Sugar Sours

Promises, Promises

2011-07-19T07:44:00.000-07:00

Pocketbooks have already started teasing us. Though their new album Carousel isn't officially due out until September (you can currently grab a copy from the lovely Oddbox Records), the first single "Promises, Promises" was made available yesterday.

The bittersweet lyrics about empty promises are almost poetic in their earnest, and the backing girly harmonies and sweeping strings just make an already great song greater. Basically, it's another Pocketbooks insta-classic.

Promises, Promises .mp3

Also, here's Don't Stop just because I like it.

Everyone's Cup of Tea

2011-07-03T17:10:00.000-07:00

You know that wonderful moment when you get a new album and just have to sit down and listen to it? When your only distraction is the occasional sip of tea or nibble of cake and the ever-so-slight grit and warble isn't an imperfection but a reminder that music is personal and hand-crafted? It's not an everyday occurrence, but Fika Recordings would sure like it to be. To make every Fika release a special treat, a hand-selected bag of tea and recipe for something yummy accompany every order. A very neat concept if you ask me.

A good concept doesn't mean much if the goods don't back it up, and fortunately Fika delivers in spades. Red Shoe Diaries' new 10" EP When I Find My Heart is brimming with eloquent pop songs for "messed up grown ups," complete with all the cynicism that entails. Each track on When I Find My Heart does a great job of taking the band's astounding number of influences to bring some variety to the five tracks without making them sound disparate in any way. A little surf here, some folk there, and some good old fashioned jangly-guitar-pop everywhere.

Red Shoe Diaries launch party is tonight at 7:30 in London (that's the gig flyer up there)! You can purchase tickets here! They're also playing a free show in Nottingham tomorrow at Spanky Van Dyke's.

You can listen to the entire EP below.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://redshoediaries.fikarecordings.com/album/when-i-find-my-heart"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;When I Find My Heart... by Red Shoe Diaries&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Life Size Maps

2011-06-28T12:41:00.000-07:00

I wrote about Life Size Maps a little while ago, but they almost sound like a different band on their new EP, so a second post is warranted. Their pop-sensibilities and and orchestral elements remain, but they've been amped up and distorted in the very best of ways. Magnifier is probably the only time prepared piano and harpsichord have been used on a pop album, and along with the more familiar cello and strings they add a really unique aspect to a guitar-driven rocking. The controlled chaos and sort of punk anthem-ed choruses are great when you're on-the-move, or if you want to listen to something a little different.

Magnifier releases on July 7th, but if you're in New York, you can probably grab a copy at their July 1st release party at Monster Island Basement.

Have a taste of two of the tracks on their Soundcloud.
This Same House by Life Size Maps

You Don't Listen

2011-06-07T17:18:00.000-07:00

Or maybe you can't hear, because that new(ish) Ringo Deathstarr album fucking rocks. Sure, Colour Trip came out two months ago, but I forgot to post about it, and their headlining Shea Stadium next month seemed like a good enough excuse.

Anyways, if you haven't picked up a copy yet, it's a little more MBV than JAMC and that's okay with me. I'm a sucker for fuzz, boy/girl vocals, reverse reverb, and gliding, so I can't take a single issue with the entire album. Plus, tracks like "Tambourine Girl" are straight up sing-along-with poppy and help shift gears, so even those "it all sounds the same" naysayers can't complain.

Head over to their bandcamp to stream the whole thing, and Club AC30's got them for sale.

And of course, they're on tour, so New Yorkers should keep July 3rd free. Everyone else, look it up.

Here's the video for the opening track "Imagine Hearts"

Big Rig Will Run the Distance

2011-05-31T12:42:00.000-07:00

If you feel your indie-folk-pop library is looking a little lackluster, just start going through Big Rig Records' roster. While Big Rig has artists from all over the world, it just so happens that both groups on today's double-billing hail from Adelaide, Australia.

The Sea Thieves are a sort of collective project based around Zac Coligan and have a knack for taking instruments like the uke, singing saw, and bellows, and making something new, yet familiar and comforting with them. They Will Run is the type of record that sounds like it should be pressed on a phonograph cylinder, so you can play it late at night while relaxing in a big, dusty armchair. Or at least that's the setting I'd imagine would compliment the dusty atmosphere that permeates the album.

Focus The Stars.mp3

Cheer Advisory Council sound like The Lucksmiths covering Wilco being mixed by Phil Spectre. Distance's sparse finger-picked guitars are almost guaranteed to climax in an epic orchestral crescendo, and on the rare occasion they don't, they serve as the foundation for a slow and steady layering of an eclectic mix of instruments.

Coach .mp3

Do you need more fuzz in your fuckin sound?

2011-05-06T19:55:00.000-07:00

Transfusao Noise Records has the perfect 7" comp for anyone with an insatiable appetite for fuzz and pop. With bands like Lê Almeida and Top Surprise, Coração Transfusionado is the perfect 7" comp for popkids who want the who want their noise served six ways to Sunday (including not very noisy at all), and in bite-sized little pop morsels no less. By bite-sized I mean all the tracks are well under three minutes. Scrumptious. Anyways, it's 6 different a-side-worthy singles crammed onto one piece of wax, so obviously if you've ever wished someone would put their foot on a fuzzbox, this will be one of the best purchases you make all year.

And you know what the best part is? Try before you buy!

There's Something About Mary

2011-04-10T14:45:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-03T13:52:00.000-07:00

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

In Soviet Russia, Overlord serves you?

2011-03-10T13:57:00.000-08:00

Remember when Twin Cinema come out? That album fucking rocked. Ever wonder what it would sound like if it popped? No? Well, Brooklyn's Overlord have already come up with an answer, so don't worry your pretty little head. In Soviet Russia, My Heart Breaks You is due out April 1st on Storm Tower Records, and as I alluded, there's a bit of a New Pornographers thing going. That, and the Smiths, but they're not complaining about the comparison, so neither will I. I will give them a little more credit though: by mixing influences from the bast 50 years Overlord have developed a sound more complex than just a "poppy New Pornographers." Wow, that was almost silly-professional-reviewer sounding, but basically it's the first album of the year that's "Summer Jam" worthy.

In the meantime, need something to throw on your "Springtime Drive Mix?"

Oh, My Mechanical Heart .mp3
Keep it from the Baby .mp3

Or stream the whole thing on their Bandcamp!

Two If By Sea

2011-02-10T11:56:00.000-08:00

I don't even need to be witty with the title on this one.

Two If By Sea is a long distance project between Teresa Daniele (formerly of The Haircuts), Lisle Mitnik (Fireflies, Very Truly Yours) and Kevin Clark (Homeville Circle, Wooden Owls). Lush would be a pretty good way to describe the 5 track Staysail. It's also a pretty good...ehh...what's that acronym "RIYL?" The Field Mice covering The Softies wouldn't be a bad summarization either (or maybe the other way around?). If that doesn't entice you, maybe talk of jangling guitars, swirling soundscapes, and breathy vocals will. If you're still thinking "eh, not for me," then you're a lost cause anyways.

Scoop up a 7" from February Records and get ready spend way too much time watching some grooves spin.

While you're at it, give the video for the opening track "Apron of Flowers" a watch/listen.

How does it feel?

2011-02-10T11:17:00.000-08:00

Boy, it's a good thing I don't have to deal with deadlines at work, because I sure am lousy at making them.

V-Day, and the equally popular Desperation Day came and went (all the while most of this was sitting as a draft ready to be posted, but I digress), and some unfortunate souls were undoubtedly alone. Do not despair pop losers, for The Bynars have you covered!

The first single from their forthcoming album was equally lonely on the 14th and looking for love. Luckily, your chance to find each other hasn't passed, as it's available as a pay-what-you-will on their bandcamp.

"How Does it Feel to Be In Love" takes the Boston band's patented rockin' synth-pop sound and turns it up to 11. That's more drums, guitars, and synths to boogie on down to, even if you have to do it by yourself. Heck, even that body pillow you dressed up like Buddy Holly's going to want to cut a rug, so finding a real, live partner shouldn't be too hard.

No .mp3, but this sure is nifty!

White Wishes

2011-01-21T13:55:00.000-08:00

So one of my favourite Christmas presents this year came from Matthew over at Shelflife, and this time I don't have to hoard it (though I do thoroughly enjoy hoarding)!
Nikita Pavlov's White Wishes seems like it would be the equivalent to sunshine-pop back in perma-frosty Mother Russia, with jangly guitars floating behind reverb-y drums and soothing vocals. The occasional dash of delay or fuzz adds a touch of shoegaze without being abrasive enough to offend anyone. What I'm trying to get at is for the past half hour I've been in this weird state where I'm not sure if I should be perky from the popiness, or in a daze from the gazeyness.

Everyone and their mom should click here for their "I'm nice and cozy inside while it's all cold and snowy out" soundtrack.

The Wind-Up Birds

2011-01-08T10:24:00.000-08:00

Weeeelllllll, I think this sets the record for "Most Overdue Post" by about 10 months. I've never heard of squatter punks holing up in a library, but apparently anything's possible in Yorkshire. As their name might suggest, The Wind-Up Birds have read a book or two, and that translates into hyper-literate lyrics that are as much poem as they are prose, and filled with a poignant English wit. Their songs can ramble, jangle, and squeal. Sometimes they blur the line between (please excuse the useless genre pigeonholing) indie-rock and post-punk, and sometimes you might have to pull out the old Oxford English Dictionary lest you get beaten with it, but for the educated drunk, The Wind-Up Birds will be your new favourite band.

In a Yorkshire Call Centre I Knelt Down and Wept .mp3
This Boat is Going Nowhere Tonight, Son .mp3

Sound like a good way to get through the winter? There's currently an EP and 7" out on Sturdy Records, both of which John Peel would undoubtedly blare whilst pissed.

Sort of a Big Deal

2010-12-05T10:45:00.000-08:00

I got an email from Records Records Records Records about three weeks ago concerning Big Deal's debut single, and am just now getting around to posting about it. Too much homework and not enough time makes SugarSours a dull blog. Ironically, the a-side, "Homework," is about one very good reason for not being able to do it. It being homework, get your mind out of the gutter.
I've always had a soft-spot for folksy pop songs, especially when they involve harmonized boy-girl vocals and are about things like not being able to do homework and walking home from school. Needless to say, I'd highly recommend picking up a copy on spiffy vinyl if that sounds remotely appealing. If you're still skeptical, watch the video and I'll spare you an "I told you so."

Le Futur Pompiste

2010-12-04T12:24:00.000-08:00

I've been on a hiatus of sorts, but nothing compared to Le Futur Pompiste, who are putting out their second album after a six year interim. The sheer fullness of their self-titled sophomore release on Shelflife Records is proof enough that they haven't been sitting on their laurels, and with all the layers and swells and keys and guitars, Le Futur Pompiste have started to sound a lot like a Scandinavian Rocketship. And in case the banner isn't a tip-off, I'd say that's quite the accolade. Having Ms. Jessika Rapo of Burning Hearts fame on vocals is just icing on the cake. Now, I like to categorize music into soundtracks for life, you know, "this album I can dance to, this album I can sleep to, this album I can cook to" and so forth, and Le Futur Pompiste was no exception, except, well, it was sort of difficult to pigeon-hole. It's not so introspective that you wouldn't listen to it around other people, so maybe you'd play it at something intimate. It has a certain openness to it, so maybe you could listen to it outside, but it has an almost ethereal quality that you'd probably want to just sit and enjoy. After a couple listens I figured out that it would be a perfect soundtrack for a picnic, but not just any picnic, it would be perfect for a picnic through infinity where when you look up you see this:

and the only disturbance is that little skip when the album starts over.

But don't take my word for it, order it here, and download the complimentary .mp3 copy. Once you've done that, pack a snack, and head outside and just lie on your back and listen.

For the abridged experience, download Five Hundred Heartbeats and look out a window.

Five Hundred Heartbeats .mp3

Basement Scam!

2010-11-24T16:54:00.000-08:00

It's almost worth a turkey trade off...

This Friday is the very last Basement Scam night at the Buffalo Bar, and headlining are Foxes! from Brighton who are fresh from their tour supporting nautical folk band Stornoway. Here is the video from their "Who Killed Rob?" single which was released earlier this year, which as you'll agree is a right indiepop stomper.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umYxAvsjWyI

Blood Oranges will also be playing their first London show in support of their new single which is out on Things to Make and Do on the 29th November and yes there's another awesome video (with a semi naked man in it!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOqVuXjGHMI

Supporting we have London favourites Evans The Death and Plantagenet 3. Tickets are only £5 and available in advance from http://www.wegottickets.co

m/event/99378

What do a cucumber and cassette have in common?

2010-10-23T21:21:00.000-07:00

They're both cool in a crisis! Yeow! I'll be here all week.

Really though, Cool in a Crisis is a great start-up cassette label hell-bent on spreading lo-fi, cuddly, pop goodness. Their first release will be a split between California's Sweater Girls, and the UK's The History of Apple Pie (who I've written about before), that's due out on November 14th!

You know The Softies? Of course you do. Now double them. And add one. You know what you've got now? Sweater Girls. It's like Rose Melberg got stuck in LA and tried to start a jangle-pop band. All four Sweater Girls tracks on this split are totally cute, about pretty smiles and picnics in the rain.

Sweater Weather .mp3

I was also happy to see that The History of Apple Pie are still around, and still making their lovely kind-of-fuzzy-but-not-really pop songs. I'll forgo the stupid analogy this time and just get to the point; The History of Apple Pie have 3 solid popsongs on this tape and each and every one of them have that perfect blend of fuzz, reverb, and harmonized girly vocals.

You're So Cool .mp3

Big Wave Riders

2010-10-09T09:10:00.000-07:00

They're from Finland. They also play some great surf-inspired, new-wave influenced, 90's-throwback tunes. Now you're probably thinking, "Surf music from Finland?" but here's a fun fact for the day: Finland has over 600 miles of coastline, and from the surfers I know, where there's water, there's someone with a board. Anyways, you don't need to surf to drench your guitar in reverb. Think Devo backed by Shadowy Men from a Shadowy Planet, and, well I don't know, pick a guitar based pop band. I'm terrible with the whole comparison thing, but that amalgamation is Big Wave Riders. Summer Cats actually come to mind when the keys kick in on "Republic of the Average." Yeah, let's go with Summer Cats. So if that sounds like it might tickle your fancy, listen to or download "Republic of the Average" and "Big Sound" here. If it doesn't, well, give it a go anyways.

All our money goes to 7" singles, cardigans and traveling around the world

2010-09-30T15:40:00.000-07:00

No new music, just youtube solid gold. Whoever made it fess up, because you're comic a genius.

OnomonoPOWERPOPia!

2010-09-21T16:29:00.000-07:00

I think lethargy is a chronic condition. I've been meaning to post on The Tyler Trudeau Attempt's 7" for ages and just haven't. Alas.

So hey! The Tyler Trudeau Attempt have a 7" out on February Records RIGHT NOW! Sometimes you need a little kick-start in the morning (or morning, evening, and then morning again in my case), and These Are Dark Times is like a powerpop-punt. The surf inspired riffs mixed with a heavy dose of reverb and distortion get "The Are Dark Times"' proverbial foot in the door of the reverb-drenched garage scene that's so hot right now, but make no mistake, this is solid power pop. Flip it over for "We'll Win This One Yet," and wind things down as Tyler winds things up, doubling the tempo before just drifting off.

These Are Dark Times .mp3

And then there's Life Size Maps, who take the chamber pop route, breaking out the fucking cello while still keeping all the classic aspects of 90s power pop. Sing-along-ability, bop-along-ability, and rock-along-ability are all there, but don't write off Life Size Maps as just Superchunk with a cello. They incorporate everything from the Beach Boys, to 50s pop, to classical to make something all at once familiar and refreshing. But don't take my word for it, check out the "Seems to Me" .mp3 that's right fucking here! Or, make your way out to Spike Hill in Brooklyn on October 1st for some live action.

Sssshhhhhhh.....

2010-08-21T15:24:00.000-07:00

Keep your voice down. I've got a secret. No, I can't tell you, it wouldn't be much of a secret if I could, would it? I'll give you a hint though, I heard it from Camila, and she heard it from Colin, and it's wonderful. Almost as wonderful as the new WeePOP! Let's Wisper EP. Or maybe a little more. I'm not so sure, but I do know those four tracks on that little CD are the best four consecutive tracks I've heard in a long time. I also know Let's Whisper are a bunch of sadists. Well, two sadists anyways. Why would I say that? Because they schemed a diabolical scheme to rope unsuspecting listeners in with the catchy and oddly familiar "California Girls" before shutting off the power and whispering sweet nothings on "Snowy Sunday." You know what they do next? They turn the wintertime lull into a fucking discotheque with Colin imploring to "Meet Me on the Dance Floor." And once you're in the groove, bopping and shaking and shimmying, the music dies and you're back in Vermont in the middle of a fucking snowstorm with "Holly in Wintertime." Colin and Dana, you're the worst. Just for that, I'm telling everyone your dirty little secret...the one about Let's Whisper putting out a full length album on WeePOP!

Because I can...
Meet Me on the Dance Floor .mp3

Speaking of Darren Hayman

2010-08-02T17:52:00.000-07:00

He has a new album coming out sometime soon on Fortuna POP! I don't know much besides the title, Essex Arms, and that there's a track on it called "Two Tree Island." I'm also not sure of the influence an outside conversation-of-sorts is having on how I'm interpreting it; there is an awful lot of talk of pushing and wood. Regardless, it's a catchy little folkestral tune with banjos and cellos and a uke and some other things backing the possible smut.

It's not going to be a single or anything, but there's a pretty Super 8 video for it anyways.

Forgotten

2010-07-20T13:52:00.000-07:00

No, not the blog. I just haven't had internet for the past couple weeks. Here's a free tip for anyone planning to move to New York: Don't use Time Warner Cable if you can help it.

That little preface aside, the title is actually in reference to the new Tears Run Rings single by the same moniker. To get us all ready for their upcoming sophomore album Distance, the long distance quartet/quintet decided to mercilessly tease us with "Forgotten" in both .mp3 and video format. Comfortably nestled in what I so eloquently like to call "swirly shoegaze" Tears Run Rings make their noise using generous quantities of modulation rather than the wall of fuzz that the "fuzzy shoegaze" groups generate. Since Distance isn't due out for another month, I'm going to have to make due with dusting off my old Pale Saints and Lush records. Blast. Luckily, it's already available for preorder from Tonevendor, so all you impatient and forgetful types can get that out of the way now.

Forgotten .mp3

Forgotten from Tears Run Rings on Vimeo.

Rise and shine sleepy head!

2010-06-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

I've been abysmally lazy for the past couple weeks, and Mike's put out five, yes, five, superb new releases in the past month.

The Pains new single "Say No To Love" is every bit as good as you'd expect it to be. And one of the perks of being indie-pop super stars is you can make all sorts of ace music videos to accompany your ace singles and everything will be ace. And that wasn't the least bit sarcastic, unlike a certain NME article.

See? And you can download it here.

Tender Trap are sounding like a proper girl group these days with Amelia, and the new additions Katrina and Elizabeth, all pitching in on vocals. Actually, the girly harmonies are about as far as the girl group comparisons can go. The ramshackle beats, dirty-jangle guitars and somewhat seedy subject matter are still classic Tender Trap/Heavenly/Talulah Gosh. You can get a taste from the "Do You Want a Boyfriend" single, or a three course meal with Dansette Dansette.

Here's Dansette Dansette's title track.

New Haven's Procedure Club is the noisiest bedroom pop project I've heard in a while. If you haven't been washed away by the deluge of noisy, reverb drenched garage pop bands from the past year, give Procedure Club a listen. While Andrea might be a raging bitch (Adam's words, not mine. I'm sure she's perfectly lovely), she's got some pipes on her. And Adam has a gift for causing a racket. A beautiful, beautiful, racket that would get most people evicted. Is there really any higher praise one can bestow?

Nautical Song .mp3. It's loud.

The History of Apple Pie

2010-05-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

You know the saying "As American as apple pie?" It's not especially accurate, seeing as apple pie's origin can be traced back to 14th century England. That's right, the History of Apple Pie is British. See what I did there? Flawless segue. But really, The History of Apple Pie are a two piece from London who are making some pretty reverb-y (or pretty, reverb-y) pop songs. They're still in the writing/recording process right now, but when your first dish is a cup of Comet Gain, three scoops of Young Marble Giants, and two tablespoons of Galaxie 500, all baked in a flakey Beach Boys crust I'm excited to see what else is in the oven.

Sorry, that was stupid, but I reaaaallly want some pie.
Here's a .mp3 of "Tug."

Birds of California!

2010-04-30T16:14:00.000-07:00

Ramshackle jangle-pop. Fuzzy shoegaze. Surfy horns. Boys racing for their lunchboxes. A useless stream of consciousness to try to summarize Birds of California. Actually, they're a six piece that's comprised of Tim Brown and Donna McKean of Lunchbox, Stewart from Boyracer, and Ron Mckean, Amr Toppozada, and Jeremy Goody, who all just happen to be awesome. And they actually do mix the aforementioned elements to make some fantastic indie-pop. The genre bending single Great Expectations is available as a free download from Tweefort-cum-February Records just in time to keep you cool during the terrible transition to summer. I suppose I should also elaborate about Tweefort's evolution to a record label. Danny and the gang are going to be focusing more on putting out ace music such as this, and the Fictional West single I mentioned a while ago, than booking.

Very Truly Yours!

2010-04-18T12:18:00.000-07:00

I just made a root beer float, and gave the new Very Truly Yours album Things You Used to Say, a spin on the stereo. It was an excellent combination. Very Truly Yours say they're influenced by Heavenly and Camera Obscura, and I wouldn't disagree. I would probably be content listening to Kristine sing the dictionary, especially if she had Katie backer her up. Add the some guitars, strings, keys, glock, and drums and you've got a hit. Now replace the dictionary with something handwritten and heartfelt and you've got a smashing album. Honestly it's good enough that I can't even do a track-by-track review because it seems uncouth to do anything but let it play through. So, if you like Camera Obscura and other pretty sounding pop things of that ilk, I'd highly recommend picking up a copy from Skywriting Records so you can fully enjoy summer!

SF Popfest Lineup Anncounced!

2010-04-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

Yeow!

Our Dearest Friends,

Everything is set for San Francisco Popfest 2010! Come join us from May 27 - 30 for the fun. Our full lineup is below. We have a very limited number of festival passes still available via our website (http://www.sfpopfest.com) for the discounted price of $48. If you'd like more information about SFPopfest, please sign up for our mailing list at our website and join our facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=45263827262&ref=ts).

Date: Thursday - May 27
Venue: Rickshaw Stop
Doors: 8pm
Ages: All Ages!
Tickets: $10 advance & $12 door
Ticket Link: http://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/7429
Tune-Yards
Eux Autres
Knight School
Social Studies

Date: Friday - May 28
Venue: Bottom of the Hill
Doors: 8pm
Ages: All Ages!
Tickets: $12 advance/door
Ticket Link: http://www.stubmatic.com/bottomofthehill/event/4354
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone
Nodzzz
Antarctica Takes It!
English Singles

Date: Saturday - May 29
Venue: Hotel Utah
Doors: 2:30pm
Ages: All Ages!
Tickets: $6 advance/door
The Orange Peels
Dream Diary
Leaving Mornington Crescent
The Corner Laughers

Date: Saturday - May 29
Venue: Rickshaw Stop
Doors: 8pm
Ages: All Ages!
Tickets: $12 advance & $14 door
Ticket Link: http://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/7431
All Girl Summer Fun Band
Still Flyin'
Cars Can Be Blue
BOAT
The Art Museums

Date: Sunday - May 30
Venue: Dolores Park
Doors: 2pm
Ages: All Ages!
Tickets: Free!
Our second annual acoustic picnic show with:
Math & Physics Club
Watercolor Paintings
TeamAWESOME!
The Hairs
Normandie Wilson
Girl Band

Date: Sunday - May 30
Venue: Rickshaw Stop
Doors: 7pm
Ages: All Ages!
Tickets: $12 advance & $14 door
Ticket Link: http://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/7435
Cats on Fire
Math & Physics Club
The Tyde
My Teenage Stride
Devon Williams

We hope to see many of your smiles come May!

Best,

SFPopfest crew x (Aaron, Debbie, Kardyhm and Stuart)

The Winter EP for Spring

2010-04-06T12:47:00.000-07:00

I think this might be my most overdue post to date, but that's alright because it involves free music, and that never has an expiration date. Well, it does, but this is still fresh.

I got a wonderful email from Christoffer of the long defunct, but now revitalized, Cafe2001 record label saying just that; they were back in business. What's more, their first release ever, and first new release are both available for free download from their site.

Unlike Matthew from Shelflife I didn't know about this compilation, until now, so it was an introduction to a whole slew of new bands for me. For the most part, the 14 tracks span the spectrum of that Casio backed brand of indie-pop. If you've exhausted the Casiotone for the Painfully Alone back catalogue, give Toyen a spin. Want something to compliment Au Revior Simone in your next mix tape? Give a listen to that TAFKA Pasaan track. If you've ever wondered what a bunch of Norsemen on a beach in the Mediterranean in the 60's would sound like, that's in there too.

There's also a brand new EP over there as well. I'm not quite sure what to say about Remington Super 60. They play some beautiful indie pop with fragile keys swirling behind gentle everything. Sounds pretty twee until you hear that Burt Bacharach and a couple acid jazz-y groups are major influences.

Anyways, go here and download them both because they're great.

Blue Sky On Holiday (but it's out today)

2010-03-17T11:35:00.000-07:00

I thought I posted about Annemarie before, but apparently not. So, Annemarie are a six-piece pop outfit from Indonesia. "Bubblegum" seems to be stuck to them like glue, and if you play "Bubblegum I See" off their Myspace, you'll see why. I got a nice little email the other day saying they're working on a new album, and it looks like they're going to make a slight departure from the usual "bubblegum pop" sound. Something about infusing some jazz and Latin sensibilities to it, and that's just fine with me (as you might gather based on my last post). I'm not sure exactly what that's going to sound like, but I am sure that the two new tracks I've heard are pretty ace.

Spring Bus .mp3

Cymbals!

2010-03-16T12:22:00.000-07:00

So I stumbled across these guys while YouTube link jumping. According to Wikipedia, the trio was active from 1997 to 2003. They've got a sort of fusion between Brit pop and jazz thing going on. Anyways, all the tracks I've come across have been quite pretty.

NYC Popfest Hi-lite! Mustache of Insanity!

2010-03-08T19:00:00.000-08:00

I was going to try to write something about all the bands playing the PopFest this year, but then Matt started first, so I decided not to steal his thunder, but now I've changed my mind. So first up is Moustache of Insanity, who are coming all the way from London before going on a mini tour of the Northeast (they play the PopFest on the 22nd at Spike Hill).

They had a release on WeePop! that was super-fun (yes that was hyphenated intentionally), and now have a EP out for free download, so you really don't have a reason not to listen to them. If you really need some specifics of why you should, how about: super-fun-DIY-casio-and-guitar-playing-out-of-key-singing-drum-machine-backing-pop-blast-YEOW! Translation: MOI (that's Moustache of Insanity) play simple songs that stray dangerously close to twee, in both subject and presentation. Utilizing a casio, guitar, and what could only be described as "sick" beats, MOI will charm their way into your heart riding on magic jumping beans. And they have more facial hair than I could ever hope to grow.

Anyways, here's their new EP Postcards to Strangers. Get it while you can!

Elm City Popfest Lineup!

2010-03-03T11:05:00.000-08:00

Yay Danny!

FRIDAY, MAY 14
PopFest kick-off show @ Cafe Nine 9 p.m.
250 State Street, New Haven, CT — FREE
Boy Genius (NYC) with special guest Mr. Ray Neal
Veronica Falls (UK)
Steven Deal (Milford, CT)
The Wee Bees (New Haven)
The Nathan Hall Band (Southport, CT)

SATURDAY, MAY 15
Afternoon show @ ArtSpace New Haven 2 p.m.
50 Orange Street (at Crown Street), New Haven, CT — $5
Eula (New Haven)
Panda Riot (Chicago)
Midstates (Chicago)
The Fictional West (New Haven)
Roadside Attractions (New London, CT)

ArtSpace Underground @ Elm City PopFest 8 p.m.
50 Orange Street (at Crown Street), New Haven, CT — $5
Butterflies of Love (New Haven)
The Secret History (NY)
Procedure Club (New Haven)

WEDNESDAY, MAY 26
PopFest follow-up show @ Cafe Nine 10 p.m.
250 State Street, New Haven, CT — FREE
The Tyler Trudeau Attempt (New Haven)
Women’s Basketball (New Haven)
Horowtiz (UK)
Plus possible special guests

When you look outside

2010-02-25T11:40:00.000-08:00

Do you see
Snow Like This

NYC Popfest 2010 lineup!

2010-02-24T12:12:00.000-08:00

Yay Maz!

Thursday May 20th
Venue - Cake Shop

Sweater Girls (CA)
Elephant Parade (NYC)
Dream Diary (NYC)
Leaving Mornington Crescent (Sweden)
Horowitz (UK)
Veronica Falls (UK)

* * * * *

Friday May 21st
Venue - Don Hill's

Cotton Candy (MA)
The Smittens (VT)
Allo Darlin (UK)
Pants Yell! (MA)
Tender Trap (UK)

* * * * *

Saturday May 22nd
Venue - Spike Hill (free matinee show!)

Hearts!Attack (UK)
Corita (NYC)
Gold-Bears (GA)
Moustache of Insanity (UK)
One Happy Island (MA)

* * * * *

Saturday May 22nd
Venue - The Bell House

Very Truly Yours (IL)
World Atlas (NYC)
Bears (OH)
My Teenage Stride (NYC)
BOAT (WA)
The Wake (UK)

* * * * *

Sunday May 23rd
Venue - Littlefield

Santa Monica Swim & Dive Club (MI)
For Ex-Lovers Only (FL)
The Young Friends (AZ)
Apple Orchard (CA)
Brown Recluse (PA)
Bunnygrunt (MO)
Sea Lions (CA)
Neverever (CA)
The Secret History (NYC)
The Embassy (Sweden)

Ticket info, DJs, and more details will follow soon!

xo
nyc popfest

New Pipettes!

2010-02-12T09:38:00.000-08:00

It's like ABBA descended from the heavens.

And you can download the mp3 from Fortuna POP!

Wee! Disappear!

2010-02-12T08:13:00.000-08:00

WeePOP! just released their newest 3" CDR, and as expected it's super cute in every way. This time around it's We Disappear by the Transmittens. The Kansas duo combine what could only be described as jangly "twee" and synth-pop to create something special. For those of you who want an imaginary reference picture, think Pipas meets the Besties and Smittens with less guitars and more glitter. Clocking in at about 20 minutes, the packaging isn't the only thing that's super tiny and super cute. Just give the opening track "Marfa Texas" a listen if you don't believe me. The wonderful thing about the 10 tracks contained on this tiny disc is the variety. Some are super-mixed-down-fuzzy-fun, some are super summer-y, some are good ol' pop, and some cover the space in between, but all of them possess wryly written lyrics that will lodge in your mind if the keyboards, handclaps and guitars fail to first. Oh, and did I mention that it's limited to 160 copies?

The Sea at Night .mp3

A Massive Shelflife Update

2010-02-03T16:05:00.000-08:00

Somehow I haven't posted a word about a Shelflife release in a good while. It's not for lack of material, because at the moment there are five, yes count them five, newer releases (or at least newer to their inventory) in the Shelflife store that warrant a spot in everyone's little discography. Mind you, over half of these aren't actually Shelflife releases, but Matthew is a swell guy, and trying to save us a couple bucks.

I guess I should start with the new Burning Hearts 7" "Night Animal." Honestly there isn't much to say except Burning Hearts make beautiful music and this 7" is no exception. I really really want to call them organic-electro-pop. I finally realized that they sort of remind me of The Lovekevins, who I think also fit into that little genre niche. The b-side is a remix of "A Peasant's Dream," by Anyways if you're on the hunt for something you can simultaneously sing, dance, and sit to, I'd pick up a copy on lovely white vinyl. And for added indie-cred, Matthew Edwards (from Skatterbrain) did the artwork. Neat!

Night Animal .mp3

So it looks like 80% of what I'm talking about isn't actually a Shelflife release, but whatever, they're good and in the Shelflife shop. There's a 7" for Korallreven's (Marcus Joons and Johan Duncansson from the Radio Dept.) "Loved Up," with a remix as the b-side. It's a super great track, filled with heaps of reverb and delay, percussion that just keeps building, and beautiful vocals. The remix is pretty fun too. This was originally a Fastcut Records release, but like I said, Matthew is a swell guy and saving the world some crazy expensive shipping costs.

Loved Up .mp3

Actually I'm going to stop at two. I'll finish the update soon. Or you could just go see for yourself.

'69 Love Songs' on vinyl!

2010-02-01T13:52:00.000-08:00

"The limited-edition box set includes all 69 love songs re-mastered for vinyl on six 10” records and housed in a super-sized 69 Love Songs box, along with a 10” version of the original booklet featuring liner notes written by Lemony Snicket author Daniel Handler.

From now until April 20, pre-order the vinyl box set at the discounted price of $89.99 in the Merge store." Damn you Merritt!

I don't really need to say much more than that. Unless you work for Merge. Send me a set and I'll say as much as you want!

You can download the entire album
here (Disc 1)
here (Disc 2)
and here (Disc 3)

Slumberland's 20th Redux

2010-01-29T15:46:00.000-08:00

Really? Really? Words cannot express the awesomeness that is this line-up.

March 27 at The Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco, CA
All ages, doors at 5:00pm

Boyracer
Brilliant Colors
Brown Recluse
Devon Williams
Go Sailor
Henry's Dress
Neverever
Pants Yell!
Summer Cats
The How

March 28 Part Time Punks at The Echo, Los Angeles, CA
All ages, doors at 7:00pm « tickets »

Boyracer
Brown Recluse
Devon Williams
Go Sailor
Henry's Dress
Neverever
Pants Yell!
Summer Cats
The How

New Black Tambourine!

2010-01-28T18:51:00.000-08:00

From Slumberland:
"March 30 will bring the long-awaited return to vinyl for Black Tambourine. This is no mere reissue, though; we've added unreleased songs, new liner notes and a trove of never-before-seen photos of the band, all wrapped up in a spiffy gatefold sleeve."

I believe this calls for a "YEOW!"

The Fictional West

2010-01-28T14:27:00.000-08:00

Some of you may have seen that Tweefort has expanded to the point of starting its own online record label. Now Danny's a pretty cool guy and has pretty good taste, so needless to say I had some pretty high expectations. The Fictional West, a recently formed three-piece from Connecticut definitely exceeded them.

With hints of The Magnetic Fields, the Smiths, and what I say tastes like Orange Juice have a perfect formula for down-tempo jangle pop, seeing as their jangle isn't exactly jangle-y, The Fictional West play that lazy-day, let's go for a drive, indiepop that I'm so fond of. And they don't just sound like the aforementioned groups, they also have the same knack for songwriting. No lie, the Giant Clouds single sounds like it could have been sent in to NME and gotten lost in the post for 20 years.

You can download the single directly from Tweefort here.

Quince Records is effing sweet!

2010-01-18T21:22:00.000-08:00

So I've been meaning to mention some more recent releases from those fine folks that brought us Half Dreaming (which is still brilliant) for a while, and it just never happened. That said, here's two Quince Records releases that have been getting some pretty heavy play lately.

SPC ECO put out an album in June last year, and I have to say they're one of the best, true-blue, shoegaze acts out there. Sure they have a leg up on the competition seeing as Dean has umpteen years of shoegaze-xperience (remember Curve?). But you know they're good when they get Andy-fucking-Bell on one of their tracks. Talk about indie-cred. In the dead of winter there's only two things that pass through my headphones: Rose Melberg, or shoegaze. Unlike in the 15th century, everyone is a winner because Rose Berlin's voice can melt your heart faster than snow on a city street.

You're Alright .mp3

Speaking of shoegaze and things I've been listening to, Quince also put out a Maribel album almost a year ago. I know I'm a little late (I think Matt from Skatterbrain used one of the tracks on a mix), but Aesthetics still warrants all the attention it can get. Between the fuzzy guitars, breathy lyrics, and occasional atmospheric dreamscapes Maribel have a bright future of staring at little LEDs.

Downstairs .mp3

Check out Quince's myspace for some other bands/releases as well. They have a really great roster.

A very late New Year's song

2010-01-15T20:25:00.000-08:00

So, I got Allo, Darlin's "Will You Please Spend New Years With Me?" with plenty of time to fit in a write-up before New Years. Instead, I think I took a nap and baked, but that's besides the point. The point is, New Year's Eve is but a distant memory at this point, yet this "holiday" song is still getting pretty heavy rotation. It's just so cute, I can't resist giving it a proverbial spin at least once a day. Oh, did I mention it's a b-side? The "a-side" has the same sort of upbeat, melancholy, earnest lyrics based around a relationship and a Polaroid picture. If you haven't already (considering most blogs have given it the attention it deserves), head over to Fortuna Pop this instant!

Will You Please Spend New Years With Me? .mp3

Big Boy Genius Plans

2010-01-14T21:05:00.000-08:00

I must be the laziest person I know. There's a plethora of great pop happenings right now and I haven't written a word. For starters Boy Genius put out a pretty ace video for their new single "Old New England" that features everything New England (aka rain, fields, lobster, and triangle hats), and everything Boy Genius (aka a pretty rockin pop song). It's from their forthcoming album Staggering, which I'm quite looking forward to since it seems they've been honing their chops since their last record. And they're on tour if you need something to do later this month (check their myspace for dates).

Look what blew in from Sweden...

2009-12-30T19:45:00.000-08:00

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?)

Looking to tour Europe?

2009-12-26T15:52:00.000-08:00

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.

Brilliant Colors/Kleenex

2009-12-12T16:57:00.000-08:00

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.

Heads Up Display

2009-12-09T13:15:00.000-08:00

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.

An early present from Camera Obscura!

2009-12-05T16:47:00.000-08:00

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!

More Slumberland!

2009-11-30T17:19:00.000-08:00

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

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T13:21:00.000-08:00

That is all. Not really, but here's the Peanuts Thanksgiving Special.

Warped!

2009-11-15T19:51:00.000-08:00

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

Well fuck.

2009-11-11T10:13:00.000-08:00

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.

Social Studies!

2009-11-03T19:35:00.000-08:00

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.

The Marshmallow Ghosts! Happy Halloween!

2009-10-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

= 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

Radio Twelve!

2009-10-28T15:16:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-22T16:59:00.000-07:00

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

Slumberland 20th Anniversary is A-Go-Go!

2009-10-12T11:02:00.000-07:00

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

Elm City Popfest!

2009-10-06T18:55:00.000-07:00

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

Happy Fuzztember! Part II

2009-09-17T18:49:00.000-07:00

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...

Happy Fuzztember!

2009-09-10T14:08:00.000-07:00

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

Home and Abroad Songs

2009-09-07T19:17:00.000-07:00

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

Horse Shoes!

2009-08-28T07:41:00.000-07:00

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

This Must Be Heaven

2009-08-12T19:22:00.000-07:00

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

Lick Your Lips and Fuck Suicide

2009-08-08T20:58:00.000-07:00

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

A Cameo with Zaza

2009-08-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

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

Yeah I Know

2009-07-30T10:31:00.000-07:00

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

FIGHT RIFF!

2009-07-28T17:29:00.000-07:00

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!

Songs for Tuesdays on Wednesday

2009-07-13T21:02:00.000-07:00

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

Survival Strategies in a Modern World

2009-07-02T15:27:00.000-07:00

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

The Dimes

2009-06-24T09:14:00.000-07:00

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

Veronica Falls

2009-06-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

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

Footsteps!

2009-06-11T09:30:00.000-07:00

"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!

I'd Really Like to See You Again

2009-06-07T10:04:00.000-07:00

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

First String Teenage High!

2009-06-03T13:34:00.000-07:00

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!

Blame Love

2009-05-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

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...

Woooo-oooooh!

2009-05-18T10:01:00.000-07:00

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

Oh me, oh my!

2009-05-09T19:26:00.000-07:00

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!

My love is a wave!

2009-04-09T12:22:00.001-07:00

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

New Pains! Again!

2009-03-30T12:30:00.000-07:00

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

Say Yes!

2009-03-25T08:31:00.000-07:00

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

NYC Popfest Lineup!

2009-03-23T20:50:00.000-07:00

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)

* * * * * * * * * *

Kisses leave concussions

2009-03-11T12:18:00.000-07:00

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.

I am pants. I play music.

2009-03-06T08:27:00.000-08:00

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

Gone are the days!!!

2009-02-21T20:31:00.000-08:00

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!

New Cats on Fire!!

2009-02-18T19:45:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-18T07:48:00.000-08:00

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.

Magic Marker 10 Year Anniversary

2009-02-11T14:11:00.000-08:00

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)

NYC Popfest!

2009-02-03T21:29:00.000-08:00

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.

It's been so long

2009-01-30T09:54:00.000-08:00

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.

POBPAH! YAY!

2009-01-12T15:38:00.000-08:00

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.

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T19:59:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had/has a ball!

Some things I'm looking forward to in the coming months:

A new Pains album! and a Sexy Kids Album! By February Slumberland will have already put out two of the best albums of next year. Not too shabby, eh?

"Aboa Sleeping" by Burning Hearts! It's Cats on Fire and Le Futur Pompiste! Go Finland! Another one of the best records coming out next year! I Guarantee it!
I've Lost My Color Vision .mp3

Happy New Year! .mp3 (it's only cliche if you let it be)

Things that were really good this year.

2008-12-20T22:26:00.000-08:00

Geez, it's been a really long time since I've updated...
I don't like being restricted to just a top ten list, so instead I have a list of things that were really good this year. It's a medley of songs, 7"s, albums, concerts, and whatever else I deem really good.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart- Everything With You 7"

The Pains (of Being Pure at Heart) just killed it this year. Everyone and their mother thinks that "Everything with You" was the single of the year and I wholeheartedly agree. That, and they put on an awesome live show, and that Kip is not, in fact, a dick. And they have an album coming out next year on Slumberland

Everything with you .mp3

NYC Popfest!

More pop than you can shake a stick at. The Cannanes flew in. Cats on Fire made it. Tullycraft finally came to the east coast. The Orchids?! And there's still another 20 bands that were all absolutely fantastic.

Sexy Kids- Sisters are Forever 7"

Sexy Kids sound kind of like a toned down Royal We (because they're members of The Royal We), and are every bit as catchy. This little gem got a lot of buzz when it was released and I would say it is indeed that sweet. And what's that? They have an album coming out next year on Slumberland as well? Hoo ha.

Sisters are Forever .mp3

Slumberland Records

Talk about a comeback! After an all too long hiatus Slumberland Records came back with a vengeance. Between the ace podcasts and slew of absolutely stellar 7"s and full lengths, I would say the label of the year award would have to go to Mike.

One Happy Island- Secret Party That the Other Party Doesn't Know About

Four super-catchy sing-along pop songs from the twee-est kids in all of Boston. The only problem with this release? All the songs are so catchy, you won't know which to have stuck in your head. Temporary Tattoo is the obvious choice, with all its killer little melody and talk of long lasting unicorn and frog temporary tattoos.

Temporary Tattoo .mp3

The Tartans- Cats of Camerford/ My Baby Doesn't Care for You

LA isn't exactly at the top of the list for indie-pop epicenters (or really on the list for that matter), but the Tartans didn't let that stop them, and showed the world LA is okay by putting out two superb singles. I couldn't pick which I liked more, so I decided to split the difference and put up both the a-sides.

My Baby Doesn't Care for You .mp3

Asobi Seksu- Me and Mary

Awesome song. Awesome 7". Awesome live. It's catchy and kind of feels dance-y and that chorus has been stuck in my head since it came out, so I'd say it's pretty darn awesome.

Me and Mary .mp3

The Lodger- Life is Sweet

Epic summer jam! It's still good to listen to in end of December, so I guess it's just an epic jam. That baseline just gets me. Another winner from Slumberland.

The Lucksmiths- First Frost

I don't think this even warrants an explanation. It's new material from The Lucksmiths, so of course it's amazing. Any new material from the boys is good news, really good new material is even better.

Up With The Sun .mp3

There's a bunch of other things that were super awesome, but these were the first to come to mind.

Skipping Stones Thanksgiving Sale! And things.

2008-12-05T21:51:00.000-08:00

Skipping Stones Thanksgiving Sale! Go! Sadly they're out of the special Popfest comps, but hey, you can still get a wonderful deal on some other CDs or a $3 t-shirt!

And I'm not sure why I don't have Pylrolyse Bred in my link section, or why I haven't even mentioned the site before. Basically, whoever runs it, has converted their old mostly pop-ish records to mp3. There's some real gems in there, and a lot of vinyl only releases, so get crackin!

Oh! And Indie mp3 has a bunch of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart mpfrees up...

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T21:31:00.000-08:00

New The Boy Least Likely To!

2008-11-24T15:43:00.000-08:00

Life's probably been a bit rough for Pet and Jof. They went from having one of my favourite albums to having no record label at all. They have to hear "Be Gentle with Me" used in reality shows. Thankfully, things are starting to look up for the boys. Come March their second album finally sees the light of day! And they gave us a lovely little early Christmas (or holiday I suppose) gift in the form of "The First Snowflake." It's a lot more stripped down than you would expect, and features the rattling snare drums, glockenspiels, sleigh bells, and whatever that Christmas sounding string instrument is (a lyre?). So I guess it isn't that stripped down, maybe organic is the word, well, it's a wonderful winter tune one-the-less.
For now you can stream their brand spankin new tune from Stereogum!
The First Snowflake Stream

New Releases from Matinée!

2008-11-20T15:24:00.000-08:00

The Lucksmiths don't really need an introduction or explanation. They're the Lucksmiths, and the new stuff is every bit as awesome as you remember them being, so get over to indiepages, or Matinée for your very own copy of First Frost!

Up With The Sun .mp3

Then there's the debut of Glasgow's own Bubblegum Lemonade! Doubleplusgood they call it. I call it wonderful. I stumbled across Bubblegum Lemonade a while ago on myspace and thoroughly enjoyed the couple tracks on there, so having a whole album is spectacular news. On their (his) myspace, Bubblegum Lemonade say they (he) have (has) a certain fondness for the Byrds and the good ol' JAMC, and I can't really think of a better way to describe their (his) sound, so I'll leave it at that.

I'll Never Be Yours .mp3
Susan's in The Sky .mp3

Little My's Seventh!

2008-11-15T08:37:00.000-08:00

Glockenspiels, melodicas, violins, stylophones, boy/girl harmonies, handclaps. That pretty much sums up the new Little My EP, which, as it happens, just came out today! It's loads of fun (if the video for "Sellotape My Hands" is any indicator) and is available on the usual 3" CDR or as a lovely 7" on blue vinyl. Whichever format you fancy, you can order it from WeePOP! here. If you live in the UK, you can catch them live, because they're on tour!

Puppy Cam!

2008-11-12T09:41:00.000-08:00

I couldn't help myself...thanks Matt, you've wasted my day.
Free TV Show from Ustream