Filed under: Related | Tags: Cassette, CD, Hard-to-Find, Music, Trashcan Sinatras
This triple CD showcased some of the bands who played Scotland’s ‘T In The Park’ festival in 1994, 1995 and 1996.
Featured here are tracks from artists as diverse as Oasis, Manic Street Preachers, Radiohead and, eh, Kylie Minogue.
The Trashcans’ ‘Twisted And Bent’ is included on the second CD from their performance at the festival in 1995.
This release was available on CD, Vinyl and Cassette formats, although it should be noted that these are not live tracks, just the standard studio recordings I’m afraid.
A great compilation all the same.
Below is the cassette version where the box lists the featured track as ‘Hayfever’.
Vinyl anyone?…
1996 Go! Discs Ltd 828 792-2 (CD), 828 792-4 (Cass)
828 782-1 (LP)
Filed under: 1990-1991 Cake, 1998-2003 | Tags: CD, Import, Music, Trashcan Sinatras
Everyone loves Cake, but I think I may have overdone it.
It wasn’t until I bought the new super-duper, hi-res, super high material version that I realised I have six copies of the debut album. Overkill maybe, but you can never have enough Cake right?
Included here are the US, Canadian, UK releases and three from Japan – two of which include six extra tracks.
Now, when is that new re-release coming out again?
From the top: 1990 Go! Discs 828201-2 (UK) /1990 Go! Discs 828201-2 (US) /1990 Go! Discs 828201-2 (Canada) / 2008 Universal Records UICY-91292 (Japan) / 1998 Polydor K.K./PolyGram POCD-1984 (Japan) / 1990 Polydor Records JASRAC POCD-1028 (Japan)
Here’s a 4-star review from June 1996 in the Tower Records magazine, for ‘A Happy Pocket’.
Like Sugar Puffs, the Trash Can Sinatras are honey-coated. Back in the deep and distant past (1989, actually), they released the incontrovertibly sublime ‘Cake’ album, which became a little corner of the music world all its own, filled with jingle jangle melodies so warm and enveloping they protected you like a Ready Brek glow. Further inspection confirmed that singer Frank Reader (brother of Eddi, fact fans) was also a lyricist of ingenious wordplay, laying pun upon pun, betwixt tongue-in-cheek and wry arched-eyebrow. Then they disappeared, briefly re-emerging with their second album, ‘I’ve Seen Everything’, in 1993, before slipping from view once more. Their eternal low-profile is about to take a battering, however, because their third album, ‘A Happy Pocket (Go Discs)****, is a treat. Slimmer and more taut, this is possibly the first time their production hasn’t swamped their seductive sound, but otherwise it’s business as usual. Like the best of Aztec Camera and Orange Juice, there’s unmitigated joy in each of their songs; hazy and summery, gorgeous, coy, and liberally frosted with sugar. A delight.
June 1996 Tower Records Magazine
Filed under: 2004-2006 Weightlifting | Tags: CD, Hard-to-Find, Import, Music, Promo, Trashcan Sinatras
Promo release from spinART of the ‘Weightlifting’ album. There are no labels, inserts or covers on this one – just the plain old CD.
There was another promo of this with a cover which you can see here – but I’ve no idea if this is the same, less the packaging.
Another strange one.
2004 spinART Records SPART154P (US)
Filed under: 1990-1991 Cake | Tags: Hard-to-Find, Music, Trashcan Sinatras, Vinyl
From the outside it looks like the regular 7-inch release of debut single ‘Obscurity Knocks’.
But when you slide the vinyl out – voilà – no labels!
All very strange.
1990 Go! Records Ltd/Go! Discs GOD34
15-track CD given away free with the November 2004 issue of The Word magazine.
Launched in February 2003 by David Hepworth (Q, MOJO, Heat, Empire), The Word is a music magazine published in the UK.
Here we have TCS’ ‘Weightlifting’, included among other artists as Elvis Costello, The Blue Nile, James Yorkston and the very mighty but sadly deceased, Elliot Smith.
2004 The Word magazine November Issue 21
Small poster from May 1996 promoting a free gig at the University of Sheffield.
I think this was around the time the band were supporting Lloyd Cole – minus his Commotions – hopefully someone can confirm this.
20 May 1996
Filed under: Related | Tags: CD, Hard-to-Find, Import, Music, Promo, Trashcan Sinatras
I’ll take their word for it.
This double CD compilation from Polygram Records was a showcase for bands on their roster at the time. Including The La’s, The Fall, Buffalo Tom, James, The Wonder Stuff and the Trashcan Sinatras.
Two tracks from debut album ‘Cake’ are included – ‘Obscurity Knocks’ and ‘January’s Little Joke’ – with the accompanying booklet giving a brief rundown on each band.
Here’s what the booklet says…
“You cannae beat a Rickenbacker”. Particularly when lush layers of them, strumming and chiming, are linked with pure old-fashioned melodies, harmonies and sharp, insightful lyrics. In an age of beat-box bandits and re-mixmeisters, The Trash Can Sinatras are like a breath of fresh air after too much time in the smog.
From Irvine, on the west coast of Scotland, The Trash Can Sinatras embrace the rich tradition of Scottish guitar pop, from Orange Juice to Aztec Camera and (early) Del Amitri. Other comparisons are always inevitable and Britain’s New Musical Express, while naming the TCS’s debut single “Obscurity Knocks” Single Of The Week in March ’90, perhaps said it best, proclaiming “Aztec Camera, The Housemartins, The Smiths, The La’s – all very special groups, and now you can listen to them all at once! Perfect. Crystalline. Divine. Confident…”
As The Trash Can Sinatras, Frank Read (vocals), John Douglas (guitar), Paul Livingstone (guitar), George McDaid (bass) and Stephen Douglas (drums), emerged in 1988 as a covers band, but wisely decided to pursue their own creations. The result, fresh from their own Shabby Road studio in Kilmarnock, is ‘Cake’, an accomplished album of clarity, charm and naturalism, gently crafted by John Leckie (Stone Roses, The Lilac Time), Roger Béchirian (Elvis Costello) and the band.
“Obscurity Knocks”, with its propulsive urgency and three part vocal magic, opens the album with a spark that remains bright through the course of the record to the closing song, “January’s Little Joke”, a sweeping finale in which dense effects are used to communicate a vivid feeling of small-town claustrophobia, and such inspired wordplay as “I knew what embarrass meant, but I never found out what achieve meant”. This ‘Cake’ is a sweet treat. Dig in.
1990 Polygram Records Inc/Mercury 878 335-2 (Canada)
Filed under: Related | Tags: CD, Hard-to-Find, Import, Music, Promo, Trashcan Sinatras
The Album Network has championed its belief that In-Store Play sells new music and breaks new bands. The chart, running from around 1981, developed into a vital barometer of the leading edge on new music sales.
Released to record stores throughout America, these CDs were designed to turn record store owners and their customers on to some very cool music.
This CD – released in April of 1991 – was the first in a series of ‘Tune-Up’ discs and included the Trashcans’ ‘Obscurity Knocks’.
The sleeve notes have this as the TCS second single – oops!
1991 The Album Network (US)
Filed under: Related | Tags: CD, Hard-to-Find, Import, Magazine, Music, Promo, Trashcan Sinatras
Details is an American monthly men’s magazine (no, not one of those ones). Described as a sort of Vogue for men it has been published since the early 1980s and twice a year includes a free CD.
This one from 1994 includes the Trashcans’ ‘Hayfever’ alongside other artists such as David Bowie, Bryan Ferry, Run DMC and ahem, Duran Duran.
1994 Details Magazine (US)
