Six supreme singles!

So I haven't assembled a bundle of Chanukah singles in about three years.  Why? Well, it's not for lack of content to share, rather it's a lot of work, and I just can't do it every year. But if it's 45s you're seeking this is your lucky year. Yep, it's another Wilfully Obscure dozen: six singles equaling twelve amazing sides of 7" wax culled from boxes containing hundreds of fair/decent/good records, but often times just a handful of exceptional specimens - and Chanukah is all about the exceptional. Download links in MP3 or lossless FLAC are available at the end of the post.

Ultra Cindy - Whirlwind/Rollercoaster 7" (1992, Praha)

I'm calling this one a do-over, because it is. I originally tackled this 45 in 2012, but the source vinyl was water/storage damaged and entailed an excruciating amount of surface noise as a result. I've since found far superior sounding versions of these amazing two songs of heady and heavy-handed dream pop. Ultra Cindy were Virginia denizens who not only had a keen ear for UK originators Ride and My Bloody Valentine, but less renown American prodigies Fudge and the Swirlies too.  An equally impressive full length, Mermaid's Parade was issued two years later. Better living through shoegaze!

River Roses - "Phoenix" + 2 7" (1986, Monsoon)

I've had no lack of interest in posting/sharing anything pertaining to Tuscon, AZ's River Roses, rather truth be told they've been pretty attentive to keeping their catalog available either physically or digitally. As such, this 45 will be the extent of what I have to offer from this coed-troupe, and if you're down with deft, ringing guitar pop with a sincere and earnest tack you'll soon discover R/R check off a myriad of boxes. This is one band that doesn't sound like an overproduced or tricked-out studio monstrosity of their era, and that must've been hella refreshing in the mid-80s. The a-side of my copy has a tiny scratch affecting the last rotation or two of "Phoenix," but you'll be happy to know you can buy the song, and the full album it's derived from here.

Slow Children Playing - My Pal God (And Other Tales Of Suburban Ennui)/Typo 7" (1994, Jiffy Boy) 

I lament bands that didn't stick around long enough to make it to the album stage, and I can certainly graft New Jersey's Slow Children Playing to end of that list. It's a fair assessment that these folks had their ears tuned into a lot of Chapel Hill, NC indie rock back in their epoch, and even when they don't scale to the heights of say, Superchunk, what SCP had going for them was still relatively superlative.  Besides this 45, the band is survived by a split single and contributions to numerous low-profile compilations. 

The Othermothers - Party Topics/Traveling in Circles 7" (1984, Chad)

And speaking of North Carolina, my understanding is that the Othermothers were regarded as the pinnacle of their local Greensboro scene. Judging from this 45, and a wonderful ep, No Place Like Home that I pitched ya'll way back in 2008, it's easy to discern why, given their aptitude for churning out edgy and often provocative songs. Here are two halfway-there-punk jams with a slightly cheeky demeanor. "Party Topics" would be rerecorded for the aforementioned subsequent No Place Like Home. My apologies for the choppy audio on this one. Should I come across a better copy I'll happily post an improved rip.

True Rumor - Iowa/Something More 7" (1986, True Music)

I can't recall how True Rumor made their way onto my retro-active sonar a few years ago, but I was impressed enough to connect with one of the former band members who was gracious and generous enough to send me a couple of original T/R albums, and even this early artifact.  Hailing from NJ, and not the Midwest as one would readily assume giving this 45's title, True Rumor specialized in uptempo, working-class guitar rock that straddled one foot in traditional AOR FM rock, with the other well situated in more thoughtful power pop environs. Even if they're not outright revelations, "Iowa" and it's flip-side, "Something More" gratify with ease.

New Flamingos - The Imposter/Talk of Love 7" (1984, Flamingo)

Akin to the Othermothers single I told you about, the New Flamingos are another prime example of  a band who's obscuro single I made a point of seeking out after imbibing one of their other records. In the case of N/F, that would be 1983's In the Pink. In the space of a year, this bygone Seattle foursome went from pedaling rootsy power pop to emulating none other than Declan Macmanus (that would be Elvis Costello to you, me and the rest of the general public) on this ace single.  "The Imposter" eases us into the Flamingos new motif with a tenor similar to E.C.'s "Alison," albeit the hook here isn't quite as memorable. "Talk of Love" packs considerably more thrust and bears enough telltale affectations to almost qualify as a My Aim is True outtake. Had a bit of a moral dilemma in deciding if I wanted to share this, as my copy of the single jumps in a couple spots near the end of "Talk of Love." I'm pretty certain my turntable isn't the issue, and the record itself has been cleaned, but in any event the band has posted their own unblemished rip of the tune on Soundcloud.  Cheers.

MP3  or  FLAC