Where is the LOVE for Tiny Lights???

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Since I just happen to be guest blogging about them on Mystical Beast and they don't come up in a search.

What a great band. Anybody out there ever see them? I mean, sometimes their lyrics were lame and they could get all classic rock, but damn, back in the day... It seems like everything but the first record (which of course is the best) can be easily found used. They are also noteworthy for being on three consecutive bankrupt labels. Ouch.

― sleeve (sleeve), Tuesday, 7 June 2005 03:14 (twenty years ago)

i've never heard the name before. please describe.

― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Tuesday, 7 June 2005 03:17 (twenty years ago)

What do they sound like?

― Orbit (Orbit), Tuesday, 7 June 2005 03:17 (twenty years ago)

From the Trouser Press Guide:

"Tiny Lights were a perfectly lovely jumble of plaintive pop, Close to the Edge-style epics, jazzy forays and neo-hippie lullabies that, if not for a procession of label failures, might have found an audience as broad as its tastes."

First (1986) self-released LP reissued by Psychic TV's Temple records, 2nd put out on failed jazz imprint Gaia Records, 3rd was recorded for Gaia but unreleased, 4th came out on Rough Trade just before THEIR bankruptcy, 5th and 6th LPs came out on LA's Doctor Dream Records, now apparantly defunct, last LP was in 97 on Bar/None.

Guitar, bass, drum, cello, violin, soprano sax, and trumpet. Lots of songs. Although I'm hesitant about "self-promoting", I have MP3s of the band plus history up this week at http://www.mysticalbeast.blogspot.com

Just wondering if any other folks from the pre-Nirvana indie era remember them...

― sleeve (sleeve), Tuesday, 7 June 2005 03:53 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, I remember them, but am not sure if I ever heard them.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Tuesday, 7 June 2005 05:48 (twenty years ago)

I have one of their CDs. Pretty so-so, though maybe I would like it a lot if I could separate out the things that really bug me. I used to like "Sugar" a lot, but the guitar solo throws things off (and the song drags a bit anyway).

― RS (Catalino) LaRue (RSLaRue), Tuesday, 7 June 2005 10:13 (twenty years ago)

I think I remember seeing some positive comments about them from n@bisc0.

― RS (Catalino) LaRue (RSLaRue), Tuesday, 7 June 2005 10:14 (twenty years ago)

The only reason I found out about them was because of the Temple Records connection, of course.

― RS (Catalino) LaRue (RSLaRue), Tuesday, 7 June 2005 10:16 (twenty years ago)

Oh, I still've got one of their LP's somewhere ...Hot Chocolate Massage, yeah. Quite liked it when first heard it, sometime 91-92-ish. Haven't listened to it for years now.

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Tuesday, 7 June 2005 10:55 (twenty years ago)

Dude. Saw 'em what must have been 60 or 70 times between 1984 and 1994-ish. Prayer For the Halcyon Fear (and the "Flowers in The Air" 7" before that) is up there with friggin' Crazy Rhythms and Drums Along the Hudson as an epochal NJ indie classic.

― mike a, Tuesday, 7 June 2005 11:14 (twenty years ago)

I mean, they and Spiral Jetty ruled a particular subsection of the '80s NJ music scene.

― mike a, Tuesday, 7 June 2005 11:15 (twenty years ago)

That's what I'm talkin' about, mike a!!!

― sleeve (sleeve), Tuesday, 7 June 2005 13:50 (twenty years ago)

Got a couple of albums around, or I thought I did? Might have ripped and sold them. Seemed okay but I hadn't listened to them in years.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 7 June 2005 13:57 (twenty years ago)

Actually listened to Prayer for The Halcyon Fear this morning (thanks, new iPod). It's aged well, and I see no reason why fans of Devendra/Joanna/CocoRosie shouldn't love this, too. Was surprised to hear a slight Crazy Rhythms influence in "Country Song," but then Tiny Lights and the Feelies played lots of shows together. What are Donna and Jon up to these days, I wonder?

― mike a, Tuesday, 7 June 2005 14:00 (twenty years ago)

two months pass...

Their cellist Stuart Hake, is my cello teacher and occastionally he just bust out a mad solo from his band days... he even gave me the cello sheet music for "Better".... does anyone know where i could get recordings of this band????? please email me at gl@centurytel.net

― Aspiring Cellist, Friday, 19 August 2005 22:34 (twenty years ago)

thanks to mike, i will play some tiny lights on my radio show this week.

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Saturday, 20 August 2005 16:08 (twenty years ago)

i love john hamilton

― Nick Sylvester, Saturday, 20 August 2005 16:25 (twenty years ago)

lavenderman is such a good song!

― kephm (kephm), Saturday, 20 August 2005 16:28 (twenty years ago)

jazz, bankruptcy, ripped, blog, radio: a tiny path

They were a respectable jangly pop band. I would have been too tiny to catch the source of those "broad tastes," but like Scrawl or Galaxy 500 they took loaded guns to the indie circuit.

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Saturday, 20 August 2005 17:22 (twenty years ago)

Wasn't uber-indie cellist-for-hire Jane Scarpantoni in them? Love for her work with Bob Mould and Lounge Lizards! I used to own a couple of Tiny Lights records, as I recall it they were...ok.

― Matt #2 (Matt #2), Saturday, 20 August 2005 18:52 (twenty years ago)

eight years pass...

finally tracked down a CD copy of Hazel's Wreath and look what I found on wiki:

On July 10th 2011, John Hamilton granted permission on behalf of Tiny Lights to host recordings on the Live Music Archive:

I'm writing to confirm that my wife (Donna Croughn) and I were the
principal songwriters and performers in the band Tiny Lights and that we
fully agree to have our music posted on your site.

Thanks,
John Hamilton

https://archive.org/details/TinyLights

― sleeve, Sunday, 9 March 2014 18:39 (twelve years ago)

OK the March '89 show is a great example of why this band ruled in a live setting - the sound really kicks in after a couple of songs, sounds like the taper moved up.

srsly folks

― sleeve, Wednesday, 12 March 2014 20:25 (twelve years ago)

eleven years pass...

So, I got a song from this band's first album stuck in my head ages ago and I had long since lost the mixtape I had it on in the late 80s. I couldnt recall the name of the band or album for AGES, but I managed to work it out the other day.
And on a relisten, realised I knew EVERY SINGLE LINE and melody of the album. Weird sensation, automatically recalling complete something you've not heard in 30+ years.

And then I do a bit of googling and find out their oroginal cellist is the same one who played on Throwing Muses and KHersh solo stuff. Because, of COURSE. How did I not know that.

Anyway the first album is fabulous, part 'Muses part 10000 Maniacs part Femmes part... I dunno. Good stuff. Now to try and track down a copy on vinyl, which seems quite tricky.

― Stoop Crone (Trayce), Wednesday, 4 February 2026 04:39 (three months ago)

aw my old thread

Trayce I bet this US seller might ship to AUS for not too exorbitant of a sum

https://www.discogs.com/sell/item/3334915542

― vague facial gymnastics (sleeve), Wednesday, 4 February 2026 05:08 (three months ago)

and yeah Jane Scarpantoni is a great cellist! she is a total session pro

https://www.discogs.com/artist/251548-Jane-Scarpantoni?superFilter=Credits

― vague facial gymnastics (sleeve), Wednesday, 4 February 2026 05:09 (three months ago)

Yeah so I had noted! I love her cello work on the Halcyon Fear album and on "University".

― Stoop Crone (Trayce), Wednesday, 4 February 2026 05:10 (three months ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRSU1qb5tNw

"Around It Goes Around" is a charmer.

If you were in the NY/NJ area in the '80s, it's the kind of song that Vin Scelsa would play on his weekly WNEW-FM Sunday show.

― Hideous Lump, Wednesday, 4 February 2026 06:07 (three months ago)

I have a Hazel's Wreath poster on my wall!

― vague facial gymnastics (sleeve), Wednesday, 4 February 2026 16:25 (three months ago)

I have a Halcyon Fear poster AND a Hot Chocolate Massage t-shirt! Saw them more than once in the quad cities in the 90s. Really potent live. Great memories.

― Psychocandy Apple Grey (Pyschocandles), Thursday, 5 February 2026 00:38 (three months ago)

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