Swiftumz

Swiftumz

Simply The Best

Empty Cellar

Christopher McVicker could capably add a chapter or two to the omnipresent tall tale of perfect pop’s supposed rebirth in 21st century San Francisco. That’s assuming he could be bothered to weigh in on the subject. Still, for the last decade-plus, McVicker’s chosen musical guise of Swiftumz has certainly been inspirational to the current pack. This perennially loose project allows McVicker to shape myriad aural obsessions into something quintessentially his own. From the distorted fuzz-centric moments on his earliest recordings through his more recent punky bursts of shiny pop, McVicker’s work has wowed the fortunate few who have bent an ear in his direction. For sure, “Everybody loves Chris”. Now returning with Simply The Best, he has leveled up. Aided by some of The City’s finest like-minded volunteers—Kelley Stoltz, folks from The Aislers Set, The Bananas, Dirty Ghosts and many others, Simply The Best is a varied, all-hits endeavor, placing vibey, holed-up bedroom ballads alongside idealized, sparkling pop rock, chilled on one occasion, sharpened on another. Of particular note are the lead guitar contributions courtesy of Chris Guthridge, adding punch to McVicker’s effortlessly cool arrangements. These combinations and contributions always seem to boost Swiftumz beyond expectations, toward the timeless and classic. The prime testament to McVicker’s songcraft is that he makes it look and sound so easy. In truth, Simply The Best earned its name over six long years of construction, a tumultuous period that saw the tragic loss of a cherished friend and guitarist, the abrupt closure of the...

Swiftumz

Game Six

Fruits & Flowers

In the Bay Area, Swiftumz is a songwriter’s songwriter, beloved by small pockets of loyal fans, taking elements from the Jesus & Mary Chain and classic Bay Area punk-pop craft but delivering them in a completely personal way. After two albums and some singles, the Game Six 7-inch is a peak for the band.

Swiftumz

Everybody Loves Chris

Melters

***Swiftumz's best work to date. This is saying a lot considering how amazing his AMAZING 2011 debut, Don't Trip (Holy Mountain) was -- seriously the best pop album you've never heard. Unless of course you heard it, or the two masterful singles that followed it up; then you know what you're in for. The eleven tracks on "Everybody Loves Chris" are as gorgeous, eclectic, catchy, and stoned as they come. Recorded in various studios, beds, and hotel rooms around the Bay Area, this LP magnifies Chris McVicker's beautifully fucked pop vision into clear focus, letting the rest of us unworthy souls bask in the glow of truly weird indie-pop euphoria. Taste the grey and get it before it's gone. Includes two-sided insert and download code.

Swiftumz

Don’t Trip

Holy Mountain

The problem with imaginary combinations is that many of them actually already exist. Don’t Trip sounds like a collaboration between Nick Nicely and Eric Hysteric, over which Tony Wilson and Alan McGee would get into a bidding war. Chris McVicker—a.k.a. Swiftumz, famous for penning the fastest selling Hunx & His Punx single—sambas through ’80s Factory singles, afternoon hits of MDMA on the beach, Ibizia before techno, Glaswegian nonchalance, Stolen Kisses and tripping at the Haçienda (the San Francisco one; Manchester’s closed down years ago). Seriously, it’s all present—but like any other great interpreter of Britain’s finest musical traditions, McVicker is just a guy from near Mac Dre’s hometown in Northern California who might laugh if one told him that “More Than Sleep” should be in a Sofia Coppola movie, because he was probably aiming higher than that. Like the best Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk commercial ever, Don’t Trip is your summer jam.