― Matt O'Malley, Sunday, 4 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― keith, Monday, 5 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Tim, Monday, 5 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Rob M, Monday, 5 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
I heard little Moonshake after Ms Fiedler left; Laika went on to become something of an obsession of mine - dragging indie-pop friends to Young Gods shows in Wolverhampton just because they were supporting, almost going to see Radiohead in '97 for the same reason - that kind of madcap, zany behaviour.
And "Good-Looking Blues" isn't *awful* - the weakest of the three LPs, but come on... "Widow's Weeds"? "Go Fish"? "Knowing Too Little"?
― Michael Jones, Monday, 5 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Sterling Clover, Monday, 5 March 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Leigh Hawkins, Wednesday, 24 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link
― christhamrin (christhamrin), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 18:39 (nineteen years ago) link
NOTHING!!!
(it is a great album though)
― ddb, Wednesday, 26 May 2004 18:44 (nineteen years ago) link
― christhamrin (christhamrin), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 18:51 (nineteen years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 19:04 (nineteen years ago) link
W/the horns and the breaks and that chick doing what she does!
Oh, to be me in the early nineties...
― christhamrin (christhamrin), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 19:23 (nineteen years ago) link
― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 20:07 (nineteen years ago) link
― kyle (akmonday), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 20:16 (nineteen years ago) link
― christhamrin (christhamrin), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 20:24 (nineteen years ago) link
― christhamrin (christhamrin), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 20:29 (nineteen years ago) link
― keith m (keithmcl), Thursday, 27 May 2004 02:03 (nineteen years ago) link
― Ernest P. (ernestp), Thursday, 27 May 2004 02:49 (nineteen years ago) link
THAT BASS is great!!! "Tar Baby" is another awesome 90s song!
― Drugs A. Money, Thursday, 13 March 2008 14:06 (sixteen years ago) link
I used to love all the lps on Too Pure. Moonshake was great. Not so sure it was underrated. I place them on the scale somewhere near AMP's mid-90s releases for Kranky, Laika (of course), and other labelmates Pram.
― U-Haul, Thursday, 13 March 2008 14:28 (sixteen years ago) link
I still think 'Big Good Angel' was their finest hour
― braveclub, Thursday, 13 March 2008 15:29 (sixteen years ago) link
Listening to The Sound Your Eyes Can Follow for the first time and holy fuck why isn't this more feted? Sounds AMAZING to my ears.
― Tim F, Thursday, 10 December 2009 00:58 (fourteen years ago) link
I never actually heard any of the post-split Moonshake records (guessing this isn't uncommon, Laika seemed to have the higher profile.)
― Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Thursday, 10 December 2009 01:01 (fourteen years ago) link
The Sound... is a bit less impressive than Laika rhythmically but the textures are pretty amazing, lots of totally unhinged jazzy sound samples piled on top of one another to the point of collapse.
― Tim F, Thursday, 10 December 2009 01:12 (fourteen years ago) link
How prevalent are Callahan's vocals? That was always my biggest issue with his half(s) of the earlier Moonshake record.
― Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Thursday, 10 December 2009 01:21 (fourteen years ago) link
As prevalent as before, pretty much...
― Tim F, Thursday, 10 December 2009 01:53 (fourteen years ago) link
everything after eva luna has that smoothed out vibe to it. part of the appeal, at least for me, of eva luna is the idea that it is all about to implode. maybe it was guy fixsen who was key. i hope he's mixed the new Klima record.
― keythhtyek, Thursday, 10 December 2009 02:56 (fourteen years ago) link
The Sound... was a Wire Winner back when it was released. So, at least it was feted at the time.
― henry s, Thursday, 10 December 2009 12:55 (fourteen years ago) link
there seems to be a real divide between the male and female-led tracks here. his songs bring a jagged Gang of Four vibe to the plate, while hers have a routinely moody and hypnotic feel to them, obscure with cluttered instrumentation and voice-from-the-adjacent-room effect. i can't quite work out which approach i prefer, but the fact that both sides exist, signals them as a hell of an interesting band.
― charlie h, Thursday, 4 October 2012 12:35 (eleven years ago) link
great album! listening to it now for the first time. reminds me of the Too Pure stuff i like.
― scott seward, Monday, 1 April 2013 18:10 (ten years ago) link
Any ideas why the UK and US versions had their sides swapped over, so the UK side one was US side two etc?
― Rob M Revisited, Monday, 1 April 2013 18:33 (ten years ago) link
i dunno but the 11th song on my copy is so awesome. the guitars rule!
― scott seward, Monday, 1 April 2013 18:37 (ten years ago) link
still buzzing off this album
― charlie h, Thursday, 16 May 2013 14:12 (ten years ago) link
Gee I guess I should really revisit! Every revive is gushing on this thread.
― Evan, Thursday, 16 May 2013 15:34 (ten years ago) link
This is their best album yeah
― Just noise and screaming and no musical value at all. (Colonel Poo), Thursday, 16 May 2013 15:38 (ten years ago) link
How strange I never posted on this thread! I will always remember them and their live show in 1993 at the Palladium in LA opening for PJ Harvey on a three band bill. (Middle band: Radiohead. What a world.)
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 16 May 2013 15:53 (ten years ago) link
If you like the guitars and the Dave Callahan songs on this album, it's well worth checking out Attitude, which was the last record by his previous band, the Wolfhounds. By that stage in their career (1989/90), they'd moved right away from what most people would associate them with (i.e. 'Anti-Midas Touch', the C86 scene and generally sounding a bit like the Fall), they were on more of a Sonic Youth kick instead, but unlike most of their contemporaries here, they were doing so in a totally wideawake and non-shoegazey way (maybe it was this that led to them being totally ignored at the time?). Anyhow, some of my favourite multi-guitar-pile-up sounds of the era. The best songs (Vertical Grave, Celeste) aren't on Youtube, but this one is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY7b3AxATjw
― dschinghis kraan (NickB), Thursday, 16 May 2013 16:26 (ten years ago) link
That's awesome... I wish I could preview a bit more of that album.
― Evan, Thursday, 16 May 2013 17:03 (ten years ago) link
(Wolfhounds)
― Evan, Thursday, 16 May 2013 17:04 (ten years ago) link
I got to play this "out", as I believe the young people say - well, "Little Thing", at a little DJ night my pal runs. Still can't work out the track order from the sleeve or label to this day.
― Michael Jones, Thursday, 16 May 2013 17:15 (ten years ago) link
Big Dave C is big in the birdwatching world these days:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2011/dec/12/david-callahan-big-year
― Position Position, Thursday, 16 May 2013 18:02 (ten years ago) link
not sure why but i was aware of that somehow.
― dschinghis kraan (NickB), Thursday, 16 May 2013 18:09 (ten years ago) link
they did have a song called beautiful pigeon so there you go
I recall back in '95 he used to work behind the counter at one of the Music & Video Exchange shops in London, so I'd guess he will be a lot happier with his current career.
― Damo Suzuki's Parrot, Thursday, 16 May 2013 18:40 (ten years ago) link
I just woke up from a short, very lucid, and I dare say accurate, dream about when Margeret Fiedler left Moonshake to form Laika. She took all the keyboards, strapped to her back, but could not take any horns because they were too bulky.
That is all.
― Tim F, Wednesday, 9 April 2014 13:11 (nine years ago) link
I just stumbled on this thread and decided to give it a go on youtube-- this guy's voice is a monstrosity, the girl is trying to be spooky. The lyrics are kind of bad puddles of oil spill water. The band sounds really great, the rhythms are pretty nice, but UGH UGH UGH. It hurts! I'M DISAPPOINTED, YOU GUYS.
― a.mags (The_Horse_With_No_Name(tag)), Thursday, 10 April 2014 03:02 (nine years ago) link
Whatever. I unabashedly love Eva Luna. One if my favorite bass guitar albums of all time.
― lolipsism (Drugs A. Money), Thursday, 10 April 2014 10:51 (nine years ago) link
My god Big Good Angel is amazing.
― Tim F, Saturday, 26 July 2014 12:09 (nine years ago) link
Just discovered this album and period singles/EPs. Brilliant stuff, Dave's vocals grew on me surprisingly fast. Always loved Margaret.
Listening to the second album, it's at least half amazing and may very well win me over.
I need more fucked up shit like this in my life.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Wednesday, 10 February 2016 01:52 (eight years ago) link
Reissue on the way...
Approving Eva Luna reissue artwork at Beggars Group on Monday. Yes, it's all on the way, now ... pic.twitter.com/0CC0fuWFxg— Moonshake (@moonshake666) November 23, 2022
― city worker, Wednesday, 30 November 2022 16:18 (one year ago) link
Very exciting!! And the second album, "The Sound Your Eyes Can Follow", won me over quickly as well. Great jazz-not-jazz vibe. I never could find the love for "Dirty & Divine" though.
Dave Callahan has released a pair of amazing solo albums in the past year or so, definitely worth checking out: https://davidlancecallahan.bandcamp.com/album/english-primitive-ihttps://davidcallahan.bandcamp.com/album/english-primitive-ii
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Wednesday, 30 November 2022 17:16 (one year ago) link
Floored by the Peel session (transmitted two months after it was recorded, a lag longer than normal?).
Too Pure OTM.
― Andy K, Saturday, 14 October 2023 01:40 (five months ago) link