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Weekend - "Summerdays"

I can honestly say is that lately one of the albums that's been getting the most play around here would be the Young Marble Giants only LP and related singles, B-sides, Peel Sessions, etc. Though listening to that record a lot, I had never really thought much about what happened after that band split.

Enter the Weekend, with singer Allison Statton, and bassist Phillip Moxham and several other musicians, including some with a jazz background. The lone record they put out in 1983, "La Variete" (as well as several of the non-album singles) is highly enjoyable, yet all over the place, poppy, but still somewhat rooted in the post punk movement that was going on at the time. Most of the album pulls from genres as diverse as Latin, French Pop, and jazz, comprable to musicians such as Sergio Mendes, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Astrud Gilberto, Francois Hardy, and others. Amazingly, Statton proves to be a capable singer given the backdrop of the songs. Some songs, such as Red Planes, and Nostalgia do tend to invoke a bit of the dark, mysterious vibe YMG has, though sound a bit like what I'd imagine songs to sound like if they had made a 2nd or 3rd album. Unfortunately, Weekend called it quits after one album, though the influence of their music continues to be heard in bands such as Belle & Sebastian, Saint Etienne, and I'd be willing to guess several indie bands (I'd venture to guess one with the word "Weekend" in their title) have probably listened to this record quite a bit. You can currently get the CD (with singles, demos, etc) on Cherry Red Records, and the vinyl is out there as well.

- dgo

See also; The View From Her Room, The End of an Affair, Red Planes, Nostalgia, Drum Beat For Baby, Woman's Eyes, Midnight Slows

#weekend #la variete #post punk #1980's #young marble giants