The Secret Goldfish

Kickass alternapop group from somewhere around Glasgow. Insinuously perky, catchy indie/punk/pop tunes, with eclectic cover versions and segues. The 'Goldfish are descended from The Fizzbombs (information about whom is scarce), minus Doug MacIntyre who went on to manage Creeping Bent, possibly the most overlooked of the Glasgow indie labels.

She/my sister won a goldfish at a fair in Bologna. It was red and gold and she gave it to me as she couldn't carry it in a bag home to Glasgow. I took it to my flat in Strawberry Street and put it in a bowl by the window. When I got up in the morning it was dead.

• Katy McCullars: vocals
• John Morose: guitar
• Steve McSeveney: bass
• Paul Turnbull: drums

Albums

aqua-pet....you make me (Creeping Bent, 1996)

For me this album still defines the Goldfish sound. Ranges from simple and beatiful pop songs with distinct punk undercurrents, to VU'esque abstract pieces.

1. come undone
2. tartan envy
3. the boy who left home to learn fear
4. pet thang
5. dandelion milk summer
6. venus bonding : erotic mars
7. i will see you through
8. i left one out, where did it go?
9. seasick
10. glass mountain
11. the catalyst
12. strawberry street
13. another short song about love and loss
14. bandovian curve (fantastic piece, nothing but fuzz bass, drums and bird calls)

Much of the album is influenced by Katy's time living in Bologna (Strawberry Street the most obvious, but many of the others too).

Liner note slogans include "Tested on humans for irritancy" and the inspiringly ambiguous "Some of our best friends are three minutes long", as well as the secondary explanation for the band's name, at the top of this writeup (the first being, of course, the Catcher in the Rye allusion noted by hKath below). Produced by Stephen Lironi of Revolutionary Corps of Teenage Jesus.

Jet Streams (Marina, 1997)

Recorded for the German label Marina, The 'Goldfish wave their influences around pretty openly, including covers of Fire Engines, Shangri-Las, Orange Juice, The Velvet Underground and Nirvana songs, with the occasional segue:

1. this arsehole's been burned too many times before
2. cassanova killer
3. ambulance (segue)
4. give him a great big kiss
5. wasted in carluke
6. blue sky yesterday
7. sunless
8. tartan envy (luv n haight version)
9. allegro (segue)
10. come as you are
11. rude awakening
12. everywhere that you go
13. pink drone
14. afterhours/intuition told me

Produced mostly by the band this time, but with a few tracks steered by Stephen Lironi. Come as you Are is done as a slow, dreamy piece, Katy playing the part of an angel with arms outstretched in welcome. Or maybe that's just what I see...

Mink Riots (Creeping Bent, 1999)

It seems that the band spent 1998 increasing the size of their address books: Mink Riots has collaborations with miscellaneous members of BMX Bandits, Belle and Sebastian and Future Pilot AKA, not to mention a song co-written with Vic Godard.

1. you're funny 'bout that, aren't you?
2. somewhere in the world (cowritten with Vic Godard)
3. laughing inside
4. scenecruiser
5. honestly, it was nothing
6. 4 excited people
7. take my hand
8. hey! mr. fox
9. elevate #2
10. pink drone

Pink Drone is a different version from that on Jet Streams; the same song, however, appears in other places as an instrumental Pink World (b-side to the Somewhere in the World single), and also Punk Drone, which used samples of the same dialogue later lifted by Primal Scream for their Kill All Hippies track.

The next Secret Goldfish release is promised sometime later this year on Creeping Bent, details pending!