We continue our Chaos in Tejas coverage with one of the bands that I’m most excited to see, New Zealand’s The Clean!
Anytime you listen to some jangling garage pop track, or off-beat power pop, the odds are, that band was influenced by the Clean, who’ve been releasing songs since 1981; their first single is the track we’re featuring below.
They didn’t actually release a full-length album until almost a decade into their career, instead compiling tons of singles to release as compilations on the legendary Flying Nun label in their home country. But, disbanding and focusing on different groups, often incestuous groups with other NZ acts like the Chills, saw them sort of sputter out, barely making the radar outside of their island home. Hopefully, that all changed when Merge released their album, Mister Pop, a few years back, bringing the band some new fans.
For me, I say start with the Anthology, as that was my first introduction to the band many years ago; it’s got tons of great singles waiting to be your favorite track. Within those songs you’ll see the energy and wit that defined the group’s sound, leading them to be one of the most revered, yet underappreciated acts, of all time. I’ve never seen them though, and I know it won’t be the same as watching them back in the day, but just to hear some of these songs live will further complete my life as a music fan. They’ll definitely be worth your time.
They play at 11 PM at Club Deville on Saturday, June 2nd.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/03-Tally-Ho.mp3]
Download:The Clean – Tally Ho [MP3]
I really dig this tune, and it’s completely out of nowhere. Apparently this album, Wunjo, has been floating around for a bit, but it’s just picking up a head of steam as we speak, though there’s not much info out there on the man behind it, Tom Oberon. Almost every single thing I’ve read tosses out the Kinks and T. Rex, which I see, but the song below for me feels like Eliott Smith—that also makes sense since Elliot was an adamant fan of Beatles/Kinks-era pop tunes. Regardless of what I’ve found, this song totally owns, and I can’t stop listening to it, or the record for that matter.
