NIFTY-50

The Nifty-50 CDR label, run by Colin Scott who previously ran the Sally & Kev tape and CDR label and Cream of the Crop fanzine, has released a number of CDs since last issue's feature; too many to fit into a single article so I'll be splitting this issue's Nifty-50 feature into two parts.

THE CONSPIRACY, an eclectic, prolific outfit who first came to my attention via the 1990s cassette network and who are still active today, have two recent reissues on Nifty-50. Love to Burn is a Neil Young covers album originally released in 1995 by the Neil Young Appreciation Society, featuring the band's earlier five-piece line-up. There's the punky snarl of Rockin' in the Free World, the acoustic folk-pop beauty of Sugar Mountain, and the vocal harmony-driven Americana of Unknown Legend and Harvest. Dreamin' Man is almost like the more pensive side of indiepop in its introspective melancholia, while Don't Cry ventures at times into grunge territory. I was aware of this album when it first came out on cassette in the 1990s, but it was one of the few Conspiracy tapes I never bought as I didn't think of myself as much of a Neil Young fan back then, a mistake in hindsight. Whilst not featuring their own songwriting, this is still classic Conspiracy in its delivery, and a fine snapshot of the sort of eclectic yet cohesive, guitar-based, song-based material they were making in those days.

The New Zeitgeist is much more recent, originally released as a digital album in 2023 by Metal Postcard Records and now available on CD from Nifty-50. Here The Conspiracy are comprised of the two-piece core line-up of Dave Bell and Duncan Pope, plus guest female backing vocalists K Robson and Miggie, whose voices work well with the music. Venus is punchy alt-rock taking on board spacey effects and dark undercurrents. Vincent tells the tragic story of Vincent van Gogh amidst heavy hitting metally guitar noise and atmospheric, slightly prog moments. Didactic combines punk with intricate proggy organ, while proggy atmospheres are interspersed with gentle indiepop in Helpless. The album's finale Time features vivid spoken-word storytelling set to spacey and eerie cinematic electronics. The album feels cohesive despite drawing from a variety of disparate genres. The CD comes with a sticker, badge and photocopied info insert.

Duncan Pope from The Conspiracy is also in LITTLE BOHEMIA, whose This is Tamar Beat album is out on CD through Nifty-50. This band has a more overt punk sound than The Conspiracy, but being a Duncan Pope project, you know not to expect punk-by-numbers, but something creative that isn't afraid to draw inspiration from other genres. Paradise Lost is energetic melodic punk with a really invigorating sound. Wounds combines punk energy with bluesy psych-rock, taking in rolling organ that creates an almost spacey effect. Billionaire's Bunkers pairs funky psych-rock with hard-hitting punk. Easter Island Refugees is the counterpart to The Conspiracy's Rage, having roots in the same song, but presented here as spiky alt-rock with an effective addition of retro-futuristic electronics that bring in a slightly eerie cinematic touch. Talk Not is fierce, shouty, ranty punk punctuated by the sound of barking dogs. An album that pushes the boundaries of punk in exciting, inventive ways. Comes with two large stickers and a photocopied info sheet.

MOONPUMP are a familiar name from my days in the 1990s fanzines and tapes scene. Nifty-50 have now reissued two of their tapes on CD, starting with Heavy Woollen Heroes from late 1997. Straightforwards is dark-edged noisepop with an effective interplay of choppy guitar and retro organ. Come could be described as gothic-psych-shoegaze, with its darkly atmospheric wall of noise incorporating a psychedelic guitar solo. Surfing on Mars draws from the classic 80s indiepop sound. Outside Your House is a raw acoustic radio session recording of this excellent ultramelodic indiepop track that had also appeared on one of their other albums in full band form. Steptoe's Shanty, a quirky instrumental peppered with the band members' banter and laughter, is so called because it sounds like a mixture of sea shanty and the Steptoe and Son theme tune! The album is home recorded and pretty lo-fi, but that's all part of its charm.

The next Moonpump album to be reissued was Joypopping, from early 1997. There's the powerful, noisy, dark-edged post-punk of Optimystic, the buzzsaw pop-punk thrill of What Is It You Want From Me, and the more experimental Barry & Reg, which combines electro dance beats and hip-hop scratching, fast rock guitar and spoken word. Adult Sex Games is breezy 80s-ish indiepop with bossa nova tinges interspersed with scratchy noisepop choruses, while Chatham Islands is psych-infused indiepop with the unusual addition of Celtic folk whistle. Rounding off the album is a cover of The Beatles' Happy Just to Dance With You, filtering the 60s pop of the original through a bedroom indiepop lens, its clangy lo-fi strum backed with drum machine beats. Great to see Nifty-50 bringing this band back to people's attention again!

Stay tuned for part two of this issue's Nifty-50 feature, to follow shortly. In the meantime you can order these CDs and other Nifty-50 titles through the creamcropzinelabel shop on Ebay UK, and find out more at the Nifty-50 Facebook page.

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