Magnetic Manoeuvres ~ Gay Rabbits (mashup of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and The Magnetic Fields)

Well, check out this stroke of brilliance, then! Some clever person has created a mashup of Enola Gay and Let's Pretend We're Bunny Rabbits, and it's truly great. I really think this track deserves to reach more ears. Loving the artwork, too! 😀🐰🐰

Was it your cup of ☕? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments box below. 

Majorette ~ Forever Starts Tuesday EP

Hallo music lovers! Happy Sunday to you. 

I would like to make a public service announcement: this EP is incredible and you should listen to it right now! 

 

Majorette are a pop band led by twee chanteuse Danielle Salomon, a native of Queens, NY. What a little beauty this EP is: nostalgic, warm, and charming; the best debut I've heard in many a year. She possesses a gorgeous singing voice, too. I sound like a stuck record now, but I can't help it — this band have stolen my heart. 💘

For fans of: Stephin Merritt, Acid House Kings, The School. 

Releases 24th April on the Pretoria, South Africa-based indie label Subjangle. It's set to be an instant classic, you mark my words! 😍

Various artists ~ "Mummy, Mummy Please Look At Me": A Tribute to the Television Personalities

Well, this Television Personalities tribute album is a hidden gem! I'm ashamed to say that TVPs were one of those revered (in indiepop circles) bands that I've never got around to listening to as much as I probably should have. I shall remedy this straight away! 🎧🎶

Highlights: Jeanines, The Kitchenettes, The 1981 (year of my birth! 😏), The Telephone Numbers. Curated by the brilliant Dandy Boy Records, out of Oakland, California. 

The Ballet ~ Daddy Issues

Oh man, I love The Ballet with all my heart — so I was beyond excited for the release of their fifth album last month. Already I can say with 99% certainty that this is going to be my favourite record this year. 💜😭🔥 Have a listen below. 

Recently I did a deep dive, and discovered this: before forming The Ballet, Greg and Craig (plus their fellow grad student Emily) were in a band called The Mean Corner. They released one EP in 2004 called I Learned It By Watching You. This is my favourite track, "Who Is Sean Cody?"

Cascading synths; strummed Spanish guitar; boy-girl duetting; witty and heartfelt lyrics: what a perfect pop gem. 🥰💛 If anyone would like me to upload the rest of this excellent EP to YouTube, please just leave a comment below and I shall do it!

(P.S. Sean Cody is the name of a gay porn studio, in case you were wondering. 😏)

Salt Lake Alley ~ Bankrobber

Continuing with the covers theme, this is Stockholm duo Salt Lake Alley - one of my top favourites of the last few years - putting their own jangly spin on The Clash. Gustav and Mikael say: 

"We tried to approach it like The Byrds approached Bob Dylan’s Mr Tambourine Man. In the end it probably sounds more like the UK circa 1989 than Laurel Canyon circa 1965." 

I say: "Certified banger!" 🏅

The Umbrellas ~ Promises

Poptastic San Francisco outfit The Umbrellas covering the Buzzcocks' classic? Don't mind if I do! 😏

This track is from Oakland Weekender 2022, an album of Buzzcocks covers which was jointly released by Slumberland and Emotional Response Records to accompany their three-day San Francisco Bay Area festival of the same name. I so wish I could have been there - the line-up looks incredible! 

Click here to download the compilation courtesy of this blog. ✨

Men I Trust ~ Billie Toppy

 I like this a lot! They've nailed that motorik sound. 👌

Papercuts ~ I Want My Jacket Back

Now this is what I call classic indie-pop: sunshiney, jangly, it's a foot-tapper for sure! From Papercuts' forthcoming album Past Life Regression, released 1st April '22 on Slumberland Records. 

Blood Cultures ~ Set it on Fire

Wonky, blissed-out dreampop that sounds like an old Saint Etienne cassette that's been sitting in the sun. 

Discovered via the Instagram page of Thurston Waffles. Who the feck is Thurston Waffles, I hear you ask? Why, he is hands down my favourite internet cat! Long live Thursty the Shrimp King! 😻🦐

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Pale Blue Eyes ~ Motionless / Chelsea

I'm blown away by Pale Blue Eyes's debut, a double A-side by the name of Motionless / Chelsea: two tracks worth of mesmerising, motorik shoegaze-pop. Such promise! 

Why not buy it today, Bandcamp Friday, when 100% of the revenue goes to the artist. ✊

 

Corvair ~ Sunday Runner

Corvair are a Portland, Oregon-based group comprising of Heather Larimer (Eux Autres) and Brian Naubert (Ruston Mire), who between them have recorded or performed on more than twenty different albums. This terrific slice of retro pop is a taster from their forthcoming self-titled LP, largely conceived in isolation during the Covid shutdown of spring 2020. Releases 19th February '21 on Wiaiwya in the UK, and I can't wait!  

Veronica Falls ~ Nobody There

I randomly discovered this tune on their SoundCloud and as far as I can tell, it was only ever released as a cassette single in Japan - however I think it's one of the best things VF have ever done!

 

The B-side is I Need You Around, also excellent. I miss them. 😔

The Radio Dept. ~ You're Lookin' at My Guy (cover of the Tri-Lites)

 They've still got it! I adore the Radio Dept. 🖤