Artigos com o marcador jangle pop
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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Maplewood – Maplewood (2004)
22/07/10
Maplewood is a low-key indie rock supergroup with members of Champale, Koester, Cub Country, and Nada Surf gathered together in the spirit of ’70s canyon rock. Their self-titled debut brings back hazy memories of groups like America, Bread, and CSNY. The kind of groups who always seemed ready to break out their acoustic guitars and serenade the sweet hippie chicks around campfires and in hazy bars with heartfelt lead vocals and harmonies, ringing open-chord strumming, lazy tempos, and occasional pedal steel for added melancholy. There are also echoes of more modern bands like R.E.M. on “Darlene,” Lambchop on “Bright Eyes,” and Teenage Fanclub on the chiming “Morning Star.” The spirit of Matthew Sweet also hovers over the proceedings, as he’s been treading these light rock boards for quite a while. So there you have all the influences and connections, all of which don’t mean much if Maplewood can’t deliver the songs. Luckily, they do. Tunes like “Indian Summer,” “Little Dreamer Girl,” and the quiet epic “Desert Queen” sound like they were taken right off a Time/Life Sounds of the 70′s comp. The rest are solid and memorable too. They escape being mere revivalists by investing their hearts into the material. There is no winking or obvious lifting of melodies. They create the feel of the sensitive California ’70s with an easy, sweet manner and plenty of laid-back soul. Not bad for a bunch of short-haired, East Coast fellas. Line them up next to the lovely Autumn Defense and let the ’70s begin again. ~ Tim Sendra, AMG
My Rate: 8.8/10
Áudio de “Indian Summer”
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The Jasmine Minks – The Revenge of Jasmine Minks (2004)
22/06/10
ALLMUSIC The Jasmine Minks are one of the great underrated bands of the ’80s. At times sounding like Echo & the Bunnymen without the epic ambition or the Go-Betweens with more Motown records in their collection, their sound combined the energy of punk with the tunefulness of indie pop and brimmed with soul and fury, introspection and hooks. Revola’s The Revenge of the Jasmine Minks gathers together 24 songs recorded in the ’80s for Creation. Taken from their three albums and various singles, the end result is a very impressive body of work that certainly rehabilitates their reputation and should boost their standing in the annals of Creation immensely. Listening to the songs 20 years later, one is struck by just how strong they are. At the time, they were sort of eclipsed by their roster mates like Primal Scream and the Weather Prophets, bands whose songs’ charms were in part due to their ultra-melodic and simple nature.
The Jasmine Minks’ songs are melodic to be sure but are fraught with tension, from the often skittering beats to the searching, manly vocals of Jim Shepard to the political and angst-filled tone of the lyrics. The best songs, like the powerful “Think!,” “Cry for a Man,” “Marcella,” and “Reaching Out,” make a strong case for the Jasmine Minks as a great lost band. In fact, their finest song, “Cut Me Deep,” is a beautifully heartbroken song that is the equal of anything the Smiths or the Teardrop Explodes or anyone else for that matter recorded in the ’80s. The band was at their best on the uptempo songs that threatened to grab you by the throat and shake you alive, but they also were able to write affecting ballads like “Cold Heart,” a soulful acoustic ballad with some wonderful group vocals. Indeed, by the end of Revenge, the band is creating mature, highly arranged pop tunes that, while lacking the energy of the earlier material, still pack a soulful punch.
They managed to grow up without losing the reason they were a band or changing so much that their original fans would dismiss them. If you missed out on the Jasmine Minks the first time around, this is an excellent opportunity to relive the memories you never had. Indeed, if you like indie pop or are a rock fan at all, you should really think about giving the Minks a listen. Your interest will be paid off by excellent songs and performances. It may be a stretch to say the band is on par with the legends of British indie pop, but they certainly are at the very top of the second division. Packaged with a typical amount of love and care by Revola, The Revenge of the Jasmine Minks is one of the top reissues of 2004. ~ Tim Sendra
My Rate: 9/10
Áudio de “Cold Heart”
The Mantles – Pink Information 12″ (2010)
15/06/10
Novo EP. Seeeensacional!!!
ALLMUSIC The Mantles — a sweet yet gritty San Francisco-based indie pop outfit rooted in 1960s garage rock, Paisley Underground, and the C-86 sound — started out as a three-piece consisting of frontman Mike Oliveres, drummer Virginia Weatherby, and bassist Jermaine. The latter left the group early on, and Matt Roberts (the David) and guitarist Drew were subsequently brought on board to round out the Mantles’ lineup. The group’s debut 7″ EP, Burden/Walk with Me/The Garden/Trouble in the Streets, was released on Dulc-I-Tone Records in 2007. Another single, Secret Heart (produced by the Papercuts‘ Jason Quever), came out on the mt.st.mtn label the following year. The Mantles’ debut self-titled full-length, recorded by Greg Ashley, was released on Siltbreeze Records in 2009. ~ Margaret Reges
My Rate: 9/10
Áudio de “Situations”
Felt – Absolute Classic Masterpieces (1992)
14/06/10
ALLMUSIC Absolute Classic Masterpieces documents the dark jangle pop of Felt between the years of 1979 and 1985; it’s a best-of collection for a band that always deserved more attention. The tracks run in reverse chronological order, starting with “Primitive Painters,” a song that charts the territory wherethe Cocteau Twins, the Fall, and the Smiths overlap, and ending with the very first demo single “Index.” The order of the tracks means that you are listening to the band devolve into its influences, and the effect is enjoyable. “Primitive Painters” is a lost treat if ever one existed; along with the next three tracks, it was produced by Robin Guthrie of the Cocteau Twins. “Primitive Painters” also features Elizabeth Frazer of the Cocteau Twins on vocals. Guthrie is not the only famed producer whose work appears here; three John Leckie tracks are also included, from the Strange Idols Pattern & Other Short Stories album. While most of the slower songs appear toward the end of the album, making it a somewhat sleepy affair as it winds down, there are charms like “The World Is as Soft as Lace” to liven things up. “Penelope Tree” sounds a bit like Lou Reed fronting the Cure. There’s great material to be found throughout the work of Felt, so this collection would work regardless of its running order. Newcomers looking for their first Felt album should start here, with the knowledge that there is quite a bit of dark atmosphere layered over the pop charms within. While these songs might not be masterpieces, as the album title would have you believe, there are many near-masterpieces of moody jangle pop just waiting to be rediscovered. ~ Tim DiGravina
My Rate: 10/10
Vídeo de “Primitive Painters”
VA – Yellow Pills Vol. 1: The Best of American Pop! (1993)
28/05/10
ALLMUSIC A dynamic power-pop collection featuring new and old tracks by some of the leading groups of the last ten years, including Dwight Twilley, the Shoes, the Rubinoos, and Tommy Keene. The music on Yellow Pills is strong enough to convert casual fans into hardcore power-pop fanatics. [by Stephen Thomas Erlewine]
Tracklist:
1. Dwight Twilley – Remedies
2. Shoes – I Miss You
3. Adam Schmitt – Speed Kills
4. The Cowsills – Is It Any Wonder
5. 20-20 – Song Of The Universe
6. Enuff Z’Nuff – Fingers On It
7. Devin Hill – Stars
8. Critics – You Can’t Lie
9. Jim Basnight – Rest Up
10. Chris Von Sneidern – Open Wide
11. The Spongetones – Skinny
12. The Rubinoos – The Girl
13. Tommy Keene – Disarray
14. Ken Sharp – Break Down The Walls
15. The Flashcubes – It’s You Tonight
16. Elliot Kendall – No Romance Today
17. The Vandalias – Get To Know You
18. Wallop featuring Wally Bryson – When Is Your Dreams
19. Buddy Love – Why Can’t We Make Believe We’re In Love
20. Three Hour Tour – Love Sick Trip
21. Mark Johnson – I Like The World
My Rate: 9.8/10
Áudio de “The Cowsills – Is It Any Wonder”
Cats On Fire – Dealing In Antiques (2010)
27/05/10
Ótima compilação do Cats On Fire, banda da Finlândia que ganhou comparações com The Smiths, Orange Juice e Pulp. São ao todo 20 faixas reunindo todos os singles, além de raridades e músicas não lançadas. Enjoy!
My Rate: 7/10
Áudio de “Your Woman”
The Hillfields – It’ll Never Be the Same Again (2009)
22/05/10
SOUNDSXP Having seen them on the indiepop circuit several times and heard their sold out release on Cloudberry Records, I thought I had a good handle on what the Hillfields’ debut album would sound like. However, the little silver disc that dropped through my door has a surprising unpredictability. Yes, there’s plenty of chiming guitars and clear echoes of 80s indiepoppers like the House of Love and June Brides but they’ve also absorbed the more introspective pop coming from New Zealand from the same time. There are some very classy/ classic indiepop moments, where the single ‘Afterburn’ and ‘No More No More’ are catchier than a Wookie at a Velcro convention; but their janglepop is bittersweet and shot through with a melancholy air (‘Lolife’), while ‘Medicated’ is swathed in feedback and ‘1953’ takes a darker post-punk road. It’s a perfectly balanced record – the right measure of ups and downs, light and shade, fast then elegantly slow – and the real depth of pop knowledge on display makes you want to return repeatedly to this very satisfying 39 minutes of indiepop gold. [by Ged M]
DOWNLOAD (removed by request)
My Rate: 9/10
Áudio de “Down On You”
