SCROTUM POLES - Auchmithie Forever

"Three-plus years and many hurdles overcome, the long-awaited SCROTUM POLES treasure trove has finally been unearthed! Twenty-two unreleased 1979/1980 studio and home recordings from one of the best early UK DIY pop bands. Except for the most dour and hygienically-challenged of punk collectors, SCROTUM POLES first hit the public radar via one of Hypedtodeaths first homemade Messthetics CD-R compilations of lost late-70s/early 80s UK DIY punk & pop bands. For those whose minds were blown by the seemingly unending depths of amazing slop bubbled to the surface by the Messthetics series, The Scrotum Poles Pick the Cats Eyes Out" and "Helicopter Honeymoon" (both from their only vinyl release, the legendary, oddly-sized Revelation EP) were arguably the best of the mess. Formed in Dundee, Scotland in 1978, the scrappy Scrotum Poles exemplify wonderfully the anything-goes attitude of the time immediately following the first wave of punk, and Auchmithie Forever opens up a perfectly imperfect chapter of this exciting period. Sure, theres nods to the obvious punk forebears, and the surefire upbeat punk-pop hits are undeniable, but other dreary pop tendencies come much closer in sound to early Go-Betweens or the loping bass-driven bands appearing out of Manchester in following years. Auchmithie Forever has been painstakingly culled from hours of lost-then-found-then-lost-then-found-again C-90 cassette tapes recorded by the band before and around the recording of the legendary Revelation EP. The best of the best songs from three different tapes appear here, including different versions of both "Pick the Cats" and "Helicopter" (pop fans will LOVE the drum-less, near-acoustic bedroom version of "Pick the Cats"). Cassette transferring was a monumental task, but no expense or effort was spared to find the right balance of noise and clarity. In addition to their admitted lack of instrument mastery or traditional tuning abilities, the recordings are mucky-the tapes made muckier with 30 years of soggy English basement storage. Sticklers for hi-fi recordings will run for their lives, but those with patience (or love) for some hiss & flutter will be generously rewarded. Auchmithie Forever is available with full cooperation from the band, containing photos, clippings, lyrics and liner notes from SMEG POLE himself." - Dulc-i-Tone. Highly recommended! Restocked!