Listen to the first album :

Here are some B-sides, a remix, some demos and a live recording:

After extensive touring in Europe, the USA, Japan and Australia for about 18 months, the band went into the studio to write and record a second album. The members, however, never felt content with the writing, and after the third attempt at recording they decided to take their indefinite hiatus.

The band have occasionally made attempts at getting something together again, but the rest of life gets in the way.

A few months before doing a singles deal with Radiate Records, someone in the industry asked me for a CD of 20 of our strongest songs. I reluctantly put Godhopping as the last track. The original version used the nursery rhyme One, Two, Buckle my shoe for the chorus. Despite the comparisons to so many other bands which journalists made with us, to my knowledge they never compared us to the band, Squeeze, whose song Pulling mussels from a shell I consciously took more from than any other piece music, using sections from it for both Godhopping and Lounger. For Godhopping I stole the bridge. CM

The original demo of this song had a 30 second intro of a slowly fading out ringing telephone. It was awesome. Musically, the main inspiration behind it is the feel of the song I Love The Sound of Breaking Glass, by Nick Lowe. I loved the piano tinkering.  Like Godhopping, it also steals from the song Pulling mussels from a shell by Squeeze. I liked the way that song dropped down with the instruments playing staccato at the end of the chorus when it says Pulling mussels from a shell. I copied that for the end of Loungers chorus, when I say I can lounge about in my house because lounging about is good. CM

I wrote this tune about five years before the album was released, in about 30 minutes, as a distraction from another song I was writing called Fat Boy. CM

This song was often discussed as being a single. The problem was that it was supposedly too long to be one so needed recut. We did a few versions, one with Andy Green which cut the verses in half and had a few extra instrumental ditties which sounded great, but the cutting made the overall feel seem pushed. So it never ended up being one. At the end of the year, Q magazine had a list of the years top 100 songs that should have been singles but werent, number one was a Red Hot Chili Peppers song and number two was Celebrity Sanctum. On the subject of The Chilis At its base, like quite a few other tunes Ive written, the song is inspired by the feel of John Frusciantes (Chilis Guitarist) music and the way he uses his voice. Notably songs from his album To record only water for ten days. CM

Contention stirred with this song. Gary came up with the guitar part first and we recorded it, then I went away and wrote the words. The both of us were really happy with it but Lee and Laurence really werent.  At the time it was written we had been living in Glasgow for about two years and had gone way off our intended path (this was before Ruth joined);  we had moved to Glasgow from Fife to focus on taking the band further however we ended up getting shitty jobs to pay the rent n that and other things took over like shit work nights out and Tony Hawks Pro Skater and Shemnue and two years later and we had done absolutely nothing with the band.  So I wrote the lyrics about that. I actually think the song was a catalyst for us getting our act together shortly after that I got myself sacked and not long after that I managed to convince the other guys it was a good thing to do. CM

This song comes from a night at the pub with Lee Worrall (Bass), my father and his partner.  At some point we started ranting about art and how people define and apply value to it, as you do. And on the subject, my dads partner mentioned the idiom Its Apples and Oranges. I liked that. I nicked it and wrote a song about the subject.  Musically,  its thievery is clear the initial inspiration comes from the feeling I got from the song What a day that was from the album The Catherine Wheel by David Byrne, although more like the Talking Heads version. I liked the way it builds. The polyrhythmic feel, brass and marimba was inspired by things by Philip Glass and Steve Reich. CM

Although the song was based on a rough idea Gary and I had come up with a few months earlier, the main bulk of it was written whilst we were recording the album. The title is actually wrong and I dont know why. It is supposed to be Modern Womans Modern Man.  Although maybe the mistake makes it more interesting. At the time David Beckham was wearing skirts, and as much as he looked good in them I began to ask, where was all this being-in-touch-with-our-feminist-side-mlarky taking us I liked characters played by the likes of Paul Newman and Steve McQueen. Good men who get angry. This song is about that kind of thing. CM

Paul Newmans Eyes came together very very easily in the rehearsal rooms.  I think it hit a chord with everyone; clean rhythms with interesting changes, familiar yet stand apart chord progressions for each section, an instrumental break, nice harmonies and backing vocals or maybe it was just because everyone liked it. The circusesque instrumental part was written and put together by Ruth during the albums recording one morning when we were working on the track. Some thought it was a bit too much, including myself, and I thought that was perfect.  The lyrical theme is pretty straight forward wants, desires, what we have, what our neighbours have, how lucky we are that were not war victims like some people in the world, should that make me feel better feeling better knowing Im not a war victim like other people in the world? Isnt suffering for lack of a car the same as suffering for lack of a family? relatively speaking that is. CM

Originally titled Big City Takeover, after a song by John Frusciante. I wasnt too happy with the lyrics and so at the last minute changed them when we were in the studio recording it as part of our Man Bites Man EP.  It was mostly done using the Cut-up technique taking random texts and headlines out of the newspaper, messing them up and putting them back together again. I remember watching the live news coverage of the toppling of the statue of Saddam Hussain whilst doing it. CM

This is a reworking of a song originally written by Gary called Eighties, which in many ways is the better version, although, it doesnt feature the wild guitar wanking that we got our assistant engineer guitarist virtuoso, Dan T. to record in the middle eight section. CM

Close to perfectionleaders of the pack The Independant

We’re back where we began: with explanations (or the lack of them). He won’t spell it out, so I will: Dogs Die in Hot Cars are the most exciting new band in Britain. The Times

Please Describe Yourself is the best indie record of the year bar none Drowned In Sound

outstanding debut album The Sydney Morning Herald

There is so much sonic territory covered on Please Describe Yourself that it is hard to really nail this band down and categorize them as anything other than great rock and roll. Hybrid Magazine

in a league of their own The Times

When was the last time you were truly excited about a band? Sup Magazine. New York.

Some more UK press

Totally Unique Glamour

Album of the year HMV.com

Exploiting the vogue for intelligence in pop.ravishing melodies The Guardian

4/5 Q Magazine

An excitable debut. A knockout Daily Mirror

Every song here sounds differentWe love them. Youll love them too. You wont have to of course, you just will The Fly

5/5 Bright, unconventional, imaginative and intelligent Independant on Sunday

4/5 The Mail on Sunday

These guys have more than enough energy and songwriting nous to pull it off Daily Express

4/5 A breath of fresh air British rock needs. Zoo

Talking about Glastonbury, Glasgow, Dweezil Zappa, recording the album, B sides, Modest Mouse, the bands name, Favourite cheese and what Godhopping is about.

I Love You Cause I Have To and Paul Newmans Eyes

Apples and Oranges and Glimpse At The Good Life

Interview

Godhopping and Celebrity Sanctum

Lightness In Weight and Lounger