Drag City US Vinyl & CDs

Review: Hawaii, released in 1996 by The High Llamas, is a celebrated album that showcases Sean O'Hagan's intricate arrangements and homage to the lush sounds of Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys. This deep dive reveals O'Hagan's journey from his early days in Microdisney to forming The High Llamas, highlighting albums like Santa Barbara and Gideon Gaye. Hawaii features 29 tracks blending Moog, banjo, strings, and brass, creating a musical paradise. It recapturing the charm of the 60s pop era, with The Irish Times describing it as a tribute to when popular music was genuinely popular. Despite being somewhat elusive on vinyl, the album still managed to breach the UK Albums Chart, landing at No. 62. O'Hagan's influences from various genres, including orchestral pop and exotic sounds, are apparent, as he sought to push musical boundaries and create something fresh, setting the stage for a rich legacy in modern pop music. This reissue makes this impressive release available again.

Review: It's been a massive 2024 for chamber pop heroes The High Llamas. There's been nothing but crickets since 2016's Here Come The Rattling Trees. Now all-of-a-sudden they're creating queues at the pressing plant with six newly-printed albums released via the Drag City label. In addition to releasing one of the best albums of their oeuvre with their new album, Hey Panada, they're releasing all five of their out of print 90s albums. Of which this album, originally released in 1998, is them experiment with beats and synth and splicing that into their harmonic Beach Boys-esque DNA. It's an album that radiates with blissed-out psychedelia and playful musical contrasts and lush harmony. You can't go wrong here.

Review: Avant pop icons The High Llamas' founder Sean O'Hagan put his band on the back burner for a bit recently but by no means stood still. He's kept busy with his work as a film composer and arranger, even doing the score for Owen Kline's film, Funny Pages. But 2024 has seen a resurgence: the first High Llamas album since 2016 was released released and it was followed by a huge reissue announcement. Drag City is reissuing their five out of print 90s album on vinyl and Snowbug is the underdog within the collection but an underrated gem. It's O'Hagan's take on all manner of world-folk, 60s Ethiopian music and classic Brazilian pop. O'Hagan, who is a recording member of Stereolab, had an impressive cast of top players join in for the sessions. However, guest vocalists Laetitia Sadier and Mary Hansen from Stereolab are particularly noteworthy, bringing a bit of voodoo to the breezy morning-after vibe.