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Ducktails

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When I first encountered the name Ducktails popping up more and more frequently on the many music store mailing lists I've subscribed to over the years, the only thing I could think was: "Who the hell would want to name their band/project after an crappy Disney cartoon series?" This actually made me quite curious. I even fantasized that this might be some sort of 8-bit, Nintendo-game-sampling pop-noise artist with cheesy nostalgic overtones. It was only much later that I finally noticed the subtle differences in the name. I was still curious, but it took the video for the song Landrunner to convince me I really needed to check this out more closely. Turns out that besides the pop leanings, I was way off.

Ducktails is actually a solo project by Ridgewood, NJ native, Matthew Mondanile who is occasionally joined by friends and neighbors as back up musicians. Ducktails' music is what the Beach Boys would have sounded like if their original drummer were Angus MacLise. Mondanile gives us tropical psychedelic pop music thinly veiled under a subtle lo-fi experimental surface. It's like a rainy day at the beach or a smoggy sunset among the palm trees. If Ariel Pink would dabble with surf rock tunes, it might sound somewhat like this. In fact, I urge fans of Ariel to check this artist out. Ducktails might not be as twisted and bent weirding out his listeners, but both are extremely talented at coming up with modern pop gems which are guaranteed to make any day a better day.

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Album Cover Dreams In Mirror Field
Label: Future Sound Recordings
Release: 2007
Format: CS
Cat. no: 02

Song list:

  1. Side One (14:42)
  2. Side Two (14:42)


Album Cover Acres Of Shade
Label: Arbor
Release: 2008
Format: CS
Cat. no: ARBOR 125

Song list:

  1. White House With Green Shutters (10:00)
  2. Surfs Up (10:15)


Album Cover Ducktails
Label: Breaking World Records
Release: 2008
Format: 7"
Cat. no: BWR 2008

Song list:

  1. Beach Point Pleasant (5:12)
  2. Pizza Time (2:46)
  3. Gem Pt. 1 & 2 (6:50)


Album Cover II
Label: Future Sound Recordings
Release: 2008
Format: CD-R
Cat. no: 04

Song list:

  1. Tropical Heat (3:52)
  2. Backyard (1:35)
  3. The Mall (2:17)
  4. Afternoon Tray Sliders (2:13)
  5. Boating (1:28)
  6. Island Flavor (3:41)
  7. Let's Rock The Beach (4:30)
  8. Status Quo (3:43)
  9. Udelco (1:40)
  10. Neptune City, NJ (5:17)


Album Cover Ducktails
Label: Not Not Fun Records
Release: 2009
Format: CD
Cat. no: NNF152

Song list:

  1. Backyard (1:37)
  2. Beach Point Pleasant (4:58)
  3. Pizza Time (2:35)
  4. Horizon (2:55)
  5. Friends (3:29)
  6. Dancing With The One You Love (3:09)
  7. Gem (3:13)
  8. Daily Vacation (3:37)
  9. The Mall (2:22)
  10. Surf's Up (11:08)


Album Cover Backyard
Label: Release The Bats
Release: 2009
Format: CD
Cat. no: RTB#48

Song list:

  1. Crystal Vision (3:13)
  2. Pizza Time (2:36)
  3. Rhubarb Girl (1:19)
  4. Theme To Cruising (4:17)
  5. Double Dream (1:13)
  6. Vanaselian (Trees) (1:55)
  7. Why Am I Here? (6:37)
  8. Extending Self (4:10)
  9. Chill Jam (3:25)
  10. Sun Out My Window (1:58)
  11. Tropical Heat (3:49)
  12. Backyard (1:32)
  13. The Mall (2:13)
  14. Afternoons Tray Sliders (2:09)
  15. Boating (1:26)
  16. Island Flavor (3:13)
  17. Lets Rock The Beach (4:15)
  18. Status Quo (3:37)
  19. Udelco (1:34)
  20. Neptune City NJ (6:17)
  21. Dreams In Mirror Field (Excerpt) (12:59)


Album Cover Landscapes
Label: Olde English Spelling Bee
Release: 2009
Format: LP
Cat. no: OESB-40

Song list:

  1. On The Boardwalk (4:21)
  2. Landrunner (2:47)
  3. Roses (3:33)
  4. Welcome Home (I'm Back) (3:10)
  5. Deck Observatory (5:40)
  6. Spring (2:55)
  7. Oh, Magnolia Tree (2:21)
  8. Wishes (3:35)
  9. Seagull's Flight (6:00)
  10. House Of Mirrors (5:51)