Alicja Pop - Shining Apple on Certified PR Records

I just have been exploring all the offshoots of Jay Reatards career ever since it ended, including the Lost Sounds era that Alicja was a part of. Lost Sounds included a lot of electronics, and seemed to be both Jay's and Alicja's Metal Machine Music / Trans period, where you try to apply where you've been going as an artist to a completely different genre. Its exciting as an artist I'm sure, just to push those boundaries and not know what you're doing anymore. To be able to push through that period where you start to get disappointed as songs don't come as easy anymore. But that was the thing about Jay, he wasn't 19, and nothing he was about to do was a fluke...he had been playing around with all these styles and ended up where he was, and it was perfect. I couldn't wait to hear album after album. But these side projects and the Reatards are getting me to work backwards and hear what kinds of things led to Watch me Fall....Ah Fuck! Did you have to use that title!

The two of them, Alicja and Jay split guitar/vocals and synth and made real electronic-punk...I get all excited about SIDS and Black Bug and the Units, but here was this collaboration in my own backyard with the stuff I've been listening to practically and it took me this long to get there. There should be a rerelease of this....maybe Matador can put something together now.

This one sounded like it started out as a contribution to a children's album compilation and then there was a Daniel Johnston cover done for something else...and Certified PR would be damned if this never saw the light of day. It's a no brainer.

There's about 25 left!

ALICJA POP-Shining Apple 7” (Certified PR) $7.99
Everyone should already know about MS. ALICJA TROUT. She is highly regarded as one of the best songwriter/performers out there! Her previous output includes the Legendary Lost Sounds, River City, Tanlines, Mouserocket and many others. The Memphis, TN based Alicja is one of the most prolific artists of the past 10 years putting out a great record seemingly every other month. For her Certified PR Records debut, she changes things up a little. Originally intended to be children's record, this release features the amazing original, "Shining Apple," and her stunning interpretation of the Daniel Johnston classic, "Walking The Cow."

Black Sunday on Disordered/RedLounge records

Rocco contacted me about a new Disordered Records single co-released with Red Lounge records and I was glad to hear his Italian label still had a few tricks up it's sleeve since it's untimely demise (?) a while back.
With a resume like Lost Sounds, River City Tanlines, Mouserocket, Ultracats, I have to say I wasn't expecting this kind of pop electronic slant on the A Side 'Can't keep my hands off u'. It's almost sounding like that Stephin Merritt side project, Future Bible Heroes. That same ultra pop, completely catchy sweet melody. Listen to the vocals and she's describing these scenes with 'dripping dirt and smelling sweat', there's something else a little sinister going on. I think that's where I get that Future Bible Heroes reference from. There's something a little rotten just under the surface. Black Sunday draws you in with this machine dance beat, layers of jumpy synth melody, all with those electronic piano type presets....but the whole 'can't keep my hands off u' chorus becomes something a little stalkery. This person might be up to no good actually, instead of a declaration of love. She might have to have her hands on you whether you like it or not.

The B-Side 'Lights' is more of a rock and roll jam, with a real crunchy guitar sound, a little dirtier. With plenty of hammond organ chords banged along with with the kick drum. Again, it could be enjoyed as catchy and fun, but these 'lights' she's talking about are 'making her sick' and 'feel dead' meanwhile sung in bubbly layered harmonies, with a different tone than the A-Side, they're a little Breeders, kind of breathy, falsetto...true to the name it's going to be a Black Sunday.

By the way she's also busy running her own label Contaminated records, where strangely this single isn't listed, but it might be worth dropping her a line over there, as it seems to have sold out from Goner and most other places.

7inch slam incidentally also had Alicja Trout over to make coconut ginger curry soup. Check it out.