On Tape.

As you've probably already read/heard/osmosised, Indietracks have just announced another 2 bands for their forthcoming festival. Both The Pooh Sticks and Love Is All have been announced as headliners, to join The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart atop the bill.

This is great and interesting news. For a start The Pooh Sticks aren't really the best known band around, they're legendary yep, and they've reformed, but I bet they aren't as well known as say Heavenly (whose singer Amelia joined The Pooh Sticks for album The Great White Wonder) or more pertinently The Orchids - who played Indietracks shortly after reforming. I'd say they might be more in line with Mighty Mighty, but I don't know. I just think it's great that one of the headliners is a reformed, perhaps less well known band then is the standard for most festivals. Also The Poohs weren't renowned for being the most professional of bands live, and they're line-up will probably just be Huw and a bunch of recruits, but I think it'll still be brilliant. Why? Because The Pooh sticks are/were brilliant.

If you've not heard them think wry, funny, Power Pop songs often cribbed from other bands. They were a joy. You probably know the song "I know someone who knows someone who knows Alan McGee quite well" They could easily be interpreted as a sort of joke band in some respects. Were it not for the fact that their music is so good. The aforementioned 'The Great White Wonder' is probably seen as their best, but Formula One Generation might also be mooted. Both of which (I think) have been re-released. They're both on Spotify too. I personally would suggest Million Seller is their best record, not to be contrary but because it really is. It's probably harder to find, though Amazon have it cheap. The below song is one of the best from that record.



Meanwhile the other headliner - Love Is All are maybe even more suprising. Because while The Pooh Sticks are legendary (in certain circles) Love Is All are much more modern and despite already releasing 2 great records, not massively well known. This is a good thing. As is the fact that they're art punk/indie rock might not necessarily be what people would expect from the festival. Indietracks has often worked best when it's played a bit with people's expectations - Specific Heats are a prime example, and Art Brut went down very well. I like the fact that there's a bit more of a diversity to the headliners this year. Anyway Love Is All are, as I say great. Some of them were once in classic indie band Girlfriendo. Both records are again on Spotify and readily available. I'd recommend getting them. The below video for 'Turn The Radio off' from their first album is just a taster of what we can expect come summer. I for one am very excited.



Finally in a complete and utterly unrelated note, may I point any of you Sarah Records fans in the direction of this website, it may be of interest. Though I will make a disclaimer that Beerandbands in no way condones downloading music from the internet, but realises that what you do in your own time is up to you.

Monday mix #1

You wait for one post and then two turn up at once, typical.

I've just had the idea that I could easily make a Spotify mix every Monday. On a theme perhaps, or just a bunch of songs that I like. So I've run with it. Apologies if you don't have Spotify. It's worth getting though.

Anyway this first one has worked out (completely unintentionally as it happens) at exactly 1 hour. It's not exactly inspired, but it features some new and some old stuff that I'm enjoying at the moment. Future mixes might be a bit more eclectic but this will do for now. Please do listen if you have the inclination.

Monday mix #1

I do like Mondays

Hello it's Monday, or Day Of The Moon if you're latin; which I'm (perhaps wrongly) assuming you aren't. It's also the day that ushers in the rest of the working week and the usual mix of new releases, re-releases and, um, releases. What better day for a round up of goings-on then, eh? Let's go.

Up first this time, Fortuna Pop have just recently released the latest single from London based pop geniuses Allo Darlin'. It's likely that you've heard this already, but I've not heard the mix of sweet singing coupled with Monster Bobby's Calvin Johnson like vocal then you're missing a treat. Either way it's out now, and you can get it for FREE (well for the simple exchange of your email address) here.

Mates Of State, next. I love Mates Of State, I love the fuzzy organ sound they sometimes utilise, I love how happy they can, I love their energy. I also like covers records. What could be better for me then the fact that Mates Of State are releasing such a thing; entitled Crushes; in Summer. You can hear a really cover of 'Laura' by Girls over on the Mates Of State website at the moment. Looking at the track listing I can imagine the band doing a smashing cover of 'Sleep The Clock Around' but I'm most keen on hearing their version of Waits' 'Long Way Home'. A beautiful song which I hope they'll do justice too, someone has made a rather nice Youtube video for it, so I think I should use it.



Exciting me last week was the news that Blur are going to be releasing a brand new track for Record Store Day. Record Store Day is a fantastic idea giving, as it does, a bit of exposure to independant music stores and hopefully getting more people into said stores. There's special vinyl and promotional things to be picked up if you can make it to a participating retailer before everythng is gone. This is happening not just in the States but also in stores across the world. Click here to see if you're country is included and make sure to get there if you can on 17th April.

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