Martha & the Muffins - C/D?

By the way, the cover of This is the Ice Age is also interesting to Torontonians, because you can see the top of the Bank of Montreal building back when there wasn't a Scotiabank building nestled right up beside it. Anyone with the album know where the building in the foreground is located?

It's great, that bassline, the Flippery/James White (but less screechy) sax, "This is 1984!"

Hate their bandname and Echo Beach sets my teeth on edge but *this* song needs to be loved and put in the long-forgotten-classics-that-need-rehearing part of your brain.

And here's a YSI of it: http://s28.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2TUY9ZTY6O2S72SEIW9UXHD8CK

I downloaded Trance and Dance (second album from 1980, weakest
effort), and Danseparc (1982), which is nearly as great as This Is
The Ice Age. Both remain out of print, as is Mystery Walk,
which features players from the NYC funk scene, and completes
Lanois' trilogy. I haven't found even a dl of this yet, but I'm hoping more reissues will follow.

The thing that always gets me is the Gane connection: from all indications, Tim Gane went on to become one of the founders of Stereolab, but you never hear much about that connection. This is, of course, unless it's a different Tim Gane.

Someone here must know. I've always wondered...

http://s51.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0OZF6UX7Z05L42XF1EA3OVECYM

This Is The Ice Age is now on my shopping list.

!!

I like his sax playing, he's spent years making sure he'll never play anything resembling a melody, even by accident

"Our biggest obstacle to getting the back catalogue out is the almost total disinterest of our two former labels, Virgin UK and BMG Canada. If it weren't for EMI Canada, most of the above reissues would be still gathering dust in the vaults. There is still the second Dindisc/Virgin album, "Trance and Dance" to be reissued, hopefully again by EMI Canada, and the three albums originally released by BMG Canada. If we had the money, we'd do it ourselves!

We're currently exploring potential reissue labels to get the remaining catalogue out - we get requests weekly from fans around the world who want reissues and new material as well so it's in our interest to keep hammering away.

We'll let you know when there's any news."

I wrote a review of This Is The Ice Age.

August 4th sees the release of the remastered Danceparc (1982), yay!

There is no relation between Mark Gane and Stereolab's Tim Gane.

Just to double clarify, there was also a Tim Gane in M&TM, and it's not the Stereolab one.

One interesting thing: they have a great song called Was Ezo (the single version is better than the album version) and parts of it actually do sound an awful lot like Stereolab.

The title of this band is actually my nickname.

My friend and I were thinking of videos to play each other on You Tube and somehow "Black Stations White Stations" fell out of my brain to play him. I wondered why I had sortof forgotten about that song and it occured to me that most folks who mention this band are usually fans of their earlier stuff and don't mention that one. So anyway, we played the video, he thought it was great, and it still sounded great to me too. Kinda wish I had a 12" mix right now...

A voice inside my car drove me today

Okay WOW WOW WOW I am having a FREAKOUT over these folks. Mystery Walk album! Woah ho ho!
I haven't heard the likes of "Cooling The Medium" or "Come Out & Dance" in so many years and they are damn fantastic. I used to have this album a long time ago but don't remember it very well.

I am also trying Dansparc. I didn't like much Martha & Muffins I heard before, that LP with the map on it...

I used to have all their singles at one time. "Was Ezo", referred to upthread, I liked a lot at the time. I don't think I've listened to this band in more than 15 years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDfLBY6PJrQ

its ok.

Yes! "Echo Beach!" I've been trying to figure why that song is so familiar and now I know.

Maybe should have posted these notes here instead, come to think of it:

Daniel Lanois solo work

Mystery Walk, which features players from the NYC funk scene

Wasn't aware of this til now, but yeah, looks like there are a lot of studio guys listed in the credits -- for instance, Fred Maher from Material and Massacre drumming on one track, and Yogi Horton, the r&b guy who'd also done work with David Byrne and the B-52s etc, on most of the rest. Doesn't manage to flesh out the sound or make it any less bleh, though. And Lanois seems like a good person to blame for that.

I've just ordered a compilation of Echo Beach remixes. Looking forward to it arriving!

still undecided on this group; they seem like the dull, productive, literary type, which is respectible but not really prone to making great music...that said tunes like "Waz Eso" and "Indecision" that amp up the catchiness factor really do work well

I only just started listening to them properly after years of only knowing Echo Beach. The first album is really boring and it was quite a struggle to make it through to the end. This Is The Ice Age is really good though, like a different band. The fourth album Danseparc is even better, really funky and the production sounds pretty amazing.

xp from reissue thread. Considering Trance and Dance was considered a disappointment after their debut Metro Music, probably for fans only. I think they should have done Mystery Walk (1984) first, as it seems more relevant to a lot of current bands, along with Danseparc (1982).

Martha and the Muffins - Trance And Dance (Dindisc/Cherry Red, 1980)
http://www.cherryred.co.uk/images/MARTHA%20AND%20THE%20MUFFINS.jpg
The long overdue reissue of Martha And The Muffin's 2nd album - originally released in 1980. From their New Wave roots the band became one of Canada's most acclaimed and respected bands. This 18 track CD features the 12 tracks of the original album plus six related bonus tracks. Upon its original release a limited edition bonus 4 track EP of live recordings accompanied the album. Those four tracks; ‘Indecision’, ‘Cheesies and Gum’, ‘Primal Weekend’ and ‘Paint By Number Heart’ appear on this compilation. Other bonus material features the b/sides: ‘1 4 6’ (from "About Insomnia") and ‘Girl Fat’ (from Suburban Dream). The original album featured three singles ‘About Insomnia’, ‘Suburban Dream’ and ‘Was Ezo’. The album has been remastered by Peter J. Moore - a leading mastering specialist in Canada. The CD booklet will feature many of the original sleeves, a full UK discography and sleeve notes. The album was produced by the respected producer Mike Howlett whose credits include A Flock Of Seagulls, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Comsat Angels, Blancmange and Joan Armatrading amongst others. The band were formed during 1977 in Toronto, Canada. The band released an indie single ‘Insect Love’ that helped the band secure a deal with Dindisc (a Virgin subsidiary). The band's first single on the label was their biggest hit ‘Echo Beach’ that hit the Top 10 both sides of the Atlantic. The band have released eight studio albums and two compilations in the last 30 years.

oh wow

http://fastnbulbous.com/between-the-cracks-part-2-metro-fingerprintz-martha/

I can't tell if this reissue includes the single version of "Was Ezo" which is different from (and better than) the album version. Hmmmm.

Cover of Echo Beach by Aussie postpunkers took me by surprise, and is really great.

http://listen.tidal.com/album/48880195