Freewheelin’ folk-garage strum with strong, multi-tracked female vocals. They’re from Italy, I think, gauging from singer Anna’s accent, but their grasp on this particularly American style of music is full, and the results are very satisfying. “Mary” is the strongest cut here, kind of bringing the same sort of reckless, playful vibes that the RTFO Bandwagon single did – big barnstorming riff, and a swinging, lackadaisical gait about the rhythm section. “Wake Me When I Die” inches towards another tradition – the girl group, as realized by thee Headcoatees, and Holly Golightly manages to shadow all three tracks here in the same instinctive ways. Excellent work, can’t stop listening to it. Red vinyl.
Still Single/Dustedmagazine.com
Vermillion Sands "Mary" 7"
Super-cool little record from Rijapov that I didn't see coming at all. Vermillion Sands is a lass by the name of Anna on lead guitar and vocals, who does a good job of being the Italian version of Holly Golightly. She's accompanied by Nene from Movie Star Junkies (who are a surprisingly great Italo-garage band in their own right) on bass/piano and gets a helping hand from both Mojomatics as well. The title cut is sharp garage-pop with an edge, semi-tough fuzz guitar offsetting her vocals, a really great hook with some slight keyboard touches and someone called Be Invisible Now throwing in some weird sound effects here and there. Killer song. B-Side references the blend of country and rock'n'roll Holly utilizes so sublimely, "Wake Me When I Die" is light-hearted lamenting with an infectious chorus and "Would You Kindly Direct me To Hell?" is homespun C&W twang with a woman's touch. Really stellar stuff here, especially for a Holly G. fan like me, as it's so strikingly similar. It sidles up perfectly to what she was doing around 'God Don't Like It' and 'Desperate Little Town' LPs, when she was collaborating heavily with Dan Melchior. Very well done, highly recommended if you're into this sort of thing. Scum stats: 100 red vinyl. 300 black vinyl, full color heavy pocket sleeves.(RK)
Terminal Boredom
Vermillion Sands "In the Wood" 7"
The debut 7" from Vermillion Sands was an under the radar import hit last year, romancing many of us with its Holly Golightly-like Americana-reverant swinging country-rock. Anna is now back with her second 7" accompanied by her Italian-garage All Star backing band (Movie Star Junkies and Mojomatics members) and she delivers three more heartfelt retro-rockers. "In the Wood" takes an uptempo country shuffle and augments it with some classy keyboard and ringing guitar making for a catchy and sexy A-Side. The B-Side adds "May", a playful and twangy serving of country-garage and her version of the gospel traditional "Trouble in My Way" is again cut directly from the Golightly playbook, but done with just as much, if not more, endearing panache. More of a good thing is always welcome on my turntable, and Anna exudes sexiness but isn't relying on it to sell these songs. She has talent to get by on, and the sex appeal just makes it that much better. Released on the new and improved Fat Possum label, who are trying hard to be a relevant label with their recent slate of new releases.(RK)
(Fat Possum // www.fatpossum.com)
Terminal Boredom
V/A Movie Star Junkies and Vermillion Sands 7"
From what Gigi tells me, this was originally supposed to be a split of MSJ and VS covering each other's tunes, but then just morphed into the two bands becoming one and turning into another un-named band. Kind of a cool concept really, more split singles where the bands combine forces please! Two songs from the group included here, Anna (VS) sings on both, accompanied with different male vox on each. "Slow Dance" is slow (duh), sort of a swampy/creepy torch song that could've be in an episode of True Blood or something (and I mean that in a good way), with steel guitar, electric piano and Wurlitzer action, Southern Gothic via Italy. "I Love You More As Dead" sounds like an Eye-tye Nick cave and the Bad Seeds...murder ballad and all that. Well executed stuff and if you've been into either band so far, this is a cool little piece of vinyl with a creepy cover. (RK)
(Rijapov Records // myspace.com/rij012)
vermillion sands ma dove siete finiti? non ci cagate più perchè non vi abbiamo accompagnato all'aeroporto? :) ci mancate assai teniamo sempre nella dispensa un po di pecorino per voi
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