The Happy People

The Happy People are a band from Stockholm, Sweden that were formed almost exactly 3 years ago on Easter 2003. The song featured here is off the first of two demos they have. I couldn't find anywhere on The Happy People website where either were for sale, but there are 6 songs available to download. After checking out the site further it seems they play shows between home and London, UK quite often. I don't believe they have been to the States.















I was almost sure by looking at the name that The Happy People were going to be a rough and tumble outfit, but I was wrong. They actually do sound pretty happy!! Check their MySpace page also. Happy Tuesday!















MP3: Shake Along Son

Silversun Pickups

I finally got to hear Los Angeles, California based Silversun Pickups yesterday and was really impressed. After listening to them I think you will agree that this is simply some great indie rock. Next week they start a 5-show run up the west coast so check out the Silversun Pickups website for the specific venue and date info. The band has an available EP from last year and now their first full-length release Carnavas which will be available July 25th. Check out Dangerbird Records to find out more. Thereis a Silversun Pickups MySpace page and they are also part of an artist community called The Ship that record at a studio of the same name.


















Lead singer/Guitarist Brian Aubert sums the music up nicely in the following quote from the official band bio: "We like loud, growly guitar, but we use it in a way I think is pretty", says the singer-guitarist. "The guitars hum. They're big but warm, not something that's gonna make your ears freak out. We like melodies a lot, and when the guitars are going nuts, those can get lost. We love bands like Can and NEU! and My Bloody Valentine and white noise and these really long, bizarre things, but we also love listening to oldies and singing in the car. As much as we love that cool, avant-garde stuff, we can't help but have a song somewhere in there that you can hum along to."

















MP3: Lazy Eye

Frightened Rabbit

I love songs that build and build like this. Frightened Rabbit are two brothers from Glasgow, Scotland. Grant and Scott started home-recording their music in 2004 and really do a good job of it. There isn't any other band I can liken them to and that's usually, as in this case, a good thing. They are playing Brighton (one of my favorite towns) tonight and releasing their debut CD on Monday May 22nd. Sing the Greys is available for pre-order on Hits The Fan Records. The label also has a MySpace page for more info. Check out the really cool Frightened Rabbit Website but disable your pop-up blocker first. And as ever.. visit their MySpace page to hear plenty more songs.

These pictures are great...


























MP3: Go Go Girls

Shapes and Sizes

After hearing today's featured music, I thought I had just listened to 3 separate songs. They manage to fit quite a bit of goodness in less than 5 minutes. Shapes and Sizes are an indie pop quartet from Vancouver, B.C. Canada. After the song kicks in, Built to Spill instantly comes to mind. I know that might seem like a stretch but, now that I think about it, even the band's press photo (as seen below) reminds me of the cover of the Ultimate Alternative Wavers album.






























That comparison, however, quickly disappears towards the end of the song as the band chants the chorus gleefully. Shapes and Sizes signed to Asthmatic Kitty Records earlier this year and have a new self-titled CD to be released July 25th. It will be available in Europe via Labelman on or around the same date. Check the Shapes and Sizes website for another downloadable song and of course their MySpace page also. Happy Tuesday.





























MP3: Island's Gone Bad

Mission of Burma

This is a difficult one for me to write up. Mission of Burma was on absolutely every mix tape I ever made for anyone during the 80s. They are up there among bands I would consider massively influential to current and more recent artists. I'll just come out and say it. If you ask most people to name a song by this band you will likely get one of two answers. I had a hard time deciding which one of those songs to feature on "Classic Sunday" here. I figured it would be best to start at the beginning so Academy Fight Song it is!! This song was the first single for Mission of Burma. It was released on Ace of Hearts Records in 1980 and was also a track on the 1981 EP Signals, Calls and Marches. Mission of Burma was only around for four years and had a major impact. You won't find many arguments about that.


















Instead of regurgitating the details of a band of this magnitude, I will simply encourage you to visit the Mission of Burma website to read the official history. They reformed in 2002 and have a brand new release, Obliterati, coming out May 23rd. They are on Matador Records now and currently playing shows out west. A limited tour starts in July and I'll get to see them in Cincinnati at the Lite Brite Test Festival on 7/29. I can't wait!! Also check the MoB myspace page.



















MP3s: Academy Fight Song and 2wice

Diktendo

I featured Swedish band City Lights a while back here in the group. I've gone back and listened to their music quite a bit since. Little did I know at the time, but one of the members of that band has a side project. Diktendo is the music of Magnus Wahlstrom of City Lights.


























The song featured is some really nice electro-pop and is on the latest EP Sweet and Tender, As We Are which came out last week. The EP is available on the Melodrama label for 25 kroner ($3.50 USD) + shipping. I checked out the Diktendo website to find that Magnus has several songs released and downloads available. He is currently working on new material for what I hope will be yet another EP. I then checked out the Diktendo MySpace page to find a surprise. Not one, but two people from my MySpace top 8 are on the friends list there also!! Small world ah? You folks are in big trouble for not clueing me in on this great music... big trouble!!


























Happy Saturday.

MP3: The Tune I Call November

Soltero

The song featured today was embedded on my own MySpace page for quite some time. The Moment You Said Yes is a wild ride that is tied neatly at both ends. If you listen through to the end of the song I can almost guarantee you will be hooked. It's from the 2003 release Defrocked and Kicking the Habit which can be purchased on the Handsome Records label. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania based Soltero is the music of Tim Howard. He has various musicians that assist him and the lineup changes often.














The band's latest release Hell Train came out November 2005 and is available on their current label Three Ring Circus. There are a ton of great mp3 downloads on the Soltero website. Also on the site are some good stories in the blog-like news section if you read around the political commentary. Soltero inhabits a MySpace site that you can visit as well. Tim Howard's songwriting ability is strong and immediately apparent. You really can't go wrong picking up any of the Soltero material. Highly Recommended!!














MP3: The Moment You Said Yes

The Cadets

Have I featured a Florida band on here yet? I'm not sure that I have. The Cadets are from Jacksonville, Florida. They started playing together in the mid 90s and came out with a couple of singles. In the band bio they compare singer Chuck Smyth's vocals to a cat being throttled. I was thinking more along the lines of Jay Farrar from Son Volt.















Here is an amusing excerpt from the band's bio regarding their early days: "In college, the band grew into its current and permanent line-up of 001, 003, 007 (Isaac Bear), and 009 (Chad Matheny), and attempted several furtive tour marches across the East Coast in an abused 1980 Chevrolet van previously owned by a local country radio station, the exterior of which was adorned by a six foot tall airbrushed painting of the station mascot, a slender denim-clad rooster in a cowboy hat and sunglasses. Tiring of typical men-in-van tours, the band arranged a two week whirlwind raid of Japan, carrying instruments and merch on their backs and arriving at concerts via shinkansen and subways in venues across metro Tokyo, the Kansai, and southern Honshu."
























In 2002 The Cadets released Finding the Straight and Level which is still available on Snowglobe Records. After that the band broke up. At the end of 2005 they reformed and are now part of the Discos! Mariscos! label. They have a forthcoming release, On the Death of Science as a Major World Religion which will be available some time in 2006. The featured song is from the new release. Check out The Cadets on MySpace also.

MP3: Pax Cadetia

The Age of Rockets

The first thing that might come to mind when listening to this is probably going to be The Postal Service. Well, it was for me. There is an abundant amount of similar electronica in the upper northwestern part of the US, however, The Age of Rockets are located on the opposite coast in New York City. The band was formed in 2003 by Andrew Futral. The music was written in his Purchase College dorm room as a project for the music conservatory there. 2006 brings his debut release The Drive Home. It is available on The Age of Rockets website for $10. There are also a few more great songs and a remix to download there. One of the songs I heard might as well be Ben Gibbardand Company. Also check out the band's MySpace page. The Age of Rockets are currently tucked away recording new material so there are no live dates to report.

MP3: An Ocean Away

Cold War Kids

In case you haven't heard them, Cold War Kids are a great indie rock band from Whittier, California. For some reason I'm reminded of the later Tar Babies material when I hear their music. It might be the distressed vocals I would liken to that of Bucky Pope. This song is from their Jan. 2006 EP Up in Rags. There are another couple of mp3s to listen to on the Cold War Kids website. Both of the band's EPs are available on Monarchy Music for $7USD apiece.













They just finished a tour with The Two Gallants but will be back at it with an extensive tour in June with Tapes n Tapes. Check the Cold War Kids MySpace page for more info and dates.













MP3: Hang Me Up To Dry

The Telepathic Butterflies

The Telepathic Butterflies are a three piece from Winnipeg, Canada. I read in the band's bio that Rejean Ricard and Jacques Dubois were actually performing as a two piece until joined by bass player Eric Van Buren. Inspiration for the band name came from the Kurt Vonnegut novel Breakfast of Champions. The band members list, as musical influence, classic and 60's rock, which comes through overwhelmingly in their sound.














The Butterflies are currently working on their 3rd full length release which will be available on Rainbow Quartz Records soon. No specific DOR is mentioned that I could find. Another thing I couldn't find was a MySpace page for the band (whaaa??) so here is their record label on MySpace. The song I featured here is from the band's 2004 release Songs From a Second Wave. There are a ton of MP3 songs to hear and download on the Telepathic Butterflies website.













This is some really good psychedelic power pop. Enjoy.

MP3: Bonhommie

Ultra Vivid Scene

As is usually the case on Sundays, today I've dug out some older stuff to feature. I won't normally go any further back than the early 80's and find myself hovering within a few years either way of 1990 for some reason. Today is a band that some of you around my age might remember.















Formed in 1987, Ultra Vivid Scene is the music of New York artist and musician Kurt Ralske. The debut, self-titled album came out in 1988 and was followed two years later with Joy 1967-1990, which is a definite favorite of that time period for me. UVS was on the legendary music label 4AD and had another later release entitled Rev in 1992. You can check out the Ultra Vivid Scene archive webpage, as well as the 4AD site for plenty of info. In 1992 I went to Cleveland to see Bob Mould perform live. Ultra Vivid Scene was the opening band. I arrived early, snuck in and got to see UVS do their sound check. Pretty cool ah? It might have been a sign of the times; but Kurt had sunglasses on while performing live that night... Even with the shades they were a great live act.















MP3: It Happens Every Time

Bobby Baby

Malmoe, Sweden is home to a girl named Ella. Ella started writing pop music as a teen in 1998 and has been involved in a number of bands since. Her latest incarnation is that of Bobby Baby. Ella's vocals are as sweet as can be and are accompanied by music that brings to mind Her Space Holiday.















This song is from the summer 2005 EP Some Place New which was recorded in her own studio she shares with Lucky Misu. Check out the Bobby Baby website for a brand new video and MP3 from the upcoming EP Love To Dance plus plenty more MP3age in the archived music section. The release date for this EP has not been set but it will soon be available on UK-based label Red Letter Day Records. It's probably a safe bet that I'll be buying this one. Really nice!!













Oops!!...almost forgot. Bobby Baby is on MySpace.



























MP3: Lads Are Fun

Asobi Seksu

I featured Asobi Seksu at the end of last year around Christmas time. I try not to re-feature bands unless they have a new release I really like on the way. With that said, this was the perfect excuse I needed to feature this wonderfully dreamy band from NYC again. This song, Red Sea, is from the soon-to-be-released album Citrus. It will be available June 1st and you can pre-order it now from the band's label Friendly Fire Recordings. Red Sea starts off quietly and builds into a fever pitch towards the end. I can think of no better way to spend 7 minutes and 45 seconds than this song. They also have a MySpace page for tour dates and suchlike.
















Here is a quote from the band's bio:

Asobi Seksu have outgrown the comparisons to My Bloody Valentine and Lush, and have finally realized their potential as one of New York's greatest bands. True to its name, Citrus is every bit as sweet and delicious as it sounds.

... I'll have to agree.













MP3s: Red Sea and New Years

Big Strong Union

Sometimes trying to feature a song I truly adore is quite the challenge. With little to no information to be found, this one was fairly difficult. Big Strong Union is from Malmo, Sweden. From what I am guessing, the band is actually one person. I checked the Big Strong Union website and found out that there are 2 previous EP's. The description of previous work on the site is quite self-deprecating which leads me to want to hear it even more.













The latest self-titled release is available on Canarie Records (Swedish language). You will only be able to buy this in North America if you contact the artist or Canarie Records directly (via email) and work something out. This songs sounds as if it came straight out of the Stephin Merritt playbook. The Magnetic Fields was the first thing that came to mind when I listened. There is more to be heard on the Big Strong Union MySpace page also.

MP3: Internet Poker Ruined My Life

Daylight's For The Birds

There really isn't too much I know about this New York City band. I can only tell you what I read and that this is one of the more dreamy/shoegazey sounds I've featured here on the group. It's not difficult to hear the My Bloody Valentine influence, but there is more to this band if you listen beyond the song I decided on. Daylight's For the Birds formed last year with members: P, Jay, Amanda and Brad. I didn't see anywhere that they have a website so you will need to visit the band's MySpace page to find out more about the new music they put up last month.













It's not often I listen to something repeatedly for any time close to a half hour but with this song it was next to impossible not to. All of the music is really nice and I can almost assure you they are going to get some major attention soon. Highly recommended!!















MP3: To No One

Sykosonics

Ok... this is an insanely good way to start off the week. I first heard this while adding people to the MySpace group who had similar taste and I thought might like the band Voicst who were featured on there at the time. In the short time between hitting the Sykosonics MySpace page and getting to the invite-sending part, I stumbled across some really good music. I thought I was just on someone's page that had a 50 Foot Wave song playing but ended up looking twice. I then went to the Sykosonics website and found plenty more music to download. Folks... thats how it happens here.



























The song I ended up featuring is from the band's 2004 release Ultralite. This song (of the same name) was almost picked randomly for the feature spot. Sykosonics are from Amsterdam, NL and I swear they have to be influenced by Magnapop and/or Kristin Hersh. I also hear The Duke Spirit in there but wouldn't know which band came first. They are on the THAT DAM! record label.
















In the small portion of bio that can be read in english, they explain the sound as similar to The Breeders. You see?... another Ohio band connection. Gotta love it. There really is no sub-par song I can find from this band... Very solid indie rock. I'll feature new Magnapop if Michelle buys this one for me?? xoxo



























MP3: Ultralite