A Head Full of Wishes is a site for Galaxie 500, Luna, Damon & Naomi, Dean & Britta and Dean Wareham. With news, articles and lists of releases and past and future shows.
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A Head Full of Wishes newsletter #13
Vacant Lots - Departure (LP)
Departure was the first The Vacant Lots album and hype sticker on the front declared that it was “featuring Dean Wareham” - the inner sleeve more specifically states that the “guitars on Tomorrow [were] by Dean Wareham”.
The Vacant lots are, like Suicide, a two piece, and are (a bit) like Suicide - although, wearing your heart on your sleeve will never get criticism from me!
The album was released by the always excellent Sonic Cathedral. and the track that Dean is “featured” on - Tomorrow - is probably the most accessible one on the album so a good place to ease yourself into the abrasive world of The Vacant Lots.
Around the time of release The Vacant Lots played an album launch gig at the Social in Little Portland Street in London. I briefly chatted to Jared from the band before the show and, for some reason I’m not entirely sure of, he wanted a photo of me with him and Brian (and support act Tess Parks), so we posed outside the venue… I have never seen the photo - I expect he came upon it the next day, wondered who I was, and decided it wasn’t worth a post on Twitter!
The gig was amazing, the basement of The Social is small and dark and very claustrophobic… the music TVL play is big, and dark, and very claustrohphobic! I was literally checking out the venue escape routes during the show… it was quite overwhelming. Jared shredded his fingers as he shredded his guitar and the sight of his blood spattered fingerboard made it all so much more uncomfortable… but then I don’t think TVL are a comforting band.
This is what I wrote at the time:
They played a breathtaking set of numbers from the new LP and finished with a barnstorming 6AM. When the song finished the audience was silent for a few seconds... there was no instant roar of applause or cheers. We knew that had to be the end and some time was needed to appreciate what we had just experienced. Then the cheering started.
The Vacant Lots album launch at The Social
I sadly haven’t seen them live since then, for whatever reasons. Next time…
- Catalogue Number: AHFOW 12/074
- Artist: The Vacant Lots
- Title: Departure
- Notes: Dean Wareham plays guitar on the track Tomorrow
- Format: LP
- Bought direct from Sonic Cathedral
- Buy ‘The Vacant Lots - Departure’ on Bandcamp
The 6ths - Wasps’ Nest (CD)
The 6ths was one of Stephin Merritt’s side projects that released two albums of his own compositions mostly sung by guest artists. Dean guested on the first of these albums Wasps’ Nest in 1997.
The track Dean sings on is called Falling Out of Love With You and is an absolute gem. It’s odd that every time I listen to it I still expect it to be Stephin’s voice I hear, maybe because it’s so obviously a Stephin Merritt song/arrangement.
The whole album is great, with my personal highs being Dean (obviously) but also Barbara Manning singing San Diego Zoo, Winter in July with Ayako Akashiba, Heaven in a Black Leather Jacket with Robert Scott ~ actually I just realised that to see my favourites you should probably just read the track listing it’s all so great. And, all so familiar, I’ve obviously listened to the album an awful lot over the 28 years since I bought it.
I don’t listen to the second album Hyaciths and Thistles so much, not sure if that’s just beacuse of Dean, or because it’s not this good?
The name of the band, and the names of both albums, were apparently chosen becuase they are difficult to say… although I don’t think I have a problem with any of them.
- Catalogue Number: AHFOW 10/099
- Artist: The 6ths
- Title: Wasps’ Nest
- Format: CD
- Bought on release, no idea where.
This week in history
14th July 1994 - Luna in Los Angeles
A fantastic Luna show has just been shared by Sacremento Music Archive - there seem to be a lot of Galaxie 500 fans (or they’re just being particularly loud) although they only get treated to one G500 song. But lots more to enjoy…
This week’s discoveries and (re)discoveries
- The days splits have been announced for Sea Power’s Krankenhaus festival where Dean will be playing two shows.
- On the Friday (22nd August) Dean Wareham and Sea Power will play a set of Galaxie 500 songs.
- On the Sunday (24th August) Dean & Britta will be playing a duo show.
- Dean Wareham’s That’s The Price of Loving Me has been re-pressed in a limited edition tan vinyl … or “desert haze” if you prefer!
Sorry today’s newsletter is a bit late but on Wednesday I was sitting by a loch…
… and yesterday I was standing under a waterfall…
… and today I have a stinking cold!