Promises, Promises

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

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.

Life Size Maps

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

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

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?

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

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

In Soviet Russia, Overlord serves you?

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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!

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?

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

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

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

OnomonoPOWERPOPia!

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.