It's too bad Veronica Lake didn't create a mini-revolution, actually. Instead, the Ann Arbor Michigan pop band released about five singles and contributed to a few compilations (listed here on TweeNet) before shambling into obscurity. Fitting, really, as the insert to their first 7" describes Veronica Lake as "dedicated to flexidiscs, exclamation marks, and hopelessly derivative, instantly forgettable songs." Bless 'em. As mentioned in an early YSKOD post, I named my radio show after this first single, which they confess "was done under the influence of the Field Mice." Let's have a listen to the B-side of that 1992 single, right now, shall we...
Very nice, despite the obvious dodge.
Next up, let's have us a VL song from the wonderful SpinArt Pop Licks 7" Box Set. Released in 1992 just as the label moved from Pennsylvania to NYC, each of the 1,500 boxes contained 6 different colour 7"s by Throw That Beat In The Garbagecan, Trampoline, Suddenly Tammy!, Swirl, Poole, and Veronica Lake...as well as lots of stickers, inserts, and even some candy and toys (see below). I still haven't been able to bring myself to eat the candy...it's...too...collectible. Hey, you're weird too. I know cos you're reading this.
Next up, let's have us a VL song from the wonderful SpinArt Pop Licks 7" Box Set. Released in 1992 just as the label moved from Pennsylvania to NYC, each of the 1,500 boxes contained 6 different colour 7"s by Throw That Beat In The Garbagecan, Trampoline, Suddenly Tammy!, Swirl, Poole, and Veronica Lake...as well as lots of stickers, inserts, and even some candy and toys (see below). I still haven't been able to bring myself to eat the candy...it's...too...collectible. Hey, you're weird too. I know cos you're reading this.
Third up, let's hear a song off VL's split single with the Crayon, which was the first record released on Cher Doll Records, back in 1992 (thanks Nancy!).
The revolution ended apruptly with what the band considered to be their finest moment, the Threnody/In The Clouds 7", released on VL-member Chip Porter's Audrey's Diary label in 1993. It's certainly the band's most proficient output, musically, but I prefer the charming self-aware naivete of their first 7".
Ah, that was fun, wasn't it? Hope you enjoyed it. See you next week.
7 comments:
Nice to recall Veronica Lake, good stuff! Yes, all bow to Nancy and the wonderful Cher Doll records!
Man, I haven't listened to Veronica Lake in years. Thanks!
Sleepyhouse takes me right back to thopse late nights on the house on Lower Queen Anne
Veronica Lake has managed to make the list of one of my favorite bands of that time period / genre. Such great stuff!!! Thank you for posting the singles I have been too lazy to transfer to MP3.
Wow, I was obsessed this song, one of those things you tape off college radio and listen to over and over, despite the part where the reception gets all fuzzy.
There was something about the drawn-out ending of this song that signified simple beauty to my 16-year-old mind. My brief, abortive attempt at being in an indie band was based on that tinny guitar sound at the end.
Thanks a mighty. If only you could actually make me 16 again; on second thought...
omg! thank you for your kind public service. veronica lake, and also pretty much anything on slumberland records, were my favorites in high school. not sure how i was so precociously nerdy, but when you're growing up in suburban kansas, you've gotta turn to something, i guess.
i had ALL of these 7"s except the sleepyhouse one (even the pop licks! the packaging of some of those singles in the 90s is still a marvel to me...the scrawl single with the sleeve you could fold out into a pyramid also comes to mind.)...sadlly i think they are all languishing somewhere in my parents' house now...
anyway, thanks. i'm downloading all of this posthaste!
p.s. i only wish i had discovered your site when you were uploading all the tsunami songs. seriously, tsunami and simple machines and the sensibility with which approached what they did...it sounds pretty cheezy to say, but it had an influence on me.
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