ANIMALS THAT SWIM Happiness from a Distant Star 2001

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Discogs

 

Tracklist 

1		All Your Stars Are Out	4:27
2		Sixteen Letters	4:18
3		Dirt	3:08
4		Homunculus	3:56
5		The Moon And The Mothership	3:43
6		The Last Thing You Said To Me	3:29
7		The Bathtube	3:26
8		Sing And Rejoice, Fortune Is Smiling On You	1:17
9		Mackie's Wake	2:57
10		Happiness From A Distant Star	5:18
11		Seven Days	3:31
12		A Good Day For Everyone	2:55
13		Voices From Beyond The Grave	1:04

ANIMALS THAT SWIM Workshy 1994

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Discogs

 

biography

[+] by Stewart Mason

An eccentric, hyper-literate cross between Scott Walker, Tom Waits, the Teardrop Explodes, and Ride, Animals That Swim were slightly too weird for mass consumption, but their oddball, half-beatnik/half-psychedelic pop was a refreshing response to the early days of Brit-pop. Formed in London in 1989, Animals That Swim were originally a duo of brothers Hank Starrs (vocals, drums) and Hugh Barker (guitar). Trumpeter Del Crabtree joined next, followed by a third Barker brother, guitarist and keyboardist Al, and bassist Tony Coote. Crabtree's mellow but fragmented trumpet style, kind of like a free jazz version of Chet Baker, quickly became the group's most distinctive feature, seconded by Hank's dramatic vocals. After three years of woodshedding, Animals That Swim released their debut single, "King Beer," on their own Beachheads in Space label. This single, like its follow-up "Roy" (a surreal tribute to the late Roy Orbison), was chosen as Single of the Week in Melody Maker. The positive reviews and decent sales of these two self-released singles led to a one-off deal with the experimental indie Che Records, who released the 10" Fifty Dresses EP in early 1994. Elemental Music, a spin-off of the larger indie One Little Indian, then signed the band to record their first album, Workshy. Featuring tracks from all three previous releases plus some increasingly more bizarre new material, Workshy garnered more-than-appreciative reviews in the U.K. press as well as pretty good sales for an indie release, although it all but disappeared immediately upon its U.S. release. A fine second album, I Was the King, I Was Really the King, was released in 1996, but it didn't receive the same critical attention or sales as the debut. Animals That Swim broke up the following year.

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Tracklist

1	How To Make A Chandelier	2:07
2	Smooth Steps	3:25
3	Roy	4:03
4	Pink Carnations	2:58
5	St Francis	4:15
6	Action At Tescos	0:23
7	King Beer	4:10
8	Barney	3:17
9	Susie's Friends	2:50
10	Chip Paper Dreams	0:24
11	Madame Yevonde	3:13
12	Vic	1:50
13	Silent Film	2:44
14	Sway With Me	2:09
15	New Boots (Bonus Track)	2:52

 

ANIMALS THAT SWIM I Was the King I Really Was the King 1996

by request

Discogs

biography

[+] by Stewart Mason

An eccentric, hyper-literate cross between Scott Walker, Tom Waits, the Teardrop Explodes, and Ride, Animals That Swim were slightly too weird for mass consumption, but their oddball, half-beatnik/half-psychedelic pop was a refreshing response to the early days of Brit-pop. Formed in London in 1989, Animals That Swim were originally a duo of brothers Hank Starrs (vocals, drums) and Hugh Barker (guitar). Trumpeter Del Crabtree joined next, followed by a third Barker brother, guitarist and keyboardist Al, and bassist Tony Coote. Crabtree's mellow but fragmented trumpet style, kind of like a free jazz version of Chet Baker, quickly became the group's most distinctive feature, seconded by Hank's dramatic vocals. After three years of woodshedding, Animals That Swim released their debut single, "King Beer," on their own Beachheads in Space label. This single, like its follow-up "Roy" (a surreal tribute to the late Roy Orbison), was chosen as Single of the Week in Melody Maker. The positive reviews and decent sales of these two self-released singles led to a one-off deal with the experimental indie Che Records, who released the 10" Fifty Dresses EP in early 1994. Elemental Music, a spin-off of the larger indie One Little Indian, then signed the band to record their first album, Workshy. Featuring tracks from all three previous releases plus some increasingly more bizarre new material, Workshy garnered more-than-appreciative reviews in the U.K. press as well as pretty good sales for an indie release, although it all but disappeared immediately upon its U.S. release. A fine second album, I Was the King, I Was Really the King, was released in 1996, but it didn't receive the same critical attention or sales as the debut. Animals That Swim broke up the following year. 

Tracklist  

1	Faded Glamour
2	A Good Xmas
3	The Longest Road
4	The Greenhouse
5	East St. O'Neill
6	Shipley
7	Kitkats And Vinegar
8	London Bridge
9	Bed Island
10	Near The Moon
11	Despatches From Lula
12	The Good Old Way