Here we are at the Cats Rescue stall. I was not allowed to buy a miniature model of a Route Master bus despite my plea of "Think of the cats, think of the cats", so I consoled myself by caressing some terrible records.

Streatham's murderous roads will not deter the Scavenger.

Galway and Mancini, flutes and strings. We just didn't have the courage to buy it.

Formed from the ashes of the Room this is a great Benny Profane 12". Discovered snugly cosying up to some Mission 12" 's. Bauhaus, Family Cat and some goth compilation featuring Every New Dead Ghost to be played only after dark were also unearthed in the new arrivals section.

A 12" on Peasant's Revolt Records. Unfortunately it features a Chumbawamba track. That'll get a dousing with a jug of water when I get home. Also discover Dragon's Revenge by Anhrefn. Love the dragon which reminds me, isn't the Welsh flag the best?

We sign a petition to save the Missing Persons' shop in East Sheen. If it shuts who will find the missing? Inside we find nothing but an America LP from the late 70's. We send it packing on a horse with no name.

What glorious baubles await inside................................

Get me the number of that window cleaner.

What a haul. Barnados has a rich selection of LP's I already own. Except the Steeleye Span which I rejected.

Discovered in Barnados, East Sheen, Stomu Yamashta's East Wind. That reflection effect
is down to my camera operative. She's on half pay from now on.

Turntable Revolution Record Collection 15

TURNTABLE REVOLUTION TOP 20 august 15

1 Fauves : Tortured Soul
2 Sea Urchins : Summershine
3 Pains Of Being Pure At Heart : Come Saturday
4 Astronauts : Back Soon
5 BTP Folders : All Of A Sudden
6 Gobblinz : Communique
7 Indelicates : America
8 Ting Tings : Shut Up And Let Me Go
9 Exhibit A : Distance
10 Vivian Girls : Wild Eyes
11 Newpolitans : Duck Town
12 Tagmemics : Chimneys
13 Penny Candles : Memory Box
14 Pathetix : Love In Decay
15 Lucky Soul : Add Your Light To Mine Baby
16 Tuxedo Moon : Pinheads On The Move
17 Summer Cats : Lonely Planet
18 Wave Pictures : Strange Fruit For David
19 Manhattan Love Suicides : Clusterfuck
20 Alphabeat : 10,000 Nights

Green numbers indicate new entries.

Only A Northern Love Song

1. Many years ago, 1980, in a rainy city named Manchester a record label called Object existed. Grow-Up was responsible for one of the label's greatest pop moments. It was their second release on Object, the first featured six tracks of tentative and twisty half-formed songs. An LP called The Best Thing was an extension of ideas that had been toyed with on the debut single. Then suddenly out of nowhere came Joanne.

2.

A stop-start paean to young love among the rocks kissed by the North Sea surf, the jittery nervousness of that first crush, the awe in which the loved one is observed while doing the most mundane things, these are touchingly conveyed. "From Scarborough Harbour to Whitley Bay, I'm gonna love you for just one day", they sing and then declare, in glorious contradiction, the genius line "Will you marry me before I go gay?" If they had been a hundred miles further north they would have been Orange Juice. The b side has two tunes called "The Affirmation of Existence" and "Gggdadgadadad" so they were probably art students who eventually merged into one and became Tracey Emin, but for the sake of Joanne we can forgive them that.

3.

Another LP was released, Without Wings on the Up label, shortly before they grew up too much to devote time to an unsuccessful band. Much of the LP was more in the spirit of Joanne with occasional daring adventures into jazzy pop; their tuneful tinkering deserved more than the oblivion that embraced it.

4.

Listen to it on imeem.

EYE ON EBAY

Here's a first on T.Rev. I'm commenting on an auction that is due to finish later today. Up for grabs is Ten Feet Tall by the Flowershop. It's not a cover of the XTC song. It is though a cracking C86ish pop tune and one I stumbled across in a charity shop last year along with a batch of Cherry Orchard flexis. No bids as yet but it's available as a buy it now at a very reasonable price. Any lovers of pop left alive? That Noah And The Whale single can wait until next week, sand down your bidding fingers and prepare to pounce. Trust me, I'm a blogger.

Turntable Revolution Mixtape 2 Revolving

1. The Cybermen - Cybernetic Surgery
2. Scrotum Poles - Pick The Cats Eyes Out
3. Reacta - Sus
4. The Desperate Bicycles - The Medium was Tedium
5. Martin & the Brownshirts - Boring
6. Bleach Boys - Chloroform
7. Sema 4 - up down around
8. Art Attacks - Neutron Bomb
9. Pseudo Existors - Now
10. The Wasps - Teenage Treats
11. Sods - No Pictures
12. Satan's Rats - In My Love For You
13. Negatives (Bradford UK) - Love Is Not Real

Turntable Revolution Record Collection 14

Nostalgia is not a modern obsession

Nostalgia is not a modern obsession. The fifties American family was celebrated on the cover of this 1988 flexi release by the Peach Thieves. Prosperous and fun-loving, the uniform of happiness for the girls is pleated skirts which implies a rigid adherence to structure and formality. Are the men wearing bespoke trousers? The little girl is goggle-eyed as if she's never entertained the notion of a spherical object propelling itself forward without continuous aid from a human limb. One feels this is not an instant or an ecstatic seizure, rather that this family was permanently in thrall to joy. The elder girl is already accepting her future role to some stifling husband as she brings forth the crass nectar of 1950's corporate America, Coca Cola. And where better place to offload all that youthful energy your kids are harnessing than the bowling alley? The adamantine ideals, such as truth, justice and the attaining of the American dream, parents are eager to instill in their offspring can be forged in the healthy competitiveness sport encourages.

The sleeve is misleading as the two tracks the Peach Thieves offer us are in a C86 style. They came from Lindal-in-Furness, Cumbria and they were Philip on vocals and guitar, Johnny on guitar, Shaun on bass and Chris on drums. Johnny is modelling himself on Johnny Marr on the reverse sleeve. The record is dedicated to Vic Godard. I'd hazard a guess he never heard it. Both tracks are accomplished. Morecambe Bay is a slow wistful paean to the summer of 1987 when the boys were apparently being bullied by surfers on the beach.

What became of the Peach Thieves? Who were they? Did they ever release anything else?

Hear Out Of The Nowhere on imeem.

TURNTABLE REVOLUTION TOP 20 august 8

1 Indelicates : America
2 Astronauts : Back Soon
3 Sea Urchins : Summershine
4 Fauves : Tortured Soul
5 Exhibit A : Distance
6 Pains Of Being Pure At Heart : Come Saturday
7 Gobblinz : Communique
8 Vivian Girls : Wild Eyes
9 Newpolitans : Duck Town
10 Penny Candles : Memory Box
11 Alphabeat : 10,000 Nights
12 Manhattan Love Suicides : Clusterfuck
13 Lucky Soul : Add Your Light To Mine Baby
14 Wave Pictures : Strange Fruit For David
15 Ting Tings : Shut Up And Let Me Go
16 Squad : Red Alert
17 Pathetix : Love In Decay
18 Tuxedo Moon : Pinheads On The Move
19 Tagmemics : Chimneys
20 Reacta : Stop The World

Green numbers indicate new entries.

EYE ON EBAY

The Machines aggressive muddily-produced True Life ep accrues £83.25. If you want a taste of the Machines I suggest you buy the compilation Bored Teenagers 4 on Bin Liner records which also contains the amusing Public Pisstake and a powerpop classic by the Elevators.

Turntable Revolution Record Collection 13

Singles Selection

TURNTABLE REVOLUTION TOP 20 august 1

1 Indelicates : America
2 Sea Urchins : Summershine
3 Astronauts : Back Soon
4 Alphabeat : 10,000 Nights
5 Penny Candles : Memory Box
6 Newpolitans : Duck Town
7 Manhattan Love Suicides : Clusterfuck
8 Exhibit A : Distance
9 Gobblinz : Communique
10 Vivian Girls : Wild Eyes
11 Wave Pictures : Strange Fruit For David
12 Squad : Red Alert
13 Lucky Soul : Add Your Light To Mine Baby
14 Reacta : Stop The World
15 Mob : Give It To Me
16 Pains Of Being Pure At Heart : Come Saturday
17 Peach Thieves : Out Of The Nowhere
18 Scabs : Amory Building
19 False Idols : Ego Wino
20 Fauves : Tortured Soul

Green numbers indicate new entries.

EYE ON EBAY

Das Schnitz was a band formed at Torquay Boys Grammar School. They crossed the sexual divide and played a fifteen minute gig at the girls grammar school. In early 1979 Ellie Jay helped them attain immortality by pressing 533 of their only single. About 100 of the singles had sleeves "designed" by the band, they couldn't afford proper sleeves so they bought a large quantity of unused ones and scribbled their name on them. Blondie, Funkadelic and Chaka Khan were a few of the artists that had their sleeves doctored. Despite the "support" of those famous pop stars their notoriety remained rooted in the Torquay area.
Appearing sleeveless on ebay the single sold for a paltry £63.90. Those with sleeves usually sell nearer the £100 mark.

WHAT I LOST ON EBAY

Sarah 13 and 14 surface and I venture a conservative bid. They are eventually scooped up for £35.10. I have virtually every Sarah release but the flexi and fanzine evade me. I'm confident they'll reappear as I've lost them on several occasions. Patience is prudent sometimes.

TURNTABLE REVOLUTION TOP20 july 25

1 Indelicates : America
2 Sea Urchins : Summershine
3 Penny Candles : Memory Box
4 Newpolitans : Duck Town
5 Astronauts : Back Soon
6 Scabs : Amory Building
7 Wave Pictures : Strange Fruit For David
8 Manhattan Love Suicides : Clusterfuck
9 Alphabeat : 10,000 Nights
10 Mob : Give It To Me
11 Exhibit A : Distance
12 Reacta : Stop The World
13 Gobblinz : Communique
14 Ebony Bones : Don't Fart On My Heart
15 Kissamatic Lovebubble : Only Lust
16 Squad : Red Alert
17 Vivian Girls : Wild Eyes
18 Apple Creation : One In A Mirror
19 Lucky Soul : Add Your Light To Mine Baby
20 Peach Thieves : Out Of The Nowhere

Green numbers indicate new entries.

EYE ON EBAY

I sometimes think I'm doing Popsike's job here, venerable site though it is there are glaring omissions. Latest news for those who like their punk Welsh is that the Screen Gemz single made another appearance. Despite having its picture cover it barely peeked over the three figure parapet selling for £113. On the previous two occasions their single appeared on ebay it sold for well over £200.

A demo by C86 stalwarts the Siddeleys achieved a respectable £88. I did bid on this but exercised self control. I'm surprised it didn't make three figures. Back in the early 90's I bought their exceptional 12" from a seller advertising in Record Collector for a meagre £7. A bargain.

Turntable Revolution Mixtape 1 Revolving

Tracklisting For Mixtape 1 (To Listen - Press The Play Button)

1. Heavenly - C Is the Heavenly Option
2. The Wave Pictures - Strange Fruit For David
3. The Sea Urchins - Summershine
4. Daniel Johnston - Fish
5. The Indelicates - America
6. O Level - Pseudo Punk
7. A Classic Education - Lovers Barricade
8. Desperate Bicycles - I Am Nine
9. Vivian Girls - Tell The World
10. The Field Mice - Sensitive
11. Joanna Newsome - Sprout And The Bean
12. Razorcuts - I'll Still Be There
13. Shop Assistants - Safety Net
14. My Bloody Valentine - Lovelee Sweet Darlene
15. Wolfhounds - The Anti-Midas Touch
16. Astronauts - Back Soon
17. Potting Sheds - Happy Again
18. Amy And The Angels - I Hate Being In Love
19. Grown Up Strange - A Wing And A Prayer
20. No Entry Band - Cold And Lonely Life

TURNTABLE REVOLUTION TOP 20 july18

1 Scabs : Amory Building
2 Newpolitans : Duck Town
3 Sea Urchins : Summershine
4 Mob : Give It To Me
5 Penny Candles : Memory Box
6 Wave Pictures : Strange Fruit For David
7 Ebony Bones : Don't Fart On My Heart
8 Astronauts : Back Soon
9 Manhattan Love Suicides : Clusterfuck
10 Kissamatic Lovebubble : Only Lust
11 Exhibit A : Distance
12 Some Loves : Know You Now
13 Reacta : Stop The World
14 Apple Creation : One In A Mirror
15 Kitchen Cinq : Determination
16 Ting Tings : That's Not My Name
17 Nautical William : Love House
18 Daniel Johnston : Fish
19 Gobblinz : Communique
20 Squad : Red Alert

Green numbers indicate new entries.

Turntable Revolution Record Collection 12

Caught in the maelstrom

It's 1992 and Spaghetti Head is caught in the maelstrom of the indie dance. Do you miss those times? If you do here's a band that sound like the Happy Mondays, Farm and the Soup Dragons. Steeped in the mood of the moment they weren't because the indie dance had been murdered in the mosh pits as Nirvana and their head-shaking hordes swept through the venues of Britain. Grunge was a big sponge that soaked up those who were all Bezzed out.

It was the girlfriend who directed me towards this lot and as she has a well trained ear I had no hesitation in rescuing this from a charity shop in Ruislip Manor. It's an unpleasant cover and Spaghetti Head is an atrocious name so even before this hits the decks you're consciously disliking it. Once it gets its groove though you feel compelled to rotate wildly. There's no info on the band and the B side is an instrumental version of Glad! Did they release anything else? It's doubtful considering they couldn't even supply an original B side. This really is the behaviour of a bunch of session musicians.

Worst band names league:

1 Toad The Wet Sprocket

2 Regular Fries

3 Spaghetti Head

Food and band names, not a good idea (I'm sure they eat toads somewhere).