{"title":"Bulbous Monocle","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"the-fronts-mamo-waves","title":"The Fronts 'Mamo Waves'","description":"\u003cp\u003eNamed after a (US) West Coast grocery store chain, The Whitefronts started out in 1982 as a quartet of art and theater students attending UCSB. The band quickly mutated into a sextet. In 1984, they moved north to establish themselves as part of the SF DIY culture. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLive shows usually consisted of open jams drawing from what the band was obsessing about at the time—free jazz, The Velvet Underground, Caribbean music, improv noise—as well as their own unheralded genres that popped in and out of existence like subatomic particles. Shows with local bands like \u003cstrong\u003eSlovenly\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eCamper Van Beethoven\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eCaroliner Rainbow\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eVomit Launch\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eBarnacle Choir\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eBarbara Manning\u003c\/strong\u003e provide some context as to their eccentric position within the indie scene of the era.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1985, the band released their sole LP, Roast Belief, on their own Bogden label. This was an ambitious attempt to document the various ideas that were happening live. Though practically unknown today, it’s an extraordinary record—a mid-80s classic serving up eclectic derangement on a par with contemporaries like the \u003cstrong\u003eButthole Surfers\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eMeat Puppets\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eSun City Girls\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eTuxedomoon\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eEugene Chadbourne\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Mamo Waves LP was compiled from recordings made between 1982-1987. As with Roast Belief LP, it’s a mind-melting jumble of the genres explored by Whitefronts throughout their existence. It was originally supposed to be released by Camper Van’s Pitch-A-Tent imprint, as a couple of WF members were touring with CBV in 1987, but the release fell through the cracks when CBV was airlifted to Virgin Records in 1988. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eToday, it’s clear that Mamo Waves belongs to the same 1980s Californian sub-underground aesthetic that nurtured mythical 80s bands like \u003cstrong\u003eDepartmentstore Santas\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eProminent Disturbance\u003c\/strong\u003e. It’s a real WTF m.o. that still sounds like the future. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTracklisting:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1. Barbados BBQ \u003cbr\u003e2. The Earth's Mandrill \u003cbr\u003e3. Mowin' The Lawn \u003cbr\u003e4. Pluto \u003cbr\u003e5. Freeman \u003cbr\u003e6. Whale Tale\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bulbous Monocle","offers":[{"title":"Vinyl LP","offer_id":55309557989753,"sku":"BM05","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0238\/8053\/files\/fronts.jpg?v=1749477054"},{"product_id":"thinking-fellers-union-local-282-the-funeral-pudding","title":"Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 'The Funeral Pudding'","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Funeral Pudding originally came out as a CD-only release on the Dutch label Brinkman to promote Thinking Fellers Union Local 282’s 1994 European tour. For the domestic release, the band chose Chicago’s Ajax Records—which had already released two TFUL282 singles in 1990—to press a 12” mini-LP.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComprising a selection of songs recorded right after the sessions that yielded 1993’s Admonishing The Bishops EP, The Funeral Pudding could be thought of as a sister release to that EP; indeed, the band originally considered combining tracks from both sessions into a single album. [Here, I think you need to say something like “Had it been released, that record would’ve followed the pattern of previous album in which the band’s pop and avant-garde leanings are yoked together cheek by jowl. Instead, Admonishing showcases the band at its most accessible while The Funeral Pudding flaunts their more expansive, abrasive and absurdist side without forfeiting the earlier EP’s miraculously high standards for songwriting and sonic clarity.”)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat makes The Funeral Pudding a unique feather in the Fellers’ cap is that most of the tracks are sung by bassist Anne Eickelberg and guitarist Hugh Swarts — a notable departure from the Davies\/Hageman vocal dominance on most of the other albums. With Eickelberg’s soaring falsetto leading the proceedings, tracks like “Waited Too Long” and “Heavy Head” are some of the most beloved in the band’s discography. And “23 Kings Crossing” is a whiplash-inducing psych\/prog stunner that adds another metric ton to the burden of proof demonstrating that TFUL282 was creating some of the most thrilling, enduring and sonically autonomous music of its era. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTracklisting:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSide A\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1. Waited Too Long \u003cbr\u003e2. Flames Up \u003cbr\u003e3. Firing Squad \u003cbr\u003e4. Traffic Mule \u003cbr\u003e5. 23 Kings Crossing \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSide B\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e6. Heavy Head \u003cbr\u003e7. Give Me Back My Golden Arm \u003cbr\u003e8. Sidewinder \u003cbr\u003e9. The Invitation\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bulbous Monocle","offers":[{"title":"Vinyl LP","offer_id":55309558022521,"sku":"BM04","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0238\/8053\/files\/0843563178485.jpg?v=1749478850"}],"url":"https:\/\/cargorecordsdirect.co.uk\/collections\/bulbous-monocle.oembed","provider":"Cargo Independent Distribution","version":"1.0","type":"link"}