I wasn’t exactly looking for a nonsensical east coast heir to THE FUGS and the HOLY MODAL ROUNDERS who played sideways pop tunes in an absurdly playful, demented manner, but when this 7â€Â arrived in my mailbox in 1991 I immediately pronounced it one of my favorite records, and FLY ASHTRAY one of my favorite bands. I quickly interviewed them by mail for my fanzine; I struck up a “pen palâ€Â friendship with Glenn Luttman, the band’s drummer; and I pimped them to the pals and non-pals wherever I could. For a couple years there Fly Astray, on the strength of some excellent 45s and EPs (“Let’s Have Some Crateâ€Â from 1993 being a particularly good one), built up a nice foaming head of underground steam. Sure, you could quibble with the “sillyâ€Â aspects of the band – the meaningless song titles, for instance – or with the sometimes directionless timbre of the music itself, but when the band were hitting on all cylinders, they made a joyful, strange noise. Believe it or not, they soldier on in 2007. Check out both their web site and MySpace page for evidence. Me, I think this 45 is their “apotheosisâ€Â, and I’m pleased as punch to broadcast it to the World Wide Web this morning.
Play or Download FLY ASHTRAY – “Soapâ€Â (A-side of 1991 single)
Play or Download FLY ASHTRAY – “Bipâ€Â (B-side, Track 1 of 1991 single)
Play or Download FLY ASHTRAY – “Featherâ€Â (B-side, Track 2 of 1991 single)