Young & Lost Club Compilation

When I found out the Young & Lost Club girls, namely Nadia Dahlawi and Sara Jade, were a little younger than myself it really put how much they have done and how influential they are in the London music scene into some perspective for me. And now, celebrating their 50th single and 5 years as a label, they are releasing a double-disc compilation of 35 of their favourites.

Their story is one of musical fairytale of sneaking out of boarding school to catch gigs around London, before starting a beautifully budget fanzine called Pyrrha,’ after the girl in the epic poem by Horace – then moving into club nights and finally transforming themselves into a singles label. The singles they have released over the years reads as a who’s who of bands on that were on the brink – some of which have become successful, others who have fallen by the wayside. Some people may not have heard of the label, but everyone will have heard of a good few of the bands they have discovered.

The first track on the compilation, Blue Boy by Vincent Vincent & The Villains was their first release, in which the swooning sounds as good now as they did in 2004 – and there’s another two tracks by them on the record. Other standouts for me on the first disc are the tight indie-pop of Small Town Girl by Good Shoes, the still stomping Animator by Pull Tiger Tail, the rough-edged folk of Tickle Me Pink by Johnny Flynn, and the crooning The End of Loneliness by Friends of the Bride (actually the first band that brought Y&L to my attention back in the day).

You also couldn’t write this up without noting Noah and the Whale‘s cheery and sun-kissed Five Years Time that closes the first disc and 2 Bodies 1 Heart which opens the second – probably the most famous of the bands discovered by the Y&L girls.

We’ve featured a good few of the releases on the second disc here on TBW, but they haven’t lost any of their charm over the last couple of years. The 80s-esque Arrows of Eros by Golden Silvers, the driving rock and roll of One Week of Danger by The Virgins, the soothing What More by Planet Earth, the phenomenal Black Magic by Magic Wands (this is still in regular rotation here at Walrus Towers), and the catchy and danceable Dance The Way I Feel by Ou Est Le Swimming Pool. Noah and the Whale then close off the compilation with Blue Skies – a beautiful and uplifting song that leaves you knowing how much more you still want from Nadia and Sara.

All in all there are a shedload of hits on this compilation, and yes a few misses here and there – but this collection demonstrates just how influential their releases have been on the UK indie music scene over the last few years. Lets hope the next fifty will live up to what they have done so far.

Full Tracklisting:

1. Vincent Vincent and the Villains – Blue Boy
2. Vincent Vincent and the Villains – The Boy Who Killed Time
3. Good Shoes – Small Town Girl
4. Larrikin Love – Six Queens
5. Action Plan – Stendahl
6. New Moscow – Go Rebel Go
7. Vincent Vincent and the Villains – I’m Alive
8. Cazals – Confortable Silence
9. Fear Of Flying – Routemaster
10. Pull Tiger Tail – Animator
11. Stylofone – Nightime
12. Johnny Flynn – Tickle Me Pink
13. Friends Of The Bride – The End of Loneliness
14. Joe Lean & the Jing Jang Jong – Lucio Starts Fires
15. Noah And The Whale – Five Years Time
16. Noah And The Whale – 2 Bodies 1 Heart
17. Naked and the Boys – If You Find Love
18. Semifinalists – Odd Situation
19. Pull Tiger Tail – Mary Jane
20. Golden Silvers – Arrows of Eros
21. Bombay Bicycle Club – Evening/Morning
22. Lord Auch – Mareado
23. The Virgins – One Week of Danger
24. Loverman – Shoot The Pig
25. Planet Earth – What More
26. Arthur Delaney – Darling
27. Ex Lovers – Photobooth
28. Oh Minnows – Might
29. Magic Wands – Black Magic
30. Alan Pownall – The Others
31. Ou Est Le Swimming Pool – Dance The Way I Feel
32. Everything Everything – MY KYZ UR BF
33. Lunar Youth – Misfits
34. Othello Woolf – Stand
35. Noah And The Whale – Blue Skies