the bitter springs
Earlier today, I found what I thought was a hidden treasure — The Bitter Springs, Last Party, Porky’s Ranch. A quick spin through the samples confirmed my suspicions: this record was so up my alley. Kind of blunt, unpracticed guitar, David Gedge-like vocals and that fantastic ’80s British indie shamble. When Alex also hadn’t heard of them (our tastes tend to overlap on all things C86 and beyond), I was convinced we’d received some weird obscure one-off from a forgotten relative of the Close Lobsters.
Not so, actually. Bitter Springs, as it turns out, have quite a few albums out, many of which we have. This doesn’t change a thing: they’re still great, dour, sad-sack ’80s Brit indie. I can’t vouch for the other records; the few I’ve sampled don’t seem quite as charming or winning as this one. So approach those with caution. This one’s great, though.
It’s weird it’s like taking the boys from Mission of Burma asking them to write songs and then putting poppy post punk melodies under it.
Oddness, but likeable.
I hear echoes of The Smiths and The Housemartins. I’m not saying this band is as good as those bands, though (The Smiths are my favorite band ever).
I had read about these guys a couple of years ago and paid quite a bit for “Best Bakers…”, which I really enjoyed. I’m not enough of an expert to make any recommendations of other albums of theirs, but I’m definitely going to check them out. I do know they’ve been around for years. The stuff I heard reminded me of some of the early Go-Betweens.
i feel as if we really ought to be dead but… what doesn’t kill you etc.
The BITTER SPRINGS have been tempted out of the studio to headline their one and only gig of 2008 those lovely people at the parliament club have invited us to play with the FALLEN LEAVES and the SIDELINERS on Saturday November the 15th at the Parliament Club at The Inn On The Green 3-5 Thorpe Close, London W10 5XL (in between Ladbroke grove and Portobello rd) it’s a great venue with a really good sound (nearest tubes NOTTING HILL GATE and LADBROKE GROVE) entrance £6.oo on the night doors 8pm 1st band on (SIDELINERS) 9pm SPRINGS on stage 10. 30 here’s a link to the parliament clubs own my space http://www.myspace.com/theparliamentclub
be lovely to see you there
simple (the poor performer) aka simon rivers BITTER SPRINGS formerly LAST PARTY