Spring in my grey part of the universe, that’s what. Little green buds at the ends of branches and ideas stirring on the stalks of brains. Historically this has been the most productive time of the year for us in the imaginary basement. March 2007 saw the first ever Daydream Generation compilation hit the ground running like a sack of bricks dropped from a wayward helicopter. March 2008 saw the formation of Quixodelic Records and us dabbling in full-length releases from some of the nicest and most talented people you’ll likely never meet. Spring 2009 I suggested to everyone that we try and sail around the world on an imaginary ship. The less said about that one the better I guess. So the question I know you’re asking is what cataclysmic shift does the Spring of 2010 have in store? (And possibly, ‘Oh that makes us 3 years old sometime in the last month, so happy birthday all things Quixodelic… why didn’t we throw a party?’)

It is with a mixture of relief and pleasure that I can report that there’s nothing cataclysmic quite yet. But the cassettes are coming. For now we’re all hoping for another year of much the same – a couple more Daydream Generation compilations as and when, more free downloads, quite possibly a shiny new store, MAYBE an e-zine, probably a book, and definitely no more mazes. Instead we turn our collective attention to the lads and lassies of the commune and hope they can cook up something special between them. So without further ado, here’s what everybody is up to…

SIMON PILER AND THE ATOM BAND

With the relatively recent emergence of most of the Doc’s back catalogue (if you know where to look) there’s every chance you’re getting your fill of Simon Piler. Expect to see some (hopefully all) of the old releases appearing here in the coming months. But that was yesterday. Today is today. And what about tomorrow? Here’s what the man himself had to say:

Here’s the scoop on musical workings though there’s not much to tell: I’ve been in the process of songwriting and though I’ve been really slow (which is different) I am really excited about the quality of song that is resulting. Haven’t even started recording yet, but that should be due any week now.

Uh, I’ve been chipping away on the 1000 album cover thing and just working on imagery in general for future album booklet PDFs. Oh, yes, and just played a show here in Eau Claire that I think went quite well. Definitely took a seriously packed room of people (all ages, I might add, though no young children as I can remember) on a trip with me. It was very very fun though my eyes were closed the entire time I played. Whoooo. Yipers, man.

FAILEDSITCOM

Firstly, thanks to everyone who has downloaded both of Sam’s EP’s – ‘Of Life’s Declivity’ and ‘Her Blameless Mystery’. Curiously they have become my soundtrack to spring cleaning. I feel a bit like Freddie Mercury less the make-up, dress and moustache, floating along the top landing through a folk-electric dream of dust particles with the hoover. Due to appear on the imminent Akryllic Love tribute album, it sounds like FailedSitcom is keeping himself busy with side projects until the next gentle assault of sound waves and murmurs. Here’s what he had to say:

I’ve recorded a song from My Fair Lady for James Eric’s compilation of songs from musicals, it shouldn’t be on Cllct for over a month so here’s a preview (the mix needs a little fixing though):
FailedSitcom – On The Street Where You Live (demo) by quixodelicrecords

I’ve also been writing some more original material, but I’ll keep you updated on that.

FIG MINTS (OF YOUR IMAGINATION)

You should know by now that from time to time Bobby Rogan falls off the planet. But sooner or later he climbs back on with his own unique brand of cerebral guitar-pop to woo the whiz-kids and put the world to rights. With 2009′s ‘Exercises In Futility’ still warm on the shelves, he was last seen ambling off across the ocean mumbling something about ‘songwriter’s block’. Thankfully he ambled back yesterday morning to tell us:

So the Fig Mints are almost (fingers crossed) done with album number 8. More guitars in this one, and just a hair more melodic than the last one… Just one more song to record, and the sequencing begins. Really having trouble with the order of the songs this time around… Started off with 11 songs, and it’ll probably get whittled down to 9, but I’m all about brevity lately. This will actually be the first record in five years that I’ve played all the instruments on… Weird, I just realized that.

But anyway, the new record is a loosely autobiographical account of love lost, time wasted and purpose rediscovered, with a few incidental references to the benefits of communal living and the destructiveness and wastefulness of the typical modern lifestyle. It’s called Say Okay, and it’ll be ready in a month or two, depending on how school goes… Stay tuned, kiddies, and go to www.thefigmints.com for irregular updates, and an eventual collection of videos made by myself and some friends. Yeah…

BECKY N

The alarm bells are ringing. And noisy as they are, if you close your eyes and sort of screw up your ears, you can vaguely hear the sound of something resembling a melody. Yes, Becky N is considering a name change. But don’t take my word for it… here’s what she had to say for herself:

Same shit with me… practising with my band, trying to write new songs for me and finding it difficult. Thinking that I don’t really want to be called Becky N when I make an album but not finding a name yet. Being obsessed with various other bands and people… needing motivation… blah blah.

THE FALLING FLOORS

Exciting times for The Falling Floors. If you haven’t already grabbed yourself the self-titled debut, or the brilliant ‘Hey! Midnight’ then you’re missing out on a psychedelic feast of funsounds. Fans out there will be pleased to know that with the help of a friendly manager, the band are going to be funding a 4-song 7″ single in the very near future. So those of your with record players… watch this space.

SYD LANE

THE challenge of 2010 will be for Syd Lane to top last year’s epic little masterpiece (Chansons De Geste ‘It Begins In Beauty’). According to soul-mate Jer, here’s what she’s up to:

Syd played a small gig here in Dublin last night, her first for a couple of years and it went beautifully so she has 3 or 4 more booked for April which I’m very excited about. She’s also busy recording the new record, aw man I simply can’t wait to hear it once it’s done.

Personally I can’t imagine how she’s possibly going to top the last record, but I’m looking forward to hearing her try.

SMALLY

Everybody knows I’ve retired from writing songs don’t they?

THE WHEELIES died a dastardly drunken death in the mountains with band members haphazardly kicking each other other out over a soft-rock soundtrack via Facebook and text messages. At one point it even looked like a splinter group called THE REALLIES was being spitefully formed, but thankfully (just like the band itself) it seems to have been a joke. Post-split, everyone barely involved went back to their children and/or bottles, ‘The Shite Album’ appeared on Cozy Home Records (charting the formative years pre-1998 when it wasn’t just me on my lonesome), and ‘A Scientific Study of Cloud Shapes’ was written up as “the last Wheelies album… ever”. This time apparently I Wheelie mean it.

KALEIDONAUTS also have faded into the more obscure columns of the Indie Rock & Roll catalogue of spectacular failures. Long lost 3rd album of out-takes and cut-songs ‘K2′ was briefly spotted on CLLCT, but like a lumbering badly cobbled together Yeti it would seem to have vanished back into the trees again to eat its own poo.

As you all know I’ve been pretty fucking busy saving the universe on the imaginary ship blog. The mediocre news is that I recently discovered a bag of cassettes recorded in a secret attic space above the cupboard in Bunkroom 2 by some guy called WILLOUGHBY TOAD. A lot of it seems to be just him and a ukulele but I think I might be able to dig something digestible from the recordings. Just don’t hold your breath is all I’m saying.

WARCHALKING

It’s been worryingly quiet on the W front as of late. 2007′s self-titled debut emerged for public consumption (we’ll get it on here soon enough), but 2009 came and went with a solitary song and a much talked about follow-up to ‘Stratum’ just never materialised. Well fear not fans of Warchalking. Missouri’s finest exporter of multi-layered harmonic emotional-political bathroom anthems has simply been caught up in the real world, studying hard and learning to ride the bull of words. A lengthy response to the question ‘What are you doing?’ suggests that WHEN (not if) a new record gets made this summer then W will be throwing everything into it. Here’s a snippet of what he had to say for himself:

So, seven more weeks of constant beatings and I get my life back. This summer I’ll be working on an independent study, but that won’t be near as bad as this semester has been and I should have a little time to start hashing out the next record.  I’m fucking ready.  Eight months of pent up anguish and ambiguity aching for a vehicle.  I’m done with arrangement for the most part, just writing a mess of words and putting it on tape left to go.  It shouldn’t take long once I get started.  I’m making myself get the words and music together before I start tracking this time.  I did that for Future For Bugs and was pleased with the results.  I’ll be retracking that one as I rushed through it and a few new ideas emerged once I got done.

JANE GILMORE

First of all here’s the bad news from Gilmore:

Bad news, old bean! I’m completely scrapping this album. The problem with writing an album about the rebirth that occasionally happens to you is that when one happens, you no longer want to have anything to do with the prior life.

But here’s the good news:

I’m not done! I’m just scrapping my current album!

DEAD CANARIES

Still basking/recovering from the glow of the headfuck double-album adventure, Jon of the Atom is jumping fingers-first into a new musical pie:

I have decided to write an album that has hooks, like choruses

I’ve heard one song so far all the way from Louisiana at the feeling around stage and all the signs are there that something epic is starting to simmer.

Keep watching those telephone lines.

THE REAL BURNOUTS

No word from planet Burnout yet. Last seen working hard at taking the opus to the masses in the shape of ‘The Disaffection of Walter’, a live show featuring actors, puppets, and the Burnouts at the heart of it doing what they do best… wreaking musical havoc.

Here’s a movie for old time’s sake:

The Real Burnouts – Lost TV Episode

THE ORANGE DROP

All quiet on the Orange front as well, but this little video surfaced in the last week…

The Orange Drop – A Friendly Message From The CIA

UBERFUZZ

Somewhere out there beyond a supernova.

JAMES REDMOND

Last but my no means least, not only did Senor Redmond manage to wangle a Lear Jet into his Quixodelic Cassette contract, but he also says that:

I’m nearing the stage of having enough songs to release as an album

So let the good times roll!

CATEGORIES:QUIXODELIC RECORDS, UPDATES/NEWS