The Field Mice: Cl*ss*c Or D*d

I don't know Butterfly Child at all, but... since it's often me doing the comparing, I'll tell you why:

1) it is based on TBS's live shows, rather than their recorded output. Their recorded output is slightly less twee and more listenable except for the fact of

2) Commonality of "I didn't need to know that..." aspect of far too much lyrical sharing. Bob Wratten does it on a far more raw and (to me) unlistenable level, while the B&Sers tend to wrap it in layers of irony and sarcasm. But still.

Far prefer the Field Mice to the TBS, BTW.

I suppose it's more that I can only take a bit of them at a time, so I generally lock on the few songs that seem strong enough to transcend the often overbearing vocal treatment. I also don't think much of their Human League-esque electronic things although they're listenable.

"Emma's House" does sort of seem sui generis though, I could easily see someone liking that song and that song only. That person might be me, eventually.

Overall F.M. strike me as a WRONG reaction to music currents of the late '80s. Or at leasta profoundly reactionary one, sort of a dead end. That doesn't mean it didn't produce some good music.

David: yeah, that's a great line. It reminds me of driving around my home town or college town... physically everything is the same but emotionally all there are, are ghosts and memories. I think it's that sense of transience that makes the song stirring. Although I mostly like it because it's a very concise and self-confident pop song, sort of summarizes the (modest) virtues of the genre without being beholden to them.

Also "Emma's House" is one of the few F.M. songs that allows the emotions to emerge from the scenario, rather than detailing the emotions in deadening clinical terms or obvious metaphors.

how much FM have you actually heard? because i don't think you have any idea what you're talking about.

Way to be diplomatic, Jim.

I suppose one problem I have with FM is how determinedly not-shouty it is, or rather how simpleminded is their solution to that perceived problem.

By "FM" I mean Field Mice, without exception. I've never heard them on the radio!

I wonder how this thread would've progressed if the confusion continued...??

is it fair to say that the FMs were one of the 'indie-dance' pioneers? and if so is this something to be proud of?

well what i'm getting at is that i think they pre-dated all that Madchester/"indie dance" nonsense (back when "indie dance" wasn't really dance at all)

Jim E-T: the idea that TFM were ever the Band You Had To Like in Exeter is baffling to me in the extreme. Did indie really have a heyday in Exeter? (I left the area in 1989 and kind of assumed that the same 10 people stayed liking that kind of stuff as had been interested for the previous five years.) TFM played their second (third?) ever show in Exeter, as I recall.

(Sorry Sarah)

Jesus, we must have overlapped. I was there from 89-91.

I saw the WDYLTKTW comp for a fiver and bought it meaning to flog it on e-bay for as much as it could get. I haven't sold the bugger yet, as I do very occasionally play the keybd/sequencer tracks which aren't bad. But the jangle-indie stuff is staggeringly useless - Wratten's lyrics are so *literal* and plain - no mystery, nothing unexpected, just 'I am so far way from you/summer's too long..blah blah blah.
How can anyone stand to listen to this shit? It's delivered in such a mopey, 'I'm so useless' milksop croon that you want to say 'Stop hanging around the fucking coach station you dozy twot and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!' Or bring back national service!
At least Morrissey was funny.

i like wratten veers towards the wet on many occasions, but how can you deny a song like "so said kay" or "missing the moon", two of their least literal (and most beautiful) songs..

I really dislike the record sleeves, for the most part, and I know I part ways not just with many of you but with several of my closer friends as well on this. I always thought the lettering was too big! They often seem like Minimalism for Dummies. (I guess this quality--a kind of studied naivete--is on purpose.) I find the For Keeps cover especially ugly. I like a lot of the covers to the Sarah comps, though.

Loving this Field Mice related record
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2YM217Bhf4

It is indeed a fine album. Probably my most played of 2020.

Huh, I don't know these guys. So they have some connection to Trembling Blue Stars?

https://www.discogs.com/artist/3798108-The-Luxembourg-Signal

bobby wratten stole the show on their second album. this might as well be a field mice song from the vaults:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUV_Ciq2nsI

("fall feeling")

Related, this is interesting:

https://tribunemag.co.uk/2022/01/twee-fashion-indie-music-industry-sarah-records

skimmed. nothing revelatory to me, but cool piece nonetheless.

thanks for sharing, btw. good stuff.

New Twilight Hour LP called 'Overwintering' coming soon

wonderful news! i deleted my instagram and that was my source for updates on them, so thank you for posting! definitely been on my wish list for some time.

i also posted it on the trembling blue stars thread, but here's bobby's ambient cassette-only thing (released under the liath name) from 2017: quiet actions.

this is the most head-over-heels-in-love first listen I've had for any band in a long time, what the fuck

did you start listening to them because of the mouse murder thread, as an act of solidarity

No results found for "the killing field mice".

"Emma's House" over and over

Also "White"

"the killing field mice" omg

someone I'm pals with on RYM made a list of essential tweepop and put their big 1998 compilation on it. The first half of Disc 1 is amazing

they are wonderful. so are trembling blue stars, I think some of the songwriting there hits new heights for him but there's something special about the field mice

LJ may I recommend the twee Coil stylings of "Humblebee" (IIRC not on that comp)?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVNWnn67X8c

Thanks, will try shortly!

I liked Disc 2 almost even more than Disc 1 in the end, there's some fantastic stuff buried deep within it. Always runs the risk of getting stuck in a sort of corny trance but there's so much lovely work throughout. The bassist is a hero

They are synonymous with twee in many circles, but there is so much more to them than that.

Absolutely. There's some serious (and highly varied) pastoral evocation going on here

holland street is a dazzling instrumental

i adore "missing the moon" but i've never really dug into them beyond that

“letting go” is really gorgeous and dreamy too, I don’t think it’s on the Shinkansen comp.

"Other Galaxies" is pretty epic by their standards, and only shows up on a Waaah! comp if I recall. They also recorded a version of Loop's "Burning Sky" for a Waaah! flexidisc. There could be an amazing collection of experimental stuff by The Field Mice in which the word "twee" dare not be spoken.

only field mice I own is For Keeps and it has such an inventive and surprising mix of styles, much more than I expected from their twee rep

I'm not super familiar with the Field Mice catalog but "Fabulous Friend" sounds like it came straight off of R.E.M.'s Reckoning, which is a very good thing in my book.

Too many people here need to explore more it seems

this song from a Peel Session is so good, v New Orderish

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_27IUnBk1o

holland street is a dazzling instrumental

― brimstead, Monday, 18 December 2023 21:22 (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

this one absolutely leapt out at me yeah

Humblebee was lovely ty!

ditto Anoint

"Below The Stars" has a lovely Lazer Guided Melodies vibe. More of this sort of thing please!

Another obscure good one, originally given away on vinyl with Bob Stanley’s old Caff zine. Goes for a small fortune nowadays

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