The Lo Yo Yo

Playroom post-punk—with violin!—that jingle-jangles around with an unbridled joyfulness. This record is a treasure and a mystery that seems to have been a mid-80s project from John Pearce, a.k.a. Alig, Family Fodder's supreme leader.

The band's provenance is immediately apparent; it ragtag art-punk, quilted together with an endearing kitschiness. Another notable member was Mick Hobbs, also of the Family Fodder orbit, and one of many who passed through 1/2 Japanese around the same time. This whole band looks a lot like a traveling circus, a roadside carnival: they constantly picked guys up here and there, like Charles Bullen of This Heat, who also co-produced Extra Weapons, their one LP proper from their short existence. Seems like a fun way to goof off around Europe for a stint.