change at All (Talkin’ ’bout Us)
5. Ghost in the Graveyard
6. 5:15 Train
7. Lists, Plans
8. C’mon
9.The Horn Song
10. Panic Attacks are what Make Me “Me”
11. Watery (Drowning is just Another Word for Being Burried Alive Under Water)
12.Things Only I Can See
13.The Best Summer Ever
It all began as the bedroom projects of Ben Daniels and Ever Nalens. Ben moved to London, England for a girl and wound up just walking around a lot. Moving to Glasgow, Scotland to go to art school, Ever didn’t realize there was a place on earth, outside of the poles, where the sun might not be visible for weeks at a time. He was completely unprepared for the effects of this upon his state of mind. Suffice it to say, sunny days in Glasgow had a profound impact on him. Returning to Philadelphia deeply affected by their respective experiences, the two began collaborating on little recordings made with radio shack microphones in Ben’s apartment.
After a while Ever gave up to focus on pictures, but Ben continued on, bringing in his sister, Robin, on vocals. After another short while, sister Lauren was brought in to fill out the sound and the group began to record in earnest on Ben’s new laptop with a nice new condenser mic. In March of 2006 they self-released an EP titled, “The Sunniest Day Ever”, which was met with a great deal more radio-play and press than any of them had ever expected. The ensuing attention motivated the three to record like crazy and the end result was edited and assembled to create the band’s debut LP, “Scribble Mural Comic Journal”.
Using mandolins, banjos, noise, samplers, lots of cuttin’ n pastin’, and all of the normal band instruments, Philadelphia’s A Sunny Day in Glasgow adds lush female vocals and dance-y rhythms to make dreamy pop music. Distorted guitars alongside Robin and Lauren’s vocals glisten for thirteen storied tracks on “Scribble Mural Comic Journal.” The album succeeds in marrying Cocteau Twins’ other-wordliness, JAMC white noise, the best aspects of early Aphex Twin, and the jangle of “Strawberry Wine” era MBV to create pop music that somehow makes sense despite making no sense.
(ojo002) A Sunny Day in Glasgow Tout New Age
1. They Made My Baby Care About Things that Didn’t Matter
2. Laughter (Victims)
3. Summerlong Silences
4. The Ossifrage (Tout New Age)
5. Take Care of Yourself (Our Next Breath Will Be Our Last)
6. Yellow
7. Shame, Who Wouldn’t Think It’s Evil? (Let’s Get Beat-Up)
8. Hugs & Kisses (Theme from A Sunny Day in Glasgow)
A Sunny Day in Glasgow recorded about 30 songs for their critically acclaimed debut LP Scribble Mural Comic Journal but only 13 made it onto that record. Ben moved from Philadelphia to Montreal days after completing the record and it wasn’t until his recent return to Philly that he had the opportunity to revisit those tracks left on the cutting room floor. Reunited with sisters Lauren and Robin, Ben was able to put the finishing touches on a number of promising songs and the result has been assembled in the form of TOUT NEW AGE, in time for ASDIG’s first full-on US tour this summer. The only track previously available is a 2 minute slice of heaven titled “Victims (Laughter)” culled from their now out of print EP The Sunniest Day Ever.
TNA is a homespun EP and will only be available for purchase in its physical form at shows and on July 10th it can be purchased digitally at iTunes, eMusic, Insound, Other Music and many others. At 8 tracks and just over 30 minutes, the EP is longer than some LPs and is admittedly somewhat of a hodgepodge collection. Opening with the meandering “They Made My Baby Care…” this collection continues in the tradition of SMCJ but quickly changes course. While swirling guitars and masked vocals remain prevalent, “Summerlong Silences” skips atop a fractured breakbeat. Canons fire off the urgent pleas of “The Ossifrage” while no conventional tuning or song structure give way to “Shame…” and “Take Care…” By the EP’s end, it is obvious that vocals are more on display than ever before. “Hugs & Kisses” (with the Daniels’ mom guesting on piano!) is a straight up pop gem with nods to Broadcast but with the twists and turns you’ve come to expect from ASDIG.
We are all very fond of these songs and glad we are able to get them out there. These songs mark the end of time and space for SMCJ era ASDIG and clear the way for what comes next. History is lewd, yet purposive. Tout new age.
(ojo003) The Battle of Land and Sea s/t
1. Saltwater Queen
2. Birdsong
3. The Beautiful Ones
4. Harden My Heart
5. Six Days
6. I Built The Sea
7. Lady
8. You Are A Sailor
To describe the sound of The Battle of Land and Sea, one might call up images of abandoned sea-worn ships floating through a thick coastal fog. And upon first listen you might call to mind Cat Power, or the soft glow of Songs of Green Pheasant. But eventually, you start to hear what makes the music of Portland based Sarah O’Shura so special. You get a glimpse of a world through the eyes of someone on a musical pilgrimage, whether the tales are laden with sorrow or joy, they are enchanting and hopeful.
Growing up in a remote northern Californian town as an only child definitely left its stamp on Sarah’s imagination. Taking piano and clarinet lessons was the extent of her musical experience until taking up guitar and singing in a band at the age of 19. Fast forward through years of day jobs, bands beginning and ending, shows, recording, and we are nearly there. The Battle of Land and Sea sprouted from a prolific weekend of songwriting and recording while holed up with said imagination and a four track at home. Sarah began recording as The Battle of Land and Sea in early 2006, with her delicate, sparse songwriting at the center and seeking like minded musical characters to help narrate the journey. Recording with long time musical partner Joshua Canny on electric guitar, a beautifully patient album that begs for repeated late night listens was created. Six of the eight tracks on this debut full-length stem from a hand sewn EP the band self-released in early 2007 and revisited for this release. Jacob Golden produced the album at his home studio in the summer of 2006 and spring of 2007, seasoning the home spun vibe and intimate songs perfectly. Mixing took place in both London and Silverlake, lending some cross Atlantic perspective, which makes sense considering the seafaring thread.
While Sarah remains a bit mysterious about her upbringing and what forged the musical veil, what we do get to know are the songs. The tracks unfurl like pages torn out of a memoir, at times autobiographical, at times phantasmagoric. Leaving the listener to discern what is fact and what is fiction, what it most clear is that all the songs come from common truths about love, loss and triumph.
The Battle of Land and Sea have spent the better half of 2007 planting roots. They’ve found a home with indie label Mis Ojos Discos, been a featured artist on MySpace and their new hometown of Portland has embraced them with open arms. With the worldwide release in January 2008, The Battle of Land and Sea will be touring North America and the UK in clubs and living rooms spreading the quiet word.