There's Something About Mary

Great movie, or greater cat? The Hit Parade seem to think the cat takes it, so we're spared a tribute to the Ben Stiller film. What we do get from "There's Something About Mary" is a three minute pop corker, just the way you remember the Hit Parade: jangly and filled with harmonies about kitty love. What else would you expect from London's number one pop group?

The b-side gave me a chuckle, especially with the blurb in the press release: it's "a tribute to the 1989 Sarah Records indie band Brighter who were famous for being melancholy and playing all their songs in the key of D." Remember that awesome song about the Japanese girl with a broken heart? How about the English boy version? No? Oh that's right, it's not out yet because it's "The Boy Who Loves Brighter" (and maybe one or two tracks from the back-catalogue, but who's keeping count of melancholy Hit Parade love songs?).

JSH Records is putting out the There's Something About Mary single on 7" vinyl today, and for digital download on May 2nd.

Hey, this is pretty neat!
There's Something About Mary by the-hit-parade

The cat's out of the bag

Colin and Dana's labor of love is almost ready to see the light of day! Well, I guess it already is ready, it's just picking out it's favourite outfit. Let's Whisper have been a sort of Smittens side project for years, but The Shortest Days is their very first album. The firsts don't stop there, as it's also WeePOP's first full length! It's due out April 9th, so mark your calendars because you don't want to miss out on the hand-screened goodies. 

Like with the Keep A Secret EP, Colin and Dana's songwriting on The Shortest Days comes from opposite sides of the same spectrum to make an album that delivers far more than you'd expect from a band named "Let's Whisper," while still remaining coherent, and identifiably Whispered. 

Tullycraftian in its variety, you're as likely to hear something reminiscent of Pipas or Pocketbooks as you are The Smittens.  I've got no trouble saying this is one of the best albums of the year, and I'd be surprised if my mind's changed 8 months from now.  Order your copy here. I promise it'll literally make Spring seem better.

Give the title track a listen and tell me you don't want more.
The Shortest Days .mp3