- Comet Gain
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Comet Gain 
Comet Gain playing the Bull & Gate pub in Camden on the 30th September 2010Background information Origin London Genres Indie pop Years active 1992–present Labels Wiiija, Kill Rock Stars, Fortuna Pop!, What's Your Rupture?, The Track & Field Organisation, Milou Studios Associated acts Velocette, Huggy Bear, Kicker, Cinema Red and Blue Members David Feck
Jon Slade
Rachel Evans
Kay Ishikawa
M.J. "Woodie" Taylor
Anne Laure Guiot Guillain
Ben PhillipsonPast members Sarah Bleach
Phil Sutton
George Wright
Sam Pluck
Jax Coombes
Comet Gain are a British indie pop band, formed by singer-songwriter and guitarist David Bower[1](aka David Feck/David Christian) in 1992, with influences including punk, post-punk and northern soul. They have been cited heavily by current UK indie band The Cribs as an inspiration.The first full Comet Gain line-up released an EP on Soul Static Sound, before signing with Wiiija records for further EPs/singles and two albums between 1993 and 1997. During this period Comet Gain cited and were often compared to Dexys Midnight Runners; however their music ranged in influence and style from early-80s alternative pop through sixties girl-group sounds to pure punk. Partly as a result of these artistic differences, in early 1997 the majority of Comet Gain split and formed the band Velocette[2], remaining on Wiiija, leaving David Christian to continue Comet Gain with new members.
Joined by new vocalist Rachel Evans, alongside bassist Kay Ishikawa and guitarist Jon Slade (ex-Huggy Bear), Comet Gain released the comeback album Tigertown Pictures in 1999, following a move to KRS records. Guests on the record included John McKeown (The Yummy Fur).[3] The follow-up record, Realistes,[4][5] saw Comet Gain joined by Chris Appelgren (The PeeChees) and Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill) and showcased a more garage influenced sound.
2005’s City Fallen Leaves[6][7][8], released on Track and Field records, saw the permanent addition as drummer of Woodie Taylor (ex-Morrissey/The Meteors) and presented a wider range of songwriting styles and a more expansive production including alt-country influences. Follow-up release Broken Record Prayers compiled singles, Peel Sessions and unreleased tracks from 1998 to 2008 to further critical acclaim.[9][10]
2010 and 2011 saw the release of a series of limited-edition singles to support new album Howl of the Lonely Crowd (Fortuna Pop! records). Produced by Edwyn Collins, with guests including Ryan Jarman (The Cribs), the album cemented Comet Gain’s reputation as respected and influential indie-pop veterans.[11][12][13][14][15][16][17] During this period, Comet Gain settled as a 7-piece band with the addition of Ben Phillipson (ex-Kicker, Eighteenth Day of May) on guitar and backing vocals and Anne Laure Guillain on keyboards.
Members of Comet Gain collaborated with tourmates Crystal Stilts and others as Cinema Red and Blue[18][19], a long-term side project which released a single and an eponymous album in 2010. A follow up EP[20] was released in October 2011.
Contents
Lineup
1992
- David Charlie Feck (vocals, guitar, keys)
- George Wright (bass)
- Phil Sutton (drums)
1993-1997
- David Charlie Feck (vocals, guitar, keys)
- Sarah Bleach (vocals)
- Sam Pluck (guitar)
- Jax Coombes (bass, keyboards)
- Phil Sutton (drums)
1997-
Main Band (As of 2011)
- David Charlie Christian Feck (vocals, guitar)
- Rachel Evans (vocals, percussion)
- Ben Phillipson (guitar, vocals)
- Jon Slade (guitar, bass)
- Anne Laure Guiot Guillain (keys)
- Kay Ishikawa (bass)
- M.J."Woodie" Taylor (drums, production)
Additional Members- Blair Cowl (guitar, bass) (1997–1999)
- Erik Brunulf (guitar, bass) (2001)
- Darren Smyth (drums) (1997–2001)
- Chris Appelgren (drums) (2002)
- Gary Jarman (live drums - one gig) (2008)
Releases
Singles & EPs
- "Holloway Sweethearts EP" (7" / 1994 / Soul Static Sound)
- "Million And Nine" (one sided 7" / 1995 / Wiiija)
- "The Gettin' Ready EP" (7" & CD / 1995 / Wiiija)
- "Say Yes! (To International Socialism) EP" (7"/CD / 1996 / Wiiija)
- "Strength" (7" & CD / 1997 / Wiiija)
- "Jack Nance Hair" (7" / 1998 / Mei Mei Records)
- "Mailorder Freaks Singles Club" [If I Had a Soul, He Walked By Night, Brothers Off the Block] (7" / Sept. 1998 / Kill Rock Stars)
- "Red Menace EP" (7" / 1999 / Piao! Records)
- "You Can Hide Your Love Forever" (7" / 2001 / Fortuna Pop!)
- "Beautiful Despair" (12" / Jul. 2006 / What's Your Rupture?)
- "Love Without Lies" (7" / Oct. 2008 / Twee as Fuck / What's Your Rupture?)
- "Herbert Hunke Pt 1" (7" / Feb. 2009 / Germs of Youth)
- "The Weekend Dreams" (7" split with Hello Cuca / May 2010 / Doble Vida Discos)
- "I Never Happened EP" (7" / 2010 / What's Your Rupture?)
- "Working Circle Explosive" (ltd edition split 7" w/Crystal Stilts / 2011 / Fortuna Pop!)
- "An Arcade From the Warm Rain That Falls" [ltd edition 7" / 2011 / Fortuna Pop!]
Albums
- Casino Classics (CD & LP / 1995 / Wiiija)
- Magnetic Poetry (CD & LP / 1997 / Wiiija) / "Sneaky" (CD & LP / 1997 / Beggars Banquet USA)
- Tigertown Pictures (CD & LP+7" / 1998 / Fortuna Pop! / Kill Rock Stars)
- Réalistes (CD & LP / 2002 / Milou Studios / Kill Rock Stars)
- City Fallen Leaves (CD & LP/ 2005 / The Track & Field Organisation / Kill Rock Stars)
- Howl Of The Lonely Crowd (CD & LP/ 2011 / Fortuna Pop! / What's Your Rupture?)
Compilations
- Broken Record Prayers (CD & LP/ 2008 / Milou Studios / What's Your Rupture?)
Compilation appearances
- Aliens At War & A Kind Of Loving on "Some Hearts Paid To Lie" (2x7" / 1993 / Wiiija)
- You’ve Been Gone Too Long (live) on Heartache fanzine tape (CS / 1995 / Heartache fanzine)
- Like A Sparrow on "Godz Is Not A Put-On" (Godz tribute) (LP+7" / 1996 / Lissy's Records)
- Dreams Of A Working Girl on "NME C96" (CD / 1996 / NME)
- Pinstriped Rebel (Would Be Goods cover) on "All Done With Mirrors" (CD / 1998 / Le Grand Magistery)
- Asleep On The Snow on "A Christmas Gift From Fortuna Pop!" (CDEP / 2000 / Fortuna Pop!)
- I Close My Eyes To Think Of God on "Jackson's Jukebox" (CD / Kill Rock Stars)
- Look At You Now, You’re Crying on "Fields And Streams" (2xCD / 2002 / Kill Rock Stars)
- Ann Don’t Cry on "Everything Is Ending Here: A Tribute To Pavement)" (2xCD / 2003 / Homesleep Records)
- Look At You Now, You’re Crying on "POW! to the people" (2xCD / 2003 / The Track & Field Organisation)
- If You Ever Walk Out Of My Life (Dena Barnes cover) on "More Soul Than Wigan Casino" (7" / 2005 / Fortuna Pop!)
- Beautiful Despair, Never Die & Mainlining Mystery on "Imagine The Shapes" (CD / feb. 2007 / What's Your Rupture?)
References
- ^ http://www.scaruffi.com/vol6/cometgai.html
- ^ http://www.popstops.net/velocette.htm
- ^ http://www.killrockstars.com/bands/cometgain/news/index.html
- ^ http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/cometgain-realistes/
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/realistes-r573437/review
- ^ http://www.answers.com/topic/city-fallen-leaves-1]
- ^ http://www.splendidezine.com/review.html?reviewid=1134384812119899
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/city-fallen-leaves-r804732/review
- ^ http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12848-broken-record-prayers/
- ^ http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/2008/11/comet-gain-broken-record-prayers/
- ^ http://soundblab.com/content/content/view/id/3750
- ^ http://www.subba-cultcha.com/album-reviews/article.php?contentID=24902
- ^ http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/6509
- ^ http://godisinthetvzine.co.uk/index.php/2011/05/13/comet-gain-reveal-new-lp-how-of-the-lonely-crowd/
- ^ http://jordanminnesota.blogspot.com/2011/06/record-review-comet-gain-howl-of-lonely.html
- ^ http://www.thisisfakediy.co.uk/articles/albums/comet-gain-howl-of-the-lonely-crowd
- ^ http://www.culturedeluxe.com/2011/06/comet-gain-howl-of-the-lonely-crowd/
- ^ http://www.clashmusic.com/feature/cinema-red-blue
- ^ http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/14772-cinema-red-and-blue/
- ^ http://www.punkrockistnichttot.com/single-review-cinema-red-blue-butterbean-crypt-ep/
External links
- Comet Gain at Kill Rock Stars
- Comet Gain web site at Kill Rock Stars
- Comet Gain on Myspace
- Cinema Red and Blue on Myspace
- A Layer Of Chips 2002 interview
- Scaruffi discography (to 2005)
- March 2009 interview
- August 2009 interview
- Fortuna Pop! promo 2011
- Clash 2011 interview
- Fog Of Ideas album preview
- Stereosanctity overview (in 5 parts)
- Oct 2011 interview
- Oct 2011 interview
- Retrospective on first album
Categories:- English indie rock groups
- Musical groups from London
- Kill Rock Stars artists
- British indie pop groups
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