February 03, 2009

…drifting…drifting…and floating around through chocolate bubbles

I may as well admit it - I'm a closet Anglofile with a sweet tooth for for sixties-inspired, super-cute go-go pop. if you have leanings in that direction, let me introduce you to a former chambermaid who is the holder of the musical grail - Angela Faye Tillett . As the bubbly British voice behind the groups Lollipop Train and Death By Chocolate, Angie leads the way through an enchanted world of childlike imagery, bubblegum singalongs, and giddy psychedelia - kinda like the Yellow Submarine on a detour through Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory.

Angie clearly has a fondness for sweets, which evoke powerful sensory memories for her -- as do colors, letters, breakfast cereal… She recites these reminiscences of pop culture, in the bored voice of a British schoolgirl delivering a report before class, while giddy pop keyboard lines bubble and eddy around her. In addition, she offers '60s spy movie instrumentals, quirky bubblegum psycedelia, and a few unusual covers, including a decidedly twee version of Cat Stevens's "If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out."
Discography

Lollipop Train – Junior Electric Magazine
1. strawberry ?
2. i want it now
3. junior electric magazine
4. johnny shopping
5. banana milkshake
6. mr. bizarro
7. janet´s birthday party (hipster)
8. holiday in malta
9. theme from "daisies"
10. wowie zowie
11. presents prizes sweets & surprises
12. johnny johnny
13. let´s imagine
14. variation on a keyring


Death By Chocolate – S/T
1. mustard yellow
2. magpie
3. sky blue
4. the land of chocolate
5. orange
6. my friend jack
7. daddy's out of focus
8. olive
9. ice cold lemonade
10. the is bumble bee
11. a b & c
12. red
13. rainbow with a underneath & an elephant
14. who needs wings to fly? (from the flying nun)
15. the salvador dali murder mystery
16. if you want to sing out sing out
17. is bumble bee (the bee is coming)

Death By Chocolate – Zap the World
1. vox wah wah pedal
2. zap the world chorus
3. while i´m still young
4. bentley corniche
5. cutoutgirlscout
6. lime green fitted blouse
7. a b & c- part two
9. bridgit riley
10. artplay
11. cinammon grahams
12. bibi gin
13. the togetherness marriage bureau
14. zap the world
15. quite quite fantastic
16. swinging london
17. guru indian takeaway
18. john steed swordstick

Sadly, Angie must have lost her inspiration following the release of Zap the World (or else she just grew up and got a real job), and so it seems that there won’t be anymore daydreamy, poetic meanderings or pretty little pop songs full of charmingly inspired mania…

Resources

Try a little sample – download some extra chocolate love (a tracklist may be found in the comments)

a nice fansite - here

here's a video for the land of chocolate...images are from flickr

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is the first of a (hopefully) three part special that takes its inspiration from the three things that have always made Valentine’s Day fun for me: chocolate, pretty girls, and a little bit of romance…I hope you enjoy them all!

3 comments:

ken said...

angie tillett -
extra chocolate love
~~~~~~~~~~
01. the land of chocolate
02. magpie
03. banana milkshake
04. my friend jack
05. vox wah wah pedal
06. i want it now
07. strawberry ?
08. ice cold lemonade
09. who needs wings to fly/
10. while I'm still young
11. holiday in malta
12. wowie zowie
13. cinammon grahams
14. if you want to sing out, sing out
15. rainbow with a underneath & an elephant
16. johnny, johnny
17. mustard yellow
18. sky blue
19. orange
20. olive
21. red

b said...

i can't say no to sweets- especially cupcakes, and if there's odes to sweets! (and ice cold lemonade, chocolate, milkshakes, and my favorite-- lime green fitted blouses!)

i haven't gotten a chance to listen to the whole sampler, but i really like the songs where she sings- i really like the flying nun cover, especially.

looking forward to the next two posts!

ken said...

Why would somebody even WANT to say no to sweets?? I'm glad you're enjoying her songs, the spoken word stuff is clever the first couple of listens, but it wears thin over time...
I finished up the series today - can you believe it?