(FNR-232) ***LAST COPY***
$27.00 / Sold Out
FNR-232
Brother Lee "Casio City Rockers” LP
Super limited pressing, only 250 copies!
A1. Super Capri Beat - 01:51
A2. Soul Noodle - 01:27
A3. Ricoré - 02:39
A4. Breakfast Cereal Jazz Music - 01:32
A5. French Madrid - 02:34
A6. Move It On - 02:22
A7. Free Parking - 01:18
A8. Concrete Bongo Head - 02:51
A9. Baroque Neck Brace - 01:08
A10. Fried Grapes - 01:51
B1. It's All Around - 01:51
B2. Daredevil - 02:10
B3. Second Guess - 01:41
B4. Turquoise - 02:03
B5. Toyota Corolla - 01:28
B6. Bossa For Ingrid - 01:35
B7. Welcome To Valium Country - 02:58
B8. Casio City Rockers 01:01 - 02:08
B9. Wah Wah - 03:45
https://dimerecordsfrance.bandcamp.com/album/casio-city-rockers
"Casio City Rockers" is a deep dive into the infamous archives of Brother Lee, a.k.a. Lee Skelly. The 19 tracks here are compiled from 4-track cassette machines, Sony Walkmans, dictaphones and mobile phones, and were recorded in home studios, bedrooms, hotel rooms, holiday apartments... basically wherever, whenever and however Lee could record them before he had the chance to forget them.
His cassette archive alone runs to around 600, then there's the numerous carrier bags and boxes of mobile phones, USB keys and dictaphone tapes scattered around his remote French home, all full of either completed songs or scraps of melody or song sketches, and played on whatever instrument was nearest to hand. Not being particularly sentimental or nostalgic, it's rare for Lee to look over his shoulder for this kind of stuff.
So, imagine "Money Mark's Keyboard Repair" filtered though a Syd Barrett lens, or if Daniel Johnston had been fixated on Shuggie Otis and peak-70s Stevie Wonder instead of The Beatles. Everything here may be slightly broken but it works perfectly if you get what I mean. From the funky Clavinet workouts of "Baroque Neck Brace" and "Wah Wah" to the dead-on-'67 sitar-and-backwards-guitar psychedelia of "It's All Around" to the Afrobeat-inspired "Super Capri Beat" and the bonkers Casio-goes-Acid House title track, even the breezy lo-fi soul pop of "Turquoise" and "Bossa For Ingrid", this album is a wild ride. Don't miss it."
- Jenn Hepsworth, London, 2023.
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Lee Skelly: Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes, Minimoog, Wurlitzer piano, Casio MT-65, Casio SK-1, flute, sitar, tambura, tablas, electric sitar, Clavinet, Mellotron, guitar, bass, drums, melodica, percussion, vocals.
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Mastered by Jörgen Hermaste.
Sleeve layout assistance by Pauline Jouhet
XXL-sized thanks and gratitude to: Stephen, Philly, Miles, Frank Raines, Shawn Lee, Marc Z, Jenn, Pauline, all the Skelly family and friends and neighbours for their kind help.
This album is dedicated to Ingrid.