Never Work

Unfortunately (as McCarthy declared), you sometimes have to - e.g. to be able to buy records, which is something I hope at least some of you are still doing. One of the records I'm most looking forward to at the moment is an upcoming release on German Firestation Records, who after last year's brilliant Men of Westenesse comp are returning with a retrospective of English pop group The Ogdens. You can read the full pressrelease here, but it will be a 22-track compilation which means plenty or unreleased material. Because as Ogdens fans will know, the group only released three singles between 1989 and 1990. My favourite song of theirs is perhaps "Train to London Bridge" which you should be able to find online, otherwise check out one of the live tracks on cd on the group's Myspace. I met Uwe this summer and apart from a new Sound of Leamington Spa volume the reissue of Pontification is now finally happening as well! It will be improved with several unreleased tracks even.

Roque (who's working with Uwe on a Greek edition of Leamington Spa) has just released a retrospective compilation of a great lost indiepop group as well. Crush 22 are much more recent and in fact the precursor to one of my most dearly loved bands - Brittle Stars. I've written about Crush 22 here before, but now you can get a cute 3" cd with all the songs they've had on Myspace as well as two extra tracks that no one has heard before! Part of the Cloudberry Classics series that also includes essential compilations with The Artisans and The Proctors.