So far, I haven’t seen much in the way of promotion/review etc for the UK release of fifth album, ‘In The Music’.
That is until I bought this month’s edition of well-respected UK music magazine, MOJO. David Sheppard gives our veteran Caledonian combo 3 out of 5.
Here’s what he has to say:
Trashcan Sinatras’ only substantial hit may have borne the unprepossessing title Obscurity Knocks but, 23 years into a steadfastly unhurried career, they still enjoy a robust US college radio following.
Now based, impractically, in both Glasgow and Los Angeles this – their fifth album – was recorded in New York and Martha’s Vineyard, home to the estimable Carly Simon. Her delicious, clouds-in-my-coffee tones purr across soulful ballad Should I Pray? (previously recorded by yearning-voiced singer John Douglas’s wife, Eddi Reader), melting into a rich sound world etched with rippling electric guitars, luxuriant drums and tremulous Hammond organ.
Douglas’s songs dwell on middle-aged contentment, yet skilfully avoid smug sentimentality, as does the infectious title track, a discreetly funky arrangement of an Ali Smith love poem.
The remainder, while hardly kicking over the musical traces, offers a convincing MOR upgrade on consoling ’80s indie-pop.
October 2009 MOJO Magazine Issue 191
Quarter page advertisement promoting the UK release of ‘In The Music’.
October 2009 Uncut Magazine
Filed under: Related | Tags: CD, Hard-to-Find, Import, Music, Promo, Trashcan Sinatras
…Trashcan Sinatras in Modern Rock scandal.
I don’t think I could ever class the Trashcans in the modern rock category. Class? Definitely. Modern Rock? Nah.
I’m not sure where to put them, and if their Facebook and MySpace profiles are anything to go by, neither do they.
So how they ended up on this FMQB promo I’m not entirely sure – and what dodgy company they keep too. In amongst ‘Bloodrush’ we have tracks from Butthole Surfers, Ned’s Atomic Dustbin and eh, The Chowderheads.
FMQB stands for Friday Morning Quarterback and is a trade magazine which covers Music and Radio industries in the United States. Based in Cherry Hill, New Jersey it began in 1968 and covers programming, management, music, promotion, marketing, imaging, and airplay for Rock, Modern Rock (Alternative) and Adult Contemporary formats in its 40+ glossy pages.
Rock on guys!
1993 FMQB Vol.II/#3 (US)
Filed under: 1990-1991 Cake | Tags: Cassette, Hard-to-Find, Import, Music, Trashcan Sinatras
2-track US cassette of debut single ‘Obscurity Knocks’, with ‘Who’s He?’ on side two.
Rare.
1991 Go! Discs/London Records 869314-4 (US)
Filed under: Related | Tags: CD, Concert, Gig, Hard-to-Find, Music, Trashcan Sinatras, Tsunami Relief
On 26 December 2004 an earthquake struck off the northwest coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, generating a tsunami that wreaked havoc along much of the rim of the Indian Ocean. Particularly hard-hit were the countries of India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Nearly 225,000 people were killed, tens of thousands more were injured, and 10 million became homeless and displaced.
The humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was prompted by one of the worst natural disasters of modern times. In 2005, artists throughout the UK staged benefit concerts in Wales (Millenium Stadium) and Scotland (Glasgow SECC).
Now, I attended the one in Glasgow – not just because it was a good cause, but more importantly, the Trashcans were playing.
I say attended, but to be honest, I hadn’t a bloody clue where I was. You see, I was on medication and mixing this with beer and tequila, wasn’t one of my better ideas, and so lots of things happened that night that probably shouldn’t have happened (I’ll leave those incidents for another time though)
Anyhoo, this triple CD – which was recorded straight from the sound desk – gives us three songs from TCS – ‘All The Dark Horses’, ‘Hayfever’ and ‘Weightlifting’, and I’m pretty sure they were sitting down as they were so bloody nervous (it was a bit hazy, sorry).
Other artists who played on the night were Mogwai, Eugene Kelly, Idlewild, Eddi Reader (who played ‘Wild Mountainside’) and Franz Ferdinand.
A great entertaining night, summed up perfectly in the words of Manic Street Preacher, James Dean Bradfield: “Can’t speak, can’t think, won’t talk, won’t walk.”
19 Feb 2005 Instant Live/Tsunami Relief Scotland MCPS CCEIL00038
Five Hungry Joes - A pictorial archive of the Trashcan Sinatras. Legendary Scottish Band 