Trash Can Sinatras

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Hi all

I guess I never introduced myself properly except as a stereo geek in that thread I started yesterday. I suppose I fall into the eclectic camp, I like a lot of different stuff, but mostly melody oriented and thus mostly "pop". Also a bit of classic jazz, electronica (but predictably the more trance or poppy stuff), obscure 60's stuff, bubblegum, etc. Oh yes, I was big into the whole spacerock scene several years ago, I was in a band that fit roughly in that description (you can get our last & best release, Grayson Lane 7", from drive-in records (US label)). Still kind of like that stuff. Mostly I love indiepop, listening right now to the new Screen Prints CD, if you like the Clientele it's similar. And I also like a lot of what I refer to as "indie-electronica", electronic stuff on Morr, Fuzzy box, etc. Obviously, I have no problem with discussing genres, I think categorization is one of the most basic & important functions of the brain, & is always relevant (but you need not restrict yourself to any particular categories)...Am I rambling?

Okay, to my question: Trash Can Sinatras? Anyone else love them as much as I do? Does anyone else remember them? First album very good, 2nd incredible ("I've Seen Everything," 1993), third very good. In fact, ISE is my current favorite album, bar none. I rediscovered it sometime last year and listen to it all the time. They are still playing, no deal right now, maybe they are difficult or something, but someone NEEDS to sign them. And some of you are writers for Allmusic? 2.5 stars?? And similar to Candlebox or Cop Shoot Cop? Not even remotely close. I don't think the reviewer actually listened to the album...

― g, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ahh, now I know where I remember you from.

― Nitsuh, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Allmusic.com moves in mysterious ways sometimes. But I might see my way to rereviewing the first album. My thought is -- if you like the Trash Can Sinatras, get Aztec Camera's _High Land Hard Rain_ and the early Orange Juice stuff if you haven't already. ;-) Enjoyable enough folks, though.

And welcome.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The Candlebox and Cop Shoot Cop comparisons, taken from the 'similar/related' albums section for I've Seen Everything, shouldn't be given much/any attention -- those lists are determined by a program that isn't exactly trusty yet. A more reliable thing to look at would be the 'related artists' section on the artist page, which isn't determined by a program. As for the ratings and reviews, I reckon the Trash Can Sinatras will be taken care of once we get Jack Rabid's older reviews into the system.

― Andy, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ned,

yeah, got all that of course. But I think on ISE, TCS really made a perfect record. They didn't create a new genre or anything, but it's just what an album should be. Flows well and works as a whole but has great singles too. Avoids vs-chorus-vs-chorus-bridge-chorus structure on many of the tracks (sometimes not even noticable that they are doing so). Intelligent and emotional too. Sounds great too for the other stereo geeks...

― g, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I always thought the similar/related albums was determined by what people went looking for on allmusic.com: ie, you look for Trash Can Sinatras, then turn around and look up Cop Shoot Cop, it creates a link in the database. Higher correlations rise to the top. That's what I thought, anyhow. Andy would know better, though.

― Sean Carruthers, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Nitsuh, did you get my email complaining about the TCS review? Sometimes I don't have enough to do here at work...

All you allmusic folks, I love the site, very useful, i do take the recommendations and reviews with a grain of salt (somtimes they are interesting though). I mean there is a lot of dreck that is well reviewed (e.g. Ranking Roger's Radical Departure has 4.5 stars), but it's understandable if the reviewers are mostly reviewing stuff that they happen to like. If it was one reviewer for everything (obviously an impossible task) then there would be more of a critical voice, but it's cool as it is. Anyway, it's usually more fun to review stuff that you like. I mean when you know you don't like something, it's not always as if you want to listen a bunch more times to figure out why you don't like it. Not enough time...maybe this has all been hashed over on ILM before...

― g, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Cake" is good stuff. Like the bands Ned mentions* (I'd toss Josef K in there, too), they were at their best at their least refined (e.g. "Obscurity Knocks" -- great title, too). When the sound was smoothed out, I think it became less interesting - -but clever turns of phrase all the way through. I haven't heard ISE in a long time.

* Nitush, remind me to force Orange Juice on you!

― scott p., Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

scott, point taken about smoothing out the sound. but actually i though Cake was a bit over produced, well there seemed to be some extraneous effects and stuff added to maybe make them sound more like a shoegazer band I think. Ture, the sound on ISE is smooth and clean, and definitely studio production, but there isn't anything added just for it's own sake.

― g, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I just wanna mention that I am a terrible typist. I often mess up my own name. I haven't been spell checking this stuff since there isn;t any in my browser. Sorry. I really do know how to spel

― g, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The similar/related albums section has nothing to do with outside users. It's generated from a program that sorts out links within the data from record to record. Often the links are very vague; maybe the Happy Scrappy Hero Pups shared a tape operator with the Lumpchain Voodoobats. Or maybe both bands have drum techs named Bill -- I've no clue how intricate it gets. Regardless, it has its problems.

And yes, Scott -- please force Orange Juice on Nitsuh.

― Andy, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I stand corrected. This is why I just write the reviews.

― Sean Carruthers, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Nitsuh, Mr. Indie, HAS NOT HEARD ORANGE JUICE? I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Abebe, but you are clearly deprived. Hell, contact me and *I'll* foist some Orange Juice on you.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

since Nitsuh was saying before that he had to use newspapers to fix his shoes, he should identify with the whole Orange Juice thing. Also, he needs a donation so someone burn him a CD. I'll do it if you want, drop me a line...

― g, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh, dear. Sorry Nitsuh.

― scott p., Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Wow, it's getting personal in here. Two things:

(a) I gave in and bought new shoes yesterday. They're very comfy green Italian sneaker-ish things with velcro straps and red stripes on the side. I'm not so poor that I absolutely can't afford new shoes, just poor enough that I was attempting to put off the shoe- buying until payday. So there: no more jokes about my shoes.

(b) I look for Orange Juice material every damn time I'm in a record store, and I've still never come across any. I love the bits I've heard, and have their records on reserve or special order at every store in town, but until I get one of those records into my apartment, I'm afraid I'm out of the loop on this one. If anyone wants to change this situation (hint, hint), I'll be glad to provide a mailing address.

(c) Mr. Indie? I knew I shouldn't have let anyone see my record collection. In my own defense: DJing on WNUR, writing for AMG, and working for Reckless Records has made my music listening a lot broader than my music ownership might suggest. That said: yes, I am still indie, and will probably eventually reveal myself as a pinefox- style reactionary.

― Nitsuh, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Wait, that was three things: I have shoes, I don't have Orange Juice, and I am a narrow-minded indie boy.

I have Oran "Juice" Jone's "The Rain" on cassette somewhere ... does that help?

― Nitsuh, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I was just teasin' ya, but lets face it, shoes without holes are a necessity in Chicago, esp. as winter is coming

― g, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

And now it's come to my attention that Ned, who hasn't seen my record collection, was the one who made the Mr. Indie comment.

So all of my mock-indignation has gone horribly wrong in here -- but at least it looks like I'll be hearing more Orange Juice soon.

Back on topic: I've Seen Everything really was great, and avoided the tinny, 200-instruments-compressed-into-one-frequency production of Cake. Cake, however, is more fun. How about A Happy Pocket, or whatever the third one was meant to be titled? Still no U.S. release?

― Nitsuh, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

A Happy Pocket is a little more uneven than the first 2 TCS cds, less produced (I think mostly produced by the band), maybe a bit more varied, and there is a great cover of "To Sir, With Love" on there. "Twisted and Bent" is another great single. And the whole thing is full of great lyrics again. I doubt if it will ever get a US release though, unless maybe an indie label picks it up. I think it's out of print now in the UK also. It's not that hard to find but it'll run you about $20 on ebay which may or may not be worth it to you. Or I could burn a copy...

― g, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I saw this band a few years ago at the Garage (upstairs). Not bad. But then I bought the record (something about "happy pocket") and was let down.

― Helen Fordsdale, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh man, 'Drunken Chorus' from the 'Obscurity' EP is one of my favourite, favourite, favourite songs. I never did by any albums after 'Cake' though. They still going?

― DavidM, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i love them. they are sort of in the same category as moose, just going about their own business catering to their small but charged fanbase making pretty things on a not quite regular enough interval. they just ditched an entire album allegedly. i enjoy all three albums and the b-side rarities compilation 'on a b- road' nicely compiles all the non-lp material on two discs and has many splendid happenings although their attempts at covering 'i know it's over' and 'five senses working overtime' fall flat. i always wanted to post a question about whether it is true that scottish singers do the impassioned thing while english singers tend to do the more refined/restrained thing? am i falling for the stereotype of scottish 'hot-bloodedness' mythologized in literature and film? also, not hearing orange juice is no big crime, when you finally do you will wonder what all the fuss is about, similar experience to that when one first hears the go-betweens.

― keith, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

also, not hearing orange juice is no big crime, when you finally do you will wonder what all the fuss is about, similar experience to that when one first hears the go-betweens.

I forgive you this terrible blasphemy on both bands, if only you wash your mouth out with soap. ;-) Not everyone will be taken by them, but knowing Nitsuh's tastes, he'll hear Orange Juice and then wonder why the hell he hasn't paid more attention to them before.

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 20 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

maybe he will, i just heard all the hype, and was deflated when i finally heard orange juice. they are ok, i suppose. on the other hand, i don't hear anything likeable about the go-betweens. i know both of these groups are part of the pantheon of pop music but they shouldn't be. maybe it would have been different had i been there from the start, born too late then.

― keith, Saturday, 20 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yes, it's all your fault. ;-)

Anyway, you peoples will be pleased to know that I found a copy of _I've Seen Everything_ today for under $2, so I'll contemplate it at my leisure.

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 20 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

*currently contemplating at my leisure* Hey, this is indeed pretty good. I think it'll grow on me more with time, as not everything is perfectly connecting from the start, but "Bloodrush" alone is a winner.

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 21 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

All I know by them, and all I have by them, is their cover of "To sir with love". Always a genius little song, they take it into that little bit further, pulling some real emotions out of it. Heard it on the radio in work just before Christmas 1997 (or whatever year it came out) and it smashed my simple heart into pieces. Had to buy it after that. Don't care if they did anything better themselves, just for "TSWL" is enough.

― Rob M, Monday, 22 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Hi everybody --

Long time lurker, first time poster. Just had to speak up because TCS' "I've Seen Everything" is probably my favorite album of all time... It's a shame not too many folks know about it. "I'm Immortal" and "Earlies" are probably my favorite tracks, but darn near everything on that album is great. It's definitely an album that gets better the more you listen to it.

The other two TCS albums are also very good (even though each album sounds as if it were made by a completely different band). There are also many terrific B-sides they've done... They're collected on a fan- produced yet TCS-endorsed CD collection available here: http://www.gis.net/%7Ejdimaria/tcs/rare/rare.html

BTW, I'm not affiliated with the group or with the above b-side collection -- I'm just a fan. :-)

― popmusic, Monday, 22 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I forgot -- "Orange Fell" is also a favorite track from ISE. Sublime stuff. :-)

― popmusic, Monday, 22 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

yeah, it'll grow on you

i should say, i think Orange Juice and for that matter The Go-Betweens tend to grow on you over time as well, not that striking on first lsiten...

― g, Monday, 22 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

two years pass...

I heard "Weightlifting" last night. Too slick and not catchy enough to warrant the time spent on this album. Only listened to it once, though.

― fizzcaraldo (Justin M), Wednesday, 18 August 2004 04:33 (twenty-one years ago)

eighteen years pass...

good stuff eh?

― But his face would not turn into hot Kirby (Evan), Wednesday, 3 May 2023 04:01 (two years ago)

according to me, yes. quite good indeed. frank's one of my favorite singers ever. consistent lot too, if you like that soft rock vibe.

― my beard exists more than i do. (Austin), Wednesday, 3 May 2023 04:46 (two years ago)

my serious high school girlfriend loved them so much

― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 3 May 2023 09:47 (two years ago)

ILX in 2001 was basically 100% music writers, huh?

― enochroot, Wednesday, 3 May 2023 13:11 (two years ago)

Cake is superb, as good as any jangly Smiths-indebted indie; "Only Tongue Can Tell" was the first I heard and probably still my favorite of theirs.

Weightlifting has its moments; "All the Dark Horses" does what many other UK bands (Coldplay, Travis, et al.) were doing around that time but plays sweeter, less serious.

Never got into their other albums but consider myself a fan, yes.

― Indexed, Wednesday, 3 May 2023 17:00 (two years ago)

Huge fan of Cake. Think they recently reissued it on vinyl, so if you want a copy check out Last Night in Glasgow (I think that's who is selling/pressing them).

― brotherlovesdub, Wednesday, 3 May 2023 20:36 (two years ago)

I’ve seen everything is by far my favorite of theirs, amazing hooks and atmosphere.

― brimstead, Wednesday, 3 May 2023 21:44 (two years ago)

brimstead otm, that album has aged fantastically. and plus, if you play guitar, "earlies" is really easy to learn and tons of fun song to jam along with.

a later single that is simultaneously total fluff and also A CERTIFIED JAM™-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngAQ4PseAs8

"all night" (2016)

― my beard exists more than i do. (Austin), Thursday, 4 May 2023 00:25 (two years ago)

^ That is really nice :)

― Tracer Hand, Thursday, 4 May 2023 10:21 (two years ago)

five months pass...

hello, pleasing to call everyone's attn to "oranges + apples" by the trashcans. it's from 2010-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9py78aLSjA

it's a perfect soft rock jam vibe and it's about syd barrett.

". . .and all the things that you went through. . .now everything is enhanced by you. . ."

― the adventures of Yari and ixa. (Austin), Monday, 9 October 2023 20:34 (two years ago)

hey that’s nice, really like the mellotron sound

I was enjoying this Zebra of the Family rarities thing recently: https://trashcansinatras.com/products/zebra-of-the-family-download

The Cake demos/radio sessions on it sound great

― brimstead, Monday, 9 October 2023 21:36 (two years ago)

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