Okay, you can probably figure out that yesterday was not the intended weekly post. That was something that I stumbled across a few weeks ago that seemed perfect for April 1st. This is cassette week, though, so we’re looking at two recent, intriguing thrift store finds.
First up this week is Sugamyth. The cover called to me…
Sugamyth appears to be a New York-based R&B/rock band featuring three lead singers that trade off songs. I say “appears to be” because information on the band is incredibly limited online. I really could only find a blurb from their former drummer. I actually found what I think is a former member online and asked for an interview, but she didn’t get back to me in time for this post. Shame, really.
Sugamyth sound something like an En Vogue light, with less synths and more brass. Given that this came out in 1996, you might see why such a thing didn’t take off. It was hardly the popular form of music, though they do it fairly competently.
The album starts with a fairly simple drumbeat on One Way to Know, transitioning to a clean guitar sound, funky bass, and horn section. Then they start singing, and you get a second clue to why they might not have taken off: though they can harmonize well, the sound is, for lack of a better word, thin. I’m not sure if it’s a matter of their voices not really working together or production values (I’m betting on the latter, as the whole thing has what I’m sure was an attempted layer of sheen that instead diminishes some of the impact of the overall sound). Sweet spanish guitar solo and trumpet solo in this one, though.
And that highlights the thing about this album: though the sound is very, very dated (and probably sounded dated in 96), many of the songs have some redeeming quality. For instance, in the second song, I Can’t Wait, has a pretty great breakdown that might have worked as a verse in some other song. There are lots of little moments like this on the album, so while it’s hard to recommend the album overall, those moments can redeem some of its issues and make it a worthwhile listen. Hell, I’m on my fourth listen through, so it must be doing something right.
I can, however, recommend one song. One song fires on almost all cylinders and redeems the entire thing: track 4, Amazon. If you give nothing else on this album a chance, go for that one. When I say “almost all”, I’m referring to the intro. It starts off sounding pretty bland with a questionable horn section, then turns into a Sade song. And a pretty good Sade song, at that. By the time you get to the hook in the chorus, things come together very nicely, and you get an idea of what the singers might be able to do when the production isn’t holding them back.
Like I said, overall, not the greatest album, but I think it’s worth a listen.
- Year: 1996
- Label: Suga Records
- Found: Gaithersburg, MD
- One Way to Know
- I Can’t Wait
- Seeds
- Amazon
- Lenny
- Sweetest Love
- Karma (Give it Back)
You can get Part 1 Here.
And Part 2 Here.
Our second offering is something of an oddity for this site. Denzil was a critically successful band in the mid-90s with their album pub (and indeed, the tracks I’m offering today are from that album, though at least two are different mixes from the final version), but they never caught on commercially in either the US or the UK. They’ve apparently been hugely influential, though, and the bit of pub that I’ve heard is brilliant. I recommend picking it up at Amazon or iTunes or where-ever you can find it. Normally, this EP would fall well outside of the scope of what I’m trying to do here…
However, I’ve decided to post it for two reasons: 1. I think Denzil, defunct though they may be, deserve the attention, and 2. This is a limited promotional release, so I’m not taking away from the pub album itself.
If I were pressed to describe the band’s sound, I’d say they show definite signs of being influenced by that legendary English pop band, XTC, with perhaps a little Elvis Costello-meets-the-Kinks. For a more modern point of reference, they’re something of a Kooks progenitor (if you’re familiar with them). The first track, Useless, is the big hit here, if you can call it that. It’s very radio-friendly and actually got some radio airplay back in 1994, but failed to catch on even when they won every award under the sun. This one most clearly shows the XTC influence, sounding like something off of Skylarking infused with a 1990’s sensibility.
Track 2, Fat Loose Fancies Me, starts with a Pixies-style drumbeat and acoustic guitar then layers in the electric guitar and bass. It has an almost archetypal 1990s sound, something indefinable but definitely present. It also received a video, but sank in the charts.
I don’t know if I would call these the four strongest tracks off of pub, but they’re a decent representation. I urge you to pick up the whole thing if you enjoy these tracks.
- Year: 1994
- Label: Giant Records
- Found: Bethesda, MD
- Notes: Promotional EP
- Useless
- Fat Loose Fancies Me
- Rake Around the Grave (Incomplete – cuts out on cassette)
- Who Made You So Cynical About Me?
Get Stupid here.
Found Music 