The Claudia Malibu - What People are Saying...or Have Said...or are Thinking About Saying...or Maybe Shouldn't Have Said.



	Claudia Malibu - Silver Tangerine Hangover Tape Op, Under the Radar Silver Tangerine Hangover overflows with Loaded-era Velvet Underground tunefulness and layed-back attitute. Each song is rich in clever turns of phrase and memorable melodies, and if you're not singing along on just the second or third listen, you must not be paying attention. The disc is also strong testimony to using the takes that feel right, regardless of imperfections. You see, Silver Tangerine Hangover is actually the demos for Silver Tangerine Hangover. " we decided to release these 4-track versions of the songs instead of the 16-track versions that we created later," says songwriter/singer/guitarist Luke "Captain" Cavagnac. "they just sound better - more spontaneous. The other version of the album contains lots more parts and really cool overdubs by other musicians, but it just came out uninspiring to me." It seems to have been the right decision. Silver Tangerine Hangover is the sound of a band playing fabulous pop together in a big room (an old mill building in Holyoke, MA, where plenty of interesting, warm sounds also came to play). "We recorded almost exclusively with my only good mic, an Octava MK-319 through an M-Audio Audio Buddy preamp into my trusty Tascam PortaStudio 424," Luke continues. "Other indispensable equipment included my favorite amp ever - a Traynor Guitar Mate Reverb, a Yamaha PortaSound keyboard, and the very cool Pioneer sr-202 reverberation amplifier." Fans of The Kinks, The Zombies, and pop in general need this one. (claudiamalibu@wormco.com) - Matt Mair Lowery http://www.emorageimagazine.com/ Silver Tangerine Hangover CLAUDIA MALIBU Teardrop avril 2003. Je fais partie de ceux qui préfèrent l'énergie et l'authenticité d'un enregistrement démo au surléchage aseptisé des méga productions ? Cet étrange trio mené par le Capt. Luke Cavagnac (auteur-compositeur-pianiste-batteur-guitariste-ingénieur du son) rappelle les premiers efforts du Velvet Underground : parfois un peu brouillon, mais tellement frais et humain qu'extrêmement agréable. Les compositions du Capt Cavagnac sont essentiellement basées sur des riffs de guitares électriques très bruts - à la Violent Femmes ou Andrew Vincent ou Frank Black - et l'homme s'exprime d'une allure un peu naïve sur sa copine préférée, « Absolutely Jennifer » d'une voix plutôt fausse et chambranlante, derrière laquelle la section rythmique tangue ici et là. Des texte simples (« I want to hear it again » répété je ne sais pas combien de fois) et un enthousiasme contagieux me rappellent également ce joyeux band d'Halifax, Piggy. Capturés sur cet intéressant album de seulement sept titres, nous souhaitons longue vie loin de majors à ce merveilleux band à la sonorité brute et à l'énergie franche ! Bravo ! NP Claudia Malibu Silver Tangerine Hangover Date received: July 1, 2002 According to a review in Tape Op , Claudia Malibu trashed the 16-track recordings for Silver Tangerine Hangover and instead released these 4-track demos for the album. Can't say whether that was the right move, but this sure sounds nice. Wistful, jangly and appealingly uncooked, Silver captures a lazy, tuneful '60s groove. I'd describe them as a cross between The Kinks and the Velvet Underground, but nearly every other reviewer has drawn that comparison, so to show you how underground I am, I'll say they sound like King Of France without the piano. Wait, you don't know The King Of France? Oh well, they're a NYC-based band that sounds like a cross between The Kinks and the Velvet Underground (with a piano, heh-heh). Seriously, this is a most pleasant little recording, well worth your attention if you go for that tender, lo-fi sound. Claudia Malibu Silver Tangerine Hangover CD Teardrop The new album! Exquisite 60s-flavored pop, sassy guitar-jangle with co-ed vocals, "space pop" with a nudge and a wink! Straight-ahead pop songs adorned with classic melodies and helium harmonies, just a lick of bubblegum, a dash of Pavement's know-it-all attitude, and a splash of space-rock's cosmic rays. A pop album with the spirits of Wings-era McCartney, Peter Holsapple-esque vocals (accompanied by dreamy female harmonies), mellow early Kinks-styled song-craft, and some "She's a Rainbow" era Rolling Stones pop-wonderfulness, the whole lot blessed with painterly strokes of noise and lazy retro atmospheres. Features members of early 90s pop outfits like The Veronica Cartwrights, The Caroline Know, and New Radiant Storm King. Reglar Wiglar's Famous Record Reviews CLAUDIA MALIBU Silver Tangerine Hangover (Teardrop) Psychelicious. Claudia Malibu - Silver Tangerine Hangover (CD, Teardrop, Pop) In a world bursting apart with underground recordings artists it is actually rather rare when we hear something that strikes our fancy. In the case of Amherst's Claudia Malibu we have found a truly novel obscurity worth raving about. This band is a good example of what great low fidelity pop ought to sound like. The folks in this band don't rely on technology to cover up for a lack of songwriting skills...because songs are what the band is all about. Claudia Malibu tunes are thoughtful, hummable, uplifting, and clever...and leave a definite impression on the listener well after the disc has played out. The songs on Silver Tangerine Hangover seemingly have tape hiss left in the mix on purpose (!). Hiss matters little when material is this strong, and in this case it seems to add to the overall ambience. Seven wonderful delights here that are somewhat reminiscent of Track Star and The Frogs. But make no mistake, these folks are clearly their own unique entity. The band is led by Capt. Luke Cavagnac. The man is an unknown star in the making. Our favorite tracks here are "What's Goin' On Down Below?," "Good Morning Pussycat," "I Want to Hear It Again," and "Brother Eye in the Sky." There is no web site nor e-mail to direct you to them (damn!)...but interested parties (and that ought to be you...) should contact the band at Teardrop Records, Box 3194, Amherst, MA 01004. KILLER. (Rating: 6) CLAUDIA MALIBU Teardrop Records Silver Tangerine Hangover 7-song CD All right, I'll state this up front. Velvet Underground fans should add this album to their collection. I'm a fan of VU, but I can see people not digging/getting this. Claudia Malibu is the brainchild of Captain Luke Cavagnac, and it is to his credit that most of the instruments/work goes. He lists himself responsible for the "rawhide recording," and I agree. The sound is almost stereo mics hanging over the band. Lot of room sound, and guitar is plunky, a little out of tune but pleasant, and the Mr. and Mme. LaBarge team fill out the sound with some bass and again, velvety harmonies. Other personnel include Jeremy Marusek on some drums and "clandestine computing" (artsy fartsy, folks!), Jen Walas on "resplendent ringing," and Peter Cavagnac as the peerless painter. The artistry of the insert is nice, kind of a non-linear interpretive thing including comic clips, and lots of face impressions. The songwriting is sincere, but monochromatic in this reviewer's opinion. Or another take; the songwriting has strength, but the delivery is a bit weak and draggy. It sounds like a fun project to be involved with, and probably is. (Mike Loce) Claudia Malibu, "Silver Tangerine Hangover" With all the interest in lo-fi music these days, this unusual e.p. will find an audience with music fans willing to take a chance on its sparse, old-fashioned, home studio sound. The CD sounds like it was taped on old wire recorders in a fifties rec-room between science experiments with boiling over test tubes. The instruments sometimes sound like they are played ten feet away from the recording microphones, with tape hiss added for good measure. This is a fun project with some melodic tunes on it. Claudia Malibu Silver Tangerine Hangover Wrapped up in an array of bizarre, face obsessed artwork is Claudia Malibu's Kinks and Velvet Underground-infused albu Silver Tangerine Hangover. Judging by the liner notes, Claudia Malibu seems to be the mastermind of one Luke Cavagnac who claims songwriting and lyrical credit, as well as keyboards, drum, and guitar. And as if he didn't have enough to do, Cavagnac also recorded the album.He has help from a few well-wishers, including Leslie LaBarge on bass, Yvonne LaBarge contributing some female vocal counterparts, and Jeremy Marusek adding drum tracks as well. Silver Tangerine Hangover is recorded lo-fi but seems done in a deliberately 60's inspired way. It has charming inconsistencies, like phones ringing and tape hiss. But a listener can get past these endearing nuggets of DIY recording and still enjoy some subdued song writing and light, airy songs about girls and going to the beach. Opening the 25-minute CD is "What's Goin' on Down Below", a simple 4/4 rhythm-driven song that borrows from Grandaddy but still retains a large amount of Kinks influence in the vocal melodies. "Absolutely Jennifer" begins the chapter on the Velvet Underground with a charming love song that deals with having eyes only for Jennifer and leaving all the other girls to the guys that don't have standards. It's hard to get past how much thissounds like a Lou Reed composition or even a Donovan song, but you can't deny Cavagnac's prowess in channeling these 60's rock mainstays. The album flies really low under the radar. Cavagnac writes songs that play like sunsets, they sort of drift low and lazy but all of a sudden you realize they're gone and you have to wait patiently for the next day when you can see them again. There's nothing obtrusive about any of the songs which is one of the reasons that this is such a joy to listen to. - Adam Crepeau Go Metric! Claudia Malibu - Silver Tangerine Hangover Selected for TOP 20 in issue #16 Winner of this issues Most Pleasant Surprise Award, Silver Tangerine Hangover languished in the pile of "that cover is so lame the music must suck" CD's for weeks and now I can't get the songs out of my head. These whispered, sunny afternoon pop songs inspire the most relaxing day dreams and spark a list of adjectives (sparse, spacey, tender, reluctant) and bands (Kinks, Galaxie 500, some of the Elephant 6 roster). Quite nice, indeed. Shredding Paper Claudia Malibu - Silver Tangerine Hangover Issue #14 Intimate, slightly insane sounding folk-rock burblings, propelled by a languid guitar sound that could have wandered in from a Doug Yule-era VU session. (In fact, this would make a great coming-off-of-chemical-self-poisoning alternative to the third Velvets album.) Skip Spence, too, might have approved. - M.L.H. Roctober Claudia Malibu - Silver Tangerine Hangover Issue #33 If your record player played a little slow and erratic, and if the vinyl got warped, this could be your favorite pop record ever playing. Toxic Flyer Zine Claudia Malibu - Silver Tangerine Hangover Issue #34 Sound like a more modern version of The Velvet Underground ( Lou Reed, Nico) meeting Dino Jr. with sort of an alternative-core sound as well. (TTTT) ALTERNATIVE - B.W. V MAG (excerpt from april 2000 issue) ...Unlike "Indiana" on Can't Hold Back The Rocket, there is no obvious "hit single" to be found here, but that doesn't detract from the overall quality of the record. We'll Find You! is a mature and consistent work from a band that just keeps getting better. -Evelyn Tremble TOXIC FLYER FANZINE #30 June 2000 CLAUDIA MALIBU (WE'LL FIND YOU") cd Alterna-pop rock out of Mass with a decent melody that's sort of like if LOU REED was fronting THE BLAKE BABIES to a J RICHMAN feel. (GD+) Aiding & Abeting issue #196 3/6/00 Claudia Malibu - We'll Find You! Claudia Malibu really, really wants to be an edgy pop band. I don't know if it's the bashing of the drums or the sometimes mismatched riffs, but the band can't quite get out of the rock and roll groove. There is a difference, though the distinction is pretty gray these days. Still, I'm not knocking the folks. In fact, there are a number of fine rock songs on this disc. I just get a little uncomfortable hearing the music try to be something that it isn't. Enough of the lame griping. Claudia Malibu is adventurous enough to try a number of sounds and feels, and the slower, more introspective songs in particular work well. The arrangements are still a little rough, but even that adds charm. A solid album, even with my discomfort. Chalk that up to a personal problem on my part. Once I walled that little voice up, I had a good time with this disc. THE NOISE july/aug 2000 "We'll Find You!" ...Surprising, often captivating, catchy, quirky, genuine, nicely played, and completely fucked up. Almost miraculously genre-free, it's largely acoustic-y, painless stuff, lotta sweet harmonies, and this is what I'm talking about. What where the odds of this getting out even five years ago? It gives me way too much hope for what's to come. Sure, there'll always be the glut of garbage (see elsewhere in this issue), but that's nothing new. There is no Next Big Thing. The Next Big Thing is YOU comrades. Don't blow it. -Joe Coughlin All Music Guide Claudia Malibu "We'll Find You" Rating **(Four stars!) AMG EXPERT REVIEW:*Everything about We'll Find You is unequivocally(and wonderfully) pop, with a particular bent towards '60s melodic ingenuity and a loopy, jangling garage rock ambience as well as the type of innocently wide-eyed subject matter("Golden Parachutes", for instance) of the era's most delightful soft rockers - bands such as Sagittarius and The Association. "I Love The Way", in fact, borrows the guitar hook from the latter's "Never My Love", but Claudia Malibu is not about subscribing to the same saccharine featheriness. There are charming hints of bubblegum sweetness ("Johnny Payroll") and coed vocals that twine around eachother gloriously, but the band is more about severely skewed songcraft and worldview than they are about evoking an era. Claudia Malibu is terrifically eclectic and modern at the same time. They are just as capable of breaking into a strumed heartreak ballad ("Angels are Forever") or countrified dream pop with girl group overtones ("First Ones to Find Us") as they are appropriating certain hallmarks of space rock twangy reverb, the wispy tone, zoned out sound effects - without concerning themselves with the austerity of the genre. The sounds that the band wrenches out of its keyboards are nothing short of fabulous, completely tripped out and warped. Lyrical references, on the other hand, range from nostalgia for bygone kitsch objects such as the Atari game system to patently strange abduction tales (they are "Kidnapped" by aliens and stranded in space in one instant, and ask to be taken again in "U.F.O."). There is certain sonic sympatico between Claudia Malibu and the Apples in Stereo(particularly on "Big White Lie"), but it is mostly a simple function of the throw-caution-to-the-wind quality that they share and the mutual grounding in lighthearted pop styles from the '60s. The music is loaded with idiosyncratic appeal and served up with a side order of psychedelic production touches. It sounds like an album that was fun to make and it is certainly an album that is pure joy to listen to. We'll Find You neither attempts to capture a particular mood nor reinvent pop music wholesale, and that is part of the reason it is so utterly infectious. It is whimsical and has a ragged radiance that simply doesn't wear off. - Stanton Swihart* The Valley Advocate 3/23/00 CLAUDIA MALIBU "We'll Find You!"(Wormco): Lest you think this is another jailbait pop princess or Jewel wannabe, Claudia Malibu is a band, not a person. A pretty good band, actually. We'll Find You!, the second release from the Hadley-based quartet, is a quirky blend of outer space themes, melodic indie pop ans 60's Brit rock flavors. Like the band's first disc, Can't Stop the Rocket, the new album has consistently strong songwriting coupled with a charming, offhand delivery. The band's arrangements are crisp, clean, at times psychadelic, with Farfisa organ, backward guitar and maracas adding texture and color. Leonard Fleetwood's sparkling production, courtesy of veteran sound engineers M.A. Miller and James B. Weeks, serves the songs without overwhelming them. Among the standouts on We'll find You! are guitarist and main songwriter Captain Cavagnac's "Golden Parachutes," "U.F.O" and the Kinks-size "I Love the Way," a lovely duet with organist Yvonne Lebarge, whose husband, Les, contributes to the haunting folk rock number, "Angels Are Forever." "Kidnapped" builds up to a hard-rocking fade-out that recalls Elvis Costello & the Attractions' "Pump It Up." Though a bit derivative, Claudia Malibu, like fellow Valley popsters King Radio, succeeds on the strength of songs that combine emotion with humor, sweet melodies with rough-hewn rhythms. Cavagnac's plantive leaad vocals has an ingenuous, wide-eyed quality about them, at various times reminiscent of Tom Verlaine, Gram Parsons and Radiohead's Thom York. (3 1/2 stars) - J.M. Dobies Pulse of the Twin Cities 3.22.00 CLAUDIA MALIBU "We'll Find You!" (Wormco) Twelve tracks of spare, sparkling and at times brilliant pop that can suddenly seep into your brain while you have your guard down. The power of every tune comes from a shimmering guitar. Hailing from the moody moors of Wetern Massachusetts, Claudia Malibu has made a record that is both sullen and delightful at the same time. They are obsssed with outer space - this I can understand, life upon this planet does indeed become so tiresome. And We'll Find You does seem to orbit in a strange zone of splendid melancholy. Vocals by a character that calls himself Captain Cavagnac growl with their own wistful intensity that make every song a do or die situation. And the good Captain's lyrics reveal an indispensable madness that is part late-50's doo wop, part T-Rex surrealism and part underground rock bravado. Bravo. - Paul D. Dickinson Copper Press issue 4 - fall 2000 PoBox 1601 Acme, Michigan 49610-1601 Claudia Malibu - We'll Find You! Claudia Malibu write triumphant uptempo serenades of resplendent melodies using clean strums that brighten the corners of widening smiles. slow numbers, with their plaintive and hopeful sentiments, invite close clutches, sweaty palms, nervous breaths,and of suffocating in the fruity aroma of a flowering dance partner's hair. Clever boy/girl harmonies and prickly-picked sharp guitar playing convey a longing for simplicity and this foursome's fifties and early sixties musical revelry. Or maybe I'm just reminiscing in my dad's vast record collection again. Glass Eye May 2000 PO Box 2507, Toledo OH 43606 Claudia Malibu We'll Find You! (WORMCO) 3.0 EYES Claudia Malibu call what they do space pop, which is as good a trm as any to describe their mesmerizing extension of the "adult hits" of such square-but-catchy 60's bands as the Classics IV and the Association. The guitars and beats are harder and the lyrics more obtuse, but this is still a modernizing of the sound of professional musicians figuring out what the hell they're going to do in a world populated by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. And make no mistake about it - catchy hooks are the order of the day. "Golden Parachutes" is in your head for days after half a listen, while "I Love the Way" offers more of the same, including a pre-chorus break which threatens to absolutely transmorph itself into the Association's wimprock classic "Never My Love". "Take Me Out" and "Big White Lie" continue this pattern of sing-a-long mania and lyrics that flirt with nonsense before veering swiftly back into teen/twenty something/grownup heartache. It's solid stuff with value far beyond kitsch. The band could stand to go a little lighter on the ballads, though. "Angels are Forever" is swell in an urgent acoustic guitar confesional sort of way, but the other slow ones threaten to disappear entirely. This genre can be light enough without stretching the beats out and slowing them down. But Claudia Malibu is still a worthwhile listen. Check it out and bask in the irony of a style that's gone so far into pop that it's been assimilated into the alternative/indie rock food chain. - Frank Esposito Flipside #122 CLAUDIA MALIBU "We'll Find You" An eclectic brood with 12 pop snapshotsof their musical visions.The bandmates trade off on guitar, keyboard and vocal chores with some of their better efforts featuring a mix of male and female vocals. Some happy go lucky songs, some somber songs, and a lot of songs that are a little of both. Laid back and spontaneous yet tuneful. -P. Edwin Letcher PARASOL RECORDS Claudia Malibu "We'll Find You!” CD WormCo-008 Exquisite 60s-flavored pop, sassy guitar-jangle with co-ed vocals, "space pop" with a nudge and a wink! The "space" tag is more about Claudia Malibu's lyrical tongue-in-cheekiness than far-out sonics (more about recent fads and fashions of indie music than spot-on descriptive). Sure, there are songs about space, spaceships and stuff, heck, one of my favorite songs, "UFO", closes the album begging to board a flying saucer. But the tunes are straight-ahead pop songs overloaded with classic melodies and helium harmonies, just a lick of Bubblegum's sugary sweetness, and a splash of space-rock's cosmic rays - joyous stompers, bouncers and ballads that are fun to listen to! Remember when you bought records to enjoy listening to them? And you listened to them over and over? I do, and this is one of those. It is not groundbreaking or revolutionary (thank goodness); it is a Great Pop Record, and that's what you're after, right? Brilliant and infused with the ghosts of Wings-era McCartney, Peter Holsapple-esque vocals (accompanied by dreamy female harmonies), mellow early Kinks-styled song-craft, and some "She's a Rainbow" era Rolling Stones pop-wonderfulness, the whole lot blessed with painterly strokes of noise and lazy retro atmospheres. I'm told these folks used to be in much-admired early 90s pop outfits like The Veronica Cartwrights and The Caroline Know, and still play in bands like Lucky Pierre, New Radiant Storm King and Stephen Rand & His Magic Ponies (another worthy Wormco artist!). Baby Sue Review Claudia Malibu - We'll Find You! (CD, Wormco, Pop) Smaller means better (at least in the field of music). Massachusetts independent label Wormco has been grabbing our instant attention for years now, simply by putting out quality releases from entertaining (and yet virtually unknown) bands. Claudia Malibu is a totally cool little outfit, and this is their first full-length release. The music is reminiscent of eighties pop, and there is a definite thread of subtle curiosity running through these tunes. And though many of these compositions are actually rather complex, the band plays with such superb skill that they make them sound as simple as pancakes. Intricate guitar lines underscore superb pop vocals...and the lyrics are both intelligent and thought provoking. Destined to be a favorite among the hip underground pop critics, this band has all the right ingredients. WAY cool, yes...and the band's unique sound is deeply rooted in their subtle ideas. From Mod Magazine find at www.silvergirl.com <http://www.silvergirl.com> Claudia Malibu We'll Find You CD Having played shows with members of the Elephant 6 rubbed off a bit. Claudia Malibu, featuring former members of New Radiant Storm King and The Caroline Know, are a quirky bunch of pop songsters seeking a 12-step program and a healthier disposition. Delightful in its uniqueness, We'll Find You is by- and for those trying to solve the questions surrounding their known and unknown psychoses. A dose of reality would really kill the wonderful vibe in these songs. For daydreamers, inventors, and the silly at heart (which arguably is all of us). (Wormco POB 266 Northampton, MA 01061) - Keith York CLAUDIA MALIBU We'll Find You I think this is what the Kinks would have sounded like if they'd let Lou Reed join the band. There are all sorts of strange computer-enhanced tracks that sound almost underwater and fuzzy, mixed with strong, stark rhythm guitar work and soft, quivery male and female vocals that almost sound like another instrument in the song instead of the focal point. The lyrics that stand out are simple songs about going outside and love and borderline stalking. There's this great interlude where some kid makes fun of love songs, some kid maybe 8 or 9 going, "Ooh, I love you-I want to kiss you-" and it's just the perfect lead in to the love song following it. - Holly Day