Friday, June 26, 2009

Tigerella


Tigerella

Tigerella were a L.A.-based five-piece indiepop band active during the early 2000s. They played catchy songs with a sound not too far from that of perhaps Velocity Girl – thanks mostly in part to the at-times noisy guitars and lead singer Yvonne's sweet, yet powerful vocals. They released the Existential War EP of Shelflife's CDr Series in 2003 and followed up with a full-length on Schmat Records later that same year. In the years following, they began to dwindle and by they end of 2004 they seemed to be done for good, but don't hold me to that. I've yet to hear their LP, but the three songs on the EP sound just great to me. Listen to "E-Ticket Ride", it sports some pretty twinkling lead guitar and even nicer alternating vocals.

[MP3]: Tigerella :: E-Ticket Ride (Highly Recommended!)

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Thursday, June 25, 2009

All My Summer Songs No. 5




Number Five!
[MP3]: Pants Yell! :: Stop Making Music
(Submitted by myself!)

After three fantastic outside submissions in a row, I thought it was about time to to post another one of my 'Summer Songs'. As you've likely already gathered, the song is "Stop Making Music" by Pants Yell!. It was one of the b-sides on their '83 in '05 7" released back in 2005. I fondly remember playing the heck out of it on many a lazy day the last Summer before I moved up to school. Not only is it a fantastic song, but these days just hearing that melody just makes me long for Summers already past. The glockenspiel solo just kills me. That Summer feeling will indeed haunt me the rest of my life.

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Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The Depreciation Guild: "Dream About Me" Video

I tend to not read Pitchfork too much these days, but thankfully Ed Shelflife does or I would have have missed The Depreciation Guild's new video for their new single "Dream About Me". The song is a total bliss-out – like some perfect blend of New Order and Spooky-era Lush – and the video just accents it perfectly. The single was apparently supposed to be out of Shelflife, but now it will be seeing a release on Kanine Records on July 7. You can preorder it from Kanine's shop.

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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Best Coast


Beach ladies.

Best Coast is the L.A.-based pop project of Bethany Consentino of Pocahaunted along with Bobb Bruno. I'm not a very big fan of Pocahaunted, but Best Coast's fuzzy pop songs are right up my alley. This is some seriously lo-fi stuff, but the melodies are definitely there and they're pretty memorable – at least to me. They've got a tape and a 7" slated for release on Blackest Rainbow and Art Fag Recordings, respectively. Not sure if this song will end up on either of the releases, but it's my favorite of the bunch I've heard. It reminds me a little of MBV's "Sometimes" if it were perhaps thrown through a woodchipper.

[MP3]: Best Coast :: Up All Night (Highly Recommended!)

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Monday, June 22, 2009

Sushi


Better than cold fish.

Sushi were a six-piece Bay area pop band with an all too short lifespan. They released an EP on Swingset Records in 1999 (which I've never heard) and an album on Shelflife in 2000 titled The Quiet Space Between Houses, along with a couple comp appearances. Later in 2000 they called it quits, but core members Jeff and Jared started a new band called The History of Utah. They supposedly had a single slated for Shelflife, but to my knowledge that never saw the light of day. I wonder if it was ever recorded? As for Sushi, have a listen – especially if smooth, jazzy indiepop is your cup of tea. This song comes from The Quiet Space Between Houses, which you can actually still buy from the Shelflife Shop – though it's almost gone!

[MP3]: Sushi :: Strip Mall Breed (Highly Recommended!)

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Friday, June 19, 2009

Tomorrow Today


Seeland

I've been loving Seeland's debut LP Tomorrow Today since in was finally released back in March of this year. To be honest, I was initially drawn in by the LP's fantastic artwork at the mention of ex-Broadcast member Tim Felton. After realizing Tim was in the band and that Seeland's influences lie basically in the same field as Broadcast's, I expected some sort of Broadcast rehashing – which to be clear, I wouldn't have entirely minded. But such was not the case. To my surprise, the majority of Tomorrow Today is actually brimming with catchy pop tunes. The songs range from 80s electronic anthems ala OMD, to summery space-age pop in the vein of Stereolab, though always more or less wrapped in some of the band's library music and analog electronics influences. "Turnaround" is one of my favorites, have a listen!

[MP3]: Seeland :: Turnaround (Highly Recommended!!!)

Seeland on MySpace!
Tomorrow Today is out now on Loaf Recordings.

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The Secret Love Parade


The Secret Love Parade

The Secret Love Parade are Aino Vehmasto and Janna Coomans, two girls from The Netherlands with some dreamy voices and even dreamier pop melodies! They sound to me like a Dutch Brittle Stars – though a bit slower. Their songs are perfect for tired eyes and sleepy hearts just itching to drift off into dreamland. I haven't got any MP3s, but you should totally go to their MySpace and have a listen! I would highly recommend "Paper Moon" and "My Secret Love Parade"!

The Secret Love Parade on MySpace!

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Tuesday, June 16, 2009

All My Summer Songs No. 4


Summer just keeps getting better

Number Four!
[MP3]: The Neoboys :: Richman's Dream
(Submitted by reader Salvador Martinez!)

"My favorite summer song is a classic track by the cult all-girl band The Neoboys. They were part of the interesting punk scene of Portland in the early 80's. The song is called "Richman's Dream" and I know that it isn't about summer but I discover it while seeing the first Gus Van Sant movie, "Mala Noche", last summer and I immediately fell in love with the song and the band so it became my summer tune last year. It's so sad that there's no new re-editions of their LPs or 7", either here in Europe or in the States and hope any label notices it soon to make justice. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Cheers, summer people!"

This song is the perfect example of why these summer song posts are so great! I'd never ever heard of the Neoboys, but this song is awesome. Infact i think I'm in love with it. If anyone has any more info on them, please feel free to share!

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Monday, June 15, 2009

I think I need you but I can't be sure!

Wow, it's been ten days. Summer has been hogging all my attention, I'm so sorry. Back to business! The Lodger will release their new 'I Think I Need You' EP on June 22nd! The EP's title track is a smart, instant pop classic and the video's aesthetics (as well as the EP's cover art) only further the fact. Watch!



'I Think I Need You" is out on Elefant Records

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Friday, June 05, 2009

I Hope I Always Hear Your Footsteps With Me


Pocketbooks!

"Footsteps" is the new single from Pocketbooks' smashing debut LP Flight Paths! It will be available officially on June 15 on iTunes, as well as Pocketbooks' website, but we're doing an early giveaway of the MP3 right here on Skatterbrain! "Footsteps" is an obvious highlight of the album – a perfect album opener, and a perfect single.

[MP3]: Pocketbooks :: Footsteps (Highly Rec'd!)
As the single's artwork hints, "Footsteps" is indiepop written for the dancefloor. The song's innocent storyline follows a couple through the streets and into the clubs and onto the dancefloor over again and again as Emma Pocketbooks sings "I just hope I always hear your footsteps with me" during each chorus, before culminating in a fantastic overlapping boy/girl harmony right at the end! A simple enough sentiment, but implemented beautifully by indiepop's most sparkling of contemporaries.

Flight Paths will be out officially on July 13, but you can order yours now from HDIF's online shop, HERE!

Pocketbooks on MySpace!

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Thursday, June 04, 2009

A monthly mix: June!


Guess the movie!

It's that time again! This marks the very first two mix streak of consecutive monthly mixes – as you may know, I tend to forget to keep these kinds of 'regular' things going! About the mix though, it's a very good one! Featuring a smattering of mostly U.S. indiepop mostly from the 90s mostly with leanings towards quick, noisy, fuzzy, hook-laden pop songs. In short, the perfect thing for these hot summer days. Personal highlights include Poastal's "The Absolute Magnitude...", with it's speedy and totally unrelenting bassline; Fuzzy's "Flashlight", which I only just heard very recently, but have quickly fallen in love with it – look at her voice go!; and Red Dye No. 5's "Hope", a song I'd been meaning to track down for a long time, from a compilation (Pure Spun Sugar) which I'd also been trying to locate for quite some time! I have it now and I couldn't be happier. I hope you love the mix! Let me know what you think of it!

DOWNLOAD IT!

Tracklist:
01. Fuzzy :: Flashlight
02. The Summer Hits :: Laetitia
03. Racecar :: Wonderment
04. Henry's Dress :: Get Yourself Together
05. Poastal :: The Absolute Magnitude of Negative Five
06. Schrasj :: Tower
07. Boyracer :: In Love
08. #Poundsign# :: Button
09. Fudge :: Girlwish
10. Plumtree :: The Phone, The Phone
11. The Cherry Smash :: Airport Girl
12. Red Dye No. 5 :: Hope

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Tuesday, June 02, 2009

I want to go and find a girl with open-ness and honesty


Some of The Seven Inches

Boy do I feel silly. Since first coming across them sometime in the past, I've always purposely glossed over Leeds' Seven Inches. Why? I don't know, really – which is exactly why I decided to give their new Open-Ness and Honesty EP (released just yesterday on Tom's new Indie-MP3 Records!) a try! Sure glad I did, because, though unbeknown to me this whole time, The Seven Inches are actaully really, really good.

Both the first and final tracks of this three-song EP are absolute gems! The songs are quick, noisy numbers with boy/girl melodies (care of Ian and Emily) topped off with squealing solos and feedback and horns! In other words, right up my alley! Emily's vocals, which remind me quite a lot of Pam Berry's dreamy croon, are the perfect juxtaposition to Ian's snarl – note the bridge around the 2:00 mark in the title track – ahh, bliss!). To Boldly Go is just fantastic as well, closing the EP with about as much pop bombast as one could possibly squeeze into just under three minutes. A Layer of Chips likened it to Aiport Girl's indiepop epic "The Foolishness We Create..." and I really couldn't agree more! Get this EP! That's all I have left to say.

[MP3]: The Seven Inches :: To Boldly Go (Highly Recommended!)

Order the Open-Ness and Honesty EP from Indie-MP3 Records!
The Seven Inches on MySpace!

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