the swirlies- C/D?????

I only have Blonder Tongue Audio Baton, but that's great. I saw them live supporting the Lilys at Spaceland when I was in LA in '03. I don't think they still had the girl singer in the band.

I always thought the Swirlies deserved more attention.

Maybe you just hate ostriches, Ned.

Mind you, the Lilies' first album -- in comparison -- was FAR more derivative of MBV, and now they're just very derivative of, well, the Kinks and the Monkees -- for better or worse (excusing the one-off Darla Bliss Out thingie). And need I mention Loveless Records?

I have the photos of you and the ostrich, sir. Don't tempt me.

The Lilys, meanwhile...just, no.

i like "what to do..." the best. haven't heard it in years.

also seems weird to compare them with seefeel since they were doing completely different things.

True, but it's the MBVgaze connection that existed with both which I was thinking of -- the comparison was random and leapt out at me as I was thinking about this thread, but it makes sense in my case because I first heard about them the same year (1993 -- and indeed it was Mr. Donut who turned me onto the Swirlies in the first place in our salad days at KUCI) and reflects two differing ways in using the impulse, one of which still holds much strength for me (Quique ended up in my 136 list) and one of which is less so. I'm not saying that gaze was the core necessarily of all they did, mind you!

well, see ned, the swirlies were an AMERICAN band, so...

Saw them at the Indie Rock Flea Market in Clarendon, VA back in '96 or '97 and was amazed by their superdistorted keyboards, a concept I had never thought of before and which I promptly ripped off in a bunch of terrible 4-track recordings.

Precisely the problem! No dance beats! *flees in haste*

Actually Seefeel were probably the proto electronic/gaze band by default, though folks like Ulrich Schnauss and the like aren't quite in the same vein.

I don't really think of any of them sounding anything too much like each other. I guess maybe on first listen, but I feel some of the comparisons on this thread are similar to those way-offbase "Mogwai is a Slint rip-off" comparisons. I think there is even a thread about "common band comparisons that are untrue" in the archives.

L-I-L-Y-S.

this has been a public service announcement from yours truly.

hahaha um i heard one of those comparisons from a colleague at work yesterday. y'know, at the place, like, that puts out mogwai's records.

I've only heard Quique. I heard it when it was released and I've revisited it recently, and it doesn't do anything for me. I'm not sure if its just aged poorly or if it's lacking substance. I like ambient approaches just fine, but it seems to me that Seefeel isn't all that good at it.

Should I be listening to some other release?

i dunno, but i don't use the staff toilet.

The Swirlies are my favorite band. They exhibit shoegazey guitar techniques overall, but are way more varied than any other "shoegaze" band (Their 2003 album only had one song with a shoegazey guitar part...). Writing them off as one is a bit dismissive of everything they do that was or is original.

Why aren't they recognized as one of the best bands of the nineties??

Because they were not famous and did not do blow.

HAHA did Yo La Tengo do blow? Pavement?

Either way, not fair.

I will give these guys a li'l listen.

I recommend "In Harmony New Found Freedom" as a song to check out.

lol I started with the album that song is on and it has already pleasured me

in fact this is a good album so far

I loved them at the time too, but I think their lack of fame comes down to small number of real albums and meh live shows. Nightblooms have a better claim to the "90's overlooked semi-shoegazers" title. Maybe Jennyanykind too. Not to say that Swirlies aren't great.

This is *really* good! "Sterling Moss" just blew me away and I gather the final stretch is even better...

Shit, great album.

louis try the first ep it will blow your ~~~~mind~~~~

OK, am trying.

Is ~~~~(x)~~~~ a thing now?

Am getting strong Mercury Rev vibes off this earlier stuff.

Massively overrated band, this.

This is quite good. "Upstairs" probably the highlight thus far. Not on the same level as that Salons album.

everything they did was brilliant up to "...salons"

Ended up listening to that mid-career EP and "House of Pancake" rules

Not overrated... not enough people care or even know about the Swirlies to say that they're overrated, come on.

Guy- if you are into "House of Pancake" and everything else don't forget about Blonder Tongue Audio Baton. And yes "Upstairs" is the best song off of What To Do About Them!

Cats of the Wild Volume Two is also worth checking out up to track 6 or 7. My favorite song on there is "Sleepytime." Gorgeous and messy- my favorite combination.

"Two Girls Kissing" is the massive summer jam I needed around now

Agreed. "Wrong Tube" is one of the best too. I saw them live in February and it was the only one they didn't play that I really really wanted them too.

Yeah, I know I won't shut up about them.

"Ned, I think you caught the Swirlies circa Blonder Tongue Audio Baton, which would make sense.. I think that album is over-criticized personally (I mean, how many "shoe-gazy" albums sampled Raymond & Peter?), but it was the most derivative of all their releases. They Spent... was definitely Damon and co. honing his production craft... and a step away from MBV-land."

This is totally true, though What To Do About Them is probably more derivative.

ya, "Tall Ships" esp. is a dead ringer for late-80s MBV (not that I'm complaining, mind you).

wait the swirlies are opening for kurt vile on some of his current tour dates?!??!

i wasn't paying attention because i'm not a huge kurt vile guy but i would have considered going to the chicago show just to see the swirlies

Oh awesome! Yes, go. They'll be very loud though.

too late! the show here was a couple of weeks ago. i saw them once at a weird indie festival in a parking lot in virginia in like 96 or 97.

What do you mean? All the dates are listed in July.

oh duh. misread the dates. well good for me i guess!

Continuing our series of odd-year re-appearances, Swirlies will be opening for Kurt Vile and the Violators on the following dates:

07/09/2013 Cleveland Heights, OH / Grog Shop
07/10/2013 Detroit, MI / Magic Stick
07/11/2013 Chicago, IL / Metro
07/12/2013 Indianapolis, IN / The Vogue
07/14/2013 Nashville, TN / Mercy Lounge
07/15/2013 Birmingham, AL / The Bottletree
07/16/2013 Atlanta, GA / Terminal West
07/17/2013 Asheville, NC / The Grey Eagle
07/18/2013 Carrboro, NC / Cat's Cradle
07/19/2013 Charlottesville, VA / Jefferson Theater
07/20/2013 Washington, DC / 9:30 Club
The line-up will be Damon Tutunjian with long-time members Rob Laakso (who is also one of the Violators), Deb Warfield (Pure Sunray), and Adam Pierce (Mice Parade), plus some fresh blood in the form of Elliott Malvas (You’re Jovian, Suburban Living) on bass. Other current & former sneaky fluters could be joining in along the way. We may also be playing a few shows after the 20th in the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast – more on that later. See you there!

Yeah, I'm hoping they come a little closer to New York again after the 20th!

And they are!

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2013/05/swirlies_openin.html#more