Oddbox Records indiepop clash with indie-mp3!

Odd Box Records teams up with Indie-MP3 for a free afternoon of indiepop at RoTa in Notting Hill.

Playing the afternoon are:

The Trudy
The Wednesday Club
The Sequins
The Gresham Flyers

It starts at 4pm. Finishes by 8pm. And it’s free to get in.

Guest DJ – Rocker from Dandelion Radio.
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More info on the bands:

The Trudy – http://www.myspace.com/thetrudy

London based indiepop band who feature ex-Cardiacs drummer Richard Targett, have just released a Japanese only compilation entitled The Adventures! The Suspense!! covering their singles to date (1984 – 2008). The band reformed a couple of years ago and, thankfully, show no sign of stopping. Expect a new single later this year.

“Like Morrissey obsessed with Heart, on anti depressants, with one heck of a hook on his hands…” Subba-Cultcha

“All the ingredients are there – golden, chunky, treble-busting guitars, a singer with a perfect balance between vulnerability and shopping-list-reading disinterest, and the almost obscene use of melody throughout.” Frinkmusic

“… an energetic power pop number that bounces you from side to side, upside down and back to front again without wiping the smile from yours and their faces.” Indie-mp3

“… bloody ace, like a scrumptious amalgamation of St. Etienne, The Primitives and Echobelly, all summery, grin-inducing pop.” Playlouder

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The Wednesday Club – http://www.myspace.com/thewednesdayclubhits

The Wednesday Club began as a bedroom based recording project in 2004, expanding in 2007 to a full band. The product of 3 distinct singer/songwriters each bringing their own spin on indie-pop, but coming together through a shared love of the absurd. Often filtering bleak subject matter through catchy, concise pop songs and informed by a belief that clever and stupid are equally valid methods of expression.

There recent LP ‘Katapult’ (out now on Odd Box Records) has been gaining a wealth of praise. This will be the bands first London outing. Ever.

“a treasure trove of great sounds” -SoundsXP

“joyful, absurd, spirit raising on a gloomy day, abundantly melodic, super eclectic” – Kitten Painting blog

“don’t set a foot wrong” – Sheffield Phonograph Corporation

“ramshackle yet lovely pop all round” – Russel’s Reviews

“Katapult’ is a triumph in simply doing what you like and having fun in the process” – LeedsMusicScene
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The Sequins – http://www.myspace.com/thesequinsspace

Coventry based indie popsters who, whilst fitting snuggly during the current indiepop renaissance, also hark back to the days of C81 and C86. Think Postcard, Rough Trade and Creation Records as starting points. After two lovely singles and an album on Tough Love Records they will be releasing their new single The Risky Woods EP on indie-mp3 records during the first part of 2010.

“An absolute must for indiepopsters everywhere” The Fly

“Blissfully tuneful indie-pop contenders” NME

“Great pop music” Plan B

“Wide eyed melodies and breakneck energy” Rough Trade

“I’m too lost in the world of Sequins and was trying to work out what I was going to do…” John Kennedy XFM

“Melancholic melodies that somehow remain uplifting” Loud and Quiet

“Sounding like The Smiths playing Life on Mars!” Careless Talk Costs Lives
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The Gresham Flyers – http://www.myspace.com/thegreshamflyers

The Gresham Flyers are a pop band from London who hold the firm belief that pop music should be FUN, ENTHUSIASTIC, THOUGHTFUL and GENUINE. With four songwriters and three singers, their sound is diverse, but always exciting.

The bands debut LP ‘Sex With Strangers’ came out on influential indiepop label – Cherryade Records in 2008. The band are currently recording the follow up.

“The Gresham Flyers are named after a type of pushbike, sell immaculately crafted split EPs with bands called The Pale Corners and Wintergreen, and have songs named ‘Factory Records Museum’ and ‘Berry Buck Mills Stipe’…but why be cynical when the performance is such fun, all ungainly spasming tinny guitars and sherbet lemon keyboards. They remind usby turns of a pre-fame Pulp, The Wedding Present, Bis, and Coventry’s Ludicrous Lollipops, a band so obscenely obscure, we feel guilty mentioning them. But what better way to describe these indie archaeologists than with a defunct indie band you’re even less likely to have heard of? And they have Fall-referencing coloured vinyl. Bloody great fun” Nightshift Magazine (Oxford)

Spaghetti Anywhere

Toy Soldier Records released the first ep from Spaghetti Anywhere. The delicious pop songs on this ep help me forget it’s still winter and trick me into thinking I’m throwing a Frisbee in the park with my friends. When I first saw an email from this band, like a lot of emails, I was ready to be disappointed with the music. Let me say, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality coming out of this debut ep from a band that won’t explain where they came up with the name of their band.

Spaghetti Anywhere – Girlfriends with Boyfriends

Spaghetti Anywhere’s Myspace
Toy Soldier Records’ Myspace

The Garlands/The Sugarplums Split 7″

It seems like eons ago that this record was first mentioned on the Atomic Beat Records website so much so that I thought it was shelved. However come the new year and it has finally appeared!

And onto side one. The Garlands is the project of Roger Gunnarsson also of The Happy Birthdays, Nixon and Free Loan Investments and they provide two fine pieces of indiepop at it’s best! I am not even going to attempt to separate the two tracks here but let’s just say they combine all the indiepop essentials to produce two fab tunes that just make you wanna grab the nearest person to you and dance like a moron.

And onto The Sugarplums who feature Matt of the US indiepop blog Skatterbrain amonst their ranks. The two songs here are minimalist to say the least and if ramshackle lo-fi indiepop was a genre they would be heading the list. I have to be honest and say I am not convinced despite several listens. I am not sure why this doesn’t jump up and grab me by the throat but maybe it’s because they are just  unfortunate enough to have The Garlands on the other side. Let’s face it those two tracks would blow anyone away.  As they say it’s a game of two halves Brian……

The EP is out now on Atomic Beat Records on 7″ vinyl only.

The Garlands

The Sugarplums

You can download a free five track digital EP by The Sugarplums here.

The Lovely Eggs

Have you been in the search for some DIY pop lately? Well, I’ll do you guys a favor and introduce you to some. Get your hands on The Lovely Eggs’ album, “If You Were Fruit”. This UK based band consists of Holly Ross and David Blackwell.

The U.S. version of “If You Were Fruit” has 19 tracks, with 5 of them being bonus tracks not on the original UK release. The majority of the songs keep under 3 minutes, with only a handful break the 3 minute mark. Holly’s delicate voice fits well with the light hearted lyric. A good example of this would be their song “ Have You Ever Heard A Digital Accordion“, where they seem mainly interested in rhyming through the entire song. The song I’ve found myself turning back to over and over would be “Where’s My Animal”. It’s a down tempo-ed song that’s filled with more heart than the others songs. A lot of the songs seem like indie pop songs meant for kindergartners to sing along to.

Head over to Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records and see what these guys are all about. If you’re planning on going to SxSW this year, then you’ll have a chance to see them live.

The Lovely Eggs – Have You Ever Heard A Digital Accordion
The Lovely Eggs – I Like Birds But I LIke Other Animals Too

Myspace
Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records

Godsmania – Free Download Single

I have covered Godsmania ever since hearing their excellent 1980’s vintage sounding single Thanks But No Thanks early last year. They have now released a free download (well free as in exchange for your e-mail addy) on Oddbox Records.

It’s called Higher Lower and is backed with Now It’s Coming On. The former is not as lo-fi as previous efforts by the band. It’s packed with the sounds of a mournful piano/synth and is reminiscent of Ricochet era Mighty Lemon Drops. On the latter once more going there is a more thorough sound production wise and it works to great effect especially when somberly vocals kick in. Well worth the download.

Download it from here.

You can also download last years Stupid Lies single for free from the bands own label Spanner Records.

My Space

The Exhibition – 4 Track Demo

At last a new band with possibly something to say but definitely have something  worth listening too.  The first impressions when catching the name was “oh no, not another Joy Division clone” but that’s not the case despite the early New Order-ish like undertones to Things That Hide In The Dark. Yes The Exhibition hark back to the 1980’s but who doesn’t these days? Opening track The Boy and the Tearaway invites comparisons to The Smiths courtesy of Pete’s vocals and Joel’s guitar playing but that is not the be and end all.

The drumming gives the songs darker edge than most whilst the guitars ring out in unison swirling amongst the words at will. This lot could well rewrite the definition of power pop. Bright New Worlds is one of the best things I have heard in a while and it almost reaches anthemic proportions. It’s hard not get carried away but with The Cavalcade last year and now The Exhibition showing great promise 2010 could bring great things on the guitar based pop front.

The Exhibition – Bright New Worlds

You can stream and download the EP from last.fm or from this direct link. A new single will appear later this year on Of National Importance Records.

My Space

Tweefort Records

Indie promoters and distributers Tweefort Records have branched out with their own net label and they have already notched up three releases.

Whilst none of the releases can be described indiepop there should be something of interest to those searching out something new. Pick of the bunch for me is the album from Women’s Basketball which is an album of simple and but pretty effective punk pop four track recordings.

The label returns to physical formats on February 19th which sees the release of their second compilation entitled Home & Abroad.

You can download the the Women’s Basketball album and the other two releases from the label’s homepage.

Women’s Basketball – Calling People I Used To Date

My Space | Homepage

A Year With The Very Most

US indiepopsters The Very Most released a series of seasonal download EP’s through the whole of 2009 Now the label has compiled all the tracks onto a limited CD which has the bonus of an extra track which is a cover of Lakes’s song Kate.

You can stream and order the album from the link below. It will also be available digitally from the likes of i-tunes, Amazon etc.

The band has also set up a website dedicated to the release which can be found here.

The Very Most – April Is The Kindest Month (From Spring)

The Very Most – You’re In Love With The Sun (From Summer)

The Very Most – Autumn Air (From Autumn)

The Very Most – Away in a Manger (From Winter)

via Indiecater Records » A Year With The Very Most ~ Quality Indie Music Downloads ~.

My Space

Singing Bridges – Three Trains EP

When you get a band who on their my space page claim influences from the likes of The Wedding Present, My Bloody Valentine, Lush, Joy Division, The Pixies, Dinosaur Jr, Jesus and Mary Chain etc you would like me rub your hands in glee and get ready to tuck in. Sadly in most cases you are left with a bitter taste in the mouth and you are left wondering why the band concerned didn’t use even an ounce of the influences they claimed.

Pearly Gatecrashers Digital Gatecrash

Australian indie pop band Pearly Gatecrashers have had their back catalogue re-issued digitally including 1993’s New Fluffy Delicious album. Somehow I missed that they had a compilation issued in 2008 entitled But Wait There’s More which aside being available digitally is also a physical release on Peruvian indiepop label Plastalina Records.  The band called in a day in 2005 with Tim Butt forming Blandville.

You can stream the bands music here

My Space