Pocketbooks - Flight Paths (2009 )
Pocketbooks are a pop band from London, combining melodic boy/girl harmonies, spiralling guitars and delicate piano lines. Expect a sprinkling of dazzling 60s soul alongside some sparkling indiepop charm!
We first introduced ourselves to the world by appearing on the 2006 compilation 'The Kids At The Club' (How Does It Feel To Be Loved?) alongside indiepop favourites such as Voxtrot, I'm From Barcelona and Lucky Soul.
Since then, we've played gigs across the country, including headlining the first ever Indietracks event on a 1950s steam railway in Derbyshire in April 2007. This event has now turned into an annual two-day festival each July, which several of the band now help to organise. We’ve also been fortunate enough to play shows with some fantastic bands, including The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Fanfarlo, The Wedding Present, Butcher Boy and Monica Queen.
In 2008 we even hit the summer festivals, including the Rip It Up festival (Sweden), Offset festival, The Mix festival in London, and, of course, a return to the Indietracks festival.
Our debut single, Cross The Line (Atomic Beat Records, 2007) was described by Simon Armitage as “pure snowshaker pop, and more dressing table than kitchen sink”. This was followed by an EP, Waking UP (Make Do And Mend Records, 2008), which Losing Today described as “Spring-ushering tinglesome guitars, softly shy eyed lilting melodies and hopelessly lovelorn boy / girl harmonies.”
Our debut album, Flight Paths, will be released in June 2009 on the How Does It Feel To Be Loved? label. This will be preceeded by a single on 18 May, Footsteps, which has picked up radio play from Gideon Coe (BBC 6Music) and John Kennedy (Xfm).
We first introduced ourselves to the world by appearing on the 2006 compilation 'The Kids At The Club' (How Does It Feel To Be Loved?) alongside indiepop favourites such as Voxtrot, I'm From Barcelona and Lucky Soul.
Since then, we've played gigs across the country, including headlining the first ever Indietracks event on a 1950s steam railway in Derbyshire in April 2007. This event has now turned into an annual two-day festival each July, which several of the band now help to organise. We’ve also been fortunate enough to play shows with some fantastic bands, including The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Fanfarlo, The Wedding Present, Butcher Boy and Monica Queen.
In 2008 we even hit the summer festivals, including the Rip It Up festival (Sweden), Offset festival, The Mix festival in London, and, of course, a return to the Indietracks festival.
Our debut single, Cross The Line (Atomic Beat Records, 2007) was described by Simon Armitage as “pure snowshaker pop, and more dressing table than kitchen sink”. This was followed by an EP, Waking UP (Make Do And Mend Records, 2008), which Losing Today described as “Spring-ushering tinglesome guitars, softly shy eyed lilting melodies and hopelessly lovelorn boy / girl harmonies.”
Our debut album, Flight Paths, will be released in June 2009 on the How Does It Feel To Be Loved? label. This will be preceeded by a single on 18 May, Footsteps, which has picked up radio play from Gideon Coe (BBC 6Music) and John Kennedy (Xfm).
YAY!!Delay Trees - Soft Construction EP (2009)
Even though it sounds painstakingly obvious, a great album must have something that appeals to the listener it so desires to captivate. Whether it has to do with the listener’s stylistic preference or simply some great songwriting on the artist’s part, the definition of a “classic album” encompasses characteristics that are universally receptive enough to result in a consensus that classifies that album as enduring, worthwhile, and groundbreaking in some form. One’s favorite album can alternate every few days or so and erratic taste certainly plays a large role in this classification, but most albums that are regarded as classics do not appeal to everyone. It is not that they contain major flaws, but everyone’s tastes are different and these varying tastes have an undeniable impact on our personal perception of music, film, or any form of classics in art. Classics tend to have a universal conception among fans and experts alike though. A fan of strictly contemporary hip-hop may not carry even a single Beatles album on their iPod and it should not matter because everyone’s tastes are different, but if that person attempts to discredit something like The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and its influence and tactical brilliance, then fan-based chaos would easily ensue. Albums like these have a legacy to them that is indescribable in words; the music does the talking and people listen. If there was one common aspect about albums that are generally classified as masterpieces though, I assume it would be the ability of listeners to relate their own lives to the music, whether it is through the melodies, lyrical content, artwork, or all of them combined.
The debut release from Delay Trees boasts more than some attractive artwork. Apart from the excellent music (which I’ll get to in a bit) on Soft Construction EP, the Finnish four-piece have implemented an artistic component that reveals itself as both nostalgic and personally relatable even before one pops their disc in the stereo for the first time. Rami Vierula, the band’s songwriter and creative force, compiled photos from his family albums and decided to share a piece of his personal life with the listener; it is a technique that works very well with a sound that recalls the broodingly realistic fables told in shimmering ‘80s post-punk and the instrumental expansiveness present in contemporary indie-rock. Most of the photos consist of landscapes, but the shot behind the lyrics for “About Brothers” features a bunch of young males on a summer day with smiles that keenly express the carefree indulgences of youth. I cannot accurately say what the photo has in relation to Vierula’s personal life, but the song clearly is about the feelings of brothers that have drifted apart after childhood due to conventional excuses like marriage and conflicting interests. “I’m loving a robot – my brother has turned to steel,” Vierula sings over an enriching display of sporadic keys and distorted guitars. He likens robotic love to the childhood nostalgia of Japanese anime in the first verse, and in doing so establishes a direct relationship with his childhood self. Subsequently, when the track ends with a reaffirmation of an undying sense of familial love, the visible transition that Vierula made from childhood to adulthood is prevalent. [Source]
GOOD!!Cara Beth Satalino - Crowded Mouth (2006)
Crowded Mouth has the same impact Soviet Kitsch has. Here is someone who can write a great song without making it feel complicated or operatic or whatever. The songs here are kind of celebratory, summery or catchy. Even the autumnal numbers swell with strings and have big choruses. "Throw in the Towel" is a standout, a ballad that doesn't plod but instead, just gets bigger and soars like a balloon. Satalino's voice is also more versatile than Spektor's and no frills, not affecting it with annoying mannerisms. The later half of the album is expectedly less energetic but the first songs are enough to make me a fan. This debut is polished and smart.
GOOD!!Lacrosse - Bandages For The Hear (2009)
The young Swedish band Lacrosse introduces with Bandages for the Heart a spontaneous indierock sound in which elements of joyful 60’s pop, punk, kraut and electro melt together in catchy songs with the necessary emotion and depth. A perfect balance between naive and depressed emotions. Right from the start with opening song ‘We Are Kids’ Lacrosse show us that they are here to stay. It is no surprise that this tune is also their first single of this second album of these 5 gentlemen and one lady from Stockholm. The light emotions from the first song regularly return but each time with an underlying emotion of darkness, sorrow and melancholy, like great songs such as ‘You Are Blind’, ‘All the Little Things That You Do’, ‘Come Back Song # 1’, ‘Song in the Morning’, ‘My Stop’ and the ingenious ‘It’s Always Sunday around Here’ show. Bandages for the Heart is a deceiving album that more and more shows its dark sounds and emotions and presents a full grown band that at first listening was not yet evident based on the youthful spontaneity of the first few songs. An intriguing album indeed. So much is sure. A beautiful soundtrack to rainy and cold summer nights. [Source]
FINALLY!!Entertainment For The Braindead - Seven EP (2009)
Entertainment for the Braindead is a lo-fi singer-songwriter Julia Kotowski from Cologne, Germany. She has a voice and a bunch of little instruments, ranging from guitar and ukulele to paper bins and pepper mills. The first ep Hypersomnia (a collection of lullabies) was released in 2007 and is completely avalaible from Entertainment for the Braindead’s site. Her second release, Hydrophobia (songs about drowning),was published with cooperation of Aaahh Records and Aerotone netlabel.
Some of you might know that there was a limited EP available during Julias Tour in february. There were 7 CDs, one for each evening of the tour. People wrote their names on a piece of paper and put it in a box while Julia played her set. At the end of each show there was one lucky person whose piece of paper got pulled ouf the magical box. Well, we thought it would be a shame if only 7 people on this planet were privileged to listen to these wonderful songs. So we decided to release this EP and added an extra song, which is a live recording from Julias show in Hannover. We hope you will enjoy this lovely EP as much as we do. There are quite a few new aspects and sounds on “seven”. Some of them may be seen somewhere between “Hypersomnia” and “Hydrophobia“, while others give us a glimpse of the future and some might even look back into the past of EFTB. So go now, listen for your self and please enjoy your imaginary journey! But watch out for spiders and little birds, that suddenly may appear in front of you. Animals are everywhere!
Some of you might know that there was a limited EP available during Julias Tour in february. There were 7 CDs, one for each evening of the tour. People wrote their names on a piece of paper and put it in a box while Julia played her set. At the end of each show there was one lucky person whose piece of paper got pulled ouf the magical box. Well, we thought it would be a shame if only 7 people on this planet were privileged to listen to these wonderful songs. So we decided to release this EP and added an extra song, which is a live recording from Julias show in Hannover. We hope you will enjoy this lovely EP as much as we do. There are quite a few new aspects and sounds on “seven”. Some of them may be seen somewhere between “Hypersomnia” and “Hydrophobia“, while others give us a glimpse of the future and some might even look back into the past of EFTB. So go now, listen for your self and please enjoy your imaginary journey! But watch out for spiders and little birds, that suddenly may appear in front of you. Animals are everywhere!
SUPPORT HER MUSIC!!The Barlights - If It Wasn't For The Light, The Dark Would Have Killed Us (2009)
There was a band named Oblique which failed due to the disparate locations of it’s band members. Three of said members realised that there was little else that they were good at, and decided to change the name a couple of times and recruit an old friend as a fourth member, thus creating the barlights. They have all been close friends (or close to being friends) for a minimum of 13 years, depending on which denomination of band members you choose. Spending their time generally creating memories with friends, as well as other outside influences, the sounds of bands and artists such as Radiohead, Ryan Adams, The National, Guillemots, Cold War Kids, The Smiths, The Arcade Fire, The Beatles, Arctic Monkeys, Neutral Milk Hotel, Bob Dylan, The Kinks, R.E.M., as well as many other bands, were never far away. The upshot of this is that, through getting out of bed in the morning, and making it to the end of the day to return once more, they realised the vitality of music and, most importantly of all, that instead of trying to sound like their favourite bands, it was better and far more effective to sound like the inspiration of their favourite bands. Always go to the source! Ha!
Hmm!!Stars in Coma - Sisters (2009)
The sun is shining, people are falling in love and we got some great news for you. A new album by Stars in Coma called "Sisters" will be out 4th May. The album was recorded during various sessions in 2008 and feature guest appearances from Linda Anderson (formely known as Elfi) and Alexis Hall (from The Motifs). The artwork is created by Karin Söderquist and Håkan Carlsson.
This is André’s (the young gentleman behind the music) own words about the new album:
I finished "Sisters" in September 2008. Usually when I finish an album I pretty much grow tired of it the week after I've completed it, but not this one. I still find this one unique when I write this text in the middle of March. I know it's forbidden for artists to review their own music, but they tend to do that anyway through interviews and such. They're basically saying the same things over and over again:
"This album is the best thing we've ever done",
"It's completely different from the last album",
"With this one we've gone back to our roots".
I usually find those kind of statements funny, cause it's weird that the artist feel compelled to describe their own music when they're the ones who created it in the first place.
Oh well, I'm gonna do it anyway!
"Sisters" is the best thing I've done and it is completely different from the previous album "You're Still Frozen in Time", but I have not yet gone back to my roots, cause I don't know where to look for my roots. On some of the songs you will be able to hear synth melodies, and I only put them there so it would be easy for potential reviewers to make easy comparisons to the 80's, so you don't have to think for yourself. To make it even more easy for you, I will also tell you what the songs are about. The oldest song is from 2001, the newest song was written in the fall of 2008. Most of the songs are non-autobiographical, cause I lead a pretty uninteresting life. The album touches upon the subject of sibling rivalry. We have two sisters, the one is good, naive and blissful and the other is basically a total jerk. So most of the songs is written from a female perspective, and the two sisters often directing their anger and thoughts to one another within the songs, cause they don't get along very well. That's basically the whole concept. There's no linear story and there's no denouement, just the tension between two odd siblings.
The producer and songwriter André Brorsson founded his solo project Stars in Coma back in 2000, but he kept his songs well hidden until 2005. In that year he released his debut CDR-EP "Gizmo goes to war" on Popkonst Recordings. Since then, he's put put several CDR's and netreleases including "My Sunshine Years", "Velvet Mountains EP" and "Moonshine Heights EP". 2007 Stars in Coma started to do occasional live gigs in such places as Malmö, Lund, Copenhagen and Newcastle. In March 2008 "You're Still Frozen in Time" was released by Music Is My Girlfriend Recordings/Plastilina Records. This album contains old reworked songs but also new compositions. To support this album Stars in Coma did a small tour of Italy. During the rest of 2008 Stars in Coma continued to play some occasional gigs in London and Malmö while recording songs for upcoming projects.
This is André’s (the young gentleman behind the music) own words about the new album:
I finished "Sisters" in September 2008. Usually when I finish an album I pretty much grow tired of it the week after I've completed it, but not this one. I still find this one unique when I write this text in the middle of March. I know it's forbidden for artists to review their own music, but they tend to do that anyway through interviews and such. They're basically saying the same things over and over again:
"This album is the best thing we've ever done",
"It's completely different from the last album",
"With this one we've gone back to our roots".
I usually find those kind of statements funny, cause it's weird that the artist feel compelled to describe their own music when they're the ones who created it in the first place.
Oh well, I'm gonna do it anyway!
"Sisters" is the best thing I've done and it is completely different from the previous album "You're Still Frozen in Time", but I have not yet gone back to my roots, cause I don't know where to look for my roots. On some of the songs you will be able to hear synth melodies, and I only put them there so it would be easy for potential reviewers to make easy comparisons to the 80's, so you don't have to think for yourself. To make it even more easy for you, I will also tell you what the songs are about. The oldest song is from 2001, the newest song was written in the fall of 2008. Most of the songs are non-autobiographical, cause I lead a pretty uninteresting life. The album touches upon the subject of sibling rivalry. We have two sisters, the one is good, naive and blissful and the other is basically a total jerk. So most of the songs is written from a female perspective, and the two sisters often directing their anger and thoughts to one another within the songs, cause they don't get along very well. That's basically the whole concept. There's no linear story and there's no denouement, just the tension between two odd siblings.
The producer and songwriter André Brorsson founded his solo project Stars in Coma back in 2000, but he kept his songs well hidden until 2005. In that year he released his debut CDR-EP "Gizmo goes to war" on Popkonst Recordings. Since then, he's put put several CDR's and netreleases including "My Sunshine Years", "Velvet Mountains EP" and "Moonshine Heights EP". 2007 Stars in Coma started to do occasional live gigs in such places as Malmö, Lund, Copenhagen and Newcastle. In March 2008 "You're Still Frozen in Time" was released by Music Is My Girlfriend Recordings/Plastilina Records. This album contains old reworked songs but also new compositions. To support this album Stars in Coma did a small tour of Italy. During the rest of 2008 Stars in Coma continued to play some occasional gigs in London and Malmö while recording songs for upcoming projects.
FINALLY!!
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