― chris sallis, Saturday, 12 October 2002 22:42 (twenty-one years ago) link
― scott pl. (scott pl.), Sunday, 13 October 2002 06:34 (twenty-one years ago) link
― joan vich (joan vich), Sunday, 13 October 2002 16:15 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Tom (Groke), Sunday, 13 October 2002 19:57 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Saturday, 25 January 2003 15:55 (twenty-one years ago) link
Especially "Treat Yourself With Kindness" I see you treat youself in ways you'd never treat another... do unto yourself as you might wish thy will be done by someone else and try your best to maybe treat yourself with just a little kindness ... I guess you'd have to hear the song to know how powerful it is. It's a song about self loathing which manages to transcend self loathing without degenerating into whinging, but rather a light at the other end of the tunnel, a way out... all with really amazing guitars.
― kate, Friday, 14 February 2003 17:03 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 17 February 2003 14:31 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 18 February 2003 14:07 (twenty-one years ago) link
Finally an oh-alright-yeh-Ive-heard-of-them-they're-ok band who are great. You know the kinds of bands, innocuous, good-to-ok but never great: well Clearlake are.
― Cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 18 February 2003 20:07 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 18 February 2003 21:27 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 18 February 2003 21:59 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 20 February 2003 10:39 (twenty-one years ago) link
I got sent it before Xmas and meant to write it up on CoM but it got lost in the holiday/Blogger muck-ups etc. Actually, if anyone still wants a CoM piece on it, let me know and I'll try and fit it in sometime next week.
― Marcello Carlin, Thursday, 20 February 2003 10:57 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Andrew L (Andrew L), Thursday, 20 February 2003 11:03 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 20 February 2003 11:07 (twenty-one years ago) link
― mitch rae, Thursday, 20 February 2003 14:04 (twenty-one years ago) link
I've never heard Syd Barrett. But I did hear a track once that was amazing I think it might have been Peter Gabriel, does he sing like this? Nick Drake's voice is too velvet-hammer soapy to be classed as 'English'.
So, yes, I was right, upthread, it is the vowels. I just know what type of vowels, now.
― Cozen (Cozen), Friday, 7 March 2003 19:28 (twenty-one years ago) link
― jellybean (jellybean), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 22:06 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Johnney B (Johnney B), Thursday, 8 May 2003 10:13 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Bobby D Gray (bedhead), Thursday, 8 May 2003 14:27 (twenty-one years ago) link
― joan vich (joan vich), Friday, 9 May 2003 09:55 (twenty years ago) link
― Sam (chirombo), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 08:35 (twenty years ago) link
Worst bit about last night: What is it about the sound at the Garage? Are they so used to horrible metal bands that they just automatically mix the guitars higher than everything else? I couldn't hear the bass or the keyboards - and the keyboards are some of the best bits of Clearlake.
I enjoyed the show because I love Clearlake, but it was painful at points. A brilliant performance marred by a cockfarming venue. :-(
― kate, Wednesday, 21 May 2003 08:39 (twenty years ago) link
I kept looking out for people who might be ilxors. I thought he was called Simon but maybe that's the other guitarist.
― Sam (chirombo), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 08:43 (twenty years ago) link
― kate, Wednesday, 21 May 2003 08:47 (twenty years ago) link
― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 11:09 (twenty years ago) link
― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 24 June 2003 17:28 (twenty years ago) link
― Cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 24 June 2003 18:40 (twenty years ago) link
― Magic City (ano ano), Tuesday, 24 June 2003 19:18 (twenty years ago) link
― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 25 June 2003 00:10 (twenty years ago) link
― M Matos (M Matos), Wednesday, 25 June 2003 00:11 (twenty years ago) link
clearlake: I downloaded Cedars ages ago and was really disappointed. Then three days ago I was cleaning up and found an unmarked CD, popped it in, and loved it. coudln't figure out what it was, went back through my mp3s, and realized it was Cedars! Been listening to it for two days. For some reason it made a bad first impression, maybe the Cocteaus connection made me expect something else. But this record is good.
― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Monday, 22 December 2003 23:45 (twenty years ago) link
― cozen (Cozen), Monday, 22 December 2003 23:48 (twenty years ago) link
― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 09:03 (twenty years ago) link
― Jim Reckling (Jim Reckling), Saturday, 28 February 2004 03:50 (twenty years ago) link
― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Saturday, 28 February 2004 10:10 (twenty years ago) link
― jellybean (jellybean), Saturday, 28 February 2004 12:57 (twenty years ago) link
a sleeper classic for 2003?
does anybody else hear a connection to the cure perhaps? something about the mix of woe and energy... m.
― msp, Saturday, 28 February 2004 14:24 (twenty years ago) link
― B61 (calstars), Saturday, 28 February 2004 15:33 (twenty years ago) link
― stephen morris, Monday, 5 April 2004 02:00 (twenty years ago) link
Perhaps the self-conciously and conspicuously English/Blur vibe was detrimental at a time when when Radiohead's bizarre star was in its ascendency. Indeed, this may well have hampered their chances of hitting corporate-indie pay-dirt (which presumably was/is the plan).
Perhaps they simply came across as utter cockfarmers in their interviews, I really couldn't say. That doesn't affect your chances of success these days does it?
Re Singing In Cut-Glass English Middle-Class Accents - isn't this Eno's idea?
― chris sallis, Tuesday, 20 December 2005 21:25 (eighteen years ago) link
― cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 21:28 (eighteen years ago) link
― Jams Murphy (ystrickler), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 21:50 (eighteen years ago) link
what's it like yancey? how d'you rate the other stuff?
― cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 21:58 (eighteen years ago) link
dude, totally fucking otm!
Yes, they are extremely good at what they do, and in retrospect it's a shame that the Franz/Libs NME-sponsored haircut-indie aesthetic picked up the hype when these boys always had the cool tunes and the lush atmospherics, not to mention the all important skinny hips and good-old fashioned self-loathing lyrics as noted above. And an ex-Cocteau producing ;)
the nme was all over their arses when lido came out. mark beaumont was creaming his pants over them (if anyone believes a word he says), and the eds let him. for pages an pages. different with cedars ... when that came out they couldn't give a fuck. i doubt they'll be any different with amber ... yeh i know you weren't really referring specifically to the nme but with a band like this the nme's importantish. fwiw i heart amber , but it took me a good 7 or 8 listens to pick up on all the cadences and refs and shit, and to get to the er implicated levels (ok, it is not such a complicated record, but to dismiss it on first listen would be doing the band and yourself a disservice: it's deceptive. praps specifically because of, rather than despite of, the simplicity).
i sort of predict and fear that they'll be one of these bands everyone namechecks in about 15/20+ years' time, when it's too late and they're all running b&bs in seaford or sth. their songwriting's superficially simplistic lyrically but the more you dig the more you win. awesome light and shade stuff going on throughout all their albums.
saw 'em at the borderline a couple of weeks back and omg it was great to have them back and everything and the new songs sounded wonderful (to the extent that i couldn't emotionally differentiate between new songs and old ones) but i miss the fervour of the old fans.
num i am gonna go listen to amber now.
― emsk ( emsk), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 02:05 (eighteen years ago) link
― jellybean (jellybean), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 02:09 (eighteen years ago) link
― emsk ( emsk), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 02:13 (eighteen years ago) link
― emsk ( emsk), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 02:14 (eighteen years ago) link
― jellybean (jellybean), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 02:14 (eighteen years ago) link
also the first single is called 'good clean fun' (actually poss already out) and it sounds to me like dandys pre-courtney t-t-irritating-electronic-drum-playing-crap which is obv a great thing.
― emsk ( emsk), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 02:27 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dr Greyhound (Dr Greyhound), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 13:44 (eighteen years ago) link
Would it be remarkably unfashionable of me to bring these guys up at this point? I like them.
― sorry for british (country matters), Wednesday, 6 May 2009 23:28 (fifteen years ago) link
I used to like them, too. Got bored of them quickly I guess. I guess it was the first album I had. I didn't know they were still recording.
― Tupperware Honey and Asshole Weeks (Bimble), Wednesday, 6 May 2009 23:51 (fifteen years ago) link
Bought and loved first album, saw them on tour at the time, didn't listen to anything after, haven't heard them for years. Lyrics on first album waaaaaaaaaaay too close to home for anything other than wallowing listening.
― e.e. cummingstonite (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 7 May 2009 08:27 (fifteen years ago) link
NV's first sentence = ditto me except for thinking their second album was pretty great at the time and certainly slept on
― display mane (DJ Mencap), Thursday, 7 May 2009 08:47 (fifteen years ago) link
This thread makes me kind of want to listen to the second, I might track it down.
― e.e. cummingstonite (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 7 May 2009 08:50 (fifteen years ago) link
second is ok.. diminishing returns as you progress through their catalogue though
― lolsdale street (electricsound), Thursday, 7 May 2009 09:42 (fifteen years ago) link
I'd hang with that tbh (maybe bumping the second album up a bit) but there's plenty of good stuff even on the third album ("No Kind Of Life", "You Can't Have Me", "Widescreen" and maybe a couple more). The penultimate tracks on the last two albums are pretty much the strongest songs on those respective albums; if anything, this band needed to blow up a little more. "Treat Yourself With Kindness" is *awesome*. Second-best track on that album is the one where they go almost as far with the sonics ("Come Into The Darkness").
First album is thoroughly excellent imo. Terrifyingly consistent with the classic tunes, its willingness to experiment doesn't once detract from the strength of the songs.
― sorry for british (country matters), Thursday, 7 May 2009 11:16 (fifteen years ago) link
Actually wtf am I talking about, "Almost The Same" is a fantastic little opener
― sorry for british (country matters), Thursday, 7 May 2009 13:39 (fifteen years ago) link
Never heard the first album, but I love "Cedars," an album so thoroughly and convincingly pessimistic that its cheery opening track sounds like an ironic pisstake, and the redemptive closing one-two punch at the end actually feels earned.
Not too into the third record barring the great opener. These guys ever coming back?
― Simon H., Thursday, 7 May 2009 13:45 (fifteen years ago) link
Listen to the first album! It's much sunnier, cheerier and more whimsical than Cedars, and has some cracking tunes.
― sorry for british (country matters), Thursday, 7 May 2009 13:47 (fifteen years ago) link
to answer my own question, they are releasing some singles to fund a new album:
http://www.myspace.com/clearlakenoise
― Simon H., Thursday, 7 May 2009 13:53 (fifteen years ago) link
and then I realized "September" meant "September 2008." :(
― Simon H., Thursday, 7 May 2009 13:59 (fifteen years ago) link
Sunday, February 22, 2009 Brand new single "The Credit Or The Blame" out now!Current mood: busyCategory: MusicClearlake's new single "The Credit Or The Blame" was released on Friday February 20 - it can be previewed on the Myspace page now and bought exclusively from the website - http://www.clearlake.uk.comAs with the previous two singles, the proceeds are being used exclusively to fund the recording of new album "Dark Blue" - the album is now nearly complete and will be released later in 2009...Hope you enjoy the new song!
As with the previous two singles, the proceeds are being used exclusively to fund the recording of new album "Dark Blue" - the album is now nearly complete and will be released later in 2009...
Hope you enjoy the new song!
Doesn't sound like too much cause for concern tbh
― sorry for british (country matters), Thursday, 7 May 2009 14:02 (fifteen years ago) link
Currently listening:Sing to God parts 1 & 2By CardiacsRelease date: 1996-06-10
Actually, sounds quite promising imo
― sorry for british (country matters), Thursday, 7 May 2009 14:03 (fifteen years ago) link
"Amber" has officially had the longest purchase-to-love gestation period of any album I own. The ultimate slow-burner. All three Clearlake records are very, very good. Bring on number 4 (in a month or two)!
― country matters, Saturday, 25 July 2009 00:46 (fourteen years ago) link
I suppose the new stuff is okay but I'd much rather make my own up, any day.
― General Pubic (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 25 July 2009 02:41 (fourteen years ago) link
Jason Pegg has a digital-only solo album out. Very nice stuff, like a less rocking Clearlake but still solid lyrics and memorable tunes.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Sunday, 31 January 2010 04:15 (fourteen years ago) link
Pegg's new solo album is really good, and 'Might As Well' besides being the archetypical Pegg songtitle is kinda Cardiacsy :)
― imago, Sunday, 14 September 2014 20:07 (nine years ago) link
Thanks for the heads up, grabbing this now!
Any idea what became of Clearlake? Did they just disintegrate?
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Sunday, 14 September 2014 20:27 (nine years ago) link
musical differences, I presume
Pegg's the one worth following, obv
― imago, Sunday, 14 September 2014 20:47 (nine years ago) link
decided that Lido is kind of the ultimate British indie record
― imago, Wednesday, 29 June 2016 22:36 (seven years ago) link
Heh, just thinking about these lads lately. As much as I dig "Lido", it's the power and energy of "Cedars" that does it for me.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, 30 June 2016 00:02 (seven years ago) link
it's Lido season (for the next five months)
― imago, Thursday, 9 November 2017 13:10 (six years ago) link
Cedars is a longtime personal fave, brilliantly sequenced
― Simon H., Thursday, 9 November 2017 15:33 (six years ago) link
also fantastic
upthread predictions that they'd be referenced as a classic band in retrospect seem unfortunately wide of the mark. we'll remember you, clearlake
― imago, Thursday, 9 November 2017 15:39 (six years ago) link
Thanks for bumping this thread, spun "Lido" and "Cedars" for the first time in yonks. Still hold up, love the lyrics. I want to live in a dream!
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, 9 November 2017 23:57 (six years ago) link
their grasp of album sequencing on those first two records is wondrous
― imago, Friday, 10 November 2017 00:06 (six years ago) link
Lido meant a lot to me when it came out, I had just come out of a phase of doing a lot of drugs and had dropped out of uni and didn't know what was next, I had this mix of being kind of burnt out and a failure but also waking up to the world. It really captured that feeling so well that it felt like it had been written specifically for me.
― mfktz (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Friday, 10 November 2017 00:22 (six years ago) link
Another Cedars fan here ... “wonder if the snow” and “trees in the city” are favorites I think pitchfork is how I found them
― calstars, Friday, 10 November 2017 01:25 (six years ago) link
This band are still painfully underrated.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Friday, 10 November 2017 07:09 (six years ago) link
I need to re-listen to all of their albums ASAP... I still find it incredible that this band were swept under the carpet the way they were.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Friday, 10 November 2017 07:15 (six years ago) link
part of my dumb animus toward the arcade fire is people losing their shit over 'funeral' when 'cedars', released not that long before it, had been relatively unheralded. i know it's not a competition but pitchfork nation can sure be easily blinkered
― reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 10 November 2017 13:48 (six years ago) link
but...in a rare stroke of inspiration, pitchfork gave cedars 9.4 iirc
― imago, Friday, 10 November 2017 14:11 (six years ago) link
oh, 9.1
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/1495-cedars/
that's still a LOT for a british indie band
― imago, Friday, 10 November 2017 14:16 (six years ago) link
Pianos Become the Teeth sound like an emo band again and I'm not sure how to feel about that yet
https://open.spotify.com/track/5kEHz2d1bafXdAem3PfIya
― Simon H., Friday, 10 November 2017 14:26 (six years ago) link
woops wrong thread lol
― Simon H., Friday, 10 November 2017 14:44 (six years ago) link
that's a great review for a killer album but they never became one of pitchfork's hype bands, despite ruling way harder than some i could name
― reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 10 November 2017 15:14 (six years ago) link
i really loved this band at the time but for the life of me, i can't remember one thing about them other than they were mellow. i own two or three CDs.
― Bee OK, Saturday, 11 November 2017 01:15 (six years ago) link
just found and added 'amber' to the archive.I feel I have missed out on something rather special.
― mark e, Friday, 3 August 2018 18:43 (five years ago) link
and it's only their third best album!
― imago, Friday, 3 August 2018 18:49 (five years ago) link
so I see. however, I was not on the labels mailing list re earlier stuff so this will have to suffice.
― mark e, Friday, 3 August 2018 18:52 (five years ago) link
it's pretty good for something that will have to suffice
― imago, Friday, 3 August 2018 18:53 (five years ago) link
It's Getting Light outside was always a great mix opener.
― Yerac, Friday, 3 August 2018 18:58 (five years ago) link
Anything new from Jason Pegg since his 2nd solo album? I can't say those made much of an impression on me, though I did enjoy them.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Friday, 3 August 2018 20:04 (five years ago) link