Artigos com o marcador Indiepop
1000 Violins – Like One Thousand Violins (2000)
27/07/10
The indie pop band One Thousand Violins were bound by geographic restrictions during their four-year career. Since the group had no manager, One Thousand Violins had to limit its live performances to England, France, and Germany; however, because of the Internet, One Thousand Violins eventually acquired the exposure the band couldn’t get during their lifetime. One Thousand Violins formed in Sheffield, England, in 1985. The group featured two former members of the Page Boys, Colin Gregory (guitar), and Dave Walmsley (guitar, keyboards), and Darren Swindells (bass), Peter Day (drums), and John Wood (vocals). In 1985, One Thousand Violins released their first single, “Halcyon Days.” Later that year, the single “Like One Thousand Violins” was voted as one of the year’s best songs by the listeners of renowned British DJ John Peel. Day was replaced by drummer Ian Addey in 1987; a year later, Wood departed from the band and Vince Keenan of the Hazze Office became the new vocalist. One Thousand Violins released three albums before breaking up in 1989 due to financial problems. Gregory ended up in the Dylans. Keenan reappeared with Splendid Fellows and then SPIGGOTT. In 1992, Walmsley passed away from cancer. In 2001, Vinyl Japan released a career retrospective, Like One Thousand Violins. Through word-of-mouth on the Internet, the music of One Thousand Violins was discovered by a new generation of indie pop buffs. ~ Michael Sutton, AMG
My Rate: 9/10
Áudio de “If Only Words”
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VA – The Sound of Leamington Spa Volume 1-5
24/07/10
The three record companies involved in these releases – Clarendon Records, Firestation Records and Bilberry Records – all had the same idea for the compilation series independently. As they started talking to each other they realised that if the individuals from these companies wanted to see these recordings made available once more, it made sense that there was a large listening public of like minds. Some of the groups are obscure, others are better known, but it was deliberate policy not to release the more familiar artists of the time. After all, even though these are old recordings, it was still felt important to be offering something new, something that would give the listener that thrill of hearing something unexpected and delicious for the first time. Even the most knowledgeable and devoted 80s indie-pop fan will make new discoveries in uncharted territories here.
The Sound of Leamington Spa is a series of CDs and LPs that give people the chance to get re-acquainted with, or discover anew, a back catalogue of British pop gems that had been banished to an airwave graveyard. Like the legendary Pebbles albums that showcased the hidden wonders of 1960s garage so eloquently, the Leamington Spa series provides a valuable public service to the hungry independent pop music explorer, who wanders through the past as well as the present in search of unmapped landmarks. ~ TWEE.NET
VA – The Sound of Leamington Spa Vol. 1 (2000) | DOWNLOAD
The Pooh Sticks – Indiepop Ain’t Noise Pollution
Episode Four – Strike Up Matches
Big Red Bus – Cathedral walls
The Man From Delmonte – Drive Drive Drive
Hey Paulette – I Really Do Love Penelope
Where Gardens Fall – Search
The Anyways – Silver
Metro Trinity – Spend My Whole Life Loving You
The Hepburns – Andy & Valerie
Asia Fields – Dazzed
The Siddeleys – Sunshine Thuggery
Hot Rain – Time Is On Our Side
The Desert Wolves – Mexico
The Clamheads – Summer’s Coming Down
Sister Rain – Burt Reynolds
The Cherry Orchard – So blind
North Of Cornwallis – Billy Liar
The Windmills – The Day Dawned On Me
Last Party – Barbecued
The Wishing Stones – Beat Girl
The Aurbisons – Holy Cow
VA – The Sound of Leamington Spa Vol. 2 (2002) | DOWNLOAD
Friends – You’ll Never See That Summertime Again
Bob Hope – I Don’t Know
Newsflash – An Englishman
The Sandalwoods – The Day Is Mine
Said Liquidator – Third Man
Reserve – Butcher’s Daughter
Benny Profane – Tear The Web
Dubious Brothers – Yes Man
Phil Wilson – Better Days
The Groove Farm – Just A Silly Phase I’m Going Through
Splendid Fellows – Fields of Corn
The Big Gun – Heard About Love
Harbour Bar – The Boy I Was
The Honest Johns – Judas In Me Singing
Fat and Frantic – I Don’t Want To Say Goodbye
Fallover 24 – Cloth Stained Blue
The Passmore Sisters – Difficult
Love Parade – Under The Weather
Ambitious Beggars – Pockets and Minds
VA – The Sound of Leamington Spa Vol. 3 (2003) | DOWNLOAD
The Candidates – Sound Of Summer
Pure – Aspidistra
Accrington Stanley – The New Me
The Morrisons – Listen To Your Heart
1000 Violins – Start Digging My Grave Sugar
The Bloody Marys – Stain
Me And Dean Martin – Me And My Paisley Shirt
Bounce The Mouse – Will You Ever Say
Exit 13 – Perfect Dream
Waving At Trains – Sylvie
Thin Gypsy Thieves – Perfection
The Passengers – Sometimes
Snowbirds – Motorcycle Baby
The Deddingtons – The Last Day
C-Saim – Give And Take
Onionhead – It Comes Around
Honeytrap – Peace In A Picture
The Chairs – Brave Little Soldier
The Irregulars – Against The Grain Of My Life
The Chalk Giants – Pushing Gary Down
VA – The Sound of Leamington Spa Vol. 4 (2004) | DOWNLOAD
The Clouds – Get Out My Dream
The Submarines – I Saw The Children
Decoy Avenue – Gone Native
Candy Darlings – That’s Where Caroline Lives
35 Summers – Really Down
The Nivens – Yesterday
The Minnows – Time Flies
The Marteens – First Kiss
Hellfire Sermons – The Best Laugh I Ever Had
The Bridge – Shame Is A Girl
The Apple Moths – Everything
The Williams – I Know I’m Nothing Special To You
Johnny Says Yeah! – Waiting Here For Me
Dislocation Dance – He’s The Man
The Church Grims – Plaster Saint
Beethoven’s Kiss – The Wonder Of You
Nautical William – Love House
Explained Emma – When My Heart Rings
The Days – Audrey’s Curtains
Wake Up Afrika – Walking Blind
VA – The Sound of Leamington Spa Vol. 5 (2005) | DOWNLOAD
Nine Steps To Ugly – Eddie Lopez Lives In Slough
Perfect – Desire
A Strange Desire – Promise To Lie
On The Waterfront – Mrs Harrington
The Shrew Kings – Losing My Cool
The Incredible Blondes – Forever (Swansong)
No Flags Etc – Rubble
This Poison! – Driving Skills
Carpenter Joe – The Path Of Most Resistance
Kid Sinister – The Cradle Born
Almost Charlotte – Frustration
Men Of Westenesse – Boating
The Honeymooners – Untitled
Action Painting! – Boy Meets World (Alt Version)
Black Cillas – Sebastian
The Thieves – And Then He Died
Ade Moose And Walker – Lounge Around
Gradapenda Rosindale – Bad Days Must End
The Wildhouse – Ficca
My Rate: 10/10
Áudio de “The Windmills – The Day Dawned On Me”
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The Windmills – Sunlight (2001)
23/07/10
British guitar pop group the Windmills follow in the footsteps of such great guitar pop bands like the House of Love, the Weather Prophets, the Go-Betweens, and Lloyd Cole and the Rattlesnakes. They have the same ringing, jangling guitar and propulsive drumming. Roy Thrilwall has a world-weary mope of a voice that is eerily reminiscent of Lawrence of Felt at times. Like the songs of the aforementioned bands, the songs on Sunlight are mostly depressing and heartbroken: “Pounds, Shilling and Pence” and “When It Was Winter” are almost desolate in a shrugged-shoulders kind of way. Even the jauntily titled “Be Groovy or Leave” is a downer, since it isn’t the singer giving the command, he’s on the receiving end. Bummer. While the Windmills don’t quite reach the level of their influences, Sunlight is a pretty good record and is recommended to fans of sensitive British guitar pop. ~ Tim Sendra, AMG
My Rate: 9.8/10
Áudio de “She’s So Hard”
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Mary Lou Lord – Got No Shadow (1998)
19/07/10
For many years in the alternative revolution of the early ’90s, Mary Lou Lord was touted as the next big thing by those in the know, but she never delivered a full-length album, preferring to turn out a series of indie EPs on Kill Rock Stars. It wasn’t until 1998 that she released her full-length debut, Got No Shadow. While many of the titles on the album may be familiar to longtime fans — “Lights Are Changing,” “Some Jingle Jangle Morning,” “Western Union Desperate,” “Subway” — the clean, polished sound of Got No Shadow might come as surprise. But the production actually does a nice job of opening up her sound, making it accessible like a Shawn Colvin record without losing integrity. Some critics may carp that Lord wrote or co-wrote seven of the 13 tracks of the record, with the rest of the songs devoted to covers of her longtime associate Nick Saloman (the Bevis Frond), and one tune apiece from Elizabeth Cotton (“Shake Sugaree”) and Freedy Johnston (“The Lucky One”), but that has the effect of strengthening the album, since there isn’t a weak song here. Lord has a sweet, thin voice that is surprisingly versatile, and she delivers Saloman‘s songs as convincingly as her own. Got No Shadow is a little subdued, but Lord’s charming performances, clever lyrics, and catchy melodies prove remarkably resonant. It may not have the unvarnished appeal of the early EPs and tapes, but Got No Shadow was worth waiting for. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG
My Rate: 9/10
Áudio de “Some Jingle Jangle Morning”
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Marbles – Pyramid Landing and Other Favorites (1997)
15/07/10
ALLMUSIC Pyramid Landing and Other Favorites collects Robert Schneider‘s pre-Apples (in stereo) four-track recordings, cut between 1992 and 1993. Far more spare and delicate than the Apples’ fuzzy pop, the Marbles‘ songs are still cut from essentially the same Beach Boys-inspired cloth; while not as dynamic or accomplished as Schneider‘s later work, his early compositions are nevertheless melodic, bright, and charming — even at his most derivative, he’s an engaging talent and a smart pop revisionist. \\ Jason Ankeny
My Rate: 9/10
Áudio de “Swimming”
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June & The Exit Wounds – A Little More Haven Hamilton, Please (1999)
15/07/10
ALLMUSIC One might be tempted to think the front cover says virtually all you need to know about A Little More Haven Hamilton, Please. A framed picture of Brian Wilson in deep thought sits on the tape deck over a keyboard while Todd Fletcher, looking clean-cut and suburban, ponders over that next appropriate guitar chord. And, well, one wouldn’t be too far off. The band name sounds pulled from the bowels of CBGB’s circa 1977, but the music of Fletcher — who is the totality of June & the Exit Wounds — is gorgeous afternoon pop/rock that frequently kneels at the chamber pop altar of Wilson via the one-man production flair of Todd Rundgren. Simultaneously Fletcher is both ’90s savvy and cognizant of all the styles of sophisticated pop that preceded it. He presents a modernized slant on guileless romanticism in the course of pulling together all the softest, sleekest qualities of pop music from the ’60s and ’70s and giving them a renewed, unpretentious gloss. The album employs the crafted sheen of Steely Dan throughout, and especially on songs such as the breezy “How Much I Really Loved You” and “Hey Hey Hey.” Saccharine but tender Bee Gees sentimentality gets a workout on “You’re Breaking My Heart,” a spartan tune that nevertheless has epic levels of emotional attachment. There is a sweet ode to dance-music princess “Cathy Dennis” that is confounding as a musical influence (given Fletcher’s stylistic m.o.) but entirely heartbreaking as a puppy love paean. True to its muse, though, the song manages to take on a disco varnish without abandoning the album’s pop/rock base, ending up remarkably close to Classics IV territory. And the album even goes beyond rock on occasion.
Blossom Dearie gets a thank you in the liner notes, and that influence comes to pass in fabulous jazzy lounge ballads like “I Shouldn’t Be Surprised” and “Straight to My Head,” complete with brushed drums and vibes that lend a somber, heartsick lilt to the music. Brian Wilson, however, remains the picture on Fletcher’s wall. He sings in a honey-coated, falsetto croon that is often a dead ringer for Wilson, and his showers of harmonies are Beach Boy-worthy, particularly on the breathtaking “Highway Noise.” The same adult innocence that characterizes Pet Sounds and SMiLE, too, shows up on “Let’s Shack Up Together,” a sumptuously arranged confection that is all heart-on-sleeve, dressing up what is actually a pretty serious, life-altering suggestion in child-like naïveté. (The LP version of the album comes accompanied by a bonus 7″ with two exclusive songs, and one of them — “I Can See You” — picks up right where “Surf’s Up” from the Beach Boys’ Smile left off.) A Little More Haven Hamilton, Please is a fabulous soft rock exercise, easy listening bliss, even when it is wrenching the extremes of sorrow from its softhearted soul. It is an overlooked gem of polished and sparkling songcraft. \\ Stanton Swihart
My Rate: 6.8/10
Vídeo de “Let’s Shack Up Together” (audio only)
VA – 2nd Fanfare for Elephant 6 (2010)
14/07/10
My Rate: 8.5/10
Tracklist:
DISC 1:
01. Yesterday’s World (Circulatory System) — General Oglethorpe & the Panhandlers
02. (iv) (The Gerbils) — tiny folk
03. A Song of Love (The Gerbils) — radiowires, theaddingmachine, & DaveKent
04. If I Were You (Nesey Gallons) — Sally Seen Nog
05. Little Birds (Neutral Milk Hotel) — The Curiously Strong Peppermints
06. Fooled With the Wrong Guy (Beulah) — Lou Nathanson
07. Love Athena (Sunshine Fix) — Impaled Peach
08. Lucky Girl (The Gerbils) — Carton Sonore
09. The Shower Song (Chocolate U.S.A.) — The Voyages
10. Me and Jesus Don’t Talk Anymore (Beulah) — Carnival Bird
11. King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1 (Neutral Milk Hotel) — Dead Canaries
12. King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 2 (Neutral Milk Hotel) — Tall Building
13. Sun Is Out (The Apples in stereo) — Velma Spaghetti
14. Pyramid Landing (Marbles) — Zombie Girlfriend Hospital Attack Force
15. Rue De Lis (The Essex Green) — Mayor Byrne 3
16. Glue (The Gerbils) — Sea Shoes
17. She Did a Lot of Acid (Neutral Milk Hotel) — pitaburd
18. Hank the Yankee Dalmation (Chocolate U.S.A.) — Champagne Khampagne
19. Sinking Ship (Neutral Milk Hotel) — Daydreaming in the Forest
20. You’ve Got a Gift (of Montreal) — Akryllic Love
DISC 2:
21. The Arrow Flies Close (Elf Power) — Stomach Ulcers & Jason
22. The Piece That Fits (Madeline) — Madeline Ava
23. There Won’t Be Any Crows (Nesey Gallons) — ufoinkushiro
24. The Past Is a Grotesque Animal (of Montreal) — Freemdoom
25. The Secret Ocean (Elf Power) — Fig Mints
26. To Hell and Back (Madeline) — Stomach Ulcers
27. Gravity Car (Olivia Tremor Control) — Thosedamnbuckets
28. Aurora Borealis (Nesey Gallons) — The Garrats
29. Lysergic Bliss (of Montreal) — Ace Azzameen & officeparty
30. Big White Limo (The Gerbils) — EllertMichael
31. Hideway (Olivia Tremor Control) — Lou Nathanson & Impaled Peach
32. Psychotic Feeling (of Montreal) — lenn9o9n
33. Calm Go The Wild Seas (Beulah) — Stomach Ulcers, Lou Nathanson, & lenn9o9n
34 A Baby for Pree (Neutral Milk Hotel) – Chapman’s Friend and the Glorious League of Imposters
35. Bunny Ain’t No Kind of Rider (of Montreal) — Nick Fraelich
36. A Peek (Circulatory System) — Zakk Zielke
37. Engine (Neutral Milk Hotel) — Jo Rose & Liam
Aias – Aias 7″ (2010)
05/07/10
CAPTURED TRACKS Aias is a three piece girl group from Barcelona. Their songs, sung in their native tongue of Catalan, draw listeners in with a sound of dreamy longing. Think Lush meets Dolly Mixture with a hint a Motown.
My Rate: 9.5/10
Áudio de “Aias”
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LAKE – Oh, The Places We’ll Go (2008)
04/07/10
ALLMUSIC // The members of Olympia’s LAKE are incredibly prolific musicians. Each of the five members has solo projects and they play both together and separately in various other bands, but when they get together as LAKE, they create something pretty magical. Oh, the Places We’ll Go is their third album to be officially released (rumor has it they’ve recorded many more) and it’s a tiny masterpiece of 2000s indie pop. The band shares songwriting and singing chores with equal proportion of male and female voices, the girls sounding sweet and soulful, the boys coming over as sensitive but not drippy. And they sound great when they join together in chorus or harmony, like a campfire singalong at the nicest summer camp you could imagine. The songs they put their voices to are incredibly hooky and fun, ranging from indie-club friendly (the insanely catchy title track, the almost funky “Counting,” which half hijacks a classic Rolling Stones riff) to dreamily melancholic (“Bad Dream,” “On the Swing”), from atmospheric (“Minor Trip”) to flat-out wonderful (“Blue Ocean Blue”). It’s a short album, almost 27 minutes, but there isn’t a wasted moment or false move. The closest comparison you could draw is to Architecture in Helsinki, not because they sound too terribly similar, but because they share the same lo-fi but well-crafted approach to arranging (flutes, horns, tinny drum machines, and all sorts of percussion bolster the sound) and recording. They also write similarly childlike but sophisticated songs that might appear lightweight but stick with you for a long time. There’s also some P:ano in LAKE’s sound, mostly in the musical theater-y song structure of a few of the songs. Mentioning those two names should clue you in to just how good LAKE is and how good Oh, the Places We’ll Go is. In case you need it spelled out…..Oh, the Places We’ll Go is very, very good. ~ Tim Sendra
My Rate: 8/10
Áudio de “Blue Ocean Blue”
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Bmx Bandits – Gettin’ Dirty (1995)
02/07/10
ALLMUSIC The fourth BMX Bandits album, 1995′s Gettin’ Dirty, breaks with tradition by finally establishing a fully fledged band who contributes to every track instead of gathering a nebulous collection of friends surrounding singer/songwriter Duglas T. Stewart. As a result, Gettin’ Dirty is the first BMX Bandits album with a consistent sound and feel. Stewart and guitarist Francis McDonald (moonlighting from his regular gig in Teenage Fanclub) wrote most of the songs together, with Stewart‘s lyrics complemented nicely by McDonald‘s Big Star-derived melodic sense. While none of the tunes are as completely swell as “Serious Drugs,” the highlight from the previous year’s Life Goes On, there’s also a refreshing lack of the half-baked filler that marred previous BMX Bandits efforts. Highlights include the title track, a downright sweet reverie about the joys of showering with your significant other, and the Phil Spector homage “Come out of the Shadows,” but Teenage Fanclub fans will be most intrigued by the McDonald-penned “No Future,” which is a companion song to “Tears” from Teenage Fanclub‘s Grand Prix: the two songs are musically identical, with two sets of lyrics written from opposing viewpoints of the same romantic situation, an interesting conceit that also works as a pair of great pop songs. ~ Stewart Mason
My Rate: 8/10
Áudio de “Hello Again”
