Man, I love Broken Rainbow to death.
I don’t love it just because rock nyc’s Mary Rudzis, performing as Fragile Whim, covers flatsound on it, or because ¯_(ツ)_/¯ (otherwise known as y u mad or maybe sup son, I guess) singlehandly resurrect a Jane Weidlin classic and make it fresh and new, or that the idea of cover songs can take in everyone from One Direction to Elvis Depressedly to the Proclaimers, and everyone has a musical opinion on what they are covering. Not even because it is a charity album and for a good cause.
I love it because it sounds aces. Great songs, performed with life, affection and honesty.
No Dice Tapes is Callum Kirkpatrick of Leeds in England, a one man record label not unlike our old pals at Bridgetown Records in Cali, and he has put together his favorite musicians from all over bedsitland and college campuses to produce this consistently entertaining piece of work.
This is what Callum has to say:
“According to a 2013 survey, more than 1 in 4 LGBT people have suffered from domestic violence, and less than a quarter of those reported it. It has been made clear by the LGBT community that there is a severe lack of help to those who suffer abuse in LGBT relationships.
Broken Rainbow is a charity that aims to both spread awareness of the issue, and offer help to those in need.
Every penny from downloads will go to Broken Rainbow UK. Please visit www.brokenrainbow.org.uk for more information.
This compilation is comprised of some of my favourite artists and good friends. With the theme of covers I wanted to show how songs can be reinterpreted and reinvented with the use of different instruments, from the comfort of your own garage or bedroom. All of these tracks were recorded in DIY spaces or bedrooms with cheap equipment and sound great, in their own unique way, borrowing lyrics and melodies from the originals with each artist’s personal twist.”
Everything here is worth your attention but it is especially fun around a third in when “Rush Hour” and “Kiss Me” are followed by a cover of one of my fave bands of all times The Housemartins “I Smell Winter” by Young Attenborough (my bet? Young Churchill meets Richard Attenborough) a snapped out jingle jangle power pop take and The Troggs “Give It To Me” –a moody lo fi cover especially poignant given Reg Presley’s death last year. Rachel Levy also performed (and wrote) the lovely original that opens the album.
Obviously, I have a soft spot for anything Mary Rudzis does, and her tracks as jeJune’d earlier this year all worked for me, especially “picotement”. It is a strange sound which seems to be recorded in a waterfall with just a lone piano. Here her cover of “If You Love me, Come Clean” is an exercise in abstract depression. Mary seems to work on the melody from a tangent and drag it like a hangover of romantic direness. In other words: perfection.
Definitely a highlight but so is the Hole cover, “Malibu” by yrfriends (the solo project of Alexei from Birmingham indie-punx Johnny Foreigner) and maybe best of all ONSIND, Delay & Spoonboy’s cover of the Proclaimers “Over And Done With”. This is beyond fabulous, a great singalong for the folks.
The album ends with Daniel Versus The World take on Cher’s “Believe” –the gay anthem and apt enough for LGBT concerns. It is a shame such a charity album is even necessary but if it is Broken Rainbow is absolutely a great way of sharing your feelings (and you money) about it. There isn’t a bad track on the album, it is excellent from one end to the other and you should buy it here.
Grade: A
