the tubs

gradavis - Headroom was Alexander's rock band right?

Wonder if the Tubs record will suffer on year end lists due to coming out early in the year. I mean it got a lot of run in the small circles that care about this stuff, but the fact that it came out in January probably plays into it somewhat. Seems like forever ago to me too.

Yeah, Alexander / David Shapiro is in Headroom, as are a number of the New Haven folks. Kryssi Battalene, the lead guitarist in Mountain Movers, is the driving force for it.

This is good stuff. Beyond the jangle element I hear some echoes of the much-missed Royal Headache in the more soulful numbers.

Wonder if the Tubs record will suffer on year end lists due to coming out early in the year

i think it’s more likely the tubs record will suffer from year end lists sucking and being full of terrible music

exactly. i think the January release will hurt it a bit, but the bigger issue (imo) is simply that more and more lists are being generated by younger people who have little to no interest in guitar bands.

i know that sounds very "get off my lawn" but the biggest list-making operation i'm involved in is overseen by a twentysomething who eats up every new goober who comes along with 10 songs of limp, lame bedroom-recorded synth-pop/R&B.

salad boys are really great, going to listen to those other bands you mentioned

Really enjoy Smoke Bellow as a band too.

The Dummy record from last year (I think) was very nice, too. En Attendant Ana is probably my fave pure indie record of 2023. For some reason, the Tubs haven't quite gotten me yet, even though it seems squarely aimed in my direction. I'll give it another go.

That Dummy record is probably my favorite indie rock record of the past few years. I’ll check out your other recommendation.

Oh wait I was thinking of Dumb. Sorry brain fart. I’ll check them both out!

digging En Attendant Ana, great songs and vibe, though I still don't understand the vogue for clicky thin drum sounds among new indie bands

Cosigning the Trouble In Mind / En Attendant Ana appreciation - nice to have a US label releasing NZ stuff like Salad Boys and Guardian Singles.

totally — and aussie stuff, too! this one was killer: https://partnerlook.bandcamp.com/album/by-the-book

salad boys SO great (but i need to dig into some of the rest mentioned tbh)

Yeah every year I'm tempted to subscribe: https://troubleinmindrecords.bandcamp.com/subscribe

Maybe this will be the year.

Year-End Lists that include the Tubs:

Aquarium Drunkard (unranked)
Raven Sings the Blues (unranked)
#8 The Observer: Kitty Empire
#11 Fast 'n' Bulbous
#18 Steroegum
#40 Mojo
#59 Piccadilly Records

Vaguely along the lines of the Tubs, nearly everyone slept on this one last year. Jangle/post-punk, but more of a gothy Chameleons vibe:

Thus Love – Memorial (Captured Tracks, 2022)

https://thuslove.bandcamp.com/album/memorial

With the Tubs record in 2023 and my favorite the Ex-Void in 2022, Owen Williams is on a crazy songwriting hot streak.

Fans of The Tubs will love Bigger Than Before, the Ex-Void record.

Every time I see this thread I want to post about how much I love The Tubs’ “Whit Punks on Dop” and I’ve refrained. But now I see that eephus already made a similar joke. Sorry, carry on…

I think I like that Ex-Void album more than the tubs record.

boy/girl harmony vocals ftw.

Wasn’t aware Williams had recorded ‘Wretched Lie’ previously as Cotton Crown, drum machine gives it a Sisters of Mercy vibe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_60qXXhbL6Q

I paid too much to ship that cassette to my home specifically because I loved that song so much ... pre-Tubs album.

There was a B-side, too: https://gobnation.bandcamp.com/track/crystal-ball

whoa, love this version

Yeah, that is the superior version. Would love to hear a full album of this gothy solo project.

Yeah Tubs are so good but unfortunately every re-recorded song on their album (Wretched Lie, I Don't Know How It Works, Two Person Love) are all inferior to the original. That Tubs 7" is so good and much better than the album I think. Also Illusion Part Two is nowhere near as good as the Illusion on the 7".

It's already over for them!

Not really. But it was disappointing.

idk, as a whole i really like the muscularity of the album, it's urgent and propulsive with the hooks a bit buried in the momentum of the band in a way i find addictive. i think that's the specific aspect of them that most reminds me of early REM. just wretched lie in particular sounds great a little more fragile and gothic

yeah agreed, I like the album version more. I think I've had my fill of nu post punk/goth

I think the album is muscular and propulsive and is even more so on the seven inches. Same songs but played and recorded better.

Dude can obviously write a shit ton of great songs. Why recycle four out of nine songs on the album?

Btw the label that put out the seven inches, Prefect, is so good. I believe Owen Williams was involved with the label at the start but no longer is. Started kind of as a Joanna Gruesome offshoot label with Tubs, Ex-Void and GN. Now there’s other stuff on there. Eggs in particular are really great. Laughing Chimes.

this compilation from last year on Prefect is so good ... so much more consistent than most comps like this, which is maybe no surprise given that it includes a bunch of what i would consider the best jangle-pop bands going right now (Reds/Pinks/Purples, Mt. Misery, Telephone Numbers, Massage):

https://prefectrecords.bandcamp.com/album/14

9 copies left! Friday is Bandcamp Friday :)

for anyone in the US, Jigsaw Records has that, and the new follow-up comp, Two Two Seven, along with the Tubs EP (since shipping from the UK is so steep)

Red/Pinks/Purples are playing a club near my house soon, need to get tix

love the Reds Pinks and Purps, such a consistently good band, would love to catch them someday

Yeah Tubs are so good but unfortunately every re-recorded song on their album (Wretched Lie, I Don't Know How It Works, Two Person Love) are all inferior to the original. That Tubs 7" is so good and much better than the album I think. Also Illusion Part Two is nowhere near as good as the Illusion on the 7".

album versions are all massive steps up from the 7"

xpost Jon you check out Painted Shrines? great album, I think they are related

I had no idea there was a follow-up comp to 14! Thanks for mentioning, bulb.

Jigsaw's physical HQ doubles as a record store, My Vinyl Underground, in Portland. It's small, but probably my favorite record store in the world. Or maybe it's more accurate to say it's my favorite small record store in the world.

also, Mt. Misery is so good. true heirs to the Teenage Fanclub throne.

xpost Jon you check out Painted Shrines? great album, I think they are related

that's the one where it's him from R/P/Ps and the guy from Woods, right? I remember reading about it at one point, but never checked it out, need to add that to my list

The Tubs Arguments of 2024. May we look back on them fondly in the future.

Is there a rolling janglepop thread?

should we start one? there's a lot of good bands doing this right now!

yeah or could we have a mod add on (and rolling nu-jangle rock) just so we don't lose old conversations?

xpost - yep just looked it up it is Glen Donaldson and the Woods guy

as thread OP (if that gives me any privileges) i would vote to keep this as a single-purpose dedicated tubs thread (side projects ok) rather than rename it jangle pop. as an expression of my devotion

Loved the album (thanks thread/end of year 77) and saw them this weekend - they are so good live! Owen Williams' voice a bit less controlled maybe (could have been the sound) but an absolute joy, thrilling to hear that big jangle immaculately executed. Also - thanks to drummer on crowd chat duties - very funny.

new song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3MDLKzwwZo

new album in March!

Nice! Seeing them support The Hard Quartet tomorrow.

Some info on new album here

https://www.stereogum.com/2284681/the-tubs-freak-mode/music/

good song but lol at the pitch-shifted backing vocals which feel very at odds with their general sound

i guess they had those on some of their previous songs but i forgot

Didn’t realise his mother had committed suicide, makes the sleeve all the more poignant.

the drummer i.e. "the group’s impish prankster" is definitely the spark plug live as well, providing like 90% of their banter. it was maybe a little too much when i saw them a couple of weeks ago but also it was the last show of the tour so they may have been a bit hyped up.

Sort of their own Gary Young

Randomly saw them tonight, fun show. (Randomly because I arrived in Austin this afternoon on a short work trip and saw they were playing.) Only a couple dozen people there, but it’s a Monday night and maybe jangle-rock isn’t quite Austin’s thing. They sounded really good, tho it’s true the drummer talks too much (and was starting to get a little sloppy drunk by the end of the set).

Damnit. The Ex-Void has decided to break up.
https://www.stereogum.com/2325484/ex-void-announce-breakup-final-show/news/

oh come on!

wow this was not anticipated but works amazingly well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaOnazc_5To

That was a pleasant surprise.

works so well haha. awesome

that is great, i'm going to be listening to that a lot i think

lol that's inspired

Yeah this is awesome.

hasn't been mentioned, so i will: they released that alongside an announcement that they've signed to Merge Records

wow, what a fucking jam

Hell yes