New Heavenly Wax, Banshees, Acid

Hallows Eve or just about that time. Exposing three very different bands. Heavenly from the UK reissuing a classic LP on Skepwax Records. Mismiths. A befitting and peculiar mashup band out of Los Angeles. Great fun for the depressed ghouls. Lastly, from Hattiesburg Mississipi, MSPAINT. No , not a paint store as far as I know. Percussive synth driven hardcore with punk vocals. At least that is the short of it.

Skepwax Records is reissuing four LP’s from the band Heavenly. First let’s back up. Heavenly are one of the top bands to ever play upbeat jangle pop. Bar none. That is of course just my opinion. However there are some that may agree. Their first LP is releasing in November. Heavenly Vs Satan. ( yes they won) This LP comes out on Sarah records in 1991. Unfortunately Sarah records stopped producing music and as you may know vinyl itself is in a state of flux. So, whether out of print, or about to be pressed.. Obtaining your favorite discs can be challenging. So this may be your chance. if you act quickly, however I have not checked the status of pre order, availability, and the like.

My introduction to Heavenly was around 1992 or 93 in which I heard them on Glass Arcade. A Sarah records compilation. I distinctly remember listening to “I Fell In Love Last Night” from that compilation. It is a magical song from days past. It’s still fresh after all this time. More on that in a bit.

So the good news is, you may be able to get a copy of this fine LP, Heavenly Vs. Satan by clicking on Skepwax link here https://heavenlyindie.bandcamp.com/

Watch their bandcamp and sign up for email updates here https://www.skepwax.com/

Over the next two years Skepwax Records will release these four LP’s including a 7” booklet with lyrics and new sleeve notes by the members of the band. That is regarding Heavenly Vs Satan. (Groovy)

For those who care for trifles and pressing info from days past , the eight-track album was released as CD, LP and cassette by Sarah Records in 1991.  Subsequent versions included a Danceteria LP and cassette (France), a Quattro CD (Japan) and a CD by K Records (US).   These versions included various additional tracks from early 7” releases.

Additionally if you are in UK or have the means to travel, Heavenly will also play one-off show at Bush Hall, London on 20 May 2023. As of now I’m fairly certain Heavenly added a date and could be sold out or close to. After all it’s the first in 28 years! The line up is Rob, Pete, Cathy and Amelia and Ian Button on drums.

If you are new to Heavenly this is your chance to get into them with the reissues. I can also recommend Talulah Gosh which features members of Heavenly. Heavenly, regarded as “twee” by some, a term that I find somewhat objectionable (as well as the term ‘shoegaze’). I tend to call it power pop. The female(s) in the band are at the forefront of the sound as well. I say that singularly and plural due to the addition of Cathy, ie post Heavenly Vs Satan LP. Hopefully I have that correct. There are a few tracks in which a guy may also sing ( As in C Is The Heavenly Option) but it is mostly for lack of a better word female fronted guitar pop.

Sometimes dreamy, other times lively and effervescent . Driving six strings and bass, and just a treat to hear. Before I delve into the first reissue, be advised ‘Le Jardin de Heavenly’ LP will follow in early summer 2023.  ‘The Decline and Fall of Heavenly’ and ‘Operation Heavenly’ will arrive in 2024.  Special edition T-shirts will go on sale alongside each album. So I hope that you will take advantage of these rare opportunities.

Moving along, I’ll write a bit about Heavenly Vs Satan LP right here below and give a short bonus talk on my vlog. This vlog’s premiere episode can be viewed here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awZY6DeHJjw Fans of Skepwax band the Orchids especially may want to watch this, but I am hoping the many tune in.

The Heavenly Vs Satan LP opens with Cool Guitar Boy. For me, I heard other Heavenly releases first, so I discovered this song and LP out of sequence or chronology so to speak.

Although there are many talented bands I admire from the out of print Sarah records label, the opening jangle of Cool Guitar Boy and most of the LP hits in its own unique way. There are bits of pop, punk (maybe garage and surf that pull from 60’s bands), female vocals that hook your ears, and infectious drum beats.

It is the six string equivalent of seeing your crush that you fancy. Combined with a brief heart ache followed by a sigh. If you could strum that feeling, Heavenly encapsulates that.

However the overall tonality contains joy, excitement, and energy that only they can deliver. At times it can be bittersweet, but in total when I listen to this band the sentiment is overall, an uplifting feeling.

That is to say, indie pop perfection. As you change tracks to Boyfriend Stays The Same, it is more pop goodness just kicked up a notch in tempo. Even more so on Lemonhead Boy. This song contains a whistle track.

Usually in many cases whistling is grounds for immediate MeatSheet disqualification. But Heavenly gets a pass because it fits the song well.

In this case (You can hear where the 60’s pop merges with power chord punk influence; perhaps late 70’s Ramones and other less known garage / punk). If you take Cool Guitar Boy tempo and added parts onto that. Say a quicker upbeat flurry of strum you have Stop Before You Say It. Nearly 5 and a half minutes of tuneful girly pop. Dare anyone think I mean girly as an insult, not my intention whatsoever. Merely a description. This track closes out the out of print Sarah Records version. But if you secure the Skep Wax re-issue of Heavenly vs Satan it includes Heavenly’s first two Sarah Records singles – I Fell In Love Last Night/Over And Over and Our Love Is Heavenly / Wrap My Arms Around Him as well.

I may add Over and Over has that springy bounce and twang that is unforgettable. The other three songs are high quality. Our Love is Heavenly is a sonic charmer, chords that slightly chug and then sustain and ring. Wrap My Arms Around Him features classic drum beats that make me want to drum along. The pop and jangle doesn’t get much richer. Complete with a dreamy bridge and outro that has a undeniable lift. I Fell In Love Last Night‘s chorus is one of Heavenly’s most hummable and sweet ones. Not overly sweet, its just right, at least for me.

So, aside from the supply chain issues with vinyl, if you have made it this far.. I suggest that you get on the Skepwax bandcamp and ask yourself how can you not afford to acquire these releases ? Also stay tuned as the time goes on to lock in a chance at to get the others. I am fairly certain I’ll have a few words about the others as well.

For something different, I have a fun band to show you called Mismiths. For those in the know it is band that is referencing The Smiths / Morrissey and Misfits. Blended together of course. I cover their record and deeper here. https://meatsheetfanzine.com/introducing-the-mismiths-suffer-little-children-in-heat-manchester-meets-misfits/ So you can check that out and then view the video which I will embed for your enjoyment.

Right in time for Hallows Eve, Mismiths unleash a new video for Screamin Like A Banshee.

Straight away the Mismiths will find the majority of their audience in the fans of Smiths and Misfits. Or I should say Danzig and Morrissey ? Either way, the more you know those artists and bands the more likely you will pick up what Mismiths are throwing down. Conversely, this track / video and a few others from Every Night Is Like Halloween are catchy and well written. So much so that they could capture people who may for whatever reason not heard of the artists they are referencing. That is to say I think if your tastes favor a mixture of Smiths and Misfits but you don’t know the material, it could stand alone. It’s an acquired taste but the whole point of this band seems to be fun and Mismiths unlock that achievement.

Let’s take a gander at this video production. It feels like Mismiths are in their natural rehearsal element. My eye gets caught by the Santa Cruz skateboard and the way the camera captures the dual vocals.

I don’t want give it away, but like Samhain’s song, what happens after that “All Murder All Guts All Fun” sums it up nicely.

Also the lady in the video makes me realize in another life I’m a goth so its fun to look at her and admire the (for lack of better words) 50’s , Elvira, goth attributes. It’s classic. The male is an unassuming guy that also seems to have that late 50’s aesthetic. So rather than blatantly describe this just view it above and throw the Mismiths a subscribe. If you like what they’re doing , then please send them likes, follows, sales and accolades.

MSPAINT – Acid – Convulse Records

This band and new song is exciting for me and here are the reasons why. MSPAINT pull influence from hardcore and punk and take a hard electronic pivot. One may think that the beat in the latest track Acid starts off with a techno feel. In and of itself this is pretty daring. Let’s be honest, as the years go on , hardcore and punk is cyclical. Sometimes many bands sound very much like each other. As soon as something like MSPAINT come down the pipe, the purists may not embrace it. However the fans that favor music and sounds for what they are may find solace in a band like this. In other words, MSPAINT play a radically different sound going on compared to many of the bands that play ‘hardcore’ shows.

Thus, the new track Acid, opens with synthesizer generated chords, rather than bass or 6 string guitar lines or riffs. The aforementioned beat is throbbing and techno inspired. The way the vocals are laid down though have a punk cadence.

It sounds fresh, and it feels fun, but not lacking energy and urgency.

I’m sure there will be naysayers that favor the Screamers, Devo, or some other band like that. Fuck em. Download as pay what you wish and see for yourself. https://mspainthattiesburg.bandcamp.com/track/acid

Stay tuned for more Heavenly reissues on SkepWax, some Halloween content and a video version of this little blurb here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awZY6DeHJjw Please subscribe and tell your friends there is a guy fumbling over words and that they need to see it. Cheers!