The Cool Greenhouse – Limited Edition Cool Greenhouse Tea Towel (Self-Released)

This is a review of THE COOL GREENHOUSE tea towel. I am into tea now, having given up coffee, so I would totally use this if I knew what a tea towel was for. I actually have no idea. All the singles and tapes are pretty much sold-out, but while you are enjoying the olive green screen printing and random clip art images on this tea towel, you can jam their music digitally. I first learned of this one person band via Hidden Bay records, very FALL-ish and you could also mention THE REBEL or even the more “pop” moments of THE SHADOW RING. Lots of Casio and repetition, just this side of irritating with humorous and insightful rants over top; he does it well. I am looking forward to a full band work.

The Great Divides – Face the World, Again Cassette (Spoilsport Records)

Another gentle ripple of dolewave for fans of DIY pop…The fumbling acoustic guitar speaks to me (obviously), and the vocal duet ennui is pure CANNANES. This reminds me, The CANNANES hardly ever get mentioned in reviews and they are one of the best Australian bands that is not the GO-BETWEENS (who no one really sounds like but they get mentioned constantly). Anyway, here are THE GREAT DIVIDES. I love their hunt-and-peck guitar leads. The lyrics are wonderfully mundane observations. They are slower and more broke-down folky than say SCOTT & CHARLENE’S WEDDING and more deadpan. This has perfect no frills, no effects production like Rock N Roll With the Modern Lovers, just people making messy songs in a tidy room.