Slowdive - Slowdive [12"]

Like i wrote earlier, this s/t EP by SLOWDIVE arrived for me today, together with Blue Day. Have been looking for it for quite a long time, but now i can finally add it to my Slowdive vinyl collection. I already had a promo edition of this EP, by the way. The title track (so in other words, the track Slowdive by the band Slowdive from their Slowdive EP) is still one of my favourite Slowdive songs ever. But Avalyn 1 and II are also just great.
What i only notice now, is that Avalyn 1 is written with the number 1 and that Avalyn II has two I's, on the back of the sleeve. Rather inconsistent and without doubt, unintentionally. But a funny detail nevertheless. On the center label it's spelled with I and II.
Back in the days (we're talking 1992 here) i was at a Slowdive show, and to cut a long story short i had to leave the venue before the band had even started (at 0:30!) - otherwise i wouldn't be able to get home anymore. A 15 km walk at night through the forests was no option. So i have never actually seen them; one of my biggest music-related traumas ever. But i remember they were selling white shirts with the cover of this EP at their merch stand. Didn't like the shirt at the time, so i didn't even buy something at that show on my way out. I thought i'd get a second chance to see them some day, but then they split up two years later, and my hopes were gone. I would have never guessed it would take 22 years, but now it seems that i get that second chance after all. Amazing.

Label: Creation Records
Cat.nr.: CRE 093T
Year of release: 1990

SIDE A:
01. Slowdive
02. Avalyn 1

SIDE B:
01. Avalyn II

Slowdive - Blue Day [12", LP]

Usually i see it as a sport to find the things that are still on my vinyl-wishlist, at record fairs and in the shops. But every now and then -especially when they are on that list for years already- you just have to make an exception, and buy them at sites like eBay or Discogs when you see them coming along. Only if the price is right of course. So today my package arrived with two releases by SLOWDIVE that i have been hunting for for years: BLUE DAY and the s/t EP from 1990. Both were recently being sold on Discogs by the same seller, so i could combine the postage costs. They were still not cheap, but i'm realistic enough to know that you won't find Blue Day anymore for, say, something like 20 euro.
So now i finally have this gem. It combines selected tracks from their first 3 EP's and was released in 1992, between Just For A Day and Souvlaki. It's a pretty rare item these days; I guess not so many were made. It's been bootlegged some time ago, but i definitely prefer the original. It would be great if the Music On Vinyl label could do a proper reissue of this release, like they did with the other 3 albums in such a fantastic way. Especially now that the band has reunited! I'm so stoked to go and see them on what will be their first ever concert in 20 years, at the Village Underground in London, in May. Lucky enough to buy a ticket within the 90 seconds it took before the show was sold out; flight tickets already booked and accommodation sorted. Cannot wait!

Label: Creation Records
Cat.nr.: CRE X101
Year of release: 1992

SIDE A:
01. Slowdive
02. Avalyn 1
03. Morningrise
04. She Calls

SIDE B:
01. Losing Today
02. Shine
03. Albatross

Brian Jonestown Massacre - Revolution Number Zero [2x7"]

This limited double 7" by BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE was released late last year. It's a numbered gatefold edition on grey vinyl; my copy's #1457/2000. The EP is called after the song REVOLUTION NUMBER ZERO, which can be found on side B. I hear a lot of Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl" in that song by the way, but not in a way that it gets annoying. Just like that title track, Don't Say A Thing on side C is unique to this EP. Viholliseni Maalla on side A is the same version as can be found on the great Aufheben album, while the version on side C is in English instead of Finnish, and also musically a bit different. Small typo on the artwork and the labels: it's spelled "Maala" here, so with only one L. All in all a pleasant release to keep the fans happy until a new album is coming out. Hopefully that won't take too long.

Label: A Records
Cat.nr.: AUK024-7
Year of release: 2013

SIDE A:
01. Viholliseni Maalla

SIDE B:
01. Revolution Number Zero

SIDE C:
01. Viholliseni Maalla (In The Land Of My Enemy)

SIDE D:
01. Don't Say A Thing

Cheatahs - Cheatahs [12", LP]

One of my favourite albums of this year so far, is without doubt the energetic self-titled debut by CHEATAHS. Catchy as hell, drenched in fuzz, and sounding like it was released in 1992 or so. It combines the best that bands like Swervedriver, Sugar and Catherine Wheel had to offer in those days. Also My Bloody Valentine isn't too far away, when you listen to songs like IV, the last bit of Kenworth and Fall for example. A great mix of shoegaze and college rock, like we heard more often in recent years from the likes of Brief Candles and Yuck. Would love to see a live show by these guys some day.

Label: Wichita
Cat.nr.: WEBB415LP
Year of release: 2014

SIDE A:
01. I
02. Geographic
03. Mission Creep
04. Get Tight
05. The Swan

SIDE B:
01. IV
02. Leave To Remain
03. Kenworth
04. Fall
05. Cut The Grass
06. Loon Calls

Slowdive - Holding Our Breath [12", Promo]

When you see the picture above, it could be just any white label promo or test pressing of course. But this is the white label promo edition of CRE 112T - or in other words: the HOLDING OUR BREATH EP by SLOWDIVE. I looked it up on various websites, but i found no other promo version of this 12", than this particular white label edition. To my knowledge, Creation Records normally issued promo editions with the track info at least on one of the labels, and they usually came in generic company sleeves. See for example this, this, this, this, this, this and this 12". So this one was quite an exception. Possibly it's a test pressing, but i strongly doubt that to be honest, because there are still quite a few of this version for sale on the internet and they are mostly described as "white label promo". And test pressings are usually made in only very small quantities. But who knows...
Anyway this is a welcome addition to my steadily growing Slowdive vinyl collection.

Label: Creation Records
Cat.nr.: CRE 112T
Year of release: 1991

SIDE A:
01. Catch The Breeze
02. Golden Hair

SIDE B:
01. Shine
02. Albatross

Medicine - Shot Forth Self Living [12", 2LP]

This reissue of SHOT FORTH SELF LIVING by MEDICINE came out in 2012, 20 years after its original release. It's been completely remastered by Brad Laner and has 6 bonus tracks which were originally released on the Aruca and 5ive EP's. The new total of 15 tracks resulted in a double LP, while the original one on Creation Records was a single LP. Glad that Captured Tracks reissued it, because the original had become really hard to find. Really good stuff and i'm spinning this record again quite a lot lately.

Label: Captured Tracks
Cat.nr.: CT-148
Year of release: 2012 (originally released in 1992)

SIDE A:
01. One More
02. Aruca
03. Defective

SIDE B:
01. A Short Happy Life
02. 5ive
03. Sweet Explosion
04. Queen Of Tension

SIDE C:
01. Miss Drugstore
02. Christmas Song
03. World Hello

SIDE D:
01. Time Baby 2
02. Onion Flower
03. The Powder
04. Lime Sicks
05. Wrought

Tamaryn - The Waves [12", LP]

THE WAVES is the debut album by TAMARYN from 2010. And what an excellent record it is! I bought this one shortly after Tender New Signs, somewhere last year. Tamaryn Brown creates her own distinctive type of dreampop/shoegaze, and i love it. Great guitar work, hallucinating effects and Tamaryn's seductive husky vocals finishing it off. Definitely one of the best new shoegaze acts of the past 5 years.

Label: Mexican Summer
Cat.nr.: MEX 057
Year of release: 2010

SIDE A:
01. The Waves
02. Choirs Of Winter
03. Love Fade
04. Haze Interior

SIDE B:
01. Sandstone
02. Coral Flower
03. Dawning
04. Cascades
05. Mild Confusion

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Higher Than The Stars [12"]

This is the 12" version of the HIGHER THAN THE STARS single by THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART. While the 7" edition has a remix of the song on the B-side, the 12" has 3 songs that are not on any of their albums. The song Falling Over isn't really my cup of tea, but 103 and Twins are more like it. I wonder if they'll finally release something new this year, because it's been a while. Their latest album Belong was from 2011...

Label: Fortuna Pop
Cat.nr.: FPOP87T
Year of release: 2009

SIDE A:
01. Higher Than The Stars
02. 103

SIDE B:
01. Falling Over
02. Twins

Smashing Orange - My Deranged Heart [7"]

I wasn't too familiar with the band SMASHING ORANGE, i must confess. I bought this single some time ago, to save on the postage for some other things that i bought online. They were an American band that was described in the NME as "Mudhoney meets My Bloody Valentine". Indeed it's an interesting mix of grunge and shoegaze, leaning a bit more towards the shoegaze side. Besides My Bloody Valentine i hear some influences from fellow Americans Medicine. This MY DERANGED HEART single was their debut release, and wah-pedals were probably their favourite gear since they were used abundantly. A pretty cool release!

Label: Ringers Lactate
Cat.nr.: RL 02
Year of release: 1991

SIDE A:
01. My Deranged Heart

SIDE B:
01. Only Complete In You