Twee Delices – THE JUST JOANS: Has anybody seen my boy (Single, Fika, 2018); You might be smiling now (Fika, 2017)
#TheJangleBox #RememberTheJangleBox #NovedadesTheJangleBox #DescubreTheJangleBox
THE JUST JOANS son un combo de Motherwell que funciona en el Pop desde hace un tiempo, concretamente desde sus comienzos más deliciosamente Twee hace justo una década, cuando les descubrimos gracias al contacto con una independiente como WeePop!
El caso es que los escoceses continúan firmes en sus convicciones más deliciosamente Pop, con un apego a ese regusto delicado y agradablemente amable.
The Just Joans: Buckfast bottles in the rain (WeePop! Records, 2012)
Viejos amigos
Un nuevo reencuentro en el blog. En este caso volvemos a coincidir con The Just Joans, unos viejos conocidos por estos pagos. Llevaban algún tiempo fuera de la órbita, y en este 2012 han vuelto con este Buckfast bottles in the rain.
Editados de nuevo por WeePop!, la banda de Motherwell ha madurado ostensiblemente en este tiempo, y para la ocasión han facturado un disco en el que inciden sobre su temática más o menos habitual pero a la vez han cocinado a fuego lento un sonido más personal, expandiendo su tradicional Folk-Pop de bajas revoluciones a un Pop mucho más elaborado, más rico en detalles, en matices, incluso en sonoridades.
También es cierto que esta evolución trae consigo una cierta introspección que (personalmente) no prefiero a su ingenuo desenfado anterior. Eso sí, su irónico sentido del humor continúa intacto y sus cortos temas continúan ofreciéndonos historias personales, estampas costumbristas e imágenes más o menos cotidianas; narradas todas ellas con ese característico acento escocés que no han abandonado.
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“A fair few people will be familiar with The Just Joans already as most of the songs on this debut album have been around in various forms for several years, but for those new to the them, they’re based in Glasgow and this is a point they like to make unbelievably clear. If calling an album ‘Buckfast Bottles In The Rain’ didn’t give it away, they named themselves after the agony aunt in The Daily Record and this album is littered with regional references and clichés to the point where it becomes a bit much. I’m not sure a Scottish, indie version of The Wurzels was on anyone’s wish list, but there’s a definite tang of novelty hanging over many of these songs.
The first half of the record documents the last year of school, the second half covers university and beyond. It’s a shame that sometimes the imagination used here doesn’t go beyond nicking traffic cones and waking up next to girls whose names you can’t remember. The lyrics could have come from a Rab C. Nesbitt script: “sitting on the living room floor, talking about shagging and the football score” or “I spent most of my loan in the first two weeks on cans of Tennent’s lager”. It’s almost a checklist of stereotypes: “been playing pool and drinking Irn Bru down The Miner’s all summer long”. The line “taking Britpop posters from my wall all summer long” is telling, as this album borrows lyrics and melody from bands including Menswear (‘Lookin’ Like Rain’), Sleeper (‘What Do We Do Now’) and forerunners The Wonderstuff (‘Friday Afternoons’).
You can play spot the pilfered tune loads on this album. ‘East Kilbride (All Summer Long’) uses a whole section of The Beach Boys’ ‘I Get Along’ and, far more dubiously, ‘Coia’s Empty’ takes part of Russ Abbott’s ‘Atmosphere’, while ‘Please Don’t Talk To Me’ pinches both the theme to Steptoe & Son and folk standard ‘Show Me The Way To Go Home’. ‘Buckfast Bottles In The Rain’ isn’t bereft of merit and is a fairly decent listen but if they dropped the clichés and tired imagery they could be on to a winner. Unfortunately though, in their current form The Just Joans are offering little that hasn’t been done before, and better, by countless other DIY indie bands” (soundsxp.com)
The Smittens/The Just Joans: Split Single (2009), Wee Pop

“Both such quintessentially WeePOP! bands, The Just Joans and The Smittens represent two different sides of the atlantic and two aspects of the indiepop sound: The Smittens with their more uptempo handclaps, jangles and percussion, and The Just Joans showcasing a more uniquely british anarok styling and lineage. Long time admirers of each others work, they finally got to meet and play together at last years Indietracks festival. Friendships were made, plans were hatched, and the result is a joined release with them covering each other’s songs as well as a single of their own. To hear The Smittens singing about the Buckfast tonic wine and wearing Kappa tracksuits is in their cover of “what do we do now” is just too good!! They round out their side with a new track called ‘Summer Sunshine’ full of that much loved percussion and jangle, with a big wiggly synth line for the summer! The Just Joans went for ‘Gin and Platonic’ from The Smitten’s ‘Gentlefication Now!’ album, and a re-recording of one of their own earliest and favorite tracks, ‘I Hear You’re The Man Now, John’ from their album ‘Last Tango In Motherwell’. The split is going to be available on 7″ vinyl next week (available to pre-order now) and on our traditional 3″ cds later in the month” (WeePop.net)
MySpace-The Just Joans
MySpace-The Smittens
Página WeePop Records
The Just Joans: Love and other hideous accidents (Ep-2009), Wee Pop!

“Their songs, and we get nine of them on this album, are testaments to the many joys of failed relationships. Not the glossy celebrity car crashes that we are bombarded with in the press but those trivial to the rest of the world but devastating to one of the parties involved kind of relationships. Losers in love, if you like, but not beaten by it all. Hideous Accidents indeed suggests that being a loser in love is one thing but liking it is quite another and the female viewpoint gets investigated in Let’s Keep in Touch. Infused with dry humour, these songs soon win a place in your affection even if you will never admit just how relevant they actually are to you” (BluesBunny.com)
The Just Joans: Hey boy, you´re oh so sensitive (2008), Wee Pop!

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