The Pillbugs 'Everybody Wants A Way Out' (Rainbow Quartz, 2008)
Pills, thrills and bellyaches
There is always something a little disconcerting about a bunch of middle-aged rockers fiddling with delays and valve amps in search of that long lost Barrett melody or forgotten Kaleidoscope gem. It inevitably ends up in some sour psych stew of ill-fitting paisley shirts and greying sideburns. Yet, and I draw on the great Welsh zoom-rockers Man for hope here, it doesn’t have to be that way.
The Pillbugs, purveyors of all things psych-pop since the late 90s, are another band in question who manage to avoid that ever-alluring pastiche pound. Shrouded in sadness – founder member Mark Kelley passed away as the album was being made – 'Everybody Wants A Way Out' is nonetheless a joyous and incredibly uplifting record that will appeal to anyone whose favourite Saturday night in entails a bag of 'shrooms and the whole of Red Dwarf series 1. For me it’s music that's on the Walkman for those Camden market trips to Rhythm Records in search of the new Steppes record, those heady days when melody was king and the Rickenbacker beat shit out of Les Paul any day of the week. Given that through most of this record I am up out of my seat throwing shapes to an imaginary acid-fuelled throng, it’s far to say The Pillbugs are my new favourite old band (if that makes sense!).
It’s hard to make a case for a band that sounds straight out of ’65 in context with modern needs and concerns, yet, despite having nothing ‘modern’ about them whatsoever or indeed seemingly caring, The Pillbugs somehow don’t sound out of place. I guess great songs, soaring guitars, and songs about chicks called ‘Emily’ never date. A wholehearted, thumbs up for a record that has reignited my search for all those missing issues of Bucketful Of Brains I never got around to buying first time around. Fab! (bandcamp, review by Del Day)
Produced by Mark Mikel
Review:
Album Artwork: Mark Roland
Design: Bob Tibbitts
The Pillbugs: Dan Chalmers, Mark Kelley, Mark Mikel, David Murnen, Scott Tabner
Additional bass/guitar/vocals/production: Scott Hunt
Design: Bob Tibbitts
The Pillbugs: Dan Chalmers, Mark Kelley, Mark Mikel, David Murnen, Scott Tabner
Additional bass/guitar/vocals/production: Scott Hunt
Enjoy this extraordinary psychedelic pop band
Have fun
SB1 I killed the old links because the rip was not 100% okay. I will do new links later.
Please have a little patience, Folks.
Thanks for the sympathy,
SB1
Please have a little patience, Folks.
Thanks for the sympathy,
SB1
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