Verbena - Shaped Like A Gun 7"

I don't know anything about this band, so I thought I'd fake it by looking on Wikipedia. That's probably given it away, mind.

Anyway, this is a bloody great single, with a nice relaxing b-side. The a-side sounds a little like Elastica, but American with a boy singing. The b-side sounds like a quiet Foo Fighters track. Interestingly, Dave Grohl produced the LP after this one. Coincidence..? This one came out on Merge Records (everyone's favourite label), and was produced by Dave Fridmann of Mercury Rev/Flaming Lips/everyone else fame, so they have some pedigree in their production at least.

I think it's a really good song, very of its time (1997), but yeah, a good one. Hope you like it.

1. Shaped Like A Gun
2. Postcard Blues

Here it is. You love it.

Smog - Ex-Con 7"

Robster, here's your prize! It's a post dedicated only to you, and you alone. Other people might read it, sure, but this one's for you (and Steve Ogriz0vic). I hope you like it. I tried to gift wrap it, but I ran out of Sellotape (or sticky-backed plastic, if you're into the whole Blue Peter thing).

Mat, this is second prize. Squeethorp, this is third.

And this is Smog, who are generally quiet and acoustic, as far as I'm aware. This is a kind of demo-sounding tune, but it shows how important a bit of space in a good song is. You'll see what I mean. Anyway, it's really good, and was the first thing I ever heard by them/him - Bill Callahan is/was the main man, who is/was Mr Joanna Newsom, I think. Did I make that/up?

The b-side is a real rocker! Full of bashing the crap out of the drums and feedback. Seriously. I don't know if anything else of theirs sounds like this, but maybe it should have done.

1. Ex-Con
2. Just Like Napoleon

Here it is.

The Hitchers - You Can Only Love Someone / Strachan 7"

Not feeling too inspired today, but here's a couple of tunes to inspire all you folks out there in the world. The very Irish Hitchers are up today, with a good a-side and an absolutely brilliant b-side. The lyrics alone would be worth posting, but as I'm not going to you're probably best off listening.

If you don't know who Gordon Strachan is then you'll need to do some research to get the real benefit of this song. If you do then you'll get it fo sho.

1. You Can Only Love Someone
2. Strachan

Gordon. You like? Name the 'keeper for a special prize.