I first wrote about Bubblegum Lemonade back in June 2006 on my old Lost Music webzine. They were a band I found through My Space and it's no surprise that some 18 months later I am sitting here - listening to the their debut EP on the fabulous Matinée Recordings. The EP starts with a gurgle of electronics - before the song itself kicks in. 'Ten Years Younger' is the jangled up long lost cousin of The Velvets 'I'll Be Your Mirror'. This is a really great little song. I love it. Next up we get 'The Tomorrow People' which again reaches back into the 60s for it's major reference point - namely the beautiful jangle sounds pioneered by The Byrds and given a slight C86 make over. Another top song. And so the EP continues there are 4 wonderful songs on here and this is what I consider an essential purchase for anyone with a jangle pop bone in their body – Bubblegum Lemonade have made a great EP that takes on board a lot of C86's original reference points and created something of real beauty. Buy it.   --Indie-mp3.co.uk

 

Bubblegum Lemonade isn’t the latest candy to threaten the health of your teeth. No siree. Bubblegum Lemonade is a new band from Glasgow, Scotland, that brings back the old in a good way. There’s the tinny feedback drenched sounds of the Jesus and Mary Chain, when Bobbie Gilespie could still count and used that to his advantage while pounding the floor toms for the Mary Chain, floating in and out of every song. There’s also the lovely 12 string Rickenbacker guitar leads that makes you want to beg Mr. Tambourine Man to play one more song or two. Lastly, there’s the bubblegum pop like melodies that brings to mind everything from Beach Blanket Bingo to the Jasmine Minks to good ole vinyl records. Derivative isn’t a problem when the songs are as catchy as what you’ll find on “Ten Years Younger.” There’s only four songs that clocks in for no more than 12 minutes in total. Within that brief time span you’ll be transported to different era’s from the past to the present. The songs on the EP are all infectiously catchy and good enough to make you want to break lampshades in unbridled euphoria. As an example just play “Unsafe At Any Speed” at an obnoxiously loud volume. If the classic JAMC like guitars doesn’t cause a massive amount of endorphins to be released, then the Byrds like guitar solo will. Hell yeah! It’s Bubblegum Lemonade!   --Luna Park 6

 

Ten Years Younger is the debut EP from Glasgow's Bubblegum Lemonade, an indie pop project masterminded by Lawrence “Laz” McCluskey that sounds as sticky and refreshing you'd expect it to be. Bubblegum Lemonade takes the shambles and jangles of acts like Primal Scream, Talulah Gosh, and the Orchids and folds the whole shebang in a blanket of sugary reverb, resulting in a set of four really comfy-sounding songs. Granted, this isn't an especially groundbreaking sound, and at first it might seem that Bubblegum Lemonade is no better than the dozens of likeminded indie pop affairs that emerged in the 2000s, many of them on Cloudberry's roster. The difference is, very simply, that Bubblegum Lemonade's songs are just plain good; they're catchy, they're fun, and manage to sound honest without coming across as overly earnest, self-involved, or pretentious. And that's what makes Ten Years Younger such a promising little disc. Highlights here include the EP's title track, a gentle, fuzzy affair punctuated by synthesized flutes and Strawberry Whiplash cohort Sandra’s diaphanous vocals, and “That Thing You Do!”, a shy, amiable, lopsided grin of a cover. This EP is just another small reminder of all the great indie pop that's still making its way out of Scotland.   --All Music Guide

 

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, these newcomers have delivered a mini masterpiece. Enter Glasgow Scotland’s Bubblegum Lemonade. Venture a guess as to which fellow Glaswegians they emulate? That’s right, the hazy, deadpan ghosts of the Jesus & Mary Chain waft through this EP’s four tunes, as if Bubblegum Lemonade were going for Darklands II. Crazy thing is, if Jim and William Reid were to take another stab themselves, Bubblegum Lemonade could likely beat them at their own damn droney game! Like the J&MC, trace elements of the Velvets drift in and out, too.   --The Big Takeover

 

As you’ve probably have noticed, I’m more than fond of 60’s inspired melody-lines and sweet, jangly guitar pop. New Matinée-signings Bubblegum Lemonade gives me everything I want on his new EP "Ten Years Younger", and he has even covered an old favourite of mine that I didn’t know was a favourite until I heard their version… More on that later. The Glasgow act’s debut EP features four shimmering popsongs, and I could have gone on and on for hours naming all the musical references I get in my head, but I won’t. Let Bubblegum Lemonade be Bubblegum Lemonade. Laz, the only member in the band, is good at making songs I can fall in love with, and he’s good at making 60’s songs that sound like they’ve travelled through the decades and taken what’s worth taking with them on their journey through time. The melody is always in focus. On the EP Bubblegum Lemonade has borrowed backing vocals from another fine new band on Matinée Records, Strawberry Whiplash. Sandra from SW (also from Glasgow) sings nicely in the background on the title track, and Laz recently joked on his myspace about calling the project Strawberry Lemonade or Bubblegum Whiplash on this song. I had to smile a bit when I read that, because I’ve always mixed the names up… Hey, come on, they’ve got too much in common! Both bands are from Glasgow, both joined Matinée at almost the same time, both released their debut ep’s at almost the same time, both have two-worded names that sound weird and has something to do with things you can eat… And both make brilliant popsongs. They even got the same members! Laz and Sandra are Strawberry Whiplash, and Sandra does the background vocals in Bubblegum Lemonade! Can you understand that my brain has troubles putting the right name in the right braincell? Strawberry Lemonade sounds delicious!! The cover-song I mentioned is the über-catchy "That Thing You Do!" , originally performed by a fictional 60’s band called The Wonders from the movie "That thing you do" (1996, with Tom Hanks in one of the leading roles). I really enjoyed the film, and I really got a kick from the song when I first heard it. Then I forgot it… until now. Thanks Bubblegum Lemonade! Bubblegum Lemonade’s version is refreshingly roughened up, and in my 2008-world this sound far better than the original. I’m really impressed by this EP, and I think every home should have one. Oh…. there are only 1000 copies available, so at least 1000 homes should have one. Make sure YOUR home gets one. NOW!   --Eardrums

 

Cue dodgy dancing, miniskirts and discos down at the old school hall as Glasgow’s Bubblegum Lemonade saunter onto the stage sounding like they have popped straight out of the 60s. Opener ‘Ten Years Younger’, uses futuristic keyboards and dreamy harmonies to bind you under the Bubblegum Lemonade spell whilst ‘That Thing You Do!’ – a cover of a song featured in the mid-90s film of the same name, is gorgeously static and filled with reverb. With their jangly two part guitar melodies and bowl haircuts you can’t help but to bob along to these four lovely, sing-along offerings – covered in a Jesus And Mary Chain haze of fuzzy guitars and echoing vocals.   --Is This Music?

 

'Ten Years Younger' is the debut EP of Bubblegum Lemonade, the solo project of Glaswegian singer-songwriter Laz who also plays in another local act. Strawberry Whiplash. It consists of four songs that catch superbly the flavour of the C-86 era. It opens with the title track which features jingle jangle Rickenbackers and is total guitar heaven in the vein of early Primal Scream, Postcard Records, Biff, Bang, Pow! and the early Servants. It very twee in its sound and wonderful for it. 'The Tomorrow People' has a more upfront Byrds sound and vocals from Laz that recall Bobby Gillespie in early Primal Scream. 'Unsafe at Any Speed' is reminiscent of the early Jesus and Mary Chain. It is primitive and raw, and rudimentary in its playing, all of which adds to its charm. 'That Thing You Do' is another piece of Primal Scream/Byrds heavenly pop, and is very summer-flavoured with Jesus and Mary Chain-style drumming. Absolutely irresistable! More please!   --Pennyblack Magazine

 

Even today, in this age of internet and file sharing, my favorite way to discover new music is to frequent local record stores, the mom and pop kind of operations where you can bring your coffee and chat with the staff for hours at time. Here in Athens, we're blessed with Wuxtry, a true institution since 1976. I stopped there a few days ago as Mike was working, to show off my shiny new hot pink cellphone and its Wired up ringtone (how tacky is that ?). Mike greeted me with a smile and a "you gonna love that" light in the eyes. And he was right. According to his official website, Bubblegum Lemonade is the solo project of a Scot from Glasgow, Laz, and his 12-string Rickenbacker. After a first tune released last October on the Matinée Hit Parade sampler, Laz gives us his new EP, "Ten Years Younger". That's an understatement: the first 10 seconds drove me instantly back 15 to 20 years ago, at the height of jangly pop, a time where as a teen I was discovering Jesus & Mary Chain, Lush, My Bloody Valentine, Stone Roses, the Velvet Underground and so many many more. You, in your mid-thirties, do you remember those afternoons of ecstasy and wine spent with friends listening to what would become the soundtrack of your lives? Buy the EP now and get 12 minutes of youth back. And here's a piece of advice for you, the younger ones: get with your significant other(s), put "Ten Years Younger" and make yourselves some memories. This EP is a pure gem, layered vocals, catchy harmonies, subtle feedback, everything's there. I wouldn't be surprised if Laz and I grew up more or less at the same time and with more or less the same record collection...   --A Hipster's Progress

 

Leave it to indie-pop stalwarts Matinée Recordings to keep the EP going strong as a format, even if now it's all CD-EPs instead of vinyl. There's something unexplainable, really magical, about putting on a great short recording, where songs captivate you and then disappear. Even better if there's eye-catching artwork, a memorable photo or graphic image. So far this year Matinée has released four EPs by newer bands, keeping that mystique going while building their roster of bands with a genuine grasp on the art of crafting a song plus an equally strong awareness of pop/rock music history. Multi-talented Laz from Strawberry Whiplash is also Bubblegum Lemonade. Their EP Ten Years Younger is less snazzy maybe, more humble in intent (think JAMC blasting from convertibles, instead of polka-dot dance parties), but just as strong in songwriting and performance, from the great bittersweet title track through to the closing cover of "That Thing You Do!", Adam Schlesinger's song from the film of the same name. In the film that song was a breakout, top-of-the-charts hit. With Bubblegum Lemonade, as with so many other bands on Matinée's roster, it's easy, and enjoyable, to lean back near a good set of speakers and dream that they're the same sort of hit records, that "the kids" everywhere are loving these songs, shrieking with pleasure every time they come on the AM card radio.   --Erasing Clouds

 

This band was making the rounds on blogs and the indiepop list a year or so ago, and had even gained a fair bit of popularity before their first release! Primarily the work of a Glaswegian fellow named Laz, the songs are an even split between Razorcuts and the Jesus And Mary Chain - superimposing jangly guitars and heartfelt vocals over a reverbed-out drum machine. It can swing either way, with "The Tomorrow People" sounding much more like the former and the introduction of a wall of feedback in "Unsafe At Any Speed" making the song a dead ringer for something from "Psychocandy". Unfortunately, they also give their cover of "That Thing You Do!" (you know, by the Oneders) the same JAMC treatment, thereby sucking most of the life and pep out of it, but the rest of the record is a fine treat.   --IndiePages

 

As you’ve probably guessed from the name, Bubblegum Lemonade is at the forefront of the thrash metal scene. Ok, actually, the band, based in Glasgow and consisting primarily of a guy named Laz, specializes in lo-fi twee pop. Named after a 1969 Mama Cass Elliot album and with a 12-string Rickenbacker in hand, Bubblegum Lemonade easily brings to mind the best of the Byrds, the mystical pop of the Velvet Underground and on tracks like Unsafe At Any Speed, the heavy reverb and production style of Jesus and Mary Chain. On the title track featured here, you’ll hear backing vocals from Sandra, Laz’ partner in crime on his other project, Strawberry Whiplash. Together these two are out to remind everyone that amazing bubbly pop music exists outside Sweden. For this debut solo EP, Laz goes so far as to cover That Thing You Do by the fictional 1964 band The Wonders. Jose Gonzalez has nothing on that. Stay tuned to either of these two acts as things are just getting started.   --KEXP Song of the Day

 

Well you knew Glasgow wouldn't let Sweden claim the title 'Indie Pop Capital of the World' without a fight. Bubblegum Lemonade's Ten Years Younger EP contains the kind of perfect pop songs, full of Rickenbacker jangle and unforgettable melodies, that you feel like they've been around for ever; not in a 'heard it all before' way, but rather from honing in on those essential elements that make pop music beautiful. Being from Glasgow comparisons to Jesus and Mary Chain and 53rd and 3rd are obvious and not unfounded, but this music seems to go beyond that and embrace the whole history of pop music in four perfectly formed and completely irresistible pop songs.   --Among The Aisles

 

Everybody likes to talk about the perfect summer pop album, but that's when you need pop the least. A bit of sunshine pop's a nice accompaniment to any backyard badminton game, a barbecue or tooling around with your windows down and your stereo cranked up, sure. But it's in these frozen, deadly days of mid-winter that a dose of jangle's just what your soul needs to shake off the icicles. Just be glad Bubblegum Lemonade didn't wait around until the "proper" season to dump its debut on us. Although the EP's a mere four songs long, it'll be the perfect go-to this weekend when Punxsutawney Phil makes his big Groundhog's day appearance, pokes his head out of his hole, and, inevitably sees his shadow dooming the Northern Hemisphere to another six weeks of winter. Because, no matter how gloomy, frozen and miserable it is outside, Ten Years Younger has your surrogate sunshine for you. Essentially the recording project of a single guy, a mysterious Glaswegian known only as Laz, Bubblegum Lemonade finds an unlikely balance between the murky reverb of early years Jesus and Mary Chain's guitars and the simple sunshine pop of the '60s, alluding to everyone from Phil Spector's stable of talent to The Monkees, with a tiny dose of electronics thrown in now and then just to make things a little more unpredictable. And that's unpredictable as in "exciting" not "experimental and weird." With a firm command of its constituent elements, Bubblegum Lemonade's the perfect C86 pop band that just happened to turn up 22 years behind schedule. "Unsafe at Any Speed" channels that JAMC wall-of-distortion guitar, though, instead of muddling about with dark overtones a la Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Bubblegum Whiplash goes straight for the ear candy. "The Tomorrow People" offers a slightly more traditional pop arrangement, as the echo sounds bounce around primarily in the background as a clean guitar chimes along with Laz's crisp voice, and a cover of "That Thing You Do!" lays the band's (pseudo-) '60s pop influences bare for all to see. If the promise of a '60s-loving Jesus and Mary Chain doesn't set you scrambling for this EP, you're either snowed in or not cut out for the pop music in general. If you're snowed in, make sure you get Ten Years Younger before your next storm. It ought to be enough to keep your spirits up until springtime.   --Aversion.com

 

A lovely couple of releases straight out of Glasgow from the ever reliable Matinée Recordings. Bubblegum Lemonade are very JAMC and very Creation but loveable all the same. ‘Ten Years Younger’ is a brilliant shoegazey pop song with an almost Aislers Set/Black Tambourine stomp to it especially as it resurrects itself so brilliantly just before the three minute mark. ‘That Thing You Do!’ sounds like something I’ve heard before—it’s nothing new but it’s exceptionally well done. Highly recommended!   --I'd Rather Be Fat Than Be Confused

 

Highlight of Bubblegum Lemonade's "10 Years Younger" is still probably "Unsafe At Any Speed", their driving JAMC-ish journey down avenues of sixties-tinged indie-pop. Of course, the quality doesn't end there: the EP, taking in the catchiness of its title track and, with "That Thing You Do!", an excursion into covers territory, gently touches on a few different reference points, not least the way "The Tomorrow People" very earnestly shadows Creation-era Razorcuts.   --In Love With These Times In Spite Of These Times

 

So the White Stripes are no more (elephant tears) but at least their music lives on (real tears). We probably feel a bit more genuine about the loss (or loss of form) of certain Glaswegian duos but at least there are bands like Bubblegum Lemonade (with a name like that they hardly need anyone to describe what they sound like) who carry the good fight forward. Lawrence McCluskey is the driving force who along with some of his buddies from his other project Strawberry Whiplash has put out several recordings on the adorable Matinée label. This is the title track from a 2008 EP which as well as boasting the aforementioned J&MC sound contains passages redolent of the Byrds and early Primal Scream. The crux of the piece comes at nearly 3 minutes but before that wonderful moment there is so much to admire.   --mp3 hugger

 

Who the hell does Laz think he is? Well, unfortunately none of us really know. He’s just… Laz. He fronts two very similar-sounding bands whose names remind us all of ice cream flavors that never were: Strawberry Whiplash and Bubblegum Lemonade. This young Glasgow lad does the music for both groups but only actually sings with Bubblegum, and that band’s Ten Years Younger EP is willing to throw all its got into the pop-rock stratosphere: the title track is wedged somewhere between the Smiths’ early recordings and the Velvet Underground’s Loaded, taking the best of both worlds. “Unsafe at Any Speed” is a fuzz-drenched cocktail of surf music with a Dandy Warhol lemon put in for flavor. As you can imagine, these songs are about as lasting as a fudgesicle on a summers day, but sometimes that’s exactly what you’re in the mood for.   --Pop Matters

 

More great pop from Scotland in the form of Bubblegum Lemonade. The title track has the lovely shambling fuzziness that lies somewhere between the Mary Chain and the Velvets. The sort of song that’s just there, yet somehow imposes itself on your consciousness, a nagging little earworm in the best possible sense. The Tomorrow People is a little lighter, a wonderfully crafted pop tune that reminds you of the more twee end of the C86 era. Unsafe At Any Speed is a fuzzy little thing, arriving in the Mary Chain time line somewhere between early feedback days and the rocked out era. The cover of That Thing You Do! is rendered in similar fashion, which sounds pretty cool, but not as good as the sixties pop pastiche of the original.   --Russell’s Reviews

 

Here in Brisbane, it's been raining quite a bit of late, and as romantic as the rain can be when one can stay in bed and snuggle up with books and records, it's not much fun after two weeks of grey skies and a few days back at work. Normally when the weather's like this, all I want to do is listen to shoegaze or Leonard Cohen and ponder, "when's the sun coming back?" But then, just like magic, I'll listen to something and it'll instantly lift me out of the wet and rainy doldrums. Take Bubblegum Lemonade - he's from Glasgow, so he must know a thing or two about grey skies, yet he's managed to craft some splendid songs that hark back to the glorious days of C86 and 53rd & 3rd. There's the definite Jesus & Mary Chain influence in the feedback-laden harmonies and echoed drums of "Ten Years Younger", while his cover of "That Thing You Do" is just dreamy. You know, Fountains of Wayne used to write killer pop songs like that, but I digress. Anyway, Caledonian jangles are just what I need after dreary days, and I tend to think that if grey skies can produce such melodies, then I might just be able to tolerate a few more of them.   --Alex Loves You and Your Silly Pop Songs

 

This charmingly lo-fi EP from Glasgow's Bubblegum Lemonade is shot through with Jesus and Mary Chain super-fuzzed guitars, but has a few extra layers in its favor thanks to home-styled recording and minimized production values. There's a tendency with music that's going for a rougher aesthetic to skimp on the premeditation in songwriting, but these four tracks are surprisingly well arranged, hook-laden and harmonic. "The Tomorrow People" borrows the 12 string chime from the Byrds' early days, along with the steady drone of other early '60s pop-psychedelic crossovers. "Unsafe at Any Speed" and the title track play out more simplistic, like Velvet Underground two-chord jams skirting the edges of a driving, but equally naive beat. A cover of "That Thing You Do!" rounds out the disc feeling completely at home in the unpolished annals of Scottish pop, a place where a seemingly endless stream of good music is borne.   --Ink 19

 

A cidade de Glasgow é a nossa primeira parada. Terra natal do Bubblegum Lemonade, banda de um homem só, o senhor Lawrence McLuskey, mais conhecido como Laz. Descobri a banda visitando o site da gravadora americana Matinée, e quando ouvi o Bubblegum Lemonade achei que fazia parte do trabalho de relançamentos da gravadora, que compilou várias gemas perdidas do indiepop anos 80 de bandas como Razorcuts e Brighter. Imaginei isso por causa de canções como "Just Like You", que nos levam de volta para 1986, soando como os melhores compactos de bandas como Talulah Gosh, Groove Farm e Pastels. Mas para a minha surpresa descobri que a banda é nova! O nome foi inspirado no álbum solo de Cass Eliot, uma das integrantes do The Mammas and The Papas. Dois eps foram lançados através da gravadora Matinée, o primeiro "Ten Years Yung" saiu no início do ano, e o segundo "Susan's In The Sky" acabou de sair. Provavelmente logo mais deve sair um álbum. Além disso Laz toca também na Strawberry Whiplash (que vai também vai aparecer no Biff Bang Pop!) executando todos os instrumentos, enquanto sua amiga Sandra canta. A influência dos conterrâneos do Jesus and Mary Chain é sentida imediatamente em faixas como "Ten Years Young" e "Unsafe At Any Speed", adicionando elementos ensolarados no espírito do álbum "Psychocandy", encobrindo os traços soturnos dos irmãos Reid. Aqui as canções transbordam energia melódica por meio da voz e da Rickenbacker de doze cordas de Laz. Não espere ouvir guitarras apitando microfonia e ruídos, e sim o resgate da classe de 86 fazendo enlaces com o pop dos anos 60. Preste atenção na byrdiana faixa "Tomorrow People" e verifique o teor sessentista da composição.   --Biff Bang Pop!

 

Não é segredo minha admiração pelas bandas 60’s. Bubblegum Lemonade não é diferente. Fixados em Glasgow, a banda é como “The Velvets encontram The Monkees”, segundo definição própria. O nome incomum deriva de um álbum de Mama Cass Elliott (vocal do The Mamas And The Papas), chamado “Bubblegum, Lemonade And Something To Mama”. No MySpace do grupo, ainda podemos ouvir um cover muito bacana de “That Thing You Do”, música do filme de mesmo nome. Enfim, só conferindo mesmo. Destaque para as faixas “Ten Years Younger”, “The Tomorrow People”, “Unsafe At Any Speed” e “That Thing You Do”, que formam o EP de estréia da banda.   --A Caixa Azul

 

Ovvero quando il riciclo del C86 non si arresta ai suoni ma arriva sino all'anagrafe. "I nomi migliori per le band sono stati già presi, non restava che mischiarli" ammette candidamente Sandra, voce degli Strawberry Whiplash, e quindi adesso sapete a cosa è dovuta quella sensazione di dejavu. Dietro ai due gruppi che titolano questo paragrafo c'è la stessa persona: Laz (cognome sconosciuto), piccolo deus-ex-machina della sua cameretta di Glasgow, dove ordisce trame musicali e costruisce band coi Lego. Ne esistono almeno una mezza dozzina, dallo psichedelico al dreampop, ma a noi interessano le ultime due. Gli Strawberry Whiplash sono la versione Laz-iana dei Flatmates: pesante riverbero sulla cassa, voce femminile e apatica preminente nel mix, cori e tutto quanto il resto, ma con le chitarre fuzzy dei Meat Whiplash. "Who's In Your Dreams" con il suo gusto retro, la batteria eighties e i parapà di Sandra è l'ossessione di ogni indiepopper che si rispetti da almeno sei mesi, e ha da poco trovato sistemazione in un EP per Matinée. Stessa sorte è toccata ai Bubblegum Lemonade, quartetto guidato dallo stesso Laz che prende il nome da un album di Mama Cass e corrisponde ad una personale rivisitazione della leggenda Creation – nel senso della band E dell'etichetta - con particolare riferimento ai J&MC ("Unsafe At Any Speed", la strepitosa cover di "That Thing You Do!", prelevata dall'omonimo film di Tom Hanks): sixties e dark. Troppa carne al fuoco per liquidarla in due righe, sappiate che se ne riparlerà presto. Glasgow rules, come sempre.   --Indiepop.it