#ladybug transistor

[dustedmagazine]

Tony Molina — On This Day (Slumberland)

Tony Molina fits grace into the smallest spaces. His songs are abbreviated, mostly in the one to two minute range, but never in a hurry. They make their point with radiant jangles and bittersweet curves of melody, sketch out an indelible chorus, and trail off. If you're in too much of a hurry for Teenage Fanclub, these songs have the same ineffable bright-and-shadowy wistfulness, without the guitar breaks and middle 16s.

On This Day is typical Molina in that it contains 21 songs, a few of them heart-stopping, and lasts just 23 minutes. It is, perhaps, a bit less amplified than earlier albums like the 2018's Kill the Lights or 2019's Songs from San Mateo County, an album whose fuzz-crusted sweetness called Bandwagonesque, but shorter. There are also a number of brief classical guitar intervals, pretty baroque reveries that might sound out of place except their melody recurs, later, in the songs that follow them.

Most of the songs are misty, melancholy janglers, full of clarion guitar patterns and moody, modal vocal melodys, and often, brightened up by trumpet (that's Ladybug Transistor's Gary Olson on horn). A good sprinkling, however, are jaunty Beatles-esque musical hall jitters, with piano plunking out staccato notes on the four. However, regardless of pace and timbre, the songs are almost all a little darker than they sound. Cheerful sounds like glockenspiel twinkle around morose lyrics in cuts like "Been Wronged." "Who’s going to pay now/No one who’s here now," Molina croons, and it's so pretty, you might miss the burnt black sentiment.

It's hard to pick a favorite, but "Just As the Tide Was Flowing," coming just after the halfway mark, follows an exceptionally lovely folk melody through interweaving harmonies, a subtle pulse of bass and the dragging rattle of tambourine. "Livin' Wrong," a little later, makes its case in electrified guitar glory, puncturing income inequality, nepo babies and state-sponsored religion in a radiant minute and 45.

Tony Molina proves once again that a good song doesn't have to be a long song, and the brevity can be just as hypnotic as endless repetition. On This Day is another excellent album in the San Francisco songwriter's catalogue.

Jennifer Kelly

[bandcampsnoop]

9/24/25.

I'm on my break at work and I just learned about Tony Molina's new LP. Appropriately named "On This Day" - so, on this day, I got some of the best news of an overall not great year; one of my favorite artists is releasing a new LP. It's 21 songs (there is an bonus flexi with covers of Kaleidoscope and Nico currently available).

Helping Molina (San Francisco, California) are producer/musician Alicia Vanden Heuvel (The Aislers Set), Gary Olson (Ladybug Transistor on trumpet) and a slew of musicians. From the three songs that are here, this is classic Molina - maybe a little more Byrdsian than earlier releases.

This will fully release in November 2025 on Slumberland Records.

[doomandgloomfromthetomb]

Hamish Kilgour - Finklestein

Tally Ho, it’s Bandcamp Monday and this week I’m digging into the latest from Hamish Kilgour (The Clean, Mad Scene, etc). A ramshackle handcrafted technicolor masterpiece, with a loose narrative running through it -- I’m not sure exactly what’s going on, but I like it. The sound is marvelous, with Gary Olson (you may know him from the Ladybug Transistor and other orch-pop projects) adding all kinds of engaging elements to the mix: saxophones, pedal steel, keys and more. I especially love the dark groove of “Whistle Stop.” As I was listening, I thought of both Nilsson’s The Point! and the Floyd’s Zabriskie Point soundtrack. You get the point! 

[bandcampsnoop]

4/8/26.

Mike Smith (sonnyskyes) not only told me that Dustin Lovelis (Southjaw) runs a fine bar in Long Beach, but also had a label - Porch Party Records. He released some of his music and a wide variety of sounds and bands during its brief yet productive run.

I'm partial to the Greater California "Long Shadows" 7". Greater California (Long Beach) had about a 15 year run as a band and this single represents their final output. My first thought was that it sounded like something that Curation Records might put out right now. Turns out that Farmer Dave Scher (Beachwood Sparks among many other bands) plays pedal steel.

These two songs remind me of Matthew Edwards, R.E.M. (vocals), The Essex Green, The Silent League and Ladybug Transistor. Lush, orchestral, pop. That's it for Long Beach posts. Until it's not.

[bandcampsnoop]

4/3/24.

Someone of Matthew Edwards musical pedigree was bound to come across my radar at some point - I just thought it would have been long before now.

Edwards is English, but currently lives in San Francisco. But I don't think he's part of the current SF/Oakland scene. His music is a bit more produced and literate. It's satisfying my need for music like that of Maxwell Farrington/Le SuperHomard, The Divine Comedy, David Bowie, and David E. Williams.

The Futurists are Edwards' San Francisco based band. He did record a "recent" LP in his hometown of Birmingham, England with a group he called The Unfortunates. He also was in The Music Lovers who put out music on Le Grand Magistery (known to me because of Momus and Louis Philippe). He has collaborated with Fred Frith, and members from Ladybug Transistor and The Essex Green.

This two-song 7" appears to be self-released.

[bandcampsnoop]

7/31/23.

I was record shopping the other day, and ran across a couple of Samara Lubelski LPs. I've enjoyed Lubelski's music since her debut "The Fleeting Skies".

Lubelski (New York) is still quite active musically. She played as part of a duo with Bill Nace last May. I own three solo LPs and they all are quiet, contemplative and melodic. Every once in a while there will be a more upbeat song. Often I think of Vashti Bunyan or Diana Darby when I listen to her music.

Lubelski has quite a varied music background. She's played violin with Thurston Moore, and engineered recordings of Ted Leo ("Hearts of Oak"...one of my favorites). And on "Parallel Suns" she works with Hamish Kilgour. I also bought "Spectacular of Passages" - again Kilgour plays drums, but Gary Olson (Ladybug Transistor) also joins.

"Parallel Suns" was released by The Social Registry (Brooklyn, New York).

[bandcampsnoop]

2/10/21.

The Clean (Dunedin, New Zealand) are easily one of the most important bands in my life.  I can’t overstate how much sheer joy they’ve brought to me over the years.  And while I always tend to gravitate to their 1980s material, “Mister Pop” is a late-career revelation - showing The Clean holding onto the sound that originally made them Kiwi heroes.  “Mister Pop” has one of my favorite Clean songs of all time - “In the Dreamlife You Need a Rubber Soul”.  

Merge Records has seen fit to reissue “Mister Pop” (2009) and “Unknown Country (1996) on vinyl.  Flying Nun Records (New Zealand) are releasing colored versions on vinyl.

Other amazing bands associated with The Clean:  The Bats, Bailter Space, The Mad Scene, David Kilgour (solo), Hamish Kilgour (solo) and Robert Scott (solo).  Gary Olson (Ladybug Transistor) produced this. He later went on to work with a band that no doubt is influenced heavily by The Clean - NYC’s Pale Lights.

[bandcampsnoop]

1/18/20.

You had me at Crystal Stilts.  Kyle Forester (New York) used to be in one of my favorite bands - Crystal Stilts.  He’s also been a member of Ladybug Transistor (whose leader Gary Olson) produced this release. 

This doesn’t really sound much like Crystal Stilts - this is more up-front and orchestrated.  There are many touchstones - Jim Guthrie, Deerhunter, Michael Bain (criminally neglected “Tidal Ways”), and even Lee Hazelwood in places.

That a lot of name dropping, but if you’ll listen I think you’ll hear it all.  I even think if you listen to the Michael Nau post from yesterday (well played Micah) you’ll hear a few similarities (although Forester doesn’t use so many different cool instruments).

Bonus...Kyle Forester’s new release, “Hearts in Gardens” is set for release next month.  From what I can tell both albums are self-releases.