By George! Here's the High Llamas

George is Mr. Relevant today. The chap behind Jim McLean's Rabbit inspired Drew's post at Across the Kitchen Table, and he got me to clear the cobwebs from a section of my record collection too. Last week, his mention of Fatima Mansions instantly got me thinking about another Microdisney offshoot, the High Llamas.

I discovered Sean O'Hagan's band in 1996 with the release of 'Hawaii.' This was an incredibly busy period in my life. I had recently moved to Washington, D.C., and work seemed to suck every ounce of energy out of me. There wasn't much time for music, and I lost touch with the entire scene for a few years. I should probably add that I didn't really mind. I found (and still find) it to be a dismal era. I hated nearly everything I heard. Belle and Sebastian, Komeda and the Sugarplastic are a few bright spots that come to mind, but I really reverted to the music I had listened to when I raided my mother's records at age 10... stuff like the Kinks, the Zombies and, especially, the Beach Boys. In 1996, I found a well-done bootleg of 'SMiLE' at a wonderful hole-in-the-wall shop in New York called Midnight Records. I attempted to sound in the know with an employee that seemed to be a fellow follower of Brian Wilson. I asked if he knew about Wondermints, an up-and-coming L.A. band that was influenced by the Beach Boys. He countered with the High Llamas. They were a complete mystery to me... for a few minutes, anyway. I picked up 'Hawaii' as soon as I got back to D.C., and so began a love affair that has spanned about a dozen albums.

It's one thing to be influenced, but this is derivative, critics of the High Llamas opine. There is a lot of Wilson there, to be sure. More so on 'Hawaii' than on the band's other albums. I especially hear the 'Pet Sounds'-era instrumentals "Trombone Dixie" and "Let's Go Away For Awhile," the banjo-heavy "Cabinessence" from 'SMiLE' and the meandering bossa nova of "Busy Doin' Nothin'" from 'Friends.' The thing is, there is so much more than just the Wilson aesthetic, and that's why I argue it's not derivative. You can pick out the electronic sounds of Stereolab and the easy pop of Burt Bacharach, among others. In later albums, like 'Beet, Maize & Corn,' O'Hagan goes downright baroque. I remember when Pitchfork reviewed it (Wow, has it been 12 years already?) they said it could have been played faithfully in 1850. That doesn't sound like a carbon copy of the Beach Boys to me. A singles band they are not. The albums should be heard as a whole to be truly appreciated, but here's a little taste for George and the rest who may be new to the High Llamas.

Sparkle Up and Ill-Fitting Suits (from 'Hawaii')
The Click and the Fizz (from 'Beet, Maize & Corn')