We Disappear

Transmittens!

I first heard Lawrence, Kansas' own Transmittens almost a year ago when WeePOP! released their first mini-album, Our Dreams. At that time they sounded a bit like the Deirdres, playing lush little pop songs full of bells and what have you. Well, fast forward to the now and they've already got another mini-album out on WeePOP! and this one is called We Disappear. Things are a little bit different this time around, but "catchy little pop song"s would still be a pretty solid descriptor. The album end up being somewhat stylistically split between, well, the songs with synth and the songs without synth. Personally, I think it's the latter that make We Disappear so charming and keep me coming back to it. Songs like "Holiday", "Something Else", and "Blue Whale" are little gems.

[MP3]: Transmittens :: Blue Whale (Very Recommended!)

Buy We Disappear from WeePOP!
Transmittens on MySpace!

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The Smittens/Just Joans Split 7"

The Smittens and The Just Joans

The newest 7" release from WeePOP! Records is a real winner! It's an ocean-spanning split single featuring Burlington, Vermont's Smittens and The Just Joans, from Motherwell, Scotland (with love). The two bands have been longtime fans of each other and that mutual love eventually led to this split 7" record with each band covering one of the others' songs as well as an original single of their own! I've had it going since I got ahold of it and let's just say it's a thing of beauty! The Smittens' superb and genuinely moving take on The Just Joans' "What Do We Now?" (which they covered live at this year's NYC Popfest) is probably my personal standout of the four tracks, but The Just Joans' cover of The Smittens' classic "Gin And Platonic" comes in at a close second, sounding about as arresting as a pop song possibly could. Speaking of which, the chorus of "Gin And Platonic" has always reminded me of The Go-Gos' "Vacation" – am I just crazy?

Anyway, to be clear, every track of this record is frankly the kitten's whiskers, so do yourself a big, big Summer favor and grab this one up post-haste! You can preorder it right now from WeePOP!

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Balloons In The Sky!

Danny and Jen Transmittens!

With the very Springtime-ish weather we've been having lately, I've been keeping lots of fun, sunny pop songs in heavy rotation and Transmittens' "Balloons In The Sky" is one of them! Their debut record, Our Dreams just came out WeePOP! Records – to no surprise, as they're some of the finest purveyors of fun, sunny pop out there! – and it's sure to be something to hold on to in the upcoming Summer months. "Balloons In The Sky" is a blast. It makes me want to go outside and just run around and be eight years old. Yes, it's quite twee indeed, but what have I ever had against pure, unadulterated fun?! And Bells?! There's also a video for "Cow Clouds", another song from Our Dreams that you can watch below. If you like the Softies, Besties, Deirdres, etc, etc, etc than you'll probably just want to go ahead and order this one right away. And you can do that over at WeePOP! central! Hooray!

[MP3]: Transmittens :: Balloons In The Sky (Very Rec'd!!!)



Transmittens on MySpace!

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You're stuck on me, and I'm stuck on you

One Happy Island's new EP, Secret Party That The Other Party Doesn't Know About, is so gloriously perfect. Lead track "Temporary Tattoo" is the cutest, catchiest thing I've heard all year since Strawberry Fair's "Why Won't He Answer." I try to not throw around the word "twee" too much, but geeeeeeeeez, if "Temporary Tattoo" isn't totally and amazingly twee as fuck, then I don't know what it is! The EP shines elsewhere though, too. I smile bright as the sun everytime the bridge comes along in "Earth's Circumference" – it's just too pretty for words. I highly suggest picking this up very soon-ish!!! This EP also marks WeePOP!'s very first vinyl release! Hooray! You can buy the 3" CDr now, or you can preorder the 7", which should be out very soon!! For now, listen to "Temporary Tattoo"!

[MP3]: One Happy Island :: Temporary Tattoo (Hiiiighly Recommended!!!)

One Happy Island on MySpace!

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Dont Go To Florida, Dear, Without Me

One Happy Island!

I love One Happy Island a lot. A lot, a lot – and I would've finally gotten to see them back on the first of the month if it weren't for nature's most awful of slaps to face – FREEZING RAIN. A slip, a slide, a curb, and one broken axle later... we were most definitely not making it to New York. Looks like I'll be waiting until Popfest.

Thinking back about it, I realized I'd not ever mentioned how great their songs make me feel. So, I will tell you... they make me feel really happy; which is great, yknow, because they are supposedly One HAPPY Island. Their recently released Pulaski Park EP on the always wonderful WeePOP! label is 110% great. It's great in the sense that I listen to it often, quite often, and it's still better than good; especially "Florida, Dear", who's awesomeness knows no bounds. Really, it knows none, it's a joy. Listen!

[MP3]: One Happy Island :: Florida, Dear (Yesssssssssss!!!)

Buy Pulaski Park from WeePOP!
One Happy Island on MySpace!

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WeePOP! Records and Roadside Poppies

WeePOP!'s handcrafted indiepop goodness!

We love cute little indiepop labels here at Skatterbrain, and the brand new WeePOP! Records is everything we like about them! They're cute, they're little, and I love them! Each of their releases are limited-run, and handrafted with loooooooove. There's a big focus on packaging and each 3" CD is packaged in a mini jewel-case inside a little brown paper bag, with a sticker on the front indicative of the release. Oh! and each released comes with a little handmade certificate of authenticity, too! They're just so fun to hold and look at, and I'm sure a lot of you can really appreciate something so cute and tangible. Anyway, there first release is the debut EP from a wonderful band called Roadside Poppies and you really must check it out!

[MP3]: Roadside Poppies :: Cycling and Crying (Recommendeddd)
Roadside Poppies are from Cambridge, UK and play what they like to call, "slapdash jangy pop." They cover the typical twee fare here, vocalist Matloob singing about riding bikes, love, crying, and of course, murderous neighbours. The EP's title track is my current favorite at the moment, but they're all quite good. Definitely recommended for fans of The Pocketbooks, The Math and Physics Club, and perhaps SKWBN, as well.

Order the Cycling and Crying EP from WeePOP!
Listen to the EP on Last.fm, too!
Roadside Poppies on MySpace!

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