Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Look what blew in from Sweden...

Swedish folk-pop! Yay! The Heart-Sick Groans are a 3 piece from the northern forests of Sweden and have a new EP coming out next month! I think it will be perfect for those sunny winter days.

Here's the super cool paper cutout action video for their new song "Three Day Blow." (My titling skills are unparalleled, eh?)

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Looking to tour Europe?


























I'm not really one for shameless product endorsements, but I thought this was pretty neat, and could potentially be useful to some people. I got an email about a rather nice little reference/how-to guide on touring basically all of Europe (including Iceland!). Rock & Roll Highschool is a 292 page "resource book" that is half magazine, with articles about everything from label advice from a German metal-head to what the Raveonettes wear on stage, and half international directory for venues, promoters and labels all over Europe. While the articles are interesting on their own, I'd have to say the concise and well organized directory is reason enough to pick up a copy, and would be a great jumping off point for trying to book some shows (or even just a good list of places to check out if you visit any country in Europe). So if you're looking to tour and want some tips from people who know what's going on, or just an international venue directory, check out Rock & Roll Highschool. I know it's not exactly targeted at popkids, but like I said, it might be useful if you're planning on touring, especially for you European folks looking for some venues in your area.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Brilliant Colors/Kleenex




























So I'll just go ahead and say it. The new(ish) Brilliant Colors album is light-years better than their old EPs. It's simultaneously more polished and more raw (alternately, I've heard "punk" thrown around), Jess' voice has more presence, and with more experience I would say the three of them have gotten better at what they do (makes sense, right?). With its raw guitars, reverb, and poignant lyrics, Introducing is 24 minutes of DIY pop fun. Think Kleenex meets The Flatmates or Shop Assistants and you're in the ballpark. You can pick up a spiffy copy on CD or vinyl from Slumberland.

Should I Tell You .mp3






























I've always been more of a Kleenex than LiLiPUT guy. They're kind of raw, kind of punk, and all kinds of catchy. This is their self titled 7" and it's a must have for fans of grrrl groups.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Heads Up Display

Hmm...so I'm going to try new format #3 now. Short synopsis new band/old band!

So...






















I got a nice email about Heads Up Display a while ago and hadn't had time to post about their new EP. AS/IS is like a rift in the space time continuum where 1990s college rock is seeping through into 2009 and mingling with musicians brainwaves. Think Weezer before they started sucking. Or The Pixies if they had formed 15 years later.Head over to their site to give the whole EP a listen! I'm partial to "Formula vs. Perfume" myself.

And here's an old bootleg of the Pixies live at Newcastle Poly in 1989. Now I'm not saying Heads Up Display are ripping off the Pixies, but I thought the two were a nice one-two, old-modern,"hey-this-is-pretty-good, now-I'm-in-the-mood-for-this" lunch special.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

An early present from Camera Obscura!

So here's a video of Camera Obscura playing their cover of "The Blizzard" at Other Music here in New York. It's off their upcoming The Blizzard/Swans Christmas EP. Enjoy!

Monday, November 30, 2009

More Slumberland!

Let's see...I've been so backed up and have a billion things to cover (thanks a lot Mike!)...


























Pants Yell's new album Received Pronunciation is absolutely fantastic. Jangly guitars and earnest, will written lyrics are always in style. Remember Alison Statton? No, Alison Statton. Yeah her, with her perfectly delivered little whispers and words. Andrew was taking notes from the best, hence the aforementioned album, and hence the magic of the understatement that is Received Pronunciation. And it comes in some spiffy faux-Japanese packaging complete with obi strips (those neat little paper belt things for albums). You can go to their myspace to give them a listen, or to Slumberland to give them an order.

Here's the opener to get you hooked!
Frank and Sandy .mp3

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Warped!



























Sometimes I like to listen to loop-y, drone-y, repetitive, electro-y, atmospheric, pop-y music. Sometimes I wish Animal Collective was more accessible. Sometimes I wish they had more bleeps and bloops. Sometimes I listen to Seattle's Big Spider's Back to fulfill those desires. I'd highly recommend picking up a copy of Warped from Disco Earth if that sounds good to you.

Perfect Machine .mp3

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Well fuck.























No more Bridal Shop.

A la their myspace:

And then -- silence. No cards, no best wishes, no "I See You In Hell" comments... Why?Well, the world of "independent" pop music is probably glad to see one of its worst opponents, The Bridal Shop, the Knights of the Truth, sink into the sea of oblivion; finally everything can work smoothly again, and -- never forget that things work like architecture -- finally the misty lords of the industry can release loads of records which will all carry the BAU inscription (Business as usual); and when you go to a BAU concert, dressed like a five-year-old, you can finally listen to your heterosexual, banal, "seeensitiiiiive", shit music, mostly sung by broken-hearted boys with cute hairdos, without being disturbed by, damn right, The Bridal Shop, the Knights of the Truth.

To my homies Hegel and Adorno, and to everyone daring to express something truly beautiful in a world where beauty is destined to decay in an alphabet of nothingness: Welcome! Let's fuck time and make love to space!


K.

Well, here's the entire From Seas EP.

And the video for "Ideal State."

the bridal shop: IDEAL STATE from fredo landaveri on Vimeo.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Social Studies!



















San Francisco's Social Studies are one of those rare beasts that straddle the fine line between indie-rock and indiepop. Is it a poppy rock song, or a rockin' pop song? Who knows. There's some plunking keys, burly guitar riffs, and that Natalia sure does have a nice voice, so do we really need to pigeon-hole it? Their 2 track Hourglass EP is out now (you can download it here for free). Both tracks are off the full length A Wind Up Wooden Heart, which is due out early next year.

Friday, October 30, 2009

The Marshmallow Ghosts! Happy Halloween!



= BLACK MOTH SUPER RAINBOW+ THE APPLESEED CAST+ DREAMEND + CASKET GIRLS. They made a spooky 7" picture disc. It's two tracks "Creaks" and "Shrieks." I like "Creaks" more.

Marshmallow Ghosts .zip

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Radio Twelve!




























So I got a copy of Steven Deal's forthcoming album Radio Twelve in the mail last week and have been pleasantly surprised over its nearly 40 minute span (I wasn't expecting any mail, so it turned out to be a nice little treat). Steven used to play in Bleached Black and the Absolute Zeros back in the day and has apparently been on an 11 year hiatus. But now he's back with a mostly-solo album (Dan Kohler, Lisa Hammer, Chris Cretella and Dave Parmelee also lent a hand). Radio Twelve is an earnest anti-love album that's got all sorts of mental baggage. Between the passive-aggressive jabs at an ex-lover's weight, songs of self-loathing, and all sorts of disappointment Steven managed to craft a pop album that's anything but stagnant. This track's rocking, that one's acoustic, is that an electric organ? Hey handclaps! Wait was that Orpheus' daughter? Covering everything from pop punk (not pop-punk) on over to 60's inspired garage pop, and even some folksy stuff Radio Twelve definitely get my nod of approval. It's due out in November from Seditionary Kitten Media.

Valentine .mp3

Thursday, October 22, 2009

So I've been swamped with school and work, and the pile of stuff I have to post about just keeps growing, so I'm going to try out a new format. Two sentences. Biiff baam boom.

Katsen sound something like Ladytron in anoraks. It Hertz! is out October 27th on Shelflife Records. Do want!

German Film Star .mp3


Monday, October 12, 2009

Slumberland 20th Anniversary is A-Go-Go!


Slumberland Records has been around for a whopping 20 years now, and to celebrate, Ma and Pa Slumberland are putting on a couple East Coast shows featuring some new acts (Crystal Stilts, Brown Recluse (Sings)) and some reunions (Lorelei, The Ropers). Dates are below, and the West Coast can probably expect something similar early next year. I'm pretty ecstatic about it myself.

Nov 13, Washington DC at Black Cat
tickets: http://www.ticketalternative.com/Events/8171.aspx

Crystal Stilts
Brown Recluse
Pants Yell!
Frankie Rose and The Outs
The Ropers
Nord Express
Lorelei



Nov 14, Brooklyn NY at Bell House
tickets: http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=2936044

Crystal Stilts
Brown Recluse
Pants Yell!
Frankie Rose and The Outs
The Ropers
Nord Express
Lorelei
The Pains of Being Pure At Heart

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Elm City Popfest!













So it looks like the infamous Danny has outdone himself this time, and unleashed another Popfest upon the world! And on par with what Tweefort is all about, it's a medley of acts from Connecticut and various other cities along the eastern seaboard. It's and amazing lineup, and the proceeds go towards keeping Artspace New Haven afloat, so go show your support if you can make it! Oh, did I mention there's art on top of the great indiepop? Sounds like an amazing day to me! The details are all below...

Tweefort and CT Indie have teamed up to bring you a full day of music to support Artspace New Haven

Saturday, November 14th, 2009:


The music will start at 3 PM. Headlining the afternoon show will be New York indiepop band The Metric Mile. Also playing will be Fay Rey (New Haven/New York) followed by One Happy Island (Boston), The Sugarplums (Baltimore) and The Cavemen Go (New Haven/Boston). Members of the band Boy Genius (New York) will DJ.

The music continues at 8 PM. The Tyler Trudeau Attempt (New Haven) and festival headliner A Sunny Day in Glasgow go on after a pleasant intermission of indiepop spinning and performance art.

Drinks will be provided at the evening event by New Haven's 116 Crown.

A full day ticket is $8, afternoon only or evening only are $5 each. Both the afternoon and evening shows are All Ages.


Artspace New Haven is located at 50 Orange St., New Haven, CT 06510

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Happy Fuzztember! Part II
























It was a sad, sad day when The Manhattan Love Suicides called it quits. Thankfully, they pulled a Royal We and just sort of dispersed and renamed. A.J. and Rachel stuck together, got a few friends, and voila! The Medusa Snare was born. Some of the fuzz was shaved off, everything's a little more lo-fi, and Adam Leach is singing. Think MLS meets the Clean meets Crystal Stilts. Awesome, right? Their debut album, Cinderella, came out yesterday on Squirrel Records. Go over to The Medusa Snare's myspace to give them a listen while you're waiting for your CD.

No mp3s at the moment...

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Happy Fuzztember!
















Is anyone else half as excited as I am for this month's releases?

Let's start with the glaringly awesome. The Pains are bestowing two wonderful gifts upon the world this month. First off, there's the Come Saturday 7" (it technically came out 8/31, but hey). "Come Saturday" needs no introduction or explanation at this point, and luckily for us Kip believes that if you're paying two dollars a song for a 7" both sides should be stellar. Enter "Side Ponytail." Two minutes of buzzsaw guitars, a boy/girl chorus to die for, and all the indiepop fun you'd expect from a Pains track. "Side ponytail forever" indeed.

Follow that up with the Higher Than the Stars EP, and you've got a painfully good month already (ahaa!). The title (and opening) track "Higher Than the Stars" is probably the most keyboard driven track I've ever heard from the Pains. Between the chorus-ed guitars (that's right, no fuzz at all here), and twinkling keys, Kip's breathy vocals nestle right in there. Throw Peggy in there for the chorus and you've got yourself a pretty track perfect for the upcoming fall nights. While there might not have been any fuzz to kick things off, they bring it in to wrap the album up. "Twins" is the fuzzy Pains we all love, melodramatic lyrics and all. On top of being super catchy, the refrain of "I didn't even let you down" is a testament to their lasting awesomeness.

Higher Than the Stars .mp3


Come Saturday .mp3

and here's a bonus since I think I've posted "Come Saturday" already... from the upcoming remix album:
Higher Than the Stars (St. Etienne Remix) .mp3

Monday, September 7, 2009

Home and Abroad Songs















I've been listening to Tweefort's compilation Home and Abroad Songs for the past while, and have been trying to think of a good way to summarize it. It's fit in wonderfully with how all over my life's been, so maybe "varied." Aside from offering a smorgasbord of the Connecticut indiepop scene, it also serves as a sort of indiepop style sampler. There's some jangly pop (a la Boy Genius), some noisy pop (I'm looking at you Submarine Spaceship) and some minimal electro stuff (Welcome) coming from as close as Tweefort's home state of Connecticut, to New York, to as far away as Denmark. Connecticut doesn't usually come to mind when you think of indiepop epicenters, and Home and Abroad Songs shows that while it might be at the top of the list, the CT kids show they can hold their own. They're all out of physical copies, but you can head over to Tweefort's website to download the entire album. With so much diversity there's something for everyone.

Here's the Pipettes-esqu "Andrew" from Lisa Bouvier, and the low-fi gem "You're Not Poignant" by The Procedure Club
Andrew .mp3
You're Not Poignant .mp3

Friday, August 28, 2009

Horse Shoes!

The most Swedish thing in Florida? Maybe. Horse Shoes write simple, catchy pop songs wrapped up in swirling keys, breathy vocals, and general Sarah-ness (Sarah-n wrap! Oh geez.) They also remind me a lot of The Format, but that's another story. Their new album, The Imperial School, is perfect for those days where all you want to do is stay in bed and watch the rain splash on the window. Did I mention they remind me a lot of The Wake and The Format? For all of its lazy day ambiance, The Imperial School has that beat that might just have you shuffling your feet. The Imperial School is available from Shelflife right now as part of their beautifully packaged 1000 series (though it's not officially out until September 22nd). Oh, I didn't explain the Sweden thing, did I? Air France! Kablow!

I Can't Decide .mp3
The Imperial School .mp3

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

This Must Be Heaven

Because Slumberland just keeps churning out solid gold. In this installment of the Slumberland Fanclub we'll be discussing Searching for the Now 5 and 6.


Searching for the Now 5 is three all Swedish tracks, and not just any Swedes either, we're talking Liechtenstein backed by the Faintest Ideas. Liechtenstien kick things off with "This Must Be Heaven," and it's simply enchanting (not to mention previously unreleased). The guitars are jangle-y, the drums are toe-tap-y, and as usual, their harmonies are spot on. The Faintest Ideas get two tracks, "You're Gonna Wake Up One Morning And Know What Side Of The Bed You’ve Been Lying On" and "Procrastination Of Every Day Tasks" (probably because they're flying along at like a billion rpm). They're fast, fun, get the job done, and will have you playing some sort of air instrument in under a minute (a la killer guitar riffs or high octane drums).

This Must Be Heaven .mp3

Procrastination Of Every Day Tasks .mp3


Searching for the Now 6 features The School and George Washington Brown, both of the UK. The School do a wonderful cover of Left Banke's "And Suddenly." It's a beautiful little summer pop gem for the remaining days of summer. Flip the disc and flip into George Washington Brown's two tracks of noisy psych-pop. "End of the..." and "Twin Towers" kind of make me want to bike really fast down a busy, tree-lined street and look up at the sky. Or something like that.

And Suddenly .mp3
End of The... .mp3

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Lick Your Lips and Fuck Suicide

Oh. My. God. I dare say the Raveonettes get better with every album, and since "Suicide" is the single from their upcoming album In And Out of Control, that would make it the best Raveonettes song ever. Or at least for right now. Allow me to paint you a picture. Imagine a downtrodden young girl who runs away to New York (because it's the shit), and with her heart broken by a sucky boyfriend, and bitchy mother she learns to holster her pain and though it might be tempting, fuck suicide. And most importantly, there's that chorus. Seriously it's infectious. In And Out of Control is out October 6th on Vice Records, and you and me an everyone else needs it.

Suicide .mp3

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

A Cameo with Zaza

I've been trying to think of a word to summarize Zaza's new album Cameo, and I think "cavernous" does it. In case you haven't heard them before, Zaza's music falls into the shoegaze niche, but not the wall of guitar sound that usually comes to mind when you think shoegaze. Rather, Zaza drop you into a deep, dark cave made of drums and breathy vocals with more reverb than you can shake a stick at. There's guitars and keys in there too, and they just make the cave that is Zaza's sound that much deeper and encompassing. Cameo is so hypnotizing and ethereal that I just space out for the length of the EP. Not the bad kind of space out either, the good kind. The really good kind, like the kind people pay top dollar for. Cameo was supposed to come out August 18th on Kanine Records, but apparently insound and a couple other places have it for sale already. And for those of you in need of a quick fix, you can listen to the whole EP on Zaza's myspace.

Here's the opening track :
The Call .mp3

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Yeah I Know

Darlings are pretty great. They're one of those "New York buzz bands," and I'd say they deserve it. Yeah I Know is like 10 New York moments wrapped up in jangly guitars, where you remember everything, but it's just a bit fuzzy and you cant's get that New York noise out of your head. The songs are at once familiar (so familiar in fact, that I can't think of the comparison I want to make) and relatable, yet still have that youthful exuberance that comes with the light subject matter. Darlings probably aren't trying to change the world with their music but they definitely make some fun, noisy, 60's influenced garage pop about girls, TVs, and everyone's favourite reason for celebration: eviction. Yeah I Know releases August 11th on Famous Class, and I'd highly recommend picking up a copy since it's an all-around good time. And so you can say you knew about them before they go on and open for the Strokes or someone.

Yeah I Know .mp3

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

FIGHT RIFF!

Eula are a really great noise-pop (I guess the fall into that category) band from New Haven, Connecticut. Based off the couple songs on their myspace they're something like CSS if Stewart Boyracer ran the show, meaning they don't make you want to dance, they make you want to fucking dance.

Fight Riff .mp3

Seems like they'd be loads of fun live, right? Yes? And you live in New York you say?
KABLOW!



Monday, July 13, 2009

Songs for Tuesdays on Wednesday

I'm not sure whether this was a happy coincidence or stroke of release date genius, but Summer Cats' debut full-length Songs For Tuesdays hit shelves yesterday (that's Tuesday)! Clocking in at 33 minutes, the Summer Cats were kind enough to supply the pop-world with 13 songs for every day of summer, including last year's jam "Lonely Planet." Take the fun of their Cloudberry or weePOP! singles and multiply it by thirteen and you should have a good idea of how much distorted guitar/keyboard/catchy bass/amazing vocal dancey-fun you're in for. If you've never heard their singles, think Honeybunch playing garage pop. Sounds nice, eh? You can pick up a copy from Slumberland on CD or pretty color splatter vinyl.

Hey You .mp3

Super .mp3

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Survival Strategies in a Modern World

So how psyched are you right now? Not very? Liechtenstein have an album out on Slumberland. How about now? Giddy? I know! Survival Strategies in a Modern World is one of those albums where every time you give it a spin you end up with a new favourite song. Have you ever given any thought as to how that's possible? It only happens when every track is thoroughly amazing. With Liechtenstein's beautiful harmonization, solid lyrics, and simple and catchy guitar, bass and drum lines, I'd say they meet the criteria. All nine tracks are a truly wonderful experience, so I would highly recommend you head over to Slumberland to pick up a copy! And it comes on 10" yellow vinyl! Woo!

Roses in the Park .mp3

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The Dimes

This isn't quite indie-pop, but since I do like to partake in the occasional tall glass of folk-pop, I thought Portland's The Dimes warranted a post. Sounding something like Iron and Wine meets Death Cab for Cutie and maybe a dash of The Decemberists, The Dimes make some pretty pop-y folk songs, or maybe some pretty folk-y pop songs, I'm not quite sure which. Complete with mandolins, melodicas and the mighty lap steel, The New England EP is four tracks based on stories from the Boston area. I'm no Boston historian, so I can't vouch for their accuracy, but I can say that they're four really good folk-pop songs. Head over to The Dimes Myspace to hear some songs from The New England EP, pick up a copy of their debut album, or just say hi. And if you like what you hear, you should mark all of August on your calendar, because that's when their sophomore album is due out!

Here's my favourite track from the EP:
Clara .mp3

Friday, June 19, 2009

Veronica Falls

Remember back when Sexy Kids were all the rage and I said they had a full length coming out this year? That was a blatant lie. Luckily for the pop-world, The Royal We turned Sexy Kids have turned Veronica Falls. "Love in a Graveyard" has all the oohs, aahs, faahs and laas that you would expect based on the band members' past endeavors, not to mention the jangly guitars, Roxanne's lovely voice, and the ever catchy boy-girl chorus of "I'm broken hearted, dearly departed. Dearly departed, I'm broken hearted." If you hadn't gathered based on the chorus, it's a little on the melancholy side, but there's nothing wrong with that. You can head over to Veronica Falls myspace to give it a listen (which I would highly recommend).

UPDATE: I forgot to upload this when I got my grubby hands on it, but better late than never!
Found Love in a Graveyard .mp3

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Footsteps!

"Footsteps" is the new single off from Pocketbooks' upcoming (and debut) album Flight Paths, and sounds something like a jolly romp from the town to the dicotheque compressed into three minutes with you dancing the whole time. And while shopping for some vintage clothes before hitting the dancefloor sounds like a good time on its own, it gets even better, because your special lady (or laddy) is there with you the whole time! While the sentiment is nice enough, it's those boy/girl harmonies at the end that really bring it home. The "Footsteps" single comes out June 15th and Flight Paths releases on July 13th. Both will be available on How Does It Feel To Be Loved (and I'd highly reccommend picking up anything they have that you don't already own on account of how extremely ace every single one of those releases are). In the meantime, visit the Pocketbooks' Myspace to hear some of their other tracks.

Footsteps .mp3
And because I can, here's the fun video!

Sunday, June 7, 2009

I'd Really Like to See You Again

I have some wonderful news for those of you with an insatiable appetite for that alternative-y, new-wave-y, New-Order-y, dance-y stuff: there's a new Thieves Like Us 12" coming out on Tuesday (actually, you can order it from Shelflife right now)! I might even go so far as to say it's even better than Play Music, particularly "To Joy." Everything you need for a home dance party is there: a driving beat, a melancholy synth line that's to die for, and some equally melancholy and catchy vocals. I don't really need to explain much more.

The other tracks aren't slouches by anymeans. "To Joy" morphed into the title "Really Like to See You Again," "American Skies" is how Miami complains about the economy, and "Desire" has been reworked from the version heard on Play Music to drive itself deeper into your head and deeper into your footwork.

Here's the title track, and the "demo" version. You can decide which you like more!

Really Like to See You Again .mp3
To Joy .mp3

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

First String Teenage High!

I just got the amazing news from the fine folks at Unchikun Records that they will be digitally re-releasing First String Teenage High: The Songs of Tullycraft Played By People Who Aren't on July 28th! And if that wasn't enough, this fall, Unchikun will be releasing a new Tullycraft tribute album featuring "20 or so fairly well known and respected bands!"

Anyways, here's two tracks from First String Teenage High to get you in the mood!

Murder Beach covering 8 Great Ways .mp3
Bugs Eat Books covering Sweet .mp3

And you can head over to Unchikun to stream three other tracks!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Blame Love

I'm a little late with this one, but better late than never, right?
Boy Genius are a four-piece from Brooklyn that play that jangly pop that's just not sure if it wants to rock or not. Their new single, Blame Love (which just happens to have a Miracle Legion cover as a b-side) could pretty much be summed up as comfy. It's not trying to do anything but be there. Like a lost 7" from "the good ol' days," "Blame Love" has everything you want and nothing you don't. Jangly guitars, boy/girl harmonies in all the right places, a grooving bass line, and you know it had to happen...a shredding pop-solo! You can head over to Boy Genius' Myspace to have a listen and pick up a copy of Blame Love as well as their past releases.

And if anyone happens to be in Connecticut or feels like making a trip, Boy Genius are playing in the Tweefort! It's not actually a fort, or twee, or even a place, but hey. Here's the flyer...

Monday, May 18, 2009

Woooo-oooooh!

I sort of have a computer again! Time for the super-fast-indie-pop-recap!


NYC Popfest is over! :( I missed it, but I hope those of you who made it had a blast!


Coming up, SF Popfest! I can't make that either...someone freak the fuck out at Tullycraft for me. Cheap Red too!


Speaking of Cheap Red, Boyracer re-issued happenstance on vinyl. I don't know if there are any copies left at this point, but if there are I'd highly reccommend grabbing one!


Lacrosse have a new video for a new single from their new album! There aren't any hand puppets, but there are balloons!





The Champagne Socialists play fuzzy 50s-60s style pop. They're opening for the Pains in July, and remind me of the early works of a certain Mr. Thomas.

Teardrop Tattoo .mp3

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Oh me, oh my!

So as anyone who reads this may have noticed, there hasn't been too many posts as of late. I'm sorry for that, but my computer broke and I don't have the money to fix it, so you know...Sugarsours is going to be on a bit of a hiatus...Boo!

Thursday, April 9, 2009

My love is a wave!

And here I though I posted on this..If you hadn't heard by now, concurrent with the new Pains release, Slumberland also put out a 7" with two new Crystal Stilts jams. I'm pretty sure I've heard them play "Love is a Wave" live before, but it's definitely new as far as their recordings go. It just chugs right along with everything pushing forward. The drums and bass are relentless in their drive, and the guitar and vocals just rise and fall sounding like nothing can stop them. Where "Love Is a Wave" chugged right along with its feedback-heavy guitars, "Sugar Baby" is all about that keyboard. The guitars have something along a twang to them, making the whole thing sound like punk invaded the 60s pop scene in Arizona.

Love is a Wave .mp3

Monday, March 30, 2009

New Pains! Again!

Just in case your Pains collection was starting to feel a little lonely, Slumberland's got you covered with another ace 7!" Everyone's favourite teenage lust song takes up the a-side, while the b-side is home to Ramona. You all know Young Adult Friction is amazing, but what might have escaped you is that when the Pains of Being Pure At Heart Slow it down, they're still tops. Ramona sounds like it came right off that mix-tape you made back in the 90s. The one for the girl who was moving away. Remember? It was nestled right in between Black Car and Drive It All Over Me. You never made that tape? Well now you can.

Young Adult Friction .mp3

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Say Yes!

I got a copy of The Hi-Life Companion's new CD in the mail last week and never really got the chance to post about it.
Does anyone remember the Mayfields? Or Maybe Airport Girl? Yeah, it's those guys. Brothers, actually. The Hi-Life Companion sound like a blend of The Beach Boys, Magnetic Fields and Belle and Sebastian (and others of that ilk), so if that sounds good to you (and who wouldn't that mix sound good to?), I'd keep my ear to the ground to try to hear Peru. Say Yes! is due out soon on Plastilina Records, which is perfect timing seeing as summer is right around the corner and it's a super summer-y.

Here's the opening track:
You're the Greatest .mp3

Monday, March 23, 2009

NYC Popfest Lineup!

































Yeah!

* * * * * * * * * *

Thursday May 14th
Venue: Cake Shop

Knight School (NYC)
Soft City (NYC)
Dream Bitches (NYC)
The Metric Mile (NYC)
My Teenage Stride (NYC)
THE BALLET (NYC)

* * * * * * * * * *

Friday May 15th
Venue: Don Hills

Don Lennon (NYC)
The Tartans (CA)
( secret band )
Liechtenstein (SWEDEN)
CATS ON FIRE (FINLAND)

+ Mondo Indie Dance Party

* * * * * * * * * *

Saturday Afternoon FREE show!
Saturday May 16th
Venue: Cake Shop

Hidden Ghost Balloon Ship (MI)
The Hat Company (OH)
Strega (NYC)

* * * * * * * * * *

Saturday May 16th
Venue: Bell House

Computer Perfection (MI)
Eux Autres (CA)
The Secret History (NYC)
Pants Yell! (MA)
THE RADIO DEPT. (SWEDEN)

+ Indiepop Dance Party

* * * * * * * * * *

Sunday All-Dayer
Sunday May 17th
Venue: Cake Shop

Boy Genius (NYC)
Afternoon Naps (OH)
Very Truly Yours (IL)
The Smittens (VT)
Rose Melberg (CANADA)
The Icicles (MI)
Casper and the Cookies (GA)
BURNING HEARTS (FINLAND)

* * * * * * * * * *

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Kisses leave concussions

I'm not sure how I didn't post this right away...NEW FUCKING CAMERA OBSCURA! "My Maudlin Career" is a bit fuzzier that you might be used to, but believe me, it's a great thing. The lyrics are everything you would expect them to be, the vocals are spot on, and it's catchier than a cold. Basically, it's a Camera Obscura song.

The album, under the same name, is out on 4AD April 21st for us yanks and 20th for everyone else. Not only is the music good, but the cover art is lovely, and Abba's piano is used on one of the tracks. Yow!

Mediafire is doing some maintenance, so no mp3 for now, but you can hear a couple tracks from the new album on their myspace.

Friday, March 6, 2009

I am pants. I play music.

Maybe you were up at Popfest New England last year and caught the Inclined Plane. If not, you should look into them. They have a new album coming out in April, and if you're looking to fill that slower-tempo lo-fi hole in your life, I'd recommend checking it out. From the sounds of it I Am Pants is going to be what you want to listen to late at night when the party's dwindling but no one wants to go home, so you sit on the couch and look through old photo albums.

Important In the Morning .mp3


On the other end of the spectrum is Play Music from Thieves Like Us. Basically, if you like New Order (or Hot Chip), light electronic stuff, or coke binges you NEED this. But really, it's super dance-y. If I Am Pants is what you listen to sitting on the couch, Play Music is what you play when you want to dance, but the discotheque doesn't play anything you want to hear, so you have your own dance party in your living room. It's like club music for pop kids. Then again, this'll probably be huge at the discotheque. It's be available from Shelflife Records March 10th, on 12" vinyl none the less, so you can do your bump right off the spinning record!

Drugs In My Body .mp3

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Gone are the days!!!


So it only took four years, but there's finally a new Mirah album! I arbitrarily decided to check out the K Records site just now and (A)spera apparently released February 11th (then again it might be up for pre-order, and they just failed to mention that, because it says elsewhere that it doesn't realease until March 10th)! And I even managed to scrounge up a track from it! "Gone Are the Days" is a bit more bare-bones-folk-pop-y; it's just Mirah, bongos, and the occasional trumpet.

Gone are the days .mp3


I would also highly recommend giving the Vibrarians new single a listen. It's streaming on the site and to borrow K's word, it's a real corker!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

New Cats on Fire!!


I almost missed the boat on this one! Not really, but I didn't know they had anything coming down the pipeline. Our Temperance Movement comes out March 11th, but it's available for pre-order from a couple places, like Record Label X and Stupido Shop for about $22.50 (Record Label X is a euro cheaper). They have a couple of the new tracks streaming on their myspace, and if what I've heard is any indication, this is going to be the best thing to come out of Finland since their last record. "Garden Lights" features all the great Cats on Fire guitar, bass, and vocals that you would expect, plus what sound like some bongos and a stellar clarinet solo! Sooo good!

Garden Lights .mp3

A fucking whore's never sounded so good

Only a couple months after Apathy the gals from Liechtenstein have dropped an ace little CDR! They have the title track "Everything's for Sale" streaming on their myspace. I've given it a good number of listens and can't quite put my finger on what it reminds me of, but that's okay since it's every bit as good as you'd expect from the girls (read amazing). To steal Matt's comparison, the guitars are very Talulah Gosh-y, as are the bang-bang snare/tambourine drums. As usual their harmonization is right on, and the "sha-la-las" in the outro WILL get stuck in your head. And if they don't something else will, like, say, the "sooo-sooo-sooome say (s)he's a fucking If you live in the UK or Germany you can pick up the new disc at their live shows. As for the rest of us, it's about $15 shipped from Fraction Discs' mailorder department.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Magic Marker 10 Year Anniversary

Word on the street is it was a blast. To commemorate the occasion, the boys over at Magic Marker put out a 5x 7" set of Magic Marker bands covering Magic Marker bands. It was available at the show, with all the left-overs being put up on their webstore. From what I heard, they didn't make very many (somewhere around 50 copies, I think), so I would head over to the Magic Marker site ASAP to get your hands on a set. I sadly don't have any mp3s, but here's the track-list:

7" #1
The Owls "Springtime Fall" (Dear Nora)
Walker Kong "Bells" (The Bats)

7" #2
The Manhattan Love Suicides "Superboy & Supergirl" (Tullycraft)
Dear Nora "Air" (The Owls)

7" #3
BOAT "Nosebleeders on the Track" (The Faintest Ideas)
Galactic Heroes "Former Hero" (Heikki)

7"#4
Tullycraft "Welcome to the Big Ten Conference" (Vehicle Flips)
Birds of California (Lunchbox) "Kick It back" (The Manhattan Love Suicides)

7"" #5
The Gazetteers "Ordinary Day" (Lunchbox)
Kissing Book "Any Kind of Pain" (The Best Friends Group)

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

NYC Popfest!

May 15th, 16th 17th!
If I counted right, that makes four different Popfests this year!
I should look on Anorak more often...But thanks Maz for the update! I would assume his blog is going to be the place to get the lowdown as it goes down. I'd go look anyways to get some nice, compressed, nuggets of pop goodness.

Friday, January 30, 2009

It's been so long

So how about a massive update?
The Felt Tips have a new 3" CDR out on WeePOP! It's every bit as wonderful as their releases on Cloudberry, so I recommend heading over there and ordering yourself a copy! I'd also snag the weePOP-up compilation, seeing as it's pretty ace and a pop-up!

The One Who Got Away .mp3


Speaking of compilations, Matt finally finished up the Skatterbrain comp. Between the cover art and track-list it looks fantastic!

The new Pains album is available for pre-order over at Slumberland. You don't even know how great it is! This is the opening track...

Contender .mp3

And while I'm on the topic of pre-orders and noise, the new Asobi Seksu album is also available for pre-order over at Polyvinyl! Amazing.

Me & Mary .mp3

Something's awry at tweenet...

There's oodles of popfests now! Here's to you London and San Francisco! And while you're globe-trotting, Magic Marker Records turned 10! They're having a little shindig in Portland to celebrate. Dear Nora anyone?

I think that's it.

Monday, January 12, 2009

POBPAH! YAY!

So, as expected, the new Pains of Being Pure at Heart album is phenomenal (officially, it comes out February 3rd). It has some old songs, and some new songs and they're all good songs. I don't think the songs need much talking up, as the Pains couldn't make a bad song if they tried. I was listening to it on the subway this morning, and the train ride changed from a way-to-early commute to a high speed rocket of noisy, jangly, fuzzy, pop perfection. That's they best way to describe the album; pop perfection.
I can't spoil any of the new songs just yet, but I can give a track list to tide you over.

1. Contender
2. Come Saturday
3. Young Adult Friction
4. This Love Is Fucking Right!
5. The Tenure Itch
6. Stay Alive
7. Everything With You
8. A Teenager In Love
9. Hey Paul
10.Gentle Sons

And apparently I was miss-informed about Sexy Kids putting out an album. They're on a bit of a hiatus. Crushing.