20. The Wedding Present - Why Are You Being So Reasonable Now?

1. Why Are You Being So Reasonable Now?
2. Not From Where I'm Standing
3. Give My Love To Kevin (Acoustic Version)
4. Getting Better

The Wedding Present have been doing one thing for nearly 30 years now, but they do it well. Like all Wedding Present songs, Why Are You Being So Reasonable Now? is about a domestic argument with jangly guitar noises in the background. It's ace. The EP also contains the one of the best Beatles covers in Getting Better (perhaps second only to Laibach's One After 909). This was recorded during the golden period of The Wedding Present, in the middle of their wonderful trilogy of George Best (1987), Bizarro (1989) and Seamonsters (1991). The band are often mocked - and in fact, I did it above - for always sounding the same, for having easy-to-parody song titles, but some of what they write is genuinely moving. As one Youtube commenter puts it, "If he'd spent the last 24 years disappearing up his own a***hole like Morrissey he'd no doubt be lauded as one of this country's best artists." I find it hard to disagree. For further listening, My Favourite Dress, Brassneck and the much later Interstate 5.

1988, Reception

19. Dot Dash - The Past Is Another Country

1. The Past Is Another Country
2. Shouting In The Rain

Dot Dash contacted me a week ago with information on their latest album, Winter Garden Light. Luckily, I was saved the embarrassment of politely ignoring them, because it's actually rather good (and you can listen to, then buy it here). The Past Is Another Country is catchy and poppy, and certainly doesn't outstay its welcome at one and a half minutes. I chose Shouting In The Rain as the second song from the album, but it's best if you listen to whole ten tracks in one go. Dot Dash are made up of guitarist/singer Terry Banks, bassist Hunter Bennett, guitarist Bill Crandall and drummer Danny Ingram, and they've played with, among others, The Drums and Hugh Cornwell. You can also read an interview with the band, and watch Learn How To Fly from their previous album if you like what you hear. And if you still live in the 1940s you can buy Winter Garden Light as a CD (remember CDs, folks?) here. This is good, fun, stuff. Post-punk with a human face.

2012, The Beautiful Music

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