Hello everyone. We haven’t updated for quite some time, and it seemed like a good time to let all comers know what was going on.

RetroLowFi will no longer be updated, unfortunately. The five writers simply do not have any time to set aside for reviews anymore, and frankly, we can’t afford to simply be a server for press quotes anymore.

If you want to save any of our articles, I would recommend copying/pasting them as soon as you can, as this site will likely disappear sometime very soon.

Also, if you’ve sent us something in recent weeks and you’re really concerned about the fact that we’ve not reviewed it, I offer you the following: hardly anyone is really reading this site anymore. Most folks just come in through links to read whatever they are directed towards and then head out. You’re not missing out on some big break. However, if you were looking for a press quote to put on your site or something, let us know and we’ll give you a pull-quote. It’s only fair.

This isn’t an empty threat, nor is it something that will be changing in the foreseeable future. The site is really over and done with. We thank all of you for a wonderful three years and wish all the best upon each and everyone of you.

Thank you, and goodnight.

It’s a tough job, to discuss The Vaselines. If you’ve wound up on a website like RetroLowFi, I could easily surmise that you are quite familiar with this group and why they are so gosh danged important, but if I stray from all of the necessary facts for newcomers… well, I’m not really doing my job then.

So here’s what you absolutely must know before we trek on any further: the absolute heart of The Vaselines were a couple named Frances McKee and Eugene Kelly. They were from Glasgow, and they were known for their unabashedly twee ethics and sound. The group released two great EP’s and one staggeringly good LP between 1987 and 1989. Looked like they were gonna fade into “blink and you’ve missed ‘em” obscurity. And then Nirvana covered three of their songs. That’s pretty much why we’re talking about them today. Sure, they were great, but man… if Nirvana hadn’t come along to give their own treatments to “Son Of a Gun”, “Molly’s Lips” and “Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam”, there simply wouldn’t have been a receptive audience for the kind of reissue that Sub Pop is affording this release. Twee audiences are small by design, and you can bet your bottom dollar that the average Nirvana listener would have wrinkled their nose up at songs like “Monsterpussy” without the Cobain connection. A sad but true statement, folks.

But hey! Now that we’ve got the quickie history lesson out of the way, we can concentrate on what matters the most: the stupendously fabulous Vaselines albums themselves.

1987’s Son Of a Gun EP really lays the ground work for most of what would come later. Lyrics that didn’t muck about with wasting time. The alternating boy/girl tunes said what they needed to say and then they ended. Maybe the nearly six-minute “You Think You’re A Man” gets a bit grating, but the sublime “Rory Rides Me Raw” and “Son Of A Gun” are brilliant pop compositions that absolutely take your breath away. The same can be said for the entirety of 1988’s Dying For It EP. There’s a graduation afoot here with slightly more complex arrangements and hooks, but the same devil-may-care spirit intertwines with their usual brand of here’s-all-we-are-able-to-do anti-bravado. Few could have predicted that in the span of a year they’d jump from drum-machine laden epics to an all out stomper like “Teenage Superstars”, but it all makes sense when listening to the band in the kind of timeline that the Enter The Vaselines collection offers. Of course, while the fire wasn’t out by the time of 1989’s Dum Dum LP, it does show that the band was capable of wearing thin after an extended dose of their brand of racket. On one hand, you get to experience the group as a full throttle quartet delivering classic singalong gems like “The Day I Was A Horse” and the aforementioned “Mosterpussy”, but you’ll also find yourself in the dregsof the bordering on abysmal tracks “No Hope and “Dying For It (The Blues)”. There’s a little bit of give and take on that final slab of wax, and those Vaselines sure knew it, deciding to call it quits shortly after Dum Dum’s release.

So, you know, this mostly blemish-free discography is collected in full on Enter The Vaselines, brimming over with a bonus disc of bonus demos and tracks culled from sloppy lo-fi live shows. It’s a completists dream for sure, including heretofore unheard tracks like “Red Poppy” and “Rosary Job”. While the early demos sound about as unsure as one might expect, the band sounds absolutely exuberant and playful on the two shows included here, one from their early days as a duo and another being a phenomenally sloppy jaunt by the quartet version of The Vaselines.

Yes, they are too cutesy, and possibly way too precious for the tastes of some listeners, but they are the fucking Vaselines. You’re not gonna be disappointed either way by them, whether you’re just looking for some records to listen to, or you want to see what all of the fuss was about. It’s impossible to truly dislike this band, Cobain connection or not. Dig in and be satisfied for the foreseeable future.

The Vaselines - Son Of A Gun.mp3
If you don’t order Enter The Vaselines from Sub Pop, you’re gonna seriously regret it. Come on, Three LPs!

I’ll tell you right off the bat that this isn’t gonna be the longest review you’ve ever seen on RetroLowFi. It doesn’t have to be, either. Basically, if you enjoy sprite and twinkly twee pop done by two gals with an absolutely perfect ear for hooks, then there is absolutely no reason for you not to own Tomb Of Leopards by The Corner Laughers. Now, sure, the album was released back in the ripe old year of twenty ought six, but that doesn’t lessen the pristine production, the dense harmonies, and songs that rhyme “ladies” with “Euphrates”.

Highly recommended for fans of The Icicles, Heavenly and Blake Babies. And… last I’d heard, not only had the duo spread out into a tight-knit quartet, but they’ve also completed a sophmore record. They’re merely looking for a label to put it out. Any takers?

The Corner Laughers - You Two Are The Ones.mp3
Buy Tomb Of Leopards by clicking this link!

When our favorite tiny UK label that specializes in teensy releases by little bands sends us a package, RetroLowFi does their best to drop everything and take a listen. Nearly everything they’ve ever dropped has been uniformly phenomenal, so let’s see what WeePOP! has got in store for us this time, shall we?

WeePOP!028 - Mexican Kids At Home - Recycled Songs For A Happy Environment

This one was a lot more varied than I’d expected it to be. Whereas most WeePOP groups tend to stick close to the twee textbooks, this one was all over the place. Four songs is what you’ll find here, and not one of them seem to belong on the same release. I mean that in the best way possible, of course. You get a minute-long drum machine tune, some infectious guitar based power pop in “No Eyed Deers”, a track that borders on celtic twee, and a nice folky ode to round out your eleven-minute listening experience. This five-piece from Derbyshire is doing their hometown quite proud on their second WeePOP release, I’d say. Seek it out!

weePOP!029 - The Just Joans - Love And Other Hideous Accidents

If I haven’t mentioned it before, WeePOP releases are incredibly limited. To the point where… well, this EP was practically out of print by the time it hit our mailbox. Maybe if you email the label, they can do something to get you some of this stuff? I dunno. The WeePOP catalog is very quickly becoming the new Sarah, so if any of their stuff tickles your daffodil, I wouldn’t sleep on it. Anyways… this Just Joans EP is just as smashing as their last two, and while it doesn’t quiiiite reach the towering gorgeousness of the Hey Boy, You’re Oh So Sensitive EP, it does a bangup job of continuing their ascent into being the ultimate WeePOP flagship group. Rife with more heartbreak than you ever thought possible in twenty-one minutes - and pop culture references, to boot - this EP is a dreary ode to getting over a freshly lost loved one. It’s sung in thick and creamy Glaswegian accents, complete with tons of synths, acoustic guitars and bells in all of the appropriate places! I would still easily put this in the top ten WeePOP releases ever, and I would highly recommend that you keep an eye on eBay to get your very own copy, my friends.

And that’s what i can tell you about WeePOP this time around. Seriously, visit their site and pick up some of these releases before they become unavailable as well!

Mexican Kids At Home - One Day Older Than today.mp3
The Just Joans - Hideous Accidents.mp3

Remember a few weeks ago when we were all excited because the Last Splash-era lineup was reuniting? Turns out that we were dead wrong about that one. Instead, the same wonderful lineup that cranked out last year’s phenomenal Mountain Battles album will be releasing a new EP with possibly the fastest turnaround time in Breeders history. On 4/21, you’ll be able to get your paws on their brand new Fate To Fatal, and we’ve got a taste of the album just for you.

Take a listen to the title track here, and then head on over to Rolling Stone to see the roller derby video!

The Breeders - Fate To Fatal.mp3