Tag: indiepop

Lost Ships Drop New EP

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The Lost Ships are following up their Best Laid Plans EP with the brand new All of the Pieces EP. They brandish the sort of indiepop that walks that fine line with power-pop, infusing their jangling guitar chords this round with a little bit more volume up front. The first two tracks off this EP are just that, swelling with warm melody wrapped around the slightest jangling notes. But, “How Can I Face the World” has a little bit more punch than one might have initially have expected; it’s almost a full-fledged rock song…albeit one spun in the vein of pop fans like myself. Of course, they back that up with the gentle ballad “Sheila Believe Me” to close things out, which is this striking ballad atop a thick piano background. Their new EP is being handled by the taste makers at Subjangle.

Fuzzy Pop from A Certain Smile

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Remember when you bought that first Pains of Being Pure at Heart LP and you couldn’t tell whether you wanted to rock out or just start your own twee pop band? Well, now you’ve got A Certain Smile to help emulate that very mood, brandishing their own short buzzy pop number. This one’s like a sweet little sampler of indiepop, over in just over 2 minutes, with the band’s current label Jigsaw Records claiming its the best indiepop single you’ll hear this year. That’s super high praise, but to be fair, the band currently includes the owner of the label…but it definitely is high up there on my list. I’ll say top 10. What do you think? The whole Bae EP is out next week on September 20th, with a full LP to follow soon after.

Eggstone Return with Indiepop Gem

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Eggstone have a history long-rooted in the history of Sweden’s underground pop scene, having risen to the top in the early 90s, not to mention the influence their own Tambourine Studios has had on the scene in Malmo. Here we have the band back with a new single for Danish label Crunchy Frog, and it’s got this youthful earnestness one might not expect for a band kicking on some 30 years down the road. While the song’s melody is solid, I’m digging on the bouncing of the organ and the swelling arrangements hanging in the distance. Fans of Shout Out Louds and that whole pop brand will definitely find something to love here.

New Music from 3108

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3108 has a decent resume with some powerhouse labels like Jigsaw Records or Trouble in Mind, but at the moment it seems that Kyle Hill is out on his own, so he’s offering up a few samples of the next LP he hopes to drop. Right away there’s this infectious fuzz with this twinkling pop vibe working behind it; it sort of feels like twirling with the snow falling happily upon your face. I love the late keyboard solo in the song’s latter half, providing this playfulness that gives the song an added vitality that’s often overlooked. There’s a couple of more tunes HERE if your’e so inclined.

Dial H for the Hannah Barberas

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Okay, so that’s a pretty clever title up there, but I can’t take credit, as it’s the name of the new six song EP from the Hannah Barberas. You pop fans are going to be out of luck if you don’t hop on this, as rumor has it that it’s selling quick. Why? Well, let’s just give you one song, and that should be enough to convince you of the band’s greatness. Lucy comes into the party atop a nice ramshackle beat; she offers up a nice verse before asking the rest of the band to joy in emphatically for the chorus. They stay the course here up until about the 1:30 minute mark where they kick on to offer up a slight little twist in the tune. Mind you, this is just one of the six gems you can have; the whole Dial H for Hannah Barberas EP will be available on CD on September 6th via Subjangle.

Hater Return with Four Tries Down

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There are a lot of great pop bands out there at the moment, but I dare say there hasn’t been one as consistent and moving as Sweden’s Hater. They’ve just announced a new 7″, their first new music since last year’s Siesta. On first listen, I thought the opening two minutes were brilliant, using that sharp falling guitar line to contrast against the smokiness of the vocal delivery. But, then they offer up a little sonic exploration, releasing the tension just after the two minute mark, and I’ll admit, I was taken aback, surprised even. All of this to move towards a quiet close. The new 7″ will be out on Fire Records on September 6th with a few US dates to follow.

Cozy Slippers Announce New 7″

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I feel like it’s getting to the point where any time that I see a new release pop up from Kleine Untergrund Schallplatten that I should just expect greatness. Luckily, when it comes to news of a fresh 7″ from Cozy Slippers, I was already up to date on the band, having been a fan of their Postcards EP (Jigsaw 2018). Their return has those early jangling notes turn more into a woozy dream vibe; they still have the same sharpness, but they meander just a bit on the edges, which actually opens the song up for one of those classic vocal performances. There’s an earnest to the lyrical delivery; it almost feels as if you can hear it as an homage to Jett or Harry in their hey-day…it sparkles but brims with bravado. The new 7″ will be available this Friday via KUS.

The Color Waves Share New Tunes

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The Color Waves first came into my musical orbit when they had a release back in 2015 with Cloudberry Records. Until then, they’ve been relatively quiet, though that all changed last week with the release of a two-song single. For my two cents, the band continue to operate on the more elegant side of indiepop; they work with slower tempos and build the songs beneath their melody; you could probably also call it shoegaze sans distortion. I love the vocal performance on “The Bay,” especially the way the lyrics almost dangle in the air, almost lost to the world as soon as they’re uttered. “Paper Tiger” offers up some subtle jangling chords, with just the slightest uptick in pace present here. Hopefully these two tracks signal more to come soon.

The Proctors Return

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We’ve seen some tunes over the last year or so popping up from the Proctors, so I had the feeling something new was on the horizon…and apparently that was a new 7″ from the band. The first of the two tracks on the 7″ has this spritely quality, an innate bounce that works its way into your brain as the sharp churning guitars ring around your ears. This is offset by the softness of the vocals, giving the track over to a dreamier tone. The second tune jumps right into the dreamy side of things, stretching the pop appeal over 5 minutes; it’s a nice ballad with this swelling pop sensibility that erupts into joy around the 1.30 mark. These two tracks appear on the new 7″, available now from Shelflife.

Electronic Indiepop from The Royal Landscaping Society

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A few months ago we got a great new single from The Royal Landscaping Society; it was just two quick tunes, barely enough to satiate pop fans. But, and I’m only guessing here, the Spanish duo have popped out another forthcoming single, or maybe even an album…as there’s not much news from their label Matinee Recordings, other than, of course, uploading this track to the Internet. It’s got a nice electronic pulse beneath, offset by these lighter keyboard notes, building a dense cavern of catchy pop music from which the vocals emanate to wash over the listener. I’m on board with anything this bunch does, so I’ll keep you posted as I hear more about this release.

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