Garageland - Comeback Special
yewtu.be
Auckland's Garageland made a big splash with their debut record 'Come Back Special' on Flying Nun in August 1995. The bFM favourites came out with five fresh pop songs that suggested a new wave of musicians were clutching the classic Flying Nun catalogue for inspiration and taking off to the garage to jam. With their guitars turned up to warm reverb and tossing off words not just with the lazy abandon so favoured by the modern American underground but in the way that great NZ bands have always mumbled their way through a catchy tune, Garageland are mining a rich musical vein. In 1999 Garageland released their second album, 'Do What You Want' after completing a successful tour of the US, UK and Aussie. 2001 sees the release of their third album, 'Scorpio Righting'. Band Members: Jeremy Eade (vocals, guitar) Andrew Gladstone (drums) Mark Silvey (bass) Dave Goodison (guitar)

Presumably named after The Clash’s song…to my mind, Auckland’s Garageland was more like a slightly more melodic, Kiwi answer to Pavement*.

This song was released on the Come Back Special EP in 1995 and also appeared on the debut album, Last Exit To Garageland, in 1996. I loved the sound that guitarist Deb Silvey got out of her hollow body guitar on this track and I was disappointed when she left the band after the debut album, to concentrate on a radio career.

I was lucky enough to see them play live a couple of times on a record label roadshow they did with a couple of other Flying Nun bands, Love’s Ugly Children and King Loser.

Youtube backup link

*Stephen Malkmus contributed to a Flying Nun Records tribute album for their 21st birthday in 2002.