Vivian Girls - Everything Goes Wrong
by Sarah Maybank
published: 13 / 9 / 2009
Label:
In the Red Records
Format: CD
intro
Fabulous second album from New York trio the Vivian Girls, which while having an element of C86 about it, finds their tales of broken hearts also having a widescreen cinematic edge to them
One of the things rarely mentioned about early 80s punk-fuzz indie of the 53rd & 3rd persuasion is its proto-thrash metal drumming, the speed of which would’ve had even Slayer reaching for the Lucozade. Vivian Girls have more than a hint of the Shop Assistants about them - and it’s their tub-thumping that helps make pure ecstacy of an album that, lyrically, has ‘Titanic-sized romantic-bust-up-induced misery’ written all over it. (Clue: song titles include ‘I Have No Fun’ and ‘Can’t Get Over You’; sample lyric: "All you do is bring me down".) While C86ers tended to keep their songs short and (sometimes not-so) sweet, Vivian Girls have made widescreen movies of their broken hearts. Propelled by the galloping drums, they take their songs to genre-mangling lengths - the thundering ‘When I’m Gone’ is three and a half minutes long, while the epic-sounding ‘Out For The Sun’, at over four minutes, leaves you time to boil an egg AND make the soldiers. Despite the downbeat source material, there’s a lightness of touch and melodic sense to the whole thing. And those, along with the sprinting speed, means listening to it, you feel like you’re hanging on the tail of a runaway horse – but the way these girls sell it, that can only be a good thing.
Track Listing:-
1 Walking Alone At Night2 I Have No Fun
3 Can't Get Over You
4 The Desert
5 Tension
6 Survival
7 The End
8 When I'm Gone
9 Out For The Sun
10 I'm Not Asleep
11 Double Vision
12 You're My Guy
13 Before I Start To Cry
Label Links:-
http://intheredrecords.com/https://www.facebook.com/In-The-Red-Recordings-39064159876/
https://instagram.com/intheredrecords/
https://twitter.com/intheredrecords
interviews |
|
Interview (2009) |
|
| Sarah Maybank speaks to Cassie Ramone from discordant all-girl New York-based trio the Vivian Girls about their eponymous debut album which sold out within 10 days and the band's hard touring schedule |
most viewed articles
current edition
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #15- On Being Dignified and Old aka Ten Tips From Jah Wobble On How To Be Happy.Dennis Tufano - Copernicus Center, Chicago, 19/7/2024
Elliott Murphy - Interview
Wreckless Eric - Interview
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #16: Living in the Minds of Strangers
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #17: Tom Robinson
Adrian Gurvitz - Interview
Norman Rodger - Interview
Chris Spedding - Interview
Penumbra - Interview
most viewed reviews
current edition
Groovy Uncle - Making ExcusesPhilip Parfitt - The Dark Light
Jules Winchester - The Journey
Hawkestrel - Chaos Rocks
Bill Wyman - Drive My Car
Ross Couper Band - The Homeroad
Deep Purple - =1
Popstar - Obscene
John Murry and Michael Timmins - A Little Bit of Grace and Decay
Splashgirl and Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe - More Human
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart