Clairmel is one of the best things to come out of Gainesville, Florida
since Gatorade and have about as many electrolytes. Although they actually
live a few miles to the east in Tampa and have less of a salty after taste. The four indie nerds that formed Clairmel, Don, Dave, Richie and originally gained a bit of acclaim back in the mid 90s and were something of a staple of the Floridian indie rock scene. Borrowing elements from obvious influences as Husker Du and Radon (Florida indie legends themselves.) Clairmel was a significant player in the huge college-style music scene blossoming out of the Gainesville.

I had my first encounter with this band in
2000 via the four song split they shared with fellow Florida band and No
Idea Record cohort Hot Water Music. At this time I had been listening to
HWM for a while and thought they were the best, but the sound Clairmel laid down was even more honest and raw than HWM if that is possible.

From that point on I was a fan of Clairmel, although it seemed strange to me that nobody, even music store nerds have ever heard of Clairmel. Oh well at least no other clueless bastard can contaminate my brain with their lame opinion about this fantastic band. I actually thought the band broke up a few years ago so I don't think that this is
necessarily new stuff, just a collection of goodies they found while
cleaning out their basement or something.

One of the eleven songs is "Mealhog" the first Clairmel song that I heard four years ago. I hadn't
heard the song in a long time but as the singing kicked in it was as if
some weird reflex came over my body. Out of nowhere I started singing the
song like it had never left me. I was sitting in my car singing "decade
to decade, bringing Harlem into vogue. Screaming with liberty while
harvesting the gold. Like chewing on the straw that stirs the drink and
on the ice that makes it cold/ harvesting the gold. Bringing in the
checks, taking the mainline, pimping for sustenance, pulling my lifeline
into vogue. Sign on the dotted line. Become bought and sold into vogue."
The song was so crisp and new that I felt like I was recharged in this
band. Usually if that happens you know that you are listening to
something special. Try out Clairmel for some good down home Florida grub.