I suppose it wouldn't be inaccurate to term Ultra Cindy as part of the "second-wave" of shoegazer bands, part of the unheralded American contingent that featured contemporaries Fudge and The Swirlies. Like the aforementioned, the Virginia Beach-rooted Ultra Cindy also had their sights set on something other than the floor. Their most sublime moments, particularly Mermaid Parade's stunning opener "Hoyt," as well as "Starblazer" benefited greatly from the echoing, tremolo-laced glaze the quartet was wont to embellishment them with, but strains of more straightforward anglophile pop cropped up elsewhere. Ultra Cindy failed to make it onto the field in time to be included in the dream-pop vanguard, and despite their capabilities they were barely regarded as a footnote.
Had it not been for the Wyatt's Torch four-band compilation, The Mermaid's Parade wouldn't be a component of this posting. I initially bought it for the inclusion of Poole, a whip-smart indie-rock troupe, also from Virginia, with considerable power pop leanings. It was here that I made the discovery of Ultra Cindy. Featured here are four alternate recordings of songs that made it onto their lone album. The Wyatt's Torch arrangements have a rawer, and from my experience, a more visceral bent that didn't quite translate over to the album. This collection also includes two Richmond, VA natives, The Technical Jed and The Seymores, the latter impressing mightily with a host of slackeresque, yet melodic tendencies.
Ultra Cindy - The Mermaid's Parade
01. Hoyt
02. Fever Pitch
03. 18 Stories Down
04. Eusebio
05. Starblazers
06. Neat
07. Red Nails
08. Crinoline
09. Near Perfect
10. Dean Henry
V/A - Wyatt's Torch
Poole
01. Si
02. Tangle Up
03. So Peaceful When He Sleeps
04. Smiley Mr. Lion
The Seymores
05. Sicker Than You
06. Drywall
07. Red Snapper
08. Sidewinder
The Technical Jed
09. Hanging Brain
10. Moebius Strip
11. New Messengers of Happiness
12. Dual Buckets
Ultra Cindy
13. Hoyt
14. Starblazer
15. Neat
16. Near Perfect
Ultra Cindy: http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/Bw89o1sJ/file.html
Wyatt's Torch comp: http://www98.zippyshare.com/v/aYYpr4Ey/file.html