The Tulip Explodes
The Fat Tulips, who formed in the late 1980s in Peterborough, have long since gone their separate ways and are no longer making music together. But don't despair because they left behind a bounteous legacy for all you jaded indie kids out there to discover. Yep that's right the Devil has turned archaeologist in an effort to find music that hits the sweet spot.
How many bands do you know who've lost a singer, Sarah C, to allegedly pursue a career designing crop circles in Peru, wrote songs about a street in Hull, 'Ferensway', and employed a pig van driver on drums and an illiterate Yorkshire man to supply bafflingly ungrammatical dialogue on their debut album? They didn't, and still don't by the look of their tongue in cheek website, take themselves too seriously which is a bonus when po-faced seriousness is the default setting for indie bands in the noughties.
The fact that their first release, 'You Opened Up My Eyes', was a flexi disc (ok for those of you asking what's a flexi disc grandad click here) makes me love them, that they released a single called 'Where's Clare Grogan Now' makes me love them even more. That they released an EP of Teardrop Explodes covers entitled 'The Tulip Explodes' that sounds like the Shop Assistants licking candyfloss off Talulah Gosh makes me want to hug them until their eyeball bleed.
With the likes of Los Campenisos and The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart rehabilitating twee pop the time is perfect for donning the fedora (don't all archeologists wear fedoras?) and rooting around in the remains of the first twee civilisation.
Go Try
MP3 - The Fat Tulips - Reward (Teardrop Explodes Cover)
If anyone from the IFPI is reading this track is linked direct from the Fat Tulips Last FM site and are therefore already freely available so please refrain from alleging infringement of copyright.
Go Visit
The Fat Tulips - Website
For those of you out there interested in exploring the obscure but exciting world of 80s indie ephemera check out one of The Fat Tulips singer Sheggi's other bands The Melons...
MP3 - The Melons - A Hard Days Rut (Rutles Cover)
MP3 - The Melons - Throw Your Arms Around Me
If anyone from the IFPI is reading these tracks are linked direct from the My First Earthquake website and are therefore already freely available so please refrain from alleging infringement of copyright.
For those of you who want to explore the world of twee a little further check out Twee As Fuck which is a great introduction to bands so sweet they'll rot your teeth...
Go Visit
Twee As Fuck - Myspace // Website
2 comments:
Outstanding post! Really informative, thank you!
Hey Jon thanks for the feedback glad you liked it.
The Devil
Post a Comment