Various Artists – 14
One of the most consistently exciting labels of the past few years has been UK hub Prefect. The label has brought about excellent records from Ex-Void, The Tubs, Mt. Misery, and French janglers EggS among others. Spread across a collection of 7”s and albums, the label seeks to find new avenues of indie itch, constantly searching for unsung voices. This week they keep up a longstanding indie pop tradition. In the mold of indie pop compilations documenting a moment in time, the label has just announced 14, a collection of current indie pop outfits from both home and abroad.
With a large contingent from the West Coast, the collection culls in RSTB faves like The Reds, Pinks and Purples, Chime School, Massage, The Telephone Numbers and Semi Trucks. New voices mingle with longtime stalwarts of jangle and strum — The Kitchenettes is Morgan Stanley from The Umbrellas in a solo guise, New German Cinema is a new outfit from Jessica Weiss of Fear of Men. Longtime faves like My Teenage Stride (with one of their best singles to date!) and The Natvral show up as well. Label head / curator Mark Dobson (The Field Mice, Picture Center) captures the spirit of the original Sarah, Postcard, Cloudberry, and Subway comps creating a document of non-album goodness that’s sure to be a constant on the turntable for years to come.
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