Indiepop
Velocette – Fourfold Remedy (1998)
26/08/10
North London’s Velocette deliver stylish, ’60s-tinged pop on their debut album Fourfold Remedy. Songs like “Someone’s Waiting” and “Where Are We?” express the band’s grasp on a wide range of styles, from haunting folky ballads to sly funk. Slow, pretty songs like “Reborn” and “Unkind” lend a cinematic feel to Fourfold Remedy, and the sweet-and-sultry vocals add the final, sophisticated touch. Velocette make their mark with this diverse and entertaining first effort. ~ Heather Phares, AMG
My Rate: 8/10
Vídeo de “Get Yourself Together”
Foggy Glasses #4
26/08/10
Amanhã, Sexta, vai rolar mais uma edição da Foggy Glasses na Livraria da Esquina, em São Paulo. Com shows do Pale Sunday, Lê Almeida e Stephanie Toth. Apareçam!
Foggy Glasses apresenta: LÊ ALMEIDA http://www.myspace.com/lealmeida Em junho o carioca Lê Almeida fez o primeiro show na cidade e foi tão histórico que naquele mesmo dia já foi acertada uma segunda data. Canções despretensiosas, curtas e barulhentas, que lembram o melhor do indie rock norte-americano dos anos 90, como Eric’s Trip, Guided By Voices e Pavement. A banda já tem uma legião de adoradores que prometem fazer do show uma verdadeira festa. Imperdível! PALE SUNDAY http://www.myspace.com/palesundayband A grande banda do indiepop brasileiro em raro show na capital. Show que ocorre num momento que o gênero tem ganhado cada vez mais fãs, devido ao sucesso de nomes como The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, que inclusive faz um som parecido com o dessa banda do interior paulista, na ativa desde o final dos anos 90 e com toda discografia lançada pela renomada gravadora Matinée, sediada nos Estados Unidos. STEPHANIE TOTH http://www.myspace.com/stephanietothmusic Revelada alguns anos atrás pela festa Folk This Town, a cantora-compositora Stephanie Toth finaliza o álbum de estréia, que deverá ser lançado até o final do ano. Nesse show ela irá apresentar algumas canções desse álbum, assim como velhas conhecidas de seu MySpace. Com uma sonoridade mais intimista, sem muitos enfeites ou ornamentos, é perfeita para abrir a noite. DJs: Gilberto Custódio Jr., Fabiane Trindade e Junior Asobi prometem tocar o melhor do indiepop de todos os tempos. Banquinha da Transfusão Noise Records! Chegue cedo! Dia 27/08 - sexta-feira - 22 h - R$ 10. Livraria da Esquina Rua do Bosque, 1254 - Barra Funda Flyer: Dani Hasse: http://www.danielahasse.com/
I Was A King – Old Friends (2010)
25/08/10
This record is amazing, a lot of beautiful pop melodies. Highly recommended!!!
My Rate: 9/10
Áudio de “Old Friends”
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Sprites – Starling, Spiders, Tiger and Sprites (2003)
24/08/10
Ex-Barcelona singer/guitarist Jason Korzen waited a few years before assembling a new project after that band called it quits in 2001. With Starling, Spiders, Tiger and Sprites, he cements his status as one of the most literate and unconventional lyricists in indie music. Most of the album was performed by Korzen and his wife, Amy Korzen, who performs on various toy instruments on the album, adding a childlike glee to the festivities. Gone are the keyboards and synthesizers that were a common thread in most Barcelona tracks. Opening with the light and upbeat “Do It Yourself,” Korzen next narrates a tale of teenage romance on “I Want You Back.” “Ask Me to Dance” includes more of Korzen‘s charming lyrics of apparently adolescent storylines, while “It Changes” slows down the pace in favor a more subtle, almost folk-like song, complete with howling dogs. It’s on songs like “Following Her Around” and “I Wish I Sang Better” that Korzen‘s Barcelona-era sound seeps through. The layered instrumentation and quirky indie rock inside jokes make these songs effortlessly delightful. On “Make a Baby With Me,” he serenades to his wife on the brief, enchanting track. “Keep It Together” is quite possibly the disc’s most graceful track, while “Acting Like We Quit” is a subtle political rant. The disc ends with the relaxed ballad “Winter Coat,” led by Korzen‘s pensive vocals. In the end, the colorful mix of tambourine, melodica, brushed snare drums, and various guitars makes Sprites a definite change of pace from Barcelona. The disc marks an impressive return by Korzen. Brett Lemley guests on trumpet and flügelhorn throughout the disc. Produced by Trevor Kampmann, the disc was released in February 2003 on March Records. ~ Stephen Cramer, AMG
My Rate: 7.8/10
Áudio de “Do It Yourself”
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Kicker – Our Wild Mercury Years (2006)
23/08/10
SOUNDSXP // Previous exposure to Kicker might have made you think that they were a floorstomping Northern Soul meets jangly C-86 band, in thrall to Joe Meek 45s and FAB 208 annuals. The current album is consistent in that respect but throws in a more slow burning, soulful/doleful sound, which is a way from their carefree origins.
Formed in 1999, they released five singles on various labels, collected together on FiveFortyFives on Track & Field in September 2002. Apart from appearances on tribute albums and label compilations, they’ve been working on their difficult debut album ever since. While there’s nothing revolutionary about Kicker, they prove that even familiar themes can be reworked to new ends (just look at St Etienne).
Though some will claim to hear the influence of the Auteurs on “Doris Dear”, there’s more of the sound of Felt meets the Go-Betweens (circa Tallulah’) to the album as a whole, especially where the violin adds richer tones to the guitars. “New Day Fresh Start” has real 60s brio, soundtracking a promotional movie of swinging London. “Now That The Autumn Is Here” takes them off down a West Coast road, sounding like the Gene Clark-era Byrds, while the folk-rock-pop of “Local Gentry”, with its jangly guitar sound, anticipates the direction that Ben is currently exploring with his other band The Eighteenth Day of May. (This is Ben’s only vocal and his and Phil’s endearingly wobbly Lloyd Cole meets Lawrence singing serves to show that all indiepop should be sung in a female naive-pop style). The album is bookended by two Phil-sung downbeat tunes that give the album its more sombre hue. Finest moment though is the off-yer-head version of the Inticers “Since You Left”, reaching heights that the Style Council only dreamed off in its synthesis of dancey Northern Soul rhythms, frenzied vocals, punchy guitars and wonderful trumpet and keyboards.
The album’s been a long time coming and doesn’t disappoint. It’s a glorious indiepop record, as much for catching your breath as cutting a rug, but just as sweetly still keeping the summer alive.
My Rate: 9.5/10
Áudio de “Since You Left”
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The Rosehips – The Rosehips (1997)
23/08/10
The Rosehips split several years ago, but anyone who is aware of them will testify to the influence they still have on various pop bands around today. Here at Squirrel Records we love ‘em… and that’s why it gives us great pleasure to be able to give you the opportunity to pick up a copy of this compilation CD right now. 22 tracks of great C86 pop including the essential tracks “Room In Your Heart”, “I Shouldn’t Have To Say”, the sprawling brilliance of “That Was Your Life”, and the noise rush of “I Fell In Love With A Fashion Victim”. ~ Squirrel Records
My Rate: 7.8/10
Áudio de “So Naive”
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BOB – Swag Sack (1988)
23/08/10
The initial line-up was Richard Blackborow (vocals, keyboards, guitar), Simon Armstrong (guitar, vocals). Jem Morris (bass guitar), joined the duo in 1986, and, augmented with a drum machine, they recorded the band’s first release, a flexi disc, released in 1986 on their own House Of Teeth label, and containing three short songs: “Prune (Your Tree)”, “Groove” and “Brian Wilson’s Bed”. The band gave a copy to John Peel in a fortuitous encounter in the Rough Trade record shop, and he played it several times. The drum machine was replaced by Gary Connors (drums) in 1987, and this line-up recorded 1987′s What a Performance EP and the first of three BOB John Peel sessions. Blackborow stated in 1988 that the band had a diverse set of songs in their repertoire at that stage and that the songs on the EP were selected from “by doing a quick poll of our friends”.
Early in 1988, Gary Connors was replaced by former Jamie Wednesday drummer Dean Legget, and the band recorded their second single, the Kirsty EP, a session for BBC Radio One’s Simon Mayo, and their second John Peel session. Both singles received heavy play by John Peel. The two singles were compiled together with the earlier flexi disc as Swag Sack, which was their final recording for the Sombrero label. All later releases were on their own House Of Teeth label.
In 1989, the band released the Convenience EP (which reached no.31 in John Peel’s Festive Fifty at the end of the year), followed by a limited edition/fan club release containing three songs: “Esmerelda Brooklyn”, “I Don’t Know” and “Sink”. After their third and final John Peel session, Morris was replaced by ex-Caretaker Race bassist Stephen ‘Henry’ Hersom, and this final line-up recorded the Stride Up EP in 1990, an LP Leave The Straight Life Behind and the Tired EP in 1991, and one last single, the Nothing For Something EP in 1992. BOB became one of the victims of the demise of Rough Trade’s distribution arm, which limited sales of the album and forced the band to tour for an extended period to recoup the album’s costs. A feeling of disillusionment with the ‘business’ side of the music caused a drop in morale, and they disbanded early in 1995. ~ Wikipedia
My Rate: 9/10
Áudio de “Piggery”
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Orange Cake Mix – Dream Window (1999)
21/08/10
Dream Window is Orange Cake Mix’s best album to date. All of OCM‘s albums sound more or less the same, but what sets Dream Window apart is its higher production values and more deliberate, craftsmanlike construction. “When Summer Returns” is the kind of instrumental that Jim Rao can probably write in his sleep, but “Revelation at 3:33 A.M.” is a real pop song, and one of his bet yet. In fact, there are a number of strong songs here, and this album earns Orange Cake Mix’s comparisons to the Magnetic Fields. Whether this music is revered as wimpy dream pop or lo-fi twee, Dream Window achieves the most successful balance between the two, although if Rao moves in too much more of a professional direction he might risk losing his home-tapers niche. ~ Greg Adams, AMG
My Rate: 9.5/10
Áudio de “Revelation at 3:33 A.M.”
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Brittle Stars – Brittle Stars (2000)
21/08/10
Even though the Brittle Stars hail from Florida, their sophisticated, seductive dream-pop is imported directly from Europe.Their full-length debut focuses on a hybrid of keyboard-soaked elegance and a gentle flow of lighthearted guitars. With Estelle‘s contribution of heavenly vocals, the quartet takes an influential bow toward the likes of Stereolab and Lush. ~ Mike DaRonco, AMG
My Rate: 9.8/10
Áudio de “Four Words”
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The Hang Ups – Second Story (1999)
20/08/10
The Hang Ups are a pretty good power pop group that has really turned a corner — and how. Enlisting the talents of Don Dixon and Mitch Easter to produce a more advanced work, the Minnesota group have smoothed out some of the more rag-tag edges of their earlier LPs, while somehow increasing in scope, power, proficiency, and most of all, vision. This is a lovely work of art, rare in these days when we keep being told the guitar doesn’t count for much any more. “Caroline” brims with stargazing instead of shoegazing, all hushed wonder over a peaceful night and the chattering of brooks. Brian Tighe‘s nice-guy vocals are the perfect complement, all relaxed but open to experience. Somehow, his clear-voiced, pleasant crooning serves whatever song is being played, especially on those moments where they morph into the most dangerous power pop group since the Frosting on the Beater Posies. These songs may be a bit of a textbook on the early ’70s form — thunderous, brick-heavy chords that fit tight riffs over booming floor-tom beats, sing-song melodies with big “ba ba ba” falsetto choruses — but even these trad moments have double impact, thanks to the variety on display. When they feel like it, this suddenly-veteran quintet can build a whole song out of a lugubrious piano, a folky guitar and an antiquated harpsichord, the beautiful bowing of a sonorous violin, or McCartney-esque ringing pop, and make the whole thing hang together. Clearly influenced by the great works of late-’60s Kinks and other thinking man’s pop groups that excelled despite such a wide grasp, the Hang Ups have made an LP that wouldn’t be embarrassed in the company of their antecedents. ~ Jack Rabid, AMG
My Rate: 8/10
Áudio de “Caroline”
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