Matinée's Marquee Lists a Double Feature

There has been quite a drought in the Santa Barbara area, going on at least three years by my count, but it's sure raining now. Oh, sorry, you probably thought I meant California's meteorological malady. How callous of me. No, I was just thinking the last time you may have read about the following veterans from Santa Barbara-based label Matinée Recordings' talented stable of stars was way back on Christmas in 2012 when I unveiled my 25 favorite songs from that year and included jangly juggernauts from both the Hermit Crabs and Strawberry Whiplash. In an interesting turn, both Scottish bands are finally following up on the same day in 2015. I just had my first go around with both albums, officially out Nov. 20 but available now if you buy directly from Matinée, and all I can say is these two are well worth the price of admission, whether you get them for the "matinee" price or not.

The Hermit Crabs have been a revolving door of personnel around mainstay Melanie Whittle. This time around she shares the spotlight with Jeremy Jensen and Jake Hite of the Very Most, and these three have created a folksy collection that would make for the perfect soundtrack while sitting on a porch swing those summer evenings when light rain is falling and thunder is echoing in the distance. I don't know if 'In My Flat' being made in Boise, Idaho, has anything to do with that atmosphere, but it's a wonderfully understated set of songs that remind me of Exene Cervenka's more recent work. The catchy album opener "Bravado and Rhetoric" (listen below) reeled me in, but the sad lament "I'm a Fool" and the country-fried crooner "Should I Drop You Off" are the ones that have decided to get comfortable in the ol' cranium. Brave and beautiful.

Any band that would take its name from Scottish legends Strawberry Switchblade and Meat Whiplash would get my attention, and the 7" "Stop, Look and Listen" got me to do just that a few years ago. It really is the perfect moniker as Sandra's vocals are sweet and Laz's guitars are fuzzy, but I always identify the duo's sound with early Primitives more than anything else... and that's fine by me. We are told the 12 songs on 'Stuck In The Never Ending Now' are about the "inexorable passage of time," but this set sounds like the clock stopped for about three years. This followup may as well have been recorded the day after the brilliant 'Hits in the Car,' and it feels wonderful to be bouncing to their brand of indie pop again. Give "Time Takes You Away" a play below. What a perfect way to wake up to the week!