“little_darla_vol_12”
Little Darla Has a Treat for You
Volume Twelve: Summer 1999
Darla
I never got to go to summer camp, so I can’t be sure about what it feels like to receive a box filled to the brim with all sorts of high-value kid commodities. Still, I would think it’s a lot like getting these Darla compilations. Starting this particular outing is Mondo Crescendo and “Check It On Out,” one of the brightest, chirpiest pop songs I’ve heard in a while. “How Can I Stop Loving U. pt. 2” (by Teach Me Tiger) is a weirdly deconstructed “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling,” with a disconcertingly low bass voice singing the first part, and a wispy girlish voice floating through the second. Our Hour, from Japan, present the frenetic “Panda Riot,” a couple minutes of intense video game beats and bizarre sounds, about the only thing that could fulfill the promise of its name. Not all of the bands on here are Darla protegés, but most of the stuff on here is exclusive. Even the exceptions – tracks from Apples In Stereo and Louis Philippe among others – are notable for their taste and selection. You’ll never spend a better $5.98, at least not until Little Darla 13 comes out.
Darla Records, 625 Scott #303, San Francisco, CA 94117; http://www.darla.com