As a rule, most bands with keyboards and twee high-pitched vocals are plain embarrassing to me. But not Stormclouds. They're a cutie band, but they don't come across as excruciatingly cute, mainly because their lyrics are about space and aliens and stuff, and their songs have samples from sci-fi movies.

Well worth a listen are their cassette albums on Music & Elsewhere, Psychotronic and Trash. Psychotronic is in the form of a sci-fi B-movie soundtrack, and the sleeve suits this concept. Some of the songs on it are named after sci-fi TV programmes and films, such as Lost In Space and The Day The Earth Stood Still (the latter being about falling in love with someone from another planet - wahey! There should be more songs like this!) Then there's He's Dead Jim, which of course is about Star Trek. Trash shows a different side to the band. The tracks on side A are acoustic ones which aren't all about space, and Louise's voice isn't speeded up, so you can tell what she actually sings like. Side B has quite noisy, fuzzy live versions of three songs from Psychotronic, and three other live tracks.

Stormclouds also have a Christmas album out on M&E, which I haven't heard yet. Elefant released a four track 7" EP by Stormclouds, which featured different versions of songs from Psychotronic, and another song, He's Trash. The sleeve showed Stormclouds in their Star Trek uniforms, holding laser rayguns.

Stormclouds can be contacted at 28 Churchill Close, Calne, Wiltshire SN11 8EN (this is also the address for Try Acid newszine and Acid Tapes).

Music & Elsewhere have a varied selection of over 300 tapes available, send an SAE for their newszine and catalogue: 6 Farm Court, Farm Road, Frimley, Camberley, Surrey GU16 5TJ. Elefant Records are mainly an indie-pop label, they have quite a few albums and 7" singles available. Write to PO Box 331, Las Rozas 28230, Madrid, Spain.

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