Last Week’s Jams, Today (4.4 – 4.8)

Here we are folks, another Monday. We’re starting off the week, as we always do, looking back at last week’s hits, just in case our five followers missed a song or two. We’ve got new indie pop stuff from Red Sleeping Beauty and Jeanines, plus new tunes from long-time ATH faves, Stephen’s Shore. Then there’s a new Chronophage album on the way, so we’ve got that covered here too. It’s a quick little way to breeze into your week here, starting things off nice and light. Enjoy!

Red Sleeping Beauty Drop Single w/ Amelia Fletcher

It’s hard to not fawn over a track that takes Red Sleeping Beauty‘s pop craftsmanship then throws in the marvelous support of Amelia Fletcher (Swansea Sound/Heavenly/Catenary Wires) on vocals. The thumping drumbeat gets us started, with a stuttering guitar line faintly toying in the background while the vocals enter pushing the accompanying guitar bits towards more of an outright jangle. When the chorus hits, the vocals get textured backing and the arrangements swell, building it into this indiepop gem that’s going to resonate with all sorts of pop fans. This glorious pop song comes to you courtesy of Matinee Recordings.

Swansea Sound Share Pooh Sticks Video

In case you weren’t in the know, we helped get a cassette copy of the debut from Swansea Sound out into the world last week, but since album’s and videos never die, we wanted to encourage you to watch the band’s video for “The Pooh Sticks.” I’m not sure what’s the star here though…is it the incredible song? I mean, they tease you in with Hue’s casual spoken delivery, then ramp it up with classic jangling pop sounds. But, could it also be the great video designed by Rob and Amelia themselves? Using the record’s collage work style and some live cuts, though I’m pretty sure Rob flies off atop a cymbal. Just another reminder that you might be missing out on one of the sneaky good LPs to drop this year. Grab the tape from us HERE, or maybe an LP from our friends at HHBTM.

Swansea Sound Share I Sold My Soul on EBay

Back before our break, Rob Pursey and Amelia Fletcher took over the site for a day, and in that, they shared a new project, Swansea Sound; the band includes the duo, as well as Hue Williams from Pooh Sticks and Ian Button on the kit. Thematically, the song tackles the dire circumstances facing musicians, fighting to get the scraps from the Spotify and YouTube tables…so they pose, why not sell your soul on EBay? And in fact, the band will sell one copy of this song on a 7″ via EBay, for which we can only assume it will shatter records! Musically, its a pure pop delight, charged with energy and the playful back and forth between Amelia and Hue. Want to bounce around your house, your office, flat, what have you? Turn this up to 12 (it’s higher than 11).

ATH Takeover: Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey – the Introduction

Thanks for having us ATH. Its a real honour to be allowed to take over the hall for a day! Our home – in rural Kent, England – is a long way from Texas, and we haven’t left it very often for the past few months, so its exciting to go on a long journey and hang out with you in Austin.

2020 has been a strange old year, and a terrible one for many people. Like everyone else, weve spent much of it in lockdowns of one sort or another. We’ve been pretty lucky compared to many. The worst of it for us is that we’ve not been able to play live shows. On the upside, being stuck at home has meant we’ve had the time to create lots of new things. So we thought wed take a look back on our 2020 the stuff we made, and a few things weve enjoyed listening to.

Follow them over on twitter via @heavenlyindie or @catenarywires