Tag: wiaiwya

Silver Biplanes Share Searching for Your Name

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You ever have one of those days where you wish you could just take a song and put it in your pocket and carry it around with you all day long? No? Just me? Well, today, I want this Silver Biplanes track with me wherever I go. It’s got this beautiful innocence to it, something that just seems both timeless and nostalgic all at once, matched by the video footage that accompanies the track. The melodiousness of the vocals is so sublime that it’s almost too sweet for your listening pleasure; you’ll be coming back in no time to listen to this tune again and again. Such a beautiful tune; you’ll find it on the band’s debut, A Moment in the Sun; it’s out this Friday via WIAIWYA.

New Music from Silver Biplanes

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When listening to Silver Biplanes latest single, you’re certainly going to here that nostalgic pop feel; the vocals are certainly reminiscent of the doo-wop pop era. But, the packaging of the sugary center is a little different here. The band build a heavy wall of fuzz, bathing the sweetness in this distorted world of atmospherics. It’s like the band have constructed this cocoon of darkness, but on the inside is this brilliant butterfly ready to break free and present itself unto the world. If you’re interested in what the band are doing, as you should be, keep an ear out, as the group are set to release A Moment in the Sun just after the new year kicks off, via WIAIWYA.

Check Out The Martial Arts

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Ever stumble into something and totally get dumbstruck? Well, when I turned on this track from the Martial Arts, I’ll admit, I was a bit gobsmacked (not Godsmacked like RayRay’s favorite band). At times, it channels the sort of high school pop of the 50s; it’s playful and filled with these charms that seem to come from the jukebox era. That said, the sound has this natural earnestness, almost like it’s a DIY doing their best to craft stadium-ready rockers. It sounds like everything I’ve ever heard, and yet nothing sounds at all like what the band is doing. The band will be re-releasing the Getting Stranger by the Month EP on August 12th via WIAIWYA.

Frontperson Announce New LP, Parade

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When you are involved in various other acts, like the New Pornographers (Kathryn Calder) or Woodpigeon (Mark Andrew Hamilton), its got to be difficult to lay down the pieces to a new Frontperson LP. There were, of course, other barriers like a pandemic and pregnancy, but now all the pieces have come together and the duo have announced Parade. This track is like a tricked out pop gem, something that doesn’t seem too far away from Kathryn’s other gig. There’s this synthetic key work that plays the role of the background, then it seems like everything else, including the vocals gets layered down bit by bit, building the texture into something full and enlightening. Personally, I dig the restraint, as it would have been easy to sell a hook in this, but they hold it back, letting the layers and the overlapping melodies build that joyous sensation for listeners. Parade is out April 29th via Oscar St Records/WIAIWYA.

WIAIWYA Releases Holiday Compilation

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Our friends over in the UK will likely already be all over this one, but just wanted to make sure everyone was in the know on our end, as WIAIWYA just dropped an incredible holiday compilation titled 24. It’s 24 songs from some of the finest purveyors of pop music around; Pete Astor, Love Burns, the Orchids, the BVs, and a bunch bunch more of artists we’ve been covering on this site for some time. I have a feeling there’s a little something for everyone in this mix, so feel free to sample a tune or two below, then if you feel so inclined spread the holiday cheer by telling a friend!

The Great Electric Return with the Greater Electric

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We take a break from our regularly scheduled brand of rock n’ roll to bring you an instrumental tune from one of our favorite, The Great Electric. This last week the band have announced that they’ll follow up last year’s debut with The Greater Electric. Here you’ll find the group texturing with layer after layer, and it all seems to slow to a halt right near the 2 minute mark, but the electronic pulse beckons you to stick around, and the sounds come falling back into you, looping around your ears with a wonderful groove that you just can’t run away from. Look for the new LP via WIAIWYA on October 1st!

Have You Listened to European Sun?

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After a period of gestation that lasted several decades (Rob and Steve have been friends since they were 14), we made an album as European Sun. We were just finishing the album as we first went into lockdown. This was the first time the two of us had arranged and produced a set of someone elses songs, but Steve was very trusting. He is still talking to us, and WIAIWYA were happy to put the album out, so it clearly wasnt a disaster.

In the summer, during one of those periods when it was ok to meet up with friends, we all went to our local seaside town, Hastings, for the day. We admired the sea, ate chips and made a video for Favourite Day, one of the singles off the album. Rob decided he wanted to make a set of European Sun videos that would, over time, become a collection of cards that could be put on a digital mantelpiece. This is the first: a seaside picture postcard.

You can buy the album HERE or stream it HERE.

Rock n’ Recipes: European Sun

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A little over a week ago European Sun released their self-titled LP on one of my favorite labels WIAIWYA. But, despite being a relatively new band, the pedigree of the members is really special for all the indiepop fans (Heavenly, Talulah Gosh, Short Stories)…enough heavy-hitters to pique your interest I would reckon. We caught up with the bunch via email to chat a bit and a recipe for “Steve’s Daal.” Click on below for a great read…and be sure to listen to the entirety of the self-titled LP.

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European Sun Share Favourite Day Video

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Those of you that fawning for indiepop are most assuredly going to enjoy the debut LP from European Sun. The band’s line-up alone is enough to make fans swoon, with members that have a pedigree from the the likes of the Short Stories, Heavenly, the Catenary Wires…among others. Today, we’re really happy to bring you this summery pop ditty, in hopes that you’re able to make today your “favorite day.” Steve and Amelia trade vocals to a charming effect; they offer slightly different tones, melding their melodies in some sugary swirl that sticks inside your head. For me, the juxtaposed guitar sounds definitely put a skip in my step, adding a grin to my day. The video is set up like a spectacular post card with ocean views, featuring Amelia on an ice cream cone and Steve munching some chips. This song appears on the group’s self-titled debut, out on September 11th via WIAIWYA.

New Offerings from WIAIWYA

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Thirty years on collecting music as a hobby, and I’m still pretty into following labels. For me, WIAIWYA is one of the premiere indie labels out there, not only because I love most of the stuff they put out, but because, like my own label, I like the diversity. Sure, you can pigeonhole certain aspects, but I feel like the label has a really long arm when it comes to describing their sound. Take, for instance, two forthcoming releases, from Sea Glass and European Sun. Sea Glass seems to have this spectral quality, particularly in the way the vocals overlap time and time again; there’s also this alliteration affect that has the habit of ensnaring the listener. On the other hand, you get European Sun has sort of this Ian Dury/TV Personalities feel, particularly in the playfulness of the lyrics. The Sea Glass album Shifts is out on 8/14, with the self-titled European Sun LP dropping on 9/11. At the very least, enjoy these songs, then go dig deeper into the extensive catalogue.

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