The Strange Girls – It's OK To Be Happy (1999-2001)

Label: Fördämning Arkiv – F-ARKIV 8
Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: Sweden
Released: 24 Nov 2022
Genre: Rock, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Experimental, Lo-Fi, Folk

Crucial deep dive into unknown NZ lofi product The Strange Girls.. (Mint / New)

Early and mostly previously unreleased recordings from Dunedin's The Strange Girls, a band that initially consisted of Clayton Noone, Kaaterama "Motty" Morehu and Jon Arcus. The Strange Girls existed on and off from 1999 up until Motty's passing in 2019 and left behind a peculiar trail of gems scattered around on a myriad of limited lathe cuts, cassettes and CDrs. It's OK To Be Happy focuses on the trio era - Jon Arcus left the band in 2002 - and starts at the very beginning with 'Satan', the first song at the first gig they ever played. Ten tracks of atmospheric bummer folk/downer rock with that unmistakable lo-fi Root Don Lonie For Cash anything-goes approach, carefully sequenced into something that feels like the album that never was rather than just a compilation. Edition of 500 copies. Insert with liner notes to each track by Clayton Noone.

Tracklist
A1 Satan
A2 Control
A3 Girl By A Stream
A4 Thug
A5 Lyric
B1 In A Passionate Mood
B2 OK
B3 Sleep
B4 Truly
B5 Wasp