- Flashbacks and Dream Sequences: The Story of the Moles
I was recently made hip to the Moles, an Australian outfit who existed in two forms: as a band in the late 80s and early 90s, and as the brief moniker of singer-songwriter Richard Davies (who also fronted the band). My discovery is due to a recently released box set by the great Fire Records that collects the entire recorded output of any music issued under the Moles moniker. Like all great box sets, Flashbacks and Dream Sequences: The Story of the Moles initiated a thirst for more material associated with the Moles, and a search of our website led me to a short write-up that was written in 1996, in which Peter Margasak praises the Moles, Davies, and Cardinal, another brief project that Davies undertook in the 90s. It’s a small thrill to be exposed to a whole body of music by a songwriter I was previously unaware of, and the catalyst was really “Bury Me Happy,” a great song off the band’s lone LP, Untune the Sky. The track sounds like a cross between Cleaners From Venus and the Feelies, with a muffled lo-fi quality that adds some gristle to the sunny, light melody. You can hear the track below, and I also included a ripping version that Davies performed in 1995 with the Flaming Lips (back when they ruled) as his backing band.
