The Depravations – Summer Rain
I read somewhere recently that the average person goes through life having swallowed circa 42 winged objects. We’ve all had that experience of cycling in the sunshine when the peace is broken by a bluebottle down the throat. Not nice, but in the case of Galway’s the Depravations it seems they’ve swallowed an entirely different species, the fluttering Brian Wilson from what I can make out. ‘Summer Rain’ is delightfully twee and will probably be gone from our heads by the time the sun goes in but for the moment it is a lovely diversion. It opens the Depravations ‘Mosey’ EP which is available for free from their bandcamp. A perfect backdrop for lunch on the fly.
p.s. This really reminds me of the music to an 80′s music program that used to be on RTE called Poparama. KD
The Depravations – Summer Rain
More Info: Official
Buy Songs: The Depravations
Year: 2011
Young Man – Strangers
There was a time when I could remember every song featured on this blog, but no more. Might be a result of archives going back to September 2005 or it could be just plain old (!) agedness. How else could you explain having to double check whether Young Man had appeared here before. And he had, only a few months back – feck that is worrying. Well anyway, we’ve fallen for his twee delights all over again. Some chancer to try and channel Beach Boys harmonies using his own voice alone but it works very well. The music is light and fluffy, sounding as if it was recorded in a waste paper basket full of half eaten marshmallows. KD
Young Man – Strangers
Gold-Bears – Record Store
With a blitzkrieg opening salvo of kick and snare, Gold-Bears signal their intent: they’re not here to mess around. On the opening track to their new LP (out now on Slumberland), this Atlanta group cranks up the energy and doesn’t bother to look back. At times anthemic, ‘Record Store’ combines acoustic guitar licks, distortion, and cymbal crashes to eke out a place at the three-way intersection of indie rock, pop, and punk on the sonic map.
The band keeps the energy up during this nearly four-minute stomper, and the fun they’re having seeps into the recording. Jeremy Underwood’s ability to convey emotion is outstanding, even if his vocals are buried in a mix that’s somewhat murky. Much like their Haribo candy namesake, Gold-Bears deliver a blast of sugar powerful enough to satisfy that indie-pop sweet tooth craving.
Joseph Avary
Gold-Bears – Record Store
More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Gold-Bears
Year: 2011
Hired Hands – The Quay Wall
Hired Hands are an excellent Dublin band that write breezy, jazzy, folky, syncopated, gorgeous, and, at times, touching indie-pop tunes. Sounding a little like a cross between Van Morrison, LAKE, and the poppier side of Dirty Projectors, they are an organic breath of fresh air in an over-produced, over-processed, over-hyped indie landscape. “The Quay Wall” is the band at their best, with layers of guitar that gleefully bounce off of each other, drums that skip like a six year old girl, and horns that coat the whole song like butter over a cinnamon roll. The vocals are stunning as well, at turns gentle, coy, and insistent. The rest of their debut record, “My Heart Hung,” doesn’t quite reach the heights of “The Quay Wall” but this album is still top-five-albums-of-the-year material for me. If you love thoughtful indie-pop, or still value songs and arrangements over studio trickery, I can’t recommend Hired Hands enough. Jeremy Jensen
Hired Hands – The Quay Wall
More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Hired Hands
Year: 2011
The Mare – I’m So Happy
It aims for old skool Belle & Sebastian and while it doesn’t quite get there I’d certainly take it over the new school equivalent. The lead singer doesn’t look unlike Stuart Murdoch too and the fact that they come from Stockholm means that the Mare’s ‘I’m So Happy’ was always going to be appearing into our hearts at some stage. Of course it’s entirely twee, the constituent parts are present and accounted for, namely the shameless glockenspiel, the flirtatious brass and the obligatory set of fey boy vocals that give the impression that life really is for the fun you can acquire from it. Of course they’ve worked it out well before the rest of us and not only that but the Mare have given us the music to sit around in the sun and smile at strangers. KD
The Mare – I’m So Happy
The Wind Whistles – Art And Work
Ahhh, weren’t Saturday mornings just made for twee pop? Well, they are round our place as the unpleasantness of mon/fri seems like a distant memory and with the next instalment still far in the distance it seems wholly appropriate to remain shoeless for the day. As we scan the fridge for benefits slight but really enjoyable tunes rise from speakers not designed to exploit lossless formats. The Wind Whistles and their freely available goods fit the bill perfectly, who cares if the vocals drift in and out of tune this is heavenly (!) stuff. The only thing that could spoil it is the fire alarm at the point where fried materials reach the end of their nutritional life due to smoke inhalation. Until then though we’ll smile at the pleasant background sound and wish that days like this will last forever. KD
The Wind Whistles – Art And Work
More Info: Official
Buy Songs: The Wind Whistles
Year: 2009
The Young Evils – Get Over It
Everything about this song is cute (video below for instance) and I know it ain’t nuttin’ except some regular twee pop but on a Friday afternoon I can’t think of anything better to kick-start the weekend. The Young Evils are a 2+ group from Seattle who released their debut album ‘Enchanted Chapel’ (see what I mean) last year. Led by the boy/girl frontage of Troy Nelson and Mackenzie Mercer they adopt traditional bouncy rhythms and vocals that mingle purposefully and in many ways faultlessly. This is something for tiny hugger as we make our way to the seaside next summer as she refuses to loosen her grip on that plastic bucket and spade making all the noise. Get over it indeed. KD
The Young Evils – Get Over It
More Info: Official
Buy Songs: The Young Evils
Year: 2010
My Little Pony – Skipping Down The Street
We’re all aware that Sweden has got its indie pop, and that includes the twee variety, down to a tee but don’t forget the impressive designs of neighbours Norway to steal their crown. The chances are slim it must be said but then little nuggets like ‘Skipping Down The Street’ from My Little Pony (thankfully nothing plastic here) tend to appear from Oslo and its environs with pleasing frequency. And there will be more where that came from later this month when the band’s label Spoon Train release their debut album ‘Making Mark’. To celebrate (and I’m sure it’s down nasty corporate crap toy makers with the ability to make the rainbow end) My Little Pony will from this day forward be called mylittlepony. KD
My Little Pony – Skipping Down The Street
Lightning Love – Girls Are Always Wrong
Something to cast you adrift from the inclemency all around. Yeah, we definitely need our escape routes and I find it’s hard to beat a few minutes of twee pop to lift the gloom. This one is courtesy of Michigan trio Lightning Love who last put a long player together about 2 years ago. I really like the female vocals, which somehow model the sound of Northern Europe, perhaps that was an obvious ploy but regardless it makes a whole lot of fun (and given the output from up there, entirely appropriate). The other fascinating observation has to be the percussion, which is a close relation to Asobi Seksu’s ‘Thursday’. Budget, wha, ain’t that a caged bird? KD
Lightning Love – Girls Are Always Wrong
More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Lightning Love
Year: 2008
Grand Pocket Orchestra – I Deal In Bits And Bobs
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| Photo: Loreana Rushe |
Our 9 month old has fallen in love with her first hipster band. Thinking about it logically however that last sentence is built on completely false pretences. First of all Grand Pocket Orchestra are not hip and probably will never be at the cutting edge of cool. Secondly my instinct for Eve’s sleep eyed glee is more down to GPO’s use of sounds that closely mimic the plastic toys that sing songs to her and are forever in places that make daddy slip to the ground in a twisted heap. But for all GPO’s twee excursions I can’t help but love the cut of their jib. Their chaotic debut album ‘The Ice Cream’ flaps about with uncontrolled abandon, herds of sonic furry darts consistently missing the target by a country mile. In many ways it hardly matters because with 18 tracks (many sub 2 minute affairs) there is nearly always a bullseye diversion just around the corner. ‘I Deal In Bits And Bobs’ is one such, disorder is ditched for once and what emerges, while still eclectic, amounts to an utterly loveable tune. I really don’t know what I’m gonna do with GPO, for all the time they are sent to the bold corner I can’t help but givie them an loving embrace before they toddle off for another day. KD
Grand Pocket Orchestra – I Deal In Bits And Bobs
More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Grand Pocket Orchestra
Year: 2010
Thunder Power – (Why Don't You Go) Take A Hike?
Wherein a more appropriate name could have been Puppy Power but who are we to argue with such conflicting signals. And anyway when the music spirits forward with such twee pop glee the only dignified response is to clap along in time. Thunder Power come from Omaha and produced a debut EP called ‘Love Yourself’ in 2008 and quite like a drawer full of colourful socks it is a glorious jumble of small diversions. ‘(Why Don’t You Go) Take a Hike?’ appropriates Belle before she met Sebastian, the melodies are there but they come hitched with a genuine sense of wide-eyed spontaneity. As you can probably gather we’re quite taken by it, even if it’s unlikely to be on the turntable the next time the lads call around for football. KD
Thunder Power – (Why Don’t You Go) Take A Hike?
More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Thunder Power
Year: 2008
The Garlands – David
The Garlands are the sort of twee pop outfit that Sweden does so well. Led by the king of lo-fi Roger Gunnarsson (see also Nixon) they inhabit that tiny corner of the indie universe where thick rimmed glasses and hairclips rank higher in the evolutionary chain than socks. The Garlands follow a grand tradition as espoused by Sarah Records and bands such as Heavenly where despite a tinny presentation there lays a really pretty song at its kernel. The whole thing is effortlessly dispatched by Christin Wolderth who’s note perfect twee tones are like manna for fans of the genre. KD
The Garlands – David
More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: The Garlands
Year: 2008