It seems like nine times out of ten, I end up buying a CD at import prices because I can’t wait, or have doubts that it will ever get released domestically. That is not the case with two excellent new albums that saw the light of day earlier this year over in old Europe. Patience has finally paid off with Cats On Fire and Wake the President making their domestic appearances this week. Is it serendipity or just dumb luck? No matter, we have two stellar west coast indies to thank for this godsend. So if you live in the US and had the restraint or foresight to not buy these at import prices, you are now presented with the perfect opportunity to get two great albums at domestic prices.
I remember during the presidential primaries, the question that Hillary Clinton posed to try and differentiate herself from Barak Obama was: Who do you want to take that 3 o’clock in the morning call? The answer of course is Wake the President. Fronted by twins Bjorn and Eric makes them doubly capable. Portland’s Magic Marker records has provided the fix that all Orange Juice fans need by putting out Glasgow’s Wake the President debut album, You Can’t Change that Boy in the USA. The album was released earlier this year on Electric Honey Records which you may remember as the student label at Stow College in Glasgow that discovered Belle and Sebastian. How’s that for pedigree?
mp3: Wake the President – Mail, Alice (buy You Can’t Change That Boy from Magic Marker)
You may think that Cats on Fire is kind of a bad name for a band, but since I don’t speak Finnish I’m giving the benefit of the doubt that there was something lost in translation in the name of this Finnish band. If you are one of those people lamenting the fact that Morrissey has finally gone off the deep end with his worst album ever, then Cats on Fire will be a refreshing breeze on your uncompressed pop sensibilities. Incorporating rockabilly, janlgy guitars and delicate smooth voice of Mattias Björkas, then Cats On Fire are going to be your cup of tea. The first Cats on Fire album, The Province Complains came out on German label Marsh-Marigold and was relegated to import status here in the States. That is no such problem with album number two, Our Temperance Movement. Matinee, will be doing honors of putting out the album at very reasonable price. Cats on Fire will also be at the NYC Popfest in May for the second year in a row, if you are so inclined.
mp3: Cats On Fire – Lay Down Your Arms (buy Our Temperance Movement form Matinee)
the finest kiss 
Oh how funny. I just a few hours ago purchased the Wake the President CD used for a quite affordable price from a seller on amazon.com, but yesterday I broke down and purchased the Cats on Fire CD from How Does it Feel to be Loved. Oh, well. I suppose that it’s cheaper to purchase records from the How Does it Feel to be Loved label than it would be to move to London so that I could attend the club as often as I would like.
I figured I wasn’t the only one that this has happened to. I suppose it’s a small price to pay for the obsession we have.