I came across this tidbit this evening: Fierce Panda, the well-named indie label, is compiling a double-disc tribute album to Talk Talk, featuring the likes of Arcade Fire, Joan As Policewoman and Bon Iver tackling tracks from the rather small output of Mark Hollis & Co. Oddly enough, I was humming a Talk Talk tune earlier in the evening, and was thinking about what an odd band they were: launched as a cute-ish new wave-like band with white shirts and skinny ties, and then evolving into The Colour of Spring, from 1986, which is one of my all-time favourite albums. And then they got even more interesting ... and then Hollis just dropped off the planet, musically at least. Apart from the forgettable synthpop stuff at the start, they were years and years ahead of their time.
The Spirit Of Talk Talk tribute is out in May.
