Available since last year in a self-produced version, The Crimea’s album, entitled Tragedy Rock’n'rolls, will be released to the United Kingdom on October 17 by Warner.

Attention: this group will be big in future!

Okay, I know that like the kid who cried wolf, you might stop believing me… but I’ve just discovered a really enormous group: THE CRIMEA. A very new English group. The best that I’ve heard since [des lustres]! The best perhaps since Boo Radleys! I don’t say Suede or Pulp, because it isn’t the same kind of band… neither are they a rock’n'roll group such as The The nor honest [simple?] artists such as Badly Drawn Boy or John Cunningham. They aren’t a stage group, like the Stone Roses or the early Smiths. I speak to you about a group which will [will be really big within/have emerged over the last] two years, a group which will turn in loop to radio, a group which [???] all the small independent English groups such as The Coral. Imagine a group with the quality of Pale Fountains or The The but with the ambition of Coldplay, Travis or the Stereophonics. Guys who inevitably do not take pleasure in an "indie" style, but which have "mainstream" on their site, while being [???] to beat any competition. All them make their first album "Tragedy Rocks" into something enormous. One grows to really dream! They’re fabulous. You don’t believe me? See their site http://www.inaudible.co.uk/crimea/ I don’t know if there’s much one can listen to on line, but the single "Lottery Winners one Acid" is truly incredible. Their album, although released, is available only at some American record dealers or on line. The first singles are on http://www.amazon.co.uk. Links are indicated on the site. I know that sometimes I embellish, but there it is; [the biggest thing since] The Strokes, and I’m proud to be among the first to find them! Good listening and tell me what you think!

SEPTEMBER 13

[...] a new group by the name of The Crimea. John Peel was a fan of this British group. They seem to be halfway between Leonard Cohen and Mercury Rev, and you’ll be able to find out for yourselves with Tragedy Rocks.

It was in 2003 that I downloaded the first version of Baby Boom, by the English band The Crimea. This song was called Fred Flintstone and was a version played live as part of John Peel’s BBC radio show. Later, in 2004, a single was released with the name of Baby Boom. In the same year, I obtained the band’s first album, named Tragedy Rocks. Now, in 2005, a surprise! The band had signed with Warner and had rewritten the entire record! In a newly recorded version, Baby Boom also had modified lyrics (we wait to see if this is the definitive version! hehe.) But I confess that it was legal to follow this "evolution" of Baby Boom. Of all the versions that I’ve heard to date, the one I heard on the John Peel show is in my opinion best! Based on what I’ve heard, the band are probably best heard live rather than in studio.

(Incidentally, "touched to the living creature" has to be the best automated translation of anything I’ve read in a while. Must be an idiom or something. Not sure what he means by ‘legal’ — possibly that it was interesting to hear the song develop.)