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2LP
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OPT4 024LP
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Optic Nerve present an expanded reissue of 14 Iced Bears' second album Wonder, originally released in 1991. This reissue includes the full original album and nine track from World I Love EP (1989), Mother Sleep EP (1989), and Hold On EP (1991). By the release of their second album, the 14 Iced Bears were listening more to The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, Big Star, and the 13th Floor Elevators and they had strayed even further from their early indie-pop origins towards spaced-out soundscapes. Their sound was becoming notably more psychedelic, drawing deeper on their '60s influences, while it still retained the feel for melody present in their previous work. The subsequent EP Hold On was to be the band's last release but they went on to support Sterling Morrison and Mo Tucker from the Velvet Underground and Big Star's Alex Chilton on his 1992 solo tour. 14 Iced Bears called it a day at the end of 1992 after Robert Sekula moved back to London, Thereafter their cult status grew, fueled by CD retrospectives from Overground, Slumberland, and Cherry Red, and it culminated in 2010 when the band reformed and toured the US. Limited edition double LP, pressed on color vinyl; Gatefold sleeve with printed inner sleeves.
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2LP
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OPT4 023LP
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Optic Nerve present an expanded reissue of 14 Iced Bears' self-titled album, originally released in 1988. This reissue includes the full original album and all 12 tracks from their first three EPs. The 14 Iced Bears were formed within a vibrant indie scene in Brighton in 1985 by Robert Sekula and drummer Nick Emery, with a punky, DIY pop ethic that held melody as key and technical expertise as less of an issue. They wrote catchy pop songs and recorded with a ramshackle charm that reflected their passion for sixties garage and psychedelia. Inspired by bands like The Byrds and The Velvet Underground, this set them apart from their C86 (1986) contemporaries. They were spotted at their first gig by ex-Television Personalities bassist Mark Flunder, who decided that he wanted to put out a 14 Iced Bears single on the fledgling Frank Records. Inside was released in late 1986. Upon hearing it, legendary BBC 1 Radio 1 DJ John Peel booked them in for a session. His enthusiasm was evident. He made it one of his sessions of the year and praised each track in turn after playing it. "Balloon Song" was featured in the session and the single version which fronted the bands second single, The Importance of Being Frank EP (1987) further consolidated their following. The band toured England and Europe and the press was ecstatic. The late '80s revival of classic guitar-based pop was kind to the Bears, and Sekula's talent at penning catchy, twisted melodies earned them a coveted spot as one of the best of the lot. A third single sealed the deal, the raucous Come Get Me on the seminal indie label Sarah Records (1988). The band went on the release their self-titled debut album in 1988; it was a masterpiece of psychedelic pop that turned a lot of heads with its ambition and skilled songcraft. The album betrayed the influence of sixties psychedelia on the group and became a hit on US college radio. Limited edition double LP, pressed on color vinyl; Gatefold sleeve with printed inner sleeves.
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