Tapping the Minds of the Weird and Wonderful

Norwegian band The Tables offer well-crafted quirky pop songs, with an array of off-the-wall subject matter, sang entirely in English. Their last recording Nevermynd The Hillocks was in 2003 on Norway’s Perfect Pop label. It is hard to pigeon-hole their sound but I would submit that these guys would be at home on indie labels Shimmy Disc or Elephant 6. Recording since the late 1980s, it is unfortunate that their distribution has been limited thus far. Linked below are some MP3s (they tend to load slowly, be patient it is well worth it!) which showcase a certain Brit-pop sensibility and their sometimes punny and ever-present campy lyrics.

The Tables lo-fi jangles include a song dedicated to Charles Fort who spent the majority of his life in search of strange phenomena:

The Tables – Fortean Times
from the LP Holiday At Wobbledef Grunch, 1997

It’s round and profound:

The Tables – Rubble Soul
from the LP Holiday At Wobbledef Grunch, 1997

I wish I could fly, high:

The Tables – Butterfly
from the LP Nevermynd The Hillocks, 2003

Paying the rent was absurd for:

The Tables – Rodney & John
from the LP Nevermynd The Hillocks, 2003