Candy Bar

kisses out of fashion?

2012-01-22T09:29:00.004-08:00

Every blog has its own heroes. And Candy Bar's choice are Mikrofisch. I have written about them before, so they are officially the first band that land on the blog twice. Honestly, I love them. Cause they are postmodern, trash, pop, naïve, disco, witty, underground, twee. In fact, they are a cupcake transformed into music. In order to celebrate their anniversary, Mikrofisch released a few months ago synthpop EP Morning Bus '11, which features two covers (by Primitives and Sudeten Creche) and two original songs. Download it for free from their online label Kinokoma. And get addicted.

http://www.kinokoma.de/?mikrofisch

cloud

2012-01-08T13:36:00.000-08:00

Swedish clouds are brighter and much more eccentric. They form weird shapes and they fly in the sky sending messages about pop music. Klifton Filente is basically the solo project of Jonas Lundvall, a guy who lives in Gothenburg. He has released two EPs and the album “Common Ground” while in Nov 2011 he released second album “Breaking the Clouds”. The music is a bit folky, a bit indie, a bit retro poppy but most of all is the right music for winter nights next to a fireplace. You can download the album for free, oh yeah.

http://kliftonfilente.bandcamp.com/releases

happy new year

2011-12-26T06:30:00.000-08:00

Luis is a 23-year old cute guy who gets over excited about indie pop sounds. The Spanish band El Hombre Percha (basically a solo project) formed in the summer of 2011 and Luis released the song “Malestar de un Hominido” on a Modular compilation. He told me he is writing a song about the Greek island of Myconos while planning on releasing a full album soon. Wonderful stuff.

hot

2011-11-23T10:46:00.000-08:00

Ice is white and shiny and smells like pure vanilla cake. The Broonkyn-based Ice Choir is the new project of super productive Kurt Feldman (from The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and The Depreciation Guild). Feldman and his bandmates leave the indie guitars aside and focus on synth-pop sounds that give off a harsh retro feeling. The Ice Choir released debut 7” single “Two Rings” on 15th November through Shelflife (US) and Yes Boy Ice Cream (UK/EUR). Hot as fuck.

http://www.icechoir.com

boy

2011-10-16T07:15:00.000-07:00

Candy Bar fancies tall, cute boys with a strong indie spirit. Butcher Boy are an indie pop band from Glasgow, Scotland. Formed in 1998, they seem to enjoy the delicate sounds of Belle & Sebastian, Felt and Love. First album "Profit In Your Poetry" was released in 2007, second album "React or Die" was out in 2009, while third "Helping Hands" was released this summer. Sensitive pop with scottish signature.. oh Boy.

http://www.myspace.com/butcherboymusic

asleep

2011-10-08T05:20:00.000-07:00

Candy Bar is a sucker for japanese stars and silver dreams. Therefore, a japanese solo project called Elen Never Sleeps is considered a real treat. I dont know much about this, apart from the fact that its new, loves suchi matched with shoegaze and has recently released some stuff online for free. Check "The China Blue" EP and "The Golden Minor" track, as well as the wonderful cover on My Bloody Valentine's "When You Sleep". Asleep as hell.

http://www.myspace.com/1004959211

hard

2011-10-01T06:30:00.000-07:00

Soft cities are places where indie pop blossoms and planes fly high in the sky. The Soft City began as the side project of drummer Phil Sutton, formerly of Comet Gain, who released an ep on Cloudberry. Then they became an actual band, played with The Legends and The Drums, released a full album on Plastilina and are now back with another ep. The four track "Four Stories" is out on their own Calico Cat label and is so sweet and tender it can make you melt. or at least warm you up on those odd melancolic autumn afternoons.

www.myspace.com/thesoftcity

fuckedup

2011-09-18T08:51:00.000-07:00

Lately my left wrist has been in pain. I got some advice and tried to heal it but somehow I made it worse. Thats when I decided to give Young Wrists a listen. Alberto and Letizia come from Italy, they love eating pizza peperoni while swimming into salty indie pop/noisy tunes. Ep "Fucked up In the Head" is out now and first song is accompanied by a lovely vid. A slice of pizza for me plz?

Young Wrists // I want to die young cos you're always wrong from Enrico Boccioletti on Vimeo.

http://www.myspace.com/youngwrists

waterfall

2011-09-04T11:54:00.000-07:00

In 1994 I was just about to finish high school. I was surrounded by dreams and passion and it was beyond doubt that I was a superhero that would eventually conquer the world. International Waters are small indie pop heroes from Texas, with Mitch Calvert of Voxtrot on the steering wheel. They have released their debut album "1994", a wonderful mix of sounds that have the flair of Josef K, Aztec Camera and probably Orange Juice. Let's go back in time. Action!

1994 - International Waters from Mitchell Calvert on Vimeo.

http://www.internationalwaters.net

balloons

2011-08-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

Purple balloons and yellow little clouds are always welcome in my tiny world. Pure indie poppers Very Truly Yours are here to please my ears and most importantly my (still very powerful) summer mood. The band has a new single called “Girls Tell You Secrets” (out now on 7’’on cloudberry records). Followed by a lovely vid, filmed at Montrose Beach in Chicago, it has a strong odor of pop at its best.

http://www.myspace.com/verytrulymusic

2011-08-01T09:54:00.000-07:00

Candy Bar will be taking a summer break till september. Till then, you can visit me on twitter! >>
http://twitter.com/#!/astrogirrl

pockets

2011-07-24T07:38:00.000-07:00

Pocketbooks aint new to the indie pop gang. They have been around for a while and their members are even involved in organising the wonderful Indietracks festival. The band is now releasing new single/sunshine pop gem 'Promises, Promises', for which they were joined by members of a local London orchestra. The single will be included in new album "Carousel", which was recorded by Simon Trought (he has worked with The Wave Pictures, Fanfarlo, Allo Darlin’ and Darren Hayman) and will be out Sept 2011. Pop and promises and pockets, carefully packed with lots of passion.

www.pocketbooks.org.uk

number8

2011-06-26T03:23:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn never seizes to amaze me. A fertile music scene full of giant numbers, colourful chalks and a bunch of indie pop tunes given in different forms and shapes. Andrew Pierce (of The New Rags and Nouvellas) and Sable Yong (of Year of the Tiger) form the new band of Chalk and Numbers... who love dots, playgrounds and unique 60s pop sounds. You can download for free their first EP, "He Knew", from their official website. Good stuff.

http://chalkandnumbers.bandcamp.com/
http://www.myspace.com/chalkandnumbers

dreamer

2011-06-19T09:59:00.000-07:00

Dreams and cats go together in child stories, nasty fairy tales and grown-up hallucinations. Field Dreams are the solo project of Jack Hilbert, a musician from Cambridge who likes to chill out, dream in a super pop way and listen loud to bands like Beach House, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Deerhunter and Best Coast. Demo EP "Dresden" from Field Dreams came out on 22nd May. Check the link below and make yourself a lovely free download present.

http://fielddreams.bandcamp.com

++89

2011-06-13T04:28:00.000-07:00

Sweden isnt always happy and shiny. It can be dark and wild and fairly dramatic. From the odd woods of Sweden, where there is a town called Tranås, the band of Degrees is narrating its own unique fairytale. Mikael Jacobson (The Trick, Late Night Conversation)and Rickard Folke (Boygirlme) decided to stick to their heavy coats and put their shoegaze pop hearts together in 2008. New record "Dream On Dreamy" was out on May 21. High temperature on its way.

http://www.myspace.com/degreestranas
http://www.dgrs.se

Tesco Chainstore Ligloss

2011-05-29T13:46:00.000-07:00

I’m a sucker for weird band names. And when they include ironic references, they are even more appealing. Borrowing their name from a film, Tesco Chainstore Mascara formed in 2005 and immediately showed their love for The Beatles, The Beach Boys and Belle & Sebastian. Double a-side single "Big Bowl of Wrong”/”You Lost Me at Hello" is available through Bubblegum Records(as part of the label’s limited edition download project). Some more black mascara, please.

http://www.myspace.com/tescochainstoremascara

bravery

2011-05-16T16:05:00.000-07:00

Bravery is a virtue. It makes you wish to pursue your goals in a more creative and passionate way. Brave Irene seem to be pretty much aware of that. An all-girl band from Vancouver that formed in 2009 by Rose Melberg (ex Tiger Trap and The Softies). Indie and lo-fi sounds, bubbly melodies, retro aesthetics with a bunch of bands like Strawberry Whiplash, Very Truly Yours and Days to mingle with other. Very promising debut came out in March on Slumberland.

http://www.myspace.com/braveirene

on fire

2011-05-05T07:23:00.000-07:00

Finnish hearts are nothing like cold and distant creatures. They are flames that dance in different colours and shapes. Burning Hearts (founded by members of Cats on Fire and Le Futur Pompiste) are one of this blog's fav bands. New single "Into the Wilderness" (released by Shelflife 21st June 2011) is a pop anthem. <3 X3

http://www.myspace.com/burningheartsmusic

lover

2011-05-02T02:48:00.001-07:00

Love is a big issue these days. Some doubt its existence; some have still faith in it. Amor de Días (Spanish for 'love of days') is the name of the (till recently secret) group formed by Alasdair MacLean of the Clientele and Lupe Núñez-Fernández of Pipas. Painting, music and feelings seem to be their common ground, expressed here through lovely folky pop sounds. Debut “Street of the Love of Days” (recorded between UK and Spain) is out on Merge 17th May. Spread the Love.

http://amordedias.com

SpringHeart

2011-04-26T04:55:00.000-07:00

When I saw Simple Minds live I was a wacky teenager. When Summer Heart decided to name one of their songs “Simple Minds” they declared war with the superficial hipsters. Summer Heart seems to be a solo project from a young Malmö-based Swedish boy. He loves hot weather, warm hearts, Beach Boys-esque harmonies and dreamy pop lo-fi strong wind in the air. New Ep "Please Stay" is a yummy download through the site below. ps. lovin the artwork!

http://summerheart.bandcamp.com/

oldcastles

2011-04-04T02:53:00.000-07:00

Dreams are made of tiny little yellow hearts glued together. They show innocence and passion and pure love in its greatest form. Dream pop is that kind of music that makes your head spin around from layers, visions and colors. Youth Castles come from US and they are relatively new in the music business, yet they are very charming in a Slowdive or Pale Saints-esque way. Lovely new single "Love & Honesty" was released 8th March. Youth & Love.

http://youthcastles.bandcamp.com/
http://www.myspace.com/youthcastles

Down with Loneliness!

2011-03-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

Loneliness can be a cruel thing. Empty bed, smoke in the air and dirty glasses in the dustbin. Help Stamp Out Loneliness invented their brilliant name in the city of Manchester; they believe in love, have strong connections with Language of Flowers and praise jangle pop in its purest form. Wanna fight loneliness? Pre-order their forthcoming album “Help Stamp Out Loneliness” (released 9th May) at Papillons Noirs and make your statement.

http://helpstampoutloneliness.bandcamp.com

acidhousequeens

2011-03-17T05:58:00.000-07:00

They are swedish and have been hitting the indie pop waves since early 90s. Fifth album “Music Sounds Better With You” -full of 60s inspired lovely tunes- was initially due to be released in 2008, but then pushed back for a release in 2011 (Labrador, March 22nd). Music sounds so much better with the Acid House Kings!!

http://www.myspace.com/acidhousekings

curryakin

2011-03-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

I like curry. Its hot and funny and makes my mouth bubble. Kuryakin have a flair of India but actually live in Sweden. They record everything at home and dislike being categorized under twee; Avalanches, Prefab Sprout and 80's indie is probably more their cup of tea. First release was an EP/7inch on Shelflife while the “Fought A War” EP is available from the japanese label Fastcut Records. New album "A New Day" has recently been released (Fastcut Records) and is full of spicy sunshine extra yummy tunes. Optimistic and cute.

www.kuryakin.se
http://soundcloud.com/kuryakin

spider recluse

2011-03-08T06:04:00.000-08:00

Brown Recluse is a large dark brown spider; when threatened it usually flees, seemingly to avoid a conflict and is rarely aggressive. Brown Recluse is also a harmless psych/pop Philadelphia outfit which started as a duo and evolved later to a six-piece band. They offer a super sunshine pop feeling with refined 50s elements while they have played with bands like Pants Yell!, Matt and Kim, Acid House Kings and Casiotone for the Painfully Alone. They now release debut album “Evening Tapestry” (with limited edition coke bottle green vinyl copies through Slumberland!!). Harmless and beautiful.

http://www.myspace.com/brownreclusesings

page 8

2011-02-13T10:04:00.001-08:00

My world is made of lollipops, red balloons and nerdy striped t-shirts. My heart is twee and that’s why I'm a sucker for long picnics or plastic earrings. Le Page is a Greek band; in fact they are the only twee band in Greece right now. A boy and a girl who, apart from being two little sweethearts, are wonderful people and lovely musicians. Tony and Terpsichori joined forces in 2007 inspired by 50s aesthetics, old movies and the folky guitar of Adam Green. Their debut “Yojikevin” is true to their vision and colourful stories and is out now on their own label (Bantha Records) with the cutest artwork. Love it.

http://www.myspace.com/lepagemusic

silver bears

2011-02-07T01:41:00.000-08:00

Bears are cruel beasts. They are huge and they roar and they eat poor little penguins. Yet, once they turn gold they get gentle and soft and caring. Gold-Bears are living under the umbrella of Magic Marker, Cloudberry and Slumberland and that can only work in favor of them. A twee punk band from Atlanta, Georgia that shares the same taste with the likes of Boyracer, Huggy Bear, Rocketship and Neutral Milk Hotel. First 7-inch "Tally" was introduced as a jangly pop gem, while new 7inch is now out! Cant wait for the debut coming out this spring.

http://www.myspace.com/thegoldbears

brilliant patterns

2011-02-01T06:38:00.001-08:00

Colors are getting brighter this season. Neon and pink and yellow are all over the place and inside my wardrobe. Brilliant Colors are a San Francisco girl band who follow that trend and have been around for a few years. With a punk background and a love for dreamy C-86, those girls know how to scratch their guitars and have a good time on stage. Following up two sold-out singles (on Make A Mess and Captured Tracks) they landed their debut album in 2009 while recently released a wonderful split 7″ with Girls Names from Ireland. Check it out on Slumberland and feel the colors.

http://www.myspace.com/brilliantcolorssanfrancisco

white stars

2011-01-24T05:04:00.000-08:00

Stars are everywhere. You can spot them on little envelopes, inside poetry pages or on the surface of a red table cloth. Based in Canada, Shimmering Stars have been around for only a year and are inspired by the smell of anxiety, the sound of anti-socialness and the taste of Everly Brothers. They say they are eager to share their nasty thoughts and that can only be a good thing. First 7" "East Van girls/I'm gonna try" is out on the limited edition of 500 units. Star Addiction.

http://shimmeringstars.bandcamp.com

the hot flow

2011-01-20T01:05:00.000-08:00

Arctic Monkeys are not my cup of tea. Τhe Arctic Flow, on the other hand, are so tender and dreamy that have almost stolen my heart. Brian Hancheck could live in Iceland but instead chooses to shout his words from South Carolina. Think of Slowdive, Chapterhouse, The Cocteau Twins or even Wild Nothing and you’re on the right path. New digital 4-track album is free to download from the band’s website. "December Morning" (which is basically a re-release of some older stuff) will bring light and warmth and much less cold to our hearts.

http://thearcticflow.bandcamp.com

red fence

2011-01-03T06:40:00.000-08:00

Tim Presley is hiding behind the fence. He wears a big hat and white american shorts that match perfectly with his lo-fi attitude. He shortly drops the mic from Darker My Love where he presents himself as the lead singer, and creates a psychedelic pop bubble of his own through the project of White Fence. Self-titled LP is released through San Francisco’s Make a Mess Records (Grass Widow, Brilliant Colors). Cute.

http://www.myspace.com/whitefenceband

best albums 2010

2010-12-20T12:12:00.000-08:00

1. The Drums – The Drums
2. Radio Dept. – Clinging to a Scheme
3. Best Coast – Crazy for You
4. Wild Nothing – Gemini
5. The Magnetic Fields – Realism
6. Math and Physics Club – I shouldn’t look as Good as I do
7. The Electric Pop Group – Seconds
8. Allo Darlin’ – Allo Darlin’
9. Northern Portrait – Criminal Art Lovers
10. Darren Hayman & The Secondary Modern – Essex Arms
11. Teenage Fanclub – Shadows
12. Stars in Coma – And The Cloud Withdrew From The Sky
13. Soda Fountain Rag – Reel Around Me
14. Belle & Sebastian – Write about Love
15. Sambassadeur – European
16. The Hi-Life Companion – Say Hi!
17. Darren Hanlon – I will Love you at all
18. Trembling Blue Stars – Fast trains and telegraph wires
19. The Mare – I’m so happy
20. CEO- White Magic
21. Lucky Soul – A Coming of Age
22. Le Futur Pompiste – Le Futur Pompiste
23. The Orchids – The Lost Star
24. The School – Loveless Unbeliever
25. The Vaselines – Sex with an X
26. Eux Autres – Broken Bow
27. The Depreciation Guild – Spirit Youth
28. Standard Fare – The Noyelle Beat
29. Horowitz – Popkids of the World Unite
30. Twig – Hourglass

David Gedge (The Wedding Present ) Interview

2010-12-14T11:10:00.000-08:00

Our beloved Wedding Present return this sunday in athens! David Gedge is talking about their re-birth and his own obsessions.

This year De Castro left the band after 12 years working with you. What did that mean for the style, sound and feeling of the Wedding Present?

It's always sad when people leave the group, especially when they have been with us so long... but we always go through a little ‘re-birth’ when it happens, and this time as been no different. I think the sound has become rockier lately. Louder and harder! Our new bass player is from Switzerland, so maybe our style will become more continental, too… whatever that means!

Which is the motivation for creating music in 2010? Has that changed over the years?

I think it is more an obsession than a motivation! It was never a decision I’ve had to make... I already knew when I was five years old that I would be doing this and nothing has changed. I’m not totally sure what drives me…

You’ve been around for a long time. Are you bothered by those judging (or maybe doubting) your presence on the music scene?

Ha! No… of course not. I am never going to please everybody and I’ve never tried. As long as the people in the band are happy and proud of the music we are making, I am happy.

Your two singles "I'm From Further North Than You", and "Ringway to SeaTac" appeared on an independent film. Is that a direction you would be more interested to take in the future?

I’m always interested in doing anything that takes me off in a tangent. It’s one of the reasons why my ‘job’ is so interesting... you never know what you will be doing next.

Do you follow the current scene? Any new bands you like/would like to work with?

I do. We’ve just had Ringo Deathstarr from Texas on tour with us here in the U.K. and they were excellent. Their influences are obvious…. The Jesus And Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine… but they weren’t even alive when those bands were around!

Are you planning on releasing new stuff?

Well, this year we have been playing our album ‘Bizarro’ live and, in fact, our concert in Athens will be the last time that we do that. We already know this album very well, though… so we’ve had plenty of spare time at rehearsals to work on new songs, which means that we should be able to release some new stuff in 2011. I’ll try and include a new song or two in the set for Greece!

sugar baby

2010-12-13T09:14:00.000-08:00

Formed in the streets of Scotland, Sugar Crisis eat tons of sugar in the centre of their own little cute world. Neil Brunton (vocals/keyboard) and Lorna Anthony (vocals/guitar/synth)play with their toys while unfold their sarcastic witty pop comments on the current scene. Compared to bands like Tilly and the Wall, Golden Grays or Burning Hearts they are a name to watch for. Sugar Obsession.

http://www.myspace.com/sugarcrisis

Neil Hannon (The Divine Comedy) Interview

2010-12-10T03:47:00.000-08:00

The Divine Comedy will bring their magic this monday in Athens. Neil Hannon was more than polite to answer my questions. Again, Neil you are my hero <3.

Tenth album “Bang Goes The Knighthood”... how would you describe it? Would you say this is your first ‘solo album’?
Well, it's got twelve songs of differing lengths and styles. It's a bit like my other records sometimes and sometimes it's not. Some songs are quite cheerful, some are more gloomy. I wouldn't describe it as my first solo album really. I would have released it under my own name if it was. Having said most of my records are quite soloish. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

Is emotion important and in what ways? Is that your first goal while creating a song?
If a song has no emotion it is utterly worthless. Each song has a different sentiment, a different reason for it's own existence. Some songs don't appear to have a big message or a grand theme. That is because they are supposed to be curious and interesting rather than of enormous importance. My first goal when writing a song is not to bore myself!

Your songs sound like reading a fairytale… is that contrived?
I suppose some are a little fairytale-esque. It's honestly not something I consciously think about when I'm doing them. I simply do what comes naturally and hope for the best.

You often have extensive arrangements with strings and horns… have you thought of stripping out pop music to its simpler melodic forms?
I care little for how simple or complicated the arrangement of a song is. It's the end result that really counts. For example Down In The Streets Below is quite epic in scale, but that seemed the best way to create the mood I thought the song needed. But At The Indie Disco wouldn't have worked like that at all so it's quite simple.

You have been related to the brit-pop era of the 90s... do you reminisce those years? [how do you feel about bands like pulp or blur reforming?]
Pulp or Blur are very different from me. They were proper bands for a start, which means they could actually split up and reform. The Divine Comedy was always me with whoever I thought I needed at the time. I enjoyed the 90's a lot but I've never been one for reminiscing. It was hard work but I thrived on the excitment of being a chart act (even if a slightly strange one). I am considerably happier now however.

Any news/future plans for The Divine Comedy? Other projects you are involved with?
My first musical has just opened in Bristol. It's an adaptation of a 1920's children's book called Swallows and Amazons. This year has been very heavy going with lot's of promo and touring, so I'm going to be more Dublin-centric next year. A spot of writing, a bit more touring, and a lot of sitting around watching the cricket!

FM Belfast Interview

2010-12-01T01:55:00.000-08:00

Plisskën Fest will be held this saturday in Athens. Amongst other wonderful bands, FM Belfast will bring some of their icelandic cuteness.

Is Reykjavík a city that can bring out your inspirations and in what ways? In the city, underneath the drama and money grabbing free market people, there lies an old attitude. It's an undying optimism and a do-it-yourself type of thinking. Our new mayor is one of these former punks. It's very inspiring.

How do you feel about the Icelandic music scene? It's big compared to population. It is very varied and most people are friendly and try to help each other out.

Is electro pop a genre that can combine emotions and pure physical excitement? Yes, but so is speed metal and rockabilly.

Do you feel stage presence is your strong point? No, I think our optimism is our strong point. Our stage presence varies. It also depends on the audience. We've been very lucky with our nice audience. But we do our best every time.

I read that the members in the band now vary from 3 to 8 depending on who can make it. Why is that? Because the 3 of us have dropped everything to do this and the others can't always make it because of previous commitments. Pretty basic I would say.

Are you sure you will be able to handle Athens right now? It’s still hot here! Really? Woohoo! I was hoping it would be hot. We are in Barcelona right now and sadly it's raining and a bit cold. We are fans of warm weather.

Music for...

2010-11-23T12:16:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, there was a shy little boy growing up in the streets of Hobart, in Tasmania. He spent most of his time circling around in his bedroom studio, dreaming of forming a band and touring the world. Anthony Rochester's room is full of the tender delicate sounds of Burt Bacharach, France Gall, Stereolab, The Carpenters and The Lucksmiths. He plays all instruments on his own and has a new (fourth!) album out called “Hot Hits ’96”. This is not music for librarians, or for relaxation or for spaceships. This is different, yet lovely.

http://www.myspace.com/anthonyrochester

let's scream!

2010-11-15T07:45:00.000-08:00

When two smittens hang out in Vermont, something magical happens. Dana Kaplan and Colin Clary don’t like sharing their beds, yet they delve into exquisite bedroom pop. Leaving The Smittens aside for a bit, they call themselves Let's Whisper and they create dreamy melodies which are captured on EP “Make Me Smile” (2008). NEWS is that WeePop! records is about to release their debut album on “giant-sized” cd. Whee!

http://www.myspace.com/letswhispermusic

the history of orange pie

2010-11-07T09:47:00.000-08:00

Pies are yummy. I prefer those with cheese and mushrooms and enjoy eating them throughout rainy days. The History of Apple Pie are sunny, yet very delicious! Formed in London as a duo, Jerome Watson (Hatcham Social) and Stephanie Min have cooked up lo-fi shoegazy delicate melodies, inspired by the like of Galaxie 500, Luna, Comet Gain and St. Christopher. Split Cassette Tape (100 copies only) is out November 15th [Side A: four songs from Sweater Girls and Side B: three songs from The History Of Apple Pie]. Couldn’t find a video of them, so guys hurry up and make one!

http://www.myspace.com/thehistoryofapplepie

Windpony

2010-10-31T09:31:00.000-07:00

Sea ponies are cute as hell. They swim in Madagascar while are often featured in cartoons with vivid blue and pink colours. However, there is a hidden species in the land of Seattle that doesn’t know how to swim, but instead plays pure 80s-inspired jangle-pop. Seapony are young and sunny and very excited to release first 3 track 7’’, available from label Double Denim Records only in 300 copies! Single “Dreaming” is simply amazing.

http://www.myspace.com/seaponyband

Camera Obscura Interview

2010-10-23T03:42:00.000-07:00

They lead the scottish pop scene for the last 15 years. They are sweet and shy and write magic heartbroken songs. An interview with Camera Obscura, via bassist Gavin Dunbar, is all I could ask for. Next week we will see them on stage, at last.

Is indie pop scene still exciting? Are you happy with the recording industry right now?

I think there are always lots of good things happening in the independent scene. We’re not really keen on the description of indiepop, as it seems to have become specifically used to pigeonhole the more C86/twee sounding bands, and because a lot of the indiepop bands these days seem to be quite derivative and unambitious in their sound, which is a shame. The recording industry is changing quite dramatically at the moment and it’s hard to know what’s going to happen next. It’s great that so many bands are taking the initiative and putting out their own music directly, but the problem with that is without experienced record labels who know how to reach music fans, it’s hard to do the best job of letting people hear the music you have been making.

You’ve been around for quite a long time... how much things have changed since 1996?

I guess for us its gone from being something that we did in our spare time when we started, to being something that we did almost as a full time thing along side all working jobs as well, to the situation we are in now where being in the band is our full time job. It’s taken us a long time to get here, and it was a fantastic moment when we got to this point. Hopefully we will continue to be able to make records this way.

Has the constant line-up change affected the band and in what ways?

The line up changes were mainly in the very early days, musically we’ve remained pretty much the same since the first album. Since then we’ve had the same line up, with the exception of John leaving after the second album, which really helped us focus and step up as players a bit. Although Nigel isn’t a full time member anymore, he still plays with us when he can.

Your first album was produced by Stuart Murdoch- how did that come about? [have you listened to B&S last album –what do you think?]

Stuart produced the single Eighties Fan, and arranged strings for that song and Anti-Western and Pen and Notebook. The album (except Eighties Fan) was produced by us. We’d met Stuart the first time we played live, and he liked what we were doing, and we ended up rehearsing in the Church Hall that Stuart was the caretaker of for quite a while. Richard Colburn was drumming for us for a while then too. I just got the new Belles album the other day and have only had the chance to listen to it once, but I liked it on first listen, looking forward to giving it another listen soon.

Name me a book and a movie that would represent your sound and why.

Any film by Mike Leigh would be good, he has such a good feel for everyday experiences and combining happiness and sadness in the one moment. Jack Kerouc, On The Road, cause these days we are.

In terms of songwriting, I know that Tracyanne is the mainly responsible. In what ways the rest seek for democracy within the band?

Well Tracy will tend to bring in the songs and the band rehearse and arrange them together and we get them to the sound that they end up as. We’re quite good at knowing what our parts should be like so it usually comes together quite quickly, occasionally we go through a few totally different arrangements till we get to the way the song ends up.

“My Maudlin Career” was released last year on 4AD. Do you feel you have reached your most mature point with this album?

I think the biggest step forward we have taken as a band was working with Jari on Lets Get Out Of This Country. That was such a big eye opener for us all, and having a producer really helped us get our act together and we got pushed to be better players and that really helped with the album and subsequently with playing live shows. We definitely became a lot more confident as a band after that point. I think when we came to record My Maudlin Career we were a far more confident bunch than we’d been three years earlier, and we were a lot better prepared in ourselves when we went into the studio.

Are sadness and happiness two parts of the same coin?

I guess until you’ve experienced both, you don’t appreciate the happiness as much.

Heartbroken, melancholic, sarcastic, bitter, over emotional – or just POP?

The good thing about great pop is that it can be all those things, and still be set to up beat music that wraps up the sadness. The universal themes that we all feel sometimes.

How has your collaboration been with Swedish producer Jari Haapalainen? What elements has he added to your sound?

He really pushed us, and that helped us really push ourselves, as players and as a band. He helped us sound the way we always wanted to, but didn’t know how to achieve.

Which bands do you like most these days?

We got to play with Yo La Tengo in San Francisco earlier this year and we’d love to do a tour with them. They are one of those bands that just keeps making great records, which is no mean feat after 20 years.

Has Glasgow been a supportive environment for you throughout the years?

Yeah, I think its been great for us to be able to just get on with things in our own way and at our own pace. In Glasgow we’ve always been able to do that without any interference from labels or the media, we’ve kind of just had the freedom to do what we wanted at the time, and there are some great bands like Belle and Sebastian, The Pastels and Teenage Fanclub, that paved the way by not moving to London and being based ‘where the industry is’, which is unfortunately what used to have to happen if you wanted to be seen as serious about a career in music.

Tracyanne mentioned in an interview: “I think these days we're just so much more comfortable in front of an audience than before. I used to have real trouble playing live; Now I understand the audience is already your friend” – what should we expect from your gig?

We’ll try not to make any mistakes. We’re really looking forward to it, it’s been 10 years since we were first asked to come and play in Greece, and it’s taken this long to finally have it happening, so it’s been a long time coming.

waterflies on top

2010-10-19T02:28:00.000-07:00

Fireflies are creatures with long eyelashes. They are in the air, eating little stars that hide in the dark. Fireflies are also Lisle Mitnik’s solo project. He grew up in the tundras of New England playing classical piano, then moved to California where he bought a portastudio and started recording. The Cat's Miaow, Galaxie 500, Her Space Holiday and The Softies are sounds that inspire his lo-fi indie beat combined with classical arrangement. New three-song single full of synths and harmonies from Tiny Fireflies (collaboration between Lisle and Kristine of Very Truly Yours/Tiny Microphone)is now available. Fly HIGH!

http://www.myspace.com/fireflies

pascal in reykjavík

2010-10-13T05:03:00.000-07:00

Iceland may be bankrupt, still remains rich musicwise. New Morr Music signing is Reykjavík-based Pascal Pinon. Twins Jófrí∂ur and Ásthildur (surrounded by a group of other teenagers) who have cold feet, heavy clothes in their wardrobe with lots of dreams and twee shyness in their bubbles. They formed about a year ago and have already gathered attention for their simple and sincere gigs. Debut album will be released early 2011 but you can now get first release "I wrote a Song" on Morr’s sublabel A Number of Small Things. Pin them down!

http://www.myspace.com/pascalpinon

kiss me fantastic

2010-10-07T14:29:00.000-07:00

Rachel and Jeremy have never met. Still they are in a band based in different parts of the US. Apart from being excellent kissers, they make and release music though internet. They have a 'thing' for My Bloody Valentine and Cocteau Twins and that’s something they clearly print on their sound, which is dreamy and fragile enough to make you stare at the ceiling for a couple of hours. Note down that Jeremy has also another project called Optimist Park, which is a bit more ambient than Kiss Kiss Fantastic, and don’t forget to download for free KKF’s “The Red/Blue Shift EP”. Fantastic!

http://www.myspace.com/kisskissfantastic

I have a collar.

2010-09-30T01:41:00.000-07:00

Bristol has stopped being trip-hoppy ages away. Melodies and fragile guitars have been circulating throughout the city the last couple of years. I Know I Have No Collar are a mainly instrumental lo-fi band, yet with indie pop elements sparse all over. Founding members Aaron and Tom play various keyboard instruments, percussion, ukelele and musical saw.. while Fránçois used to play trumpet and accordion amongst other things. Good news is that the band has finally finished recording their new album, "A little slow, A little late", out now on stitch-stitch records! Better late than never, oh yeah.

http://www.myspace.com/iknowihavenocollar

Martha & Arthur = L.F.E.

2010-09-22T12:24:00.000-07:00

They come with a lot of buzz on the current music blogs. Marthas & Arthurs happen to be a british gang that prefer the minimal way. No proper website, no information on their myspace page, which is full of images from monkeys, butterflies, waterfalls and indian girls. Odd. They delve into melodic forms in the Camera Obscura or Slow Club way, yet they enjoy a non-structutal distinctive manner. "Apes in Aeroplanes" EP is ready for free download. Go and get it now!

http://www.myspace.com/marthasandarthurs

ferns ferdinand

2010-09-12T11:25:00.000-07:00

Ferns decided it was time to re-enter the game. A five-piece outfit from Kuala Lumpur, which released debut "On Botany" under Fruit Records in 2007 and then went on crazy holidays for a couple of years. Think of Days, Soft Pillow Kisses and The April Skies, pack them up with some groovy malaysian spirit and there you have a pure indie pop band with a lovely new song and a second album coming out this winter. Ferns shout "Hey,OK" and we have a strong appetite for more.

http://www.myspace.com/fernfrens

Kakkkkkkkkkkkkkmaddafakka

2010-09-06T02:30:00.000-07:00

Using a weird name as their musical umbrella, Kakkmaddafakka drink beers in the small city of Bergen. They like to dance and smile and jump and play music. They bear no similarities with fellows Kings of Convenience, Royksopp and Datarock, instead they wear trash 60s, pop, punk and even ska uniforms. Festival appearances booked from Euro Sonic to Melt! and Montreux Jazz Festival while new songs uploaded on their myspace page. Noted.

http://www.myspace.com/kakkmaddafakka

standard affair

2010-08-30T02:16:00.000-07:00

Originating from Sheffield, three piece act Standard Fare prefer small cottages in the countryside rather than icy cold lofts. Drop the likes of Betty and the Werewolves, This Many Boyfriends, Lemonheads and Belle & Sebastian in the mix and enjoy a cool distinct indie pop cocktail. Debut album “The Noyelle Beat” is out on Thee Sheffield Phonographic Corporation while latest single "Philadelphia" is available on 7" vinyl with b-side "Don't Tell". Juicy!

http://www.myspace.com/standardfare

still cornershop

2010-08-26T02:28:00.000-07:00

Based in London, Still Corners are experts on dreamy noir-pop love songs. They love soundscapes, soundtracks and whatever brings a rhythm and an image together. Phil Spector is their mentor, yet they seem to have developed their own strong writing skills. New song “Endless Summer” mixes 60s production with C86 and is available on the limited Fierce Panda compilation “Gruff Trade”. Also look for new 7” single on the Great Pop Supplement and enjoy pop at its best.

http://www.myspace.com/stillcorners

Interview: Au Revoir Simone

2010-08-10T08:52:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago, the lovely Au Revoir Simone played in Athens.. right before the gig I had an interview with the girls, so here you go! (published only in greek, sorry!)

Προέρχεστε από το Brooklyn όπου αυτή τη στιγμή υπάρχει μια πολύ δυνατή μουσική σκηνή. Πώς νιώθετε γι’ αυτό;

Eίναι αλήθεια πως κάθε χρόνο το Brooklyn εμφανίζει ολοένα και περισσότερους καλλιτέχνες και κάθε χρόνο μοιάζει να παρουσιάζει όλο και περισσότερο ενδιαφέρον, γι’ αυτό και πολλοί μουσικοί μετακομίζουν εκεί… έχει σταδιακά εξελιχθεί και έχει χτίσει μια πολύ σημαντική μουσική κοινότητα.
Είναι ένα καλό μέρος για να εγκατασταθείς αν θες να κάνεις επιτυχία στη μουσική βιομηχανία… κάθε βράδυ γίνονται συναυλίες, έχεις πάντα κάτι να κάνεις, κάτι που μπορεί να σε εμπνεύσει… Και δεν υπάρχει χώρος για τεμπέληδες… στη Νέα Υόρκη αν θες να πετύχεις πρέπει να δουλέψεις σκληρά.. υπάρχει τέτοιος ανταγωνισμός που πραγματικά δεν μπορείς να είσαι τεμπέλης!

Με ποιο τρόπο είναι η μουσική σας ένα μέσο για παρηγοριά, ασφάλεια και σωτηρία;

Δεν είναι εμφανές; (γέλια) όταν ονομάσαμε έτσι τον δίσκο μας το θεωρήσαμε σαν ένα προσωπικό project.. αρχίσαμε να δουλεύουμε πάνω σε αυτόν με μεγάλο πάθος.. οπότε δεν ήταν τόσο σωτηρία για τη μουσική αλλά σωτηρία για εμάς τις ίδιες!
Η μουσική πάντως είναι ένα μέρος που προσφέρει παρηγοριά μιας και μέσω αυτής μπορείς να χαλαρώσεις.. το ίδιο άλλωστε μπορεί να συμβεί με κάθε χόμπυ που μπορεί να είναι δημιουργικό..

Το ΝΜΕ ανέφερε πως εμφανίζεστε στη σκηνή σαν τις αδερφές από την ταινία "Virgin Suicides" και ότι προέρχεστε από μια χώρα όπου τα σύννεφα φυσούν πάνω από κρυστάλλινες θάλασσες.. Παίρνετε τις κριτικές στα σοβαρά;

Νομίζω ότι αυτό με το Virgin Suicides είναι πολύ αστείο μιας και ηλικιακά δεν έχουμε καμία σχέση με τις πρωταγωνίστριες! Επίσης, είμαστε σύγχρονες γυναίκες που ζουν στην πόλη οπότε δεν μπορούμε να ταυτιστούμε με αυτό το σχόλιο.. Πάντως, όσον αφορά στις κριτικές, εκείνο που μας αντάμειψε στο τελευταίο άλμπουμ "Still Night, Still Life" ήταν ότι ο κόσμος κατάλαβε το νόημα, έπιασε τα μηνύματα που θέλαμε τα δώσουμε και αυτό ήταν ό,τι καλύτερο για εμάς.
Ίσως αυτό να είχε να κάνει με το ότι για πρώτη φορά ηχογραφήσαμε τον δίσκο όπως ακριβώς τον θέλαμε. Πάντα ταλαιπωρούμασταν με το να κάνουμε τον ήχο περισσότερο DIY, αλλά στον τελευταίο δίσκο η παραγωγή έγινε ακριβώς όπως την είχαμε φανταστεί και είμαστε ίδιαίτερα χαρούμενες γι'αυτό. Επειδή δεν προερχόμαστε από αυστηρά μουσικό background, χρειάστηκαν πολλοί πειραματισμοί μέχρι να βρούμε αυτό που θέλαμε..

Χρησιμοποιείτε πολλά synths και keyboards στη μουσική σας... Έχετε σκεφτεί να εμπλουτίσετε τον ήχο με περισσότερες κιθάρες;

Είμαστε τρεις και καμιά μας δεν παίζει κιθάρα, οπότε γι'αυτό δεν έχουμε συμπεριλάβει τον κιθαριστικό ήχο.. η αλήθεια είναι πως θέλαμε να βάλουμε περισσότερα ακουστικά όργανα στον τελευταίο δίσκο αλλά μας άρεσαν τόσο πολύ τα synthesizers που τελικά εγκαταλείψαμε την ιδέα..
Παίξαμε όμως με τους Air όπου είχαμε μπασίστα και ο ήχος ήταν γεμάτος.. είχε πολύ πλάκα οπότε μπορούμε να μας φανταστούμε με περισσότερες κιθάρες.. θα ήταν υπέροχα!

Υπάρχουν πλάνα να συμβεί αυτό στον επόμενο δίσκο;

Το ελπίζουμε!

Έχετε ξεκινήσει να τον γράφετε;

Λίγο.. αλλά δεν έχουμε ολοκληρώσει ακόμα τα κομμάτια...

Είναι η μελαγχολία ένα ισχυρό κίνητρο για να γράψετε μουσική;

Ναι... το να είμαστε λυπημένες για κάτι, είναι συνήθως ο τρόπος που σκεφτόμαστε.

Συχνά η ποπ ταυτίζεται με ηλιόλουστες μελωδίες, αλλά νομίζω πως η δική σας είναι συνδυασμένη με πιο μελαγχολικές καταστάσεις..

Ναι, κάποιοι μας λένε πως μπορούν να ταυτιστούν με τη μουσική μας γιατί εκφράζει και τα δύο.. είναι χαρούμενη και ταυτόχρονα μελαγχολική. Αυτός είναι και ο τρόπος που σκεφτόμαστε για τη ζωή, η καθημερινότητά μας έχει στοιχεία και από τα δύο.
Δεν έχει πάντως να κάνει με το πώς θα έπρεπε να ακουστούμε! Ποτέ δεν κοιτάξαμε ένα συγκρότημα για να το μιμηθούμε.. Έχει να κάνει πιο πολύ με το ότι ανακαλύπτουμε τα τραγούδια και στη συνέχεια αυτά βγαίνουν προς τα έξω.

Υπάρχουν κάποια συγκροτήματα που σας αρέσουν;

Οι The Dirty Projectors μας αρέσουν πολύ.. ο δίσκος των Beach House είναι φανταστικός.. θα μπορούσαμε να ταυτιστούμε με τη μουσική τους.

Είναι η πρώτη σας φορά στην Ελλάδα... τι έχετε φάει μέχρι τώρα; Κυκλοφορούν φήμες ότι τρώτε πολύ!

Έχουμε φάει πολλούς ντολμάδες.. Έχουμε έναν φίλο δημοσιογράφο που μαγείρεψε ντολμάδες από συνταγή της γιαγιάς!! Μας αρέσει το Ελληνικό φαγητό γιατί είναι μια πολύ υγιεινή διατροφή με φρούτα και λαχανικά.. Λατρεύουμε επίσης τις σαρδέλες και τις γεμιστές ντομάτες με ρύζι. Ας φύγουμε όμως από αυτή την ερώτηση.. είναι η χειρότερη για αυτή την στιγμή!

Τι να περιμένουμε από εσάς στη συναυλία;

Θα δώσουμε τον καλύτερό μας εαυτό! Θα παίξουμε τα τραγούδια μας, έχουμε και μια πολύ καλοκαιρινή διασκευή από ένα αμερικάνικο κλασικό τραγούδι που μας αρέσει.. Κυρίως θα παίξουμε υλικό από τον τελευταίο δίσκο.. και χαιρόμαστε πολύ που θα εμφανιστούμε στην Ελλάδα, έχουμε ακούσει ότι ο κόσμος είναι φοβερά ενθουσιώδης!

Ευχαριστώ πολύ!

Κι εμείς!!

letting up despite small faults

2010-07-11T10:57:00.000-07:00

Under the palm trees of L.A., Letting Up Despite Great Faults are set in their own ways. Since 2006, Michael Lee and his partners in crime layer swooping synths with shoegaze melodies, leading magazines like Rolling Stone and Pitchfork to dub them one of the best new dream-pop acts. Having paid their tribute to Blonde Redhead, they released debut “Movement” four years ago and second lovely album "Letting Up Despite Great Faults" last year. Swedish fellow-travellers Radio Dept. should be proud of them. And so are we.

http://www.myspace.com/lettingup

Arctica takes It!

2010-06-27T03:46:00.000-07:00

Antarctica Takes It are not a bunch of polar bears. They are sweet kids that like to kiss, play, clap hands, hug each other and do some awkward dancing. They come from Santa Cruz and, a while ago, they delivered handmade-packaged debut “The Penguin League”. The sound of Tullycraft and The Lucksmiths –accompanied by glockespiel and tambourine amongst others- is all around this band which knows how to produce tender doses of lo-fi indie pop. Singer Dylan McKeever reveals: “I have come here to destroy everything that you held dear.” Lets see if he is serious about that on new album “Constellations” (out now on How Does It Feel To Be Loved). Cute. Cute.

http://www.myspace.com/antarcticatakesit

richard falls

2010-06-06T12:16:00.000-07:00

Veronica is a little girl. She has huge starry eyes and a red bow on her hair. She lives in London and falls in love with a ghost. Veronica falls. And then turns into a ramshackle four-piece that plays weird versions of pop romance. The band hails from the now defunct bands The Royal We and Sexy Kids and introduces itself as a new mix of Vivian Girls, The Pastels and Shop Assistants. Debut single “Found Love In A Graveyard b/w Stephen” is out on Trouble Records. Very cool stuff.

http://www.myspace.com/veronicafallshard

cult me

2010-05-24T05:46:00.000-07:00

Mystery is pop. Pop and mystery equal Cults. A New York duo that chooses to play with black and white while prefers not to reveal their identity. Cults got signed to Forest Family Records in March 2010 and a month later released first single (Go Outside b/w Most Wanted). The 7'', which is now sold out, was pressed on bright yellow vinyl and was limited to only 400 copies. Pithfork named the single as "best new music". Most wanted 2010 = Cults.

http://cults.bandcamp.com

new candy bar (5/5)

2010-05-05T14:34:00.001-07:00

You can download this week's candy bar here >>

http://www.sendspace.com/file/oe5xvd

listen to the show wednesdays 22:00-00:00 [GMT+2] on www.waveradio.gr.

cuban kids in the streets

2010-05-04T01:47:00.000-07:00

British or Mexican, those kids are to die for. Two skateboarders, two girls and a host of pirates who sing recycled songs for a happy environment? Brilliant! Folky pop, cute harmonies, weepop! addiction and an indietracks performance this july. Looking forward.

http://www.myspace.com/mexicankidsathome

new candy bar (28/4)

2010-04-28T14:22:00.000-07:00

You can download this week's candy bar here (28/4) >>

http://www.sendspace.com/file/wzyfa1

listen to the show wednesdays 22:00-00:00 [GMT+2] on www.waveradio.gr.

GO! GO! SWEDEN

2010-04-28T03:36:00.000-07:00

new candy bar (21/4)

2010-04-21T14:33:00.001-07:00

You can download this week's candy bar here (21/4) >>

http://www.sendspace.com/file/kwjr6f

listen to the show wednesdays 22:00-00:00 [GMT+2] on www.waveradio.gr.

walk like an egyptian

2010-04-21T02:17:00.000-07:00

They call themselves a post-pop band and have never set foot in Cairo. Nevertheless, they see Egypt in their mirrorballs and dream about pyramids, camels and girls covered with veils. Egyptian Hip Hop may be a delusion, yet they are very real. Coming from Manchester, these four 18-year-olds (who wear Klaxons bright clothes and expose their asymmetrical hair) know how to give Hacienda sound a whole new twist. Funky, ‘baggy’ indie, dark but upbeat… its all there, packed again in new ways. Think of These new Puritans, Darwin Deez, Is Tropical and add tons of mancunian style. Perfect.

http://www.myspace.com/egyptianhiphop

new candy bar (15/4)

2010-04-15T10:48:00.001-07:00

You can download this week's candy bar here (15/4) >>

http://www.sendspace.com/file/7mu6zy

listen to the show wednesdays 22:00-00:00 [GMT+2] on www.waveradio.gr.

new candy bar (24/3)

2010-03-24T15:26:00.000-07:00

You can download this week's candy bar here (24/3) >>

http://www.sendspace.com/file/2ffx5h

listen to the show wednesdays 22:00-00:00 [GMT+2] on www.waveradio.gr.

specific cold

2010-03-21T12:27:00.000-07:00

I may still feel very cold, but there are a few bands that can make me warmer. The Specific Heats are one of those bands. Hailing from Brooklyn & Boston, the folk/psych/indie combo first appeared in 2004 having evolved from the solo project of Mathew Patalano. Debut “The Specific Heats Aboard A Spaceship of the Imagination” was released in 2006 while the group will be finishing up their second album “CURSED!” in the coming months. Attention! The Specific Heats are drug-free and only perform in smoke-free environments. Hot!

http://www.myspace.com/thespecificheats

new candy bar (17/3)

2010-03-17T06:37:00.001-07:00

You can download this week's candy bar here (17/3) >>

http://www.sendspace.com/file/a464xx

listen to the show wednesdays 20:00-22:00 [GMT+2] on www.waveradio.gr.

la la la la la la la

2010-03-14T10:26:00.000-07:00

A powerpop suggestion from sunny Madrid. A male gang dressed in pink t-shirts, with painted hearts all over the place. La La Love You sing in spanish, seem utterly cute and ironically childish while have a strong connection with our beloved eurovision contest. Spanish pop can be cheesy but we've been through that before; question is whether we can afford so much love and I think we can. On that note, below are two sugary visual samples. La La La Love them!

http://www.myspace.com/palomitasparados

new candy bar (10/3)

2010-03-10T14:31:00.001-08:00

You can download this week's candy bar here (10/3) >>

http://www.sendspace.com/file/hlaiwe

listen to the show wednesdays 20:00-22:00 [GMT+2] on www.waveradio.gr.

cineplexxxxx

2010-03-06T11:09:00.000-08:00

What’s a 34-year old Argentinean doing in the land of Barcelona? Sebastian Litmanovich creates sounds under weird diverse alias such as Amarena Incident, Readme & Anthony, Portatile Room Mobile and Cacahuetes Inc. but MOST OF ALL he releases albums under the name Cineplexx. Expect clashed punk, disco and indiepop with echoes of Beat Happening, Os Mutantes and Belle & Sebastian. New album “Nuevahola” [containing old, new & rare songs, including collaborations with members of BMX Bandits and Teenage Fanclub] is out now on Cherry Red Records!! XX

http://www.cineplexx.net
http://www.myspace.com/cineplexx

wild everything

2010-03-01T03:16:00.000-08:00

Solo projects are supposed to be in fashion. Wild Nothing is the solo project of 21-year old Virginian named Jack Tatum. He seems quite obsessed with nostalgia, regret and complex powerful arrangements, yet he is sensitive and fragile and introvert and emotional. His penchant for shoegaze and dream-pop melodies is pretty obvious on his stuff and that’s what I like most about him. Wild Nothing have a single out.. buy “Summer Holiday” from label Captured Tracks and get ready for a debut lp next year. wild.

http://www.myspace.com/wildnothing

new candy bar (24/2)

2010-02-24T12:38:00.001-08:00

You can download this week's candy bar here (24/2) >>

http://www.sendspace.com/file/dbhjr5

listen to the show wednesdays 20:00-22:00 [GMT+2] on www.waveradio.gr.

star x 3

2010-02-21T10:14:00.000-08:00

Hailing from Huy, Showstar come as the logical continuation of the Belgian music scene. Its been almost a decade that the five-piece is blending britpop with sunny 60s sounds, always in search of “the perfect pop song to appeal to housewives and students, CEOs and motorists stuck in traffic jams for days”. Amongst various releases and radio plays, Showstar have marked slots with the likes of The Rakes, Maximo Park and The Charlatans. Third album “Think Ringo” was released 15th Feb on Vespasonic Records and was produced by Gareth Parton (The Go! Team, Foals, Rakes). Download “Gold Mine” and discover the magic that Belgium is currently exporting.

http://www.showstar.be
http://www.myspace.com/showstarshowstar

new candy bar (17/2)

2010-02-17T12:34:00.000-08:00

You can download this week's candy bar here (10/2) >>

http://www.sendspace.com/file/i5szkg

listen to the show wednesdays 20:00-22:00 [GMT+2] on www.waveradio.gr.

pale tuesday

2010-02-15T14:26:00.000-08:00

I was looking forward to Pale Sunday’s new material. When I first listened to them on myspace –that must have been a couple of years ago– I instantly thought they represent indie pop (and all the Sarah references) in the best possible way. Oddly enough, Pale Sunday come from Brazil (from a city called Jardinopólis). They disbanded for a while but luckily they returned from the ashes with a new line-up and -what a delight!!- a new EP… their first release after debut album “Summerime?” in 2005, “Shooting Star” is out on Matinée. LOVE IT.

http://www.myspace.com/palesundayband

new candy bar (10/2)

2010-02-10T13:19:00.000-08:00

You can download this week's candy bar here (10/2) >>

http://www.sendspace.com/file/9st852

listen to the show wednesdays 20:00-22:00 [GMT+2] on www.waveradio.gr.

brick + colage

2010-02-07T14:10:00.000-08:00

Bricolage means creation of a work from a diverse range of things. In contemporary French the word appears to be the equivalent of the English DIY. Originating from the blessed land of Glasgow, the band Bricolage began their indie journey round 2005. Debut album was released last year on Creeping Bent (produced by Stephen Lironi, member of the 80s scottish post-punk band Altered Images) and I still cant get enough of single “Footsteps”. Keep checking for new stuff.

http://www.myspace.com/bricolagetheband

new candy bar (3/2)

2010-02-03T12:40:00.001-08:00

You can download this week's candy bar here (3/2) >>

http://www.sendspace.com/file/0kuxpe

listen to the show wednesdays 20:00-22:00 [GMT+2] on www.waveradio.gr.

Im fit and proud of it

2010-02-01T16:16:00.001-08:00

Being myself a non-athletic person, I have a major problem with Fitness Forever’s name. Still their music -a combination of Spanish La Casa Azul, The Polyphonic Spree, Bacharach and Gino Paoli- is so sweet and delicate that makes me wanna run to the gym right away! The Italian pop band, with Carlos Valderrama on the steering wheel, released full-length debut “Personal Train” last year on elefant records. Go to the gym. Start training. And listen to Fitness Forever.

http://www.myspace.com/fitnesswithyou

new candy bar (27/1)

2010-01-27T13:22:00.001-08:00

You can download this week's candy bar here (27/1) >>

http://www.sendspace.com/file/84c480 (part 1) +

http://www.sendspace.com/file/4lw070 (part 2)

listen to the show wednesdays 20:00-22:00 [GMT+2] on www.waveradio.gr.

savoir vivre vs savoir-faire

2010-01-24T11:56:00.000-08:00

Savoir Adore met in New York Uni. They got together round 2006, after fooling around in a home studio and ending up with an improvisational instrumental track. Having been encouraged by the lovely Cantora Records (MGMT’s old imprint), they now are a proper band that enjoys to talk like machines, follow the indie pop rules of savoir vivre and have occasional electric dreams during sleep. Album “The Wooded Forest” was released September 2009. Adorable.

http://www.myspace.com/savoiradore

new candy bar (20/1)

2010-01-20T12:43:00.000-08:00

You can download this week's candy bar here (20/1) >>

http://www.sendspace.com/file/t4gglh

listen to the show wednesdays 20:00-22:00 [GMT+2] on www.waveradio.gr.

Yuck! YES!

2010-01-17T11:07:00.000-08:00

YUCK are covered with a thick mysterious veil; which is sth that annoys me but then intrigues me at the same time. They are a five-piece outfit based in london [even though they ridiculously cite Hiroshima and New Jersey on their myspace] and are rapidly tipped as the new shoegaze/indie pop gem coming out from the british land. OK, there is no discography here, just two single demos! BUT you SHOULD definately LISTEN to gorgeous song “Georgia”; it evokes a certain TPOBPAH feeling and it kicks serious ass.

[no vid found!]

http://www.myspace.com/yuckband

Run Girl Run!

2010-01-14T11:18:00.000-08:00

Doing a feature on Run Toto Run was inevitable. Surely I dig their music. But looking at this promo pic makes me realize how important is to know how to present yourself in the music biz. Stunning. So yeah.. a Manchester band, nothing to do with the mancunian accent and retro brit sounds; instead the three piece, led by the ethereal presence of Rachael Kichenside, prefer to elegantly hit the synths and come off as ardent electro poppers with a hyped cover of Passion Pit's "Sleepyhead" on their sleeves. Get your hands on new single "Catch My Breath", “Plastic Gold” EP and their 5 Track Demo CD [for just £4 through their website]. hooray!

http://runtotorun.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/runtotomusic

best of list 2009

2010-01-04T12:46:00.000-08:00

Last year may have been a crap year in certain ways, yet it did deliver loads of brilliant pop music. Here is a top-35 list of my favorite albums/eps for 2009. Enjoy loud.

1. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
2. The Drums – Summertime! (ep)
3. Dent May – The good feeling music of D.Μ.&his magnificent ukelele
4. Mikrofisch – Masters of the Universe
5. Thieves Like Us – Really Like to See You Again (ep)
6. Burning Hearts – Aboa Sleeping
7. Darren Hayman and the Secondary Modern – Pram Town (ep)
8. Cats On Fire – Our Temperance Movement
9. The Ballet – Bear Life
10. Liechtenstein – Survival Strategies in a Modern World
11. Cola Jet Set – Guitarras y Tambores
12. The Cavalcade – Meet You in The Rain (ep)
13. God Help the Girl – God Help the Girl
14. Summer Cats – Songs for Tuesdays
15. Afternoon Naps – Parade
16. Hiawata! – These Boys and This Band is all we Know
17. Stars in Coma – Sisters
18. Socialist Leisure Party – Tactical Pop! for Coffee Cadets (ep)
19. Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career
20. The City and the Horses – I don’t Want to Dream
21. My Writes – Its Okay, I’m with the band
22. The Bumblebees – The Bumblebees (ep)
23. Patrick Wolf – The Bachelor
24. Knight School – The Poor and the Needy Need to Party
25. Cocoanut Groove – Madeleine Street
26. Very Truly Yours – Reminders (ep)
27. The Mary Onettes – Island
28. Au Revoir Simone – Still Night, Still Light
29. The Legends – Over and Over
30. Pocketbooks – Flight Paths
31. The Bridal Shop – In Fragmets (ep)
32. Wake The President – You cant change that boy
33. The Postmarks – Memoirs at the End of the World
34. Montt Mardie – Skaizerkite
35. Katsen – It Hertz!

dance you dead

2009-12-13T11:55:00.000-08:00

Very few words for this newly born band called Dance Me Dead. They declare they steal their inspiration from mixed and varied images of drinks, dance, death and the perverted face of Dolly Parton. Do we actually need another seven piece outfit from Stockholm with 80s new wave and post punk references? We surely do. Listen to new single "I wish you could hear me now" and dance till you drop dead.

http://www.myspace.com/dancemedeadsweden

new candy bar (9/12)

2009-12-09T13:23:00.000-08:00

You can download this week's candy bar here (9/12) >>

http://www.sendspace.com/file/nwpcy6

listen to the show wednesdays 20:00-22:00 [GMT+2] on www.waveradio.gr.

a trip into space

2009-12-06T12:44:00.000-08:00

A trip into space is always a fascinating adventure full of ambiguities. Sweet Trip aren’t from outerspace but from the land of San Francisco. Led by Roberto Burgos -a young immigrant from Panama- they worship My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Pale Saints, Stereolab and Cocteau Twins. They furtively create their own soundscape while manage to mitigate mediocrity by blending ambient, electronica and indie in style. It should be noted that Burgos has furthermore remixed songs for the infamous Japanese shibuya-kei idol Takako Minekawa. “Your World Is Eternally Complete” is now out on the new “Little Darla Has A Treat For You, Volume 26” (Darla Records). Sweet!

http://www.myspace.com/sweettrip

new candy bar (2/12)

2009-12-02T16:12:00.000-08:00

You can download this week's candy bar here (2/12) >>

http://www.sendspace.com/file/q5t4hb

listen to the show wednesdays 20:00-22:00 [GMT+2] on www.waveradio.gr.

Walk down the Berndt St.

2009-12-02T06:08:00.001-08:00

I have recently been infected by the Swedish virus Berndt. It’s a dangerous one, conducive to bad health results such as weird dancing moves and extra peculiar shopping therapy. The Berndt are young and stupid and cool and fearless. They are also proud of their stage presence and claim that this is their big asset. Whether they do provoke a live chaos or deliver an explosion of energy, emotions and fiery rhythms is yet to be confirmed. What is already verified, however, is their unique enthusiasm and talent captured on both their EPs [“Bap! Bap!” and “…Walk”]. Debut album is expected to be out January 2010 (Pophat Music). Virus Alert!

http://theberndt.com
http://www.myspace.com/theberndt

Murder at the Discotheque.

2009-11-29T10:15:00.000-08:00

When I was a little girl I was told I should join the ballet. That was supposed to make me look cute, toned and feminine. I was never into gymnastics so instead, I started reading books, drawing silly pictures and listening to music. Years later I bumped into The Ballet, a New York outfit that seems to enjoy old pop records and being gay; they actually named their first record after the Mattachine Society which was in the 50s one of the earliest lasting homophile organizations in the US. What is adorable about those guys is the infectious popsongs that borrow sth from the early Magnetic Fields delicacy. Second album “Bear Life” is out now! Song “The House on Fire” is pure excellency.

http://www.thepirateship.org/
http://www.myspace.com/sissypopband

new candy bar (25/11)

2009-11-25T17:20:00.000-08:00

You can download this week's candy bar here (25/11) >>

http://www.sendspace.com/file/k69mh8

listen to the show wednesdays 20:00-22:00 [GMT+2] on www.waveradio.gr.

820 Hertz in the Fight Club

2009-11-23T03:47:00.000-08:00

You dig 8-bit weird sounds? Like nintendo and other video games? Then you NEED to enter the world of 50 Hertz, a crazy toy-synth swedish trio that had featured on Björk's compilation "Army of Me: Remixes and Covers" (2005). I haven't heard from them in a while so I guess they have called it a day and/or concentrated on their other electro project called Slagsmålsklubben (check them out on their recent EP "Sponsored By Destiny" as well as on Kitsuné Maison Compilation 8, released this november). In a nutshell: this is nerdy stuff with colourful bows and brilliantine on top. Yummy.

http://www.myspace.com/50hertz
http://www.myspace.com/slagsmalsklubben

mornington crescent tube

2009-11-17T06:23:00.000-08:00

Coming across bedroom pop bands from the land of Sweden is not a remarkable discovery. Yet often the strictly romantic face that is incorporated in a sensitive genre such as indie pop is simply and effectively charming. Elizabeth and Stefan is a band in love, first with each other and then with anything evoking sunny memories from the likes of Even As We Speak and Heavenly. I reckon their name is a smart reference to the Belle & Sebastian song (from “The Life Pursuit” album), but maybe the duo just likes to wander around the streets of Camden Town in London, down to Mornington Crescent street. First release was a split 3" cd single, issued by cloudberry and now it's time for their first EP; “Corners” is out on the Peruvian label Susy Records (limited edition consisting of 100 numbered copies). Song "Seventeen" is a pop delight.

http://www.myspace.com/leavingmorningtoncrescent

the wake presidents!

2009-11-05T11:51:00.000-08:00

Twin pop could be a new genre and Wake the President could be named its leaders. Twin brothers Erik and Bjorn Sandberg wander the streets of Glasgow, fantasize blonde busty girls and philosophize over drops of love and despair. Even though they bear the brunt of the classic Glasgow music scene, they seem to weild considerable power over their own individual sound, which varies from C86 to more recent jangly stuff. They have already won great supporters including BBC Radio 2 DJs Stuart Maconie and Mark Radcliffe, who have praised both singles ‘Remember Fun?’ and ‘You Can’t Change That Boy’. Debut album "You Can’t Change That Boy" was released 9th March 2009 (Norman Records). I can't change that boy, you are so right.

http://www.myspace.com/wakethepresidentband

Hi-Fi action.

2009-10-26T03:37:00.000-07:00

Based in Bristol and thus creating a certain controversy round the infamous trip hop scene, The Hi-Life Companion prefer to sing only for champagne and chocolate. They like to preserve the legend of indie pop and act as a modern stand-in for the likes of Galaxie 500, The Lucksmiths, Felt and Jonathan Richman. Previous releases include a sold out cd single on cloudberry and appearances on various compilations, while they have recently released their debut album, called "Say Yes!"; mixed by Rob Price from Airport Girl, the album is out on the wonderful Plastilina Records. Say Yes!!

http://thehilifecompanion.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/thehilifecompanion

I should coco!

2009-10-20T12:09:00.000-07:00

Cocoanut Groove is the solo project of Olov Antonsson, who decided in 2007 to call it a day with The Tidy Ups and concentrate on music that recalls orange skies, carnivals and cotton candy... or to put in a more simple way, concentrate on mournful and sleek options of The Zombies, The Clientele and The Go-Betweens. His cute 7inch "End of the summer on Bookbinder Road" was released last year, while debut album "Madeleine Street" is out now on Fridlyst Records. It's a foregone conclusion that swedish pop will lead the way for a long time. And Cocoanut Groove are bound to vindicate my point.

http://www.cocoanutgroove.com
http://www.myspace.com/cocoanutgroove

Code Da Vinci

2009-10-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

Honestly, can a band call themselves after a Dan Brown cheesy novel and get away with it? It’s truly not that simple. In the world of global marketing, having a name like The Da Vincis can be an immediate turn off. YET, this almost childish american band is surprisingly more elegant than their shocking seventeen years. Jazz, bossa nova, indie pop and 60s crooner seems to be an almost effortless attempt for them [they do remind me a bit of Vincent Vincent & The Villains, even though I wish them more luck than the aforementioned]. Those high school dudes have caught me on hop with their first piece of work.. “See you Tonight” is out on Olympic Records. Great potential.

http://www.myspace.com/davincismusic

I wanna take a nap.

2009-10-11T13:52:00.000-07:00

It seems like there's a hive of activity within the new American indie pop scene. More and more bands favor the uncontrived verse-chorus story while find sound repetitions futile. Bingo! Ohio quintet Afternoon Naps, led by Thomas and Leia, don’t beat about the bush. Having formed in 2006, they cast their demons aside and present a straightforward pop suggestion derived by the likes of Comet Gain, Ladybug Transistor, Felt and Shop Assistants. They also have a new cd out. “Parade” is pressed in only 1,000 copies and is released on the wonderful label Happy Happy Birthday to Me. Lovely stuff.

http://www.myspace.com/afternoonnapsband

download new candy bar (16/9)

2009-09-16T13:10:00.001-07:00

CANDY BAR is back on http://www.waveradio.gr!
[wednesdays 20:00-22:00]
you can download this week's candy bar (16/9) >>

http://www.sendspace.com/file/sy4hmz

let's kiss and listen to bis.

2009-09-15T09:54:00.001-07:00

Hunting for the misbegotten children of Stereo Total? Mikrofisch is your answer. They are bright, imaginative, intelligently naïve, frivolous, preposterous, outspoken, sceptical. They use keyboards, old drum boxes, melodica and theramin in order to construct an 80s retro super twee charming electro pop sound. They like to get ambiguous, make statements and get obsessed over shit bands. They are even so cool as to have both their albums for free downloading through their myspace ["Masters of the Universe" is the latest]. I consider myself a dedicated fan... even only cause they have a song titled “Let's Kiss and listen to Bis”. Pure genius.

http://www.myspace.com/mikrofisch

download new candy bar (9/9)

2009-09-09T13:16:00.000-07:00

CANDY BAR is back on http://www.waveradio.gr!
[wednesdays 20:00-22:00]
you can download this week's candy bar (9/9) >>

http://www.sendspace.com/file/upkf91