Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Moose - unheard and unappreciated music


Born in the 1990s shoe-gaze movement, Moose made several albums but never reached the acclaim that they richly deserved.  Starting from a stripped-down psychedelic sound and ending with a full-born blitz of shiny pop, Moose were always filled with an underlying layer of sunshine and brightness.

Formed by Russel Yates and Keviin McKillop in early 1990, Moose was immediately signed to Hut Records (home of Smashing Pumpkins and the Verve) where they released three EPs in 1991.  1992 was their first full-length ...XYZ which sold poorly, causing them to be dropped by their label.  From there, Moose signed with Play It Again Sam Records where they released their second album Honey Bee in 1993.  Again sales were miniscule, but the band soldiered on with their 1996 release Live a Little, Love a Lot.  Sadly, this also fell by the wayside.


Most other musicians would have thrown in the towel, but Moose gave it one more chance with their 2000 release of High Ball Me! on the Nickle and Dimes label.  This last album was the peak of their creativity, highlighting brilliant pop intertwined with a Lee Hazlewood twang.  The music soars and bends like the wind, reminding the listener of lonely country roads, desert plains, and fields of wildflowers.  Or something like that.

All of their material is difficult to get with the exception of High Ball Me! which is still in print.  Other than that, buyers are left scouring Ebay, Gemm, MusicStack or searching for Youtube videos.  CDs are the most common format.  Vinyl does exist but is exceedingly rare. Again, everything is highly recommended!

Moose - Little Bird


Moose - The Only Man In Town

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