o41m3uQ85pg]I’m going to completely crib Mark Deming’s AllMusic write-up on these guys as it isn’t the primary reason I found them interesting.
On paper, The Sunbirds were a band more interesting for what the members did before and after the group’s brief lifetime that what they accomplished while they were together; only after their recordings received a belated release did it become obvious that this was group whose gifts far outstripped their public recognition. In 1986, after 28th Day had broken up following the departure of Barbara Manning, guitarist and singer Cole Marquis and drummer Mike Cloward decided to form a new band, and joined forces with Lawrence Crane, who’d been playing bass with Vomit Launch. Adopting the name The Sunbirds, the band started playing around their hometown of Chico, California and recorded a six-song demo tape. However, the band attracted little notice, and by the end of the year The Sunbirds were history. Marquis and Cloward went on to form The Downsiders, and Marquis later won a cult following with his solo work; Crane continued to perform with Vomit Launch, and later moved into the control room, working as a recording engineer and founding the acclaimed independent recording magazine TapeOp. The Sunbirds briefly reunited in 1997, recording another six-song demo; Paisley Pop Records combined the 1986 and 1997 sessions and released them as a 2003 album entitled No Sun No Shadow. In 2002, Crane reassembled the band to perform at a TapeOp magazine convention, and while all three members continue to make their own music, they have not ruled out working together again in the future.
What I found interesting was that it sounds as if they tried to put out an early REM album. In fact if REM had put this album out instead of Fables or at least Pageant I would have hung around longer. That’s not to say this album holds its own against earlier REM. It doesn’t. Which I guess goes to show how much I dislike later REM.
There is also a heavy dose of The Feelies. The AllMusic dude hears some Meat Puppets, but nah, he’s wrong.
I intentionally chose the least REM/Feelies-ish song to see if anyone caught the vibe anyhoo. And you didn’t disappoint Townsmen Big Steve and geo!
Here’s another track:
So I have three follow-up questions:
1. Can you name any other bands that so clearly copped REM’s early sound?
2. Anyone have/heard 28th Day?
3. What’s the deal with Barbara Manning. She seems to really suck, bad.
The first thing I think about when I think “Barbara Manning” is her cover of a Pretty Things song from S.F. Sorrow. I thought it was pretty cool, but I believe you don’t like that Pretty Things album that much, do you?
I still have a lot of catching up to do. I’ve been watching nothing but Gordon Ramsay shows on BBC America and “researching” really stupid things that I had on my mind during the long drives to and from Maine. Ramsay is lefthanded, by the way.
I love that album, douche.
Someone I know doesn’t like that one. Sorry!
Ramsay also seems to be leftfooted, judging by the penalty shot he took on two failing cooks during a break in the kitchen.
1. Can you name any other bands that so clearly copped REM’s early sound?
Gee….um. No. These guys got it down pretty good. A lot of folks were tying back then.
2. Anyone have/heard 28th Day?
I know I have because we played with them way back when. We were both on Enigma at the same time. I may have a Promo compilation CD that has a track or two…
3. What’s the deal with Barbara Manning. She seems to really suck, bad.
She’s not for everyone. Not sure what her deal is any more. She’s not doing much music last I heard. The DM stayed at a place called “Hotel Hell” in SF back in about 86 or so. Barbara and her sister lived there as well as the music writer Gina Arnold and other music scene folks. We had a blast and they all were very kind to us. She’s polarizing maybe. I think you either like her music or you don’t. Have we done a “polarizing artists” thread yet here?
I honestly haven’t heard enough of Manning to make a judgement. I was going purely off that video. Shame on me.
Polarizing bands is a good idea. I can think of one. I’ll pop up a thread.
Ah, I see now. Yes, 28th Day. I quite like them. If there are downloads around, check out “25 Pills” and “Dead Sinner”. Check out the first two solo Manning lps. She kind of neatly straddles jangle pop and indie folk, if that makes any sense. I have some of her stuff that came out after that, but the early stuff is the best. She’s very nice, btw. The Wishniaks opened for her once and she agreed to sing along to 25 Pills, a song it embarrassingly turned out she didn’t write. This after we spent a while working it up as a cover.
Hey! Who the hell is Perry Farrell, and why can’t I write in a response? And if I can’t write in a response, why isn’t there a response taking into account the unacquainted population in a snarky way, yet infused with that RTH ‘healing’ juju of which you are so fond?