Sizer Barker was an indie band from Liverpool, England.
Members
As of 2004, the band comprised frontman Carl Brown, multi-instrumentalist Tim Bruzon, and
bassist
A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), keyboard bass (synth bass) or a low br ...
Maria Hughes.
[
]
History
Sizer Barker began as the solo project of Carl Brown, who had previously played with The Lightning Seeds
The Lightning Seeds (also known as Lightning Seeds) are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1989 by Ian Broudie (vocals, guitar, producer), formerly of the bands Big in Japan (band), Big in Japan, Care (band), Care, and Ori ...
and Space
Space is a three-dimensional continuum containing positions and directions. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions. Modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless ...
, in 2000.[ Their name is derived from a gravestone inscription reading "William Sizer Barker", seen by Brown in a Liverpool cemetery.][ The band were signed to ]Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...
's record label Pre.[
Dave Simpson of '']The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' described Sizer Barker's sound as "a wonderful, idiosyncratic thing", and likened the band to Beck
Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970), known mononymously as Beck, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his Experimental music, experimental and Lo-fi mus ...
, Shack
A shack (or, in some areas, shanty) is a type of small shelter or dwelling, often primitive or rudimentary in design and construction.
Unlike huts, shacks are constructed by hand using available materials; however, whereas huts are usually r ...
and Pere Ubu
Pere Ubu is an American rock group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. The band had a variety of long-term and recurring band members, with singer David Thomas being the only member staying throughout the band's lifetime. They released their ...
.[ Ben Hogwood of '']MusicOMH
''MusicOMH'' (stylized as ''musicOMH'') is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.
History
''MusicOMH'' was founded an ...
'' described their music as "life-affirming" and their debut album as "a record that could only have been made in Liverpool."[ Andy Gill of '']The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' described the album as "a sparkling, diverse collection, full of Beatlesque
"Beatlesque" () or "Beatles-esque" describes a musical resemblance to the English rock band the Beatles. The term is loosely defined and has been applied inconsistently to a wide variety of disparate artists.
Definitions
To better explain what ...
melodies and quirky, exotic arrangements".[ Stewart Lee of '']The Times
''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' wrote of the album: "It's easy on the ear, but contains enough subliminal segments of squally guitar noise to appease those suspicious of nakedly commercial craftsmanship."[
The group performed a live set for ]Janice Long
Janice Berry (née Chegwin; 5 April 1955 – 25 December 2021), known professionally by her first married name Janice Long, was an English broadcaster who was best known for her work in British music radio. The first female presenter to have a ...
's show on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...
on 13 January 2005.
Discography
*"Day by Day" – single, Hug Records
*"Something in the Park" – single, Hug Records
*''Songs from the Parlour'' – EP, Pre Records
*''Hotel Juicy Parlour'' – album, Pre Records
References
{{Authority control
English indie rock groups
Rock music groups from Liverpool
Musical groups established in 2000