Where do they get this stuff?

Hello there, Beerandbands is starting to resemble BBC tv effort'The Bubble' at the moment, I feel; all news round-up and little else, but on the plus side, it means you don't have to surf the internet for random nonsense because you can find it all here. Never say we don't do anything for you, dear visitor.

Firstly today, there's yet another terrific looking popfest on the horizon, and like a lot of the really good musical festivals this year (Indietracks and End Of The Road being notable exceptions) it's not in this bloody country. Yep, it's NYC Popfest, a popfest so good that I'd sell me own testicles to go along. Well maybe one. Sadly it's not going to happen, but to while away the sad hours whilst I think about what I'm missing (in more ways than one) the kind folks who put it on have provided me and you with what is an absolutely cracking mix that you can download from their website/blog. You surely should, featuring as it does a number of Beerandbands favourite artists of recent months. Excellent stuff. If you're a massive indiepop fan you'll love it, and if you're just discovering this sort of thing you'll probably love it even more.

Meanwhile back on these shores, have you seen Mark Hibbett's FAB cover of 'Dreaming' by Allo Darlin' yet? It's been posted on a few blogs and sites that I've seen recently, but it's definitely worth posting again. Hibbett also suggested that other bands playing Indietracks should cover each other. I agree wholeheartedly. Let's have Ballboy doing The Specific Heats, oh and The Smittens doing Standard Fare



Finally today, the new Pipettes song 'Stop The Music' is finally going to be released on April 19th, and now there's a video to go with it. It's all dance moves and 30's glamour and I, for one, really enjoyed it. As for the single, I'm detecting a slight Sophie Ellis Bextor feel to it. It's not as instantly in your face catchy as 'Pull Shapes' was, but turn your back and it'll have run up it and into your ears before you've had a chance to think, "wow this is actually dead good". Definitely good to have them back. See what you think

Thursday, Holy Thursday

Hello it's Maundy Thursday. The day the Queen gives out some of her ill-gotten gains to the more deserving poor of the country. It's probably about 80p, but y'know she can afford it and that. It used to be tradition for the Queen to get down on her knees and wash people's feet too, but sadly that don't happen anymore. Imagine, the monarchy on it's knees.

Anyway it's time to stop daydreaming and get on with the order of the day, namely a couple of new things for your listening delectation. First up it's the WIAIWYA monthly singles club again. This time round it's a couple of songs from Hillary and the Democrats who played on Hollyoaks you know. That's a recommendation of quality before you even here the songs, and what songs they are. In particular the first of the two 'I wish I'd Taken More Photographs', It starts with a bunch of Ba-bas and has the punch of prime-quality Hefner. It's unquestionably fantastic. Lots of shouting and a really joyful chorus. It's the type of song that as soon as it comes to an end you just want to put it on and play it again, and shout "SNAP, SNAP, SNAP, SNAP" Don't take my word for it though, get it from the website.
Whilst you're there you should pick up the Meow Meow (cutural zeitgeisting at it's best) from last month too.

Todays other lovely news is that Cloudberry records have just released Bonne Idee's debut 7" and you can listen to some of it over on their website if you wish too. If dreamy, shimmery pop is your thing then you definitely should.

That's it for today, I'm off down the pub.

Indietracks band preview thing part 3.

Next up in the sporadic look at bands to play Indietracks is Be Like Pablo. I'm looking forward to this one because I've never heard them before. In one sense I suppose I'm taking a little bit of joy out of the festival by hearing them now (it's always a delight when one discovers a band for the first time in a live setting) but the line up for this little Derbyshire festival is looking shit hot this year, and unless I can somehow manage to listen to ever band I'm bound to miss something great, which would be a massive shame.

The band themselves are from Forres and Edinburgh up in that Scotland, I believe. There's 3 boys and a girl, quite a lot of fantastic synth, and they've been around since last year. I think that's correct. Not that it matters, the main point for the moment is what the music is like.

What is it like? Great, actually. Really great. I'm listening to the songs on their myspace as I type this, and just smiling and feeling quite sunny. At their heart I guess they're powerpop, which is a wonderful thing, there's not enough bands doing powerpop (or GOOD powerpop) at any rate. This lot are happily redressing that balance. 'Julianne' for a start is a cracker of a song, that opening synthy line just reaching out and pulling me in; it's sound like Weezer or Silversun when they were really good. It's just dying for a crowd who know all the words to yell them back at the band. 'Without the Pain' mixes it up a bit with some spoken (or almost) word. 'Oh Emily' sparkles like Teenage Fanclub and 'The Post-It song combines really nice boy-girl vocals with a heartfelt message.

There's magic here, and more importantly huge promise. I think their will be quite a few people at Indietracks who catch them by accident and come away thankful for it.

The rain falls down

Aha, British Summer time. One always knows when it's arrived. The clocks get changed again, the days get longer, someone misses an important function because of said clock changes and it RAINS. Yep, it rains and rains and rains, on humdrum towns all across the U.K; indiscriminately drenching everyone and rudely splattering it's drops across my window panes, it's enough to bring anyone's mood down, or it would be if not for so many wonderful things happening. Call it reasons to be cheerful.

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart are playing indietracks. It's a match made in heaven really, The Pains take their influnces and push, poke and mould them into something heartwrenchingly and heart drenchingly wonderful. Indietracks does the same. It's not hard to understand the sheer buzz of exciting from certain corners in regards to the festival this year.

Elsewhere The Hot Toddies are releasing a new album on June 15th. I've been waiting for an official announcement and looking at their Myspace almost everyday for any kind of word so this is great news for me. Just hoping to hear something new from the girls really soon now. If you're not familiar with The Hot Toddies spiky brand of surfy girl pop, then familiarise yourself immediately. If you are familiar, take the time to reacquaint yourselves. I'm taken the chance to post a nice live video of them too



The new School album is sounding terrific, can't wait to get it. In the meantime you can hear it here as long as the link still works.

On top of all that, the summer and beyond looks excellent for gigs, Alayerofchips has some lined up (more on that soon) including another Nottingham alldayer, this time on the 25th September. One for the diaries.

Finally, I've also returned for another scout around Bandcamp today. Presented for your musical delectation are today's band you may or may not have heard of 'Bourgeois Hereoes'. I like the quirky nature of the band, in particular the wooziness of 'The Postcard Collector'. That said, I can find something to love in all the songs presented on their Musical Postcards album. Go and give it a listen

At the heart of everything

So the next band in our whistlestop tour of who's who at Indietracks is Ballboy. Like Allo Darlin', Ballboy are well known within the indiepop community, and beyond thanks to people like John Peel.

I first came across Ballboy through 'The Sash My Father Wore and Other Stories', perhaps not the best place to approach the band from, since it's obstensibly a Gordan McIntyre solo record, but it hooked me, I was especially taken by the cover of 'Born In The USA' given I'm a rather large Bruce Springsteen fan. From there I got the next record 'The Royal Theatre' which IS a band record. It's brilliant too, it has something that I think a lot of scottish artists have; a melonchalia mixed and juxtaposed with uplifting music, it's also a showcase for McIntyre's special brand of writing about people. It's life under a microscope. The first track being a case in point.

After hearing that record, I was able to copy it for someone who in turn copied me 'Club Anthems' an earlier Ballboy record. An aching, soothing, heart battering slab of a record. 'Donald in the bushes with a bag of glue' and 'A Day In Space' are songs I never tire of. If either of those are played at Indietracks I'll be very happy.

Ballboy or Gordon at least, have played Indietracks a few times already and I've not seen them, though Gordon is responsibly for one of my favourite moments of last year. Standing in a tent whilst everyone is singing along to an acoustic version of 'What do we do now' by The Just Joans, my girlfriend is bumped into by the man behind her. Turning round in a fury she is met by Gordon McIntyre himself who simply states "If I do that again, punch me in the face", which I think is a lovely thing to say. I also think it's a good indicator of what Indietracks is like for someone who hasn't been. Where else could you get a performing artist to suggest you punch them? Nowhere that's where.

Anyway, that's Ballboy then. I suspect you've heard of them. If not then you really should. Most of their back catalogue is waiting to be raided on Spotify. I'll leave you with the rather fantastic 'I hate Scotland'

The Start Of Something Else.

So bands have already been announced for Indietracks, suggestions of who people would like to see headline are filtering in and expectation levels are already being racheted up. Due to this I've hit on the idea of profiling each of the bands that have been announced(to a greater or lesser degree). I'll try and do this in alphabetical order, though of course as bands get added I'm bound to have to back that rule. I just think it's a good way to give me something to blog about most days, and in a selfish way, I imagine it will help me familiarise myself with the bands I don't know before Indietracks arrives, maybe it'll help you too. If you're not going then it might just turn you on to bands you wouldn't of heard otherwise. Who knows? I think I'll give it a go though. There may well be none indiepop festival related news too.

Anyway first up is Allo Darlin'. I imagine if you're the kind of person who wants to go to Indietracks, is going to go, or has any interest in Indiepop at all, you've probably heard of Allo Darlin, so I'm not really going to do much profiling on this one. Instead I recommend that you: -

A) Read Alayerofchips' review of the forthcoming record.

B) Check out the band's Myspace and listen to the new single 'Dreaming'. Check out Monster Bobbys, slight Calvin Johnson type vocal. It's aces.

C) Watch the really fun live video of 'Henry Rollins Don't Dance' below and do the opposite of Rollins himself.



So there you go, admittedly not the most indepth of profiles but I'm well excited, and they're only the first band to listen to of many.

Slight return

Really quick entry, though I'll try to blog again later today, but did you see there's a new 'A Smile and a ribbon' single being released by Cloudberry?

I love the band and I've been waiting for something new for awhile, I still isten to 'The Boy I Wish I Never Met' often, but a new record would be greatly appreciated. Until then we have the new single, which sounds lovely to these ears, loving the little "ba,ba,ba" harmonies. Great stuff.

Anyway you can give it a listen via this LINK have fun.