Pop 'n Cherries

Bart & Friends

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Mon, 17 May 2010 23:40:14 +0200

Bart & Friends : "Make You blush" EP (Lost and Lonesome)

Only that sort of miracle could bring us back from the grave...

Bart Cummings, of Cat's Miaow and Hydroplane fame, is coming up after years of silence with this unexpected release on Lost and Lonesome Recording Co (one of the few Aussie labels to keep the flame burning after Library Records and Candle Records shutting it all down...).

Twelve minutes of pop splendour in 8 episodes, in order to regain consciousness... dreaming - or not, smiling -or not, blushing - or not, remembering - or not, feeling - or not, ...

Amongst "the friends" this time, legendary ex-Shapiro's bandmate Pam Berry on vocals and several Lucksmiths-related chaps like Mark Monnone, Stanley Paulzen & Louis Richter.

Miaow.

=> Get it HERE

Dolly Mixture

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 21:58:38 +0200

Isn't this marvellous ?

Veronica Falls

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:43:42 +0100

Veronica Falls – Found Love in a Graveyard 7’’ (Captured Tracks)

‘Starry eyes’ is a tune locked in a children’s music box. A plastic ballerina starts pirouetting each time you open the box.

First step, and your voice is thinner than your dress. It will wear out on the long run. You’ll soon be slighly breathless. A boy is walking two steps behind you. Woohoohoo. His voice muffled in the background. And then – he’s getting closer. You’re not scared. He’s singing in your ear now. It’s all too soft to hurt. Sky of cotton and skin of silk.

You’re fake but everything else is true. ‘Starry eyes’ is a cover of a 1984 song by Roky Erickson. Raw, distorted rock cut into pearls. The cover song may become a metaphor of flimsy, easy teenage love. It may become a cover under which to hide our insignificance. Until it no longer hides anything. Until it becomes obvious there is nothing to it. An air. Barely.

The Grass Widow girls (Captured Tracks labelmates) are lazily dancing next door, drenched in drunken harmonies and strawberry wine vapours, and for all the retro-vanguard guitars, for all the doe-eyed dolls (radio days voices & the shadow of a doubt), you say okay, we’ve been here before, but hell we’re here again. Girl-boy vocal harmonies, light confusion. One 7-inch, spinning away.

Veronica Falls is a faded pop moment. You don’t have to stay. It’s gone anyway. Your wristwatch reads 1966. You shut the ballerina back in the box. End of all sparkles. A faint, not unpleasant, vanilla perfume is lingering in the room. This too will fade away.

All I ever found in graveyards was silence & empty looks.

E.A.R

Would-be-goods in Paris

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:13:13 +0100

WOULD-BE-GOODS - To be seen for the first time live in France, the WOULD-BE-GOODS are the indiepop quintessence. Besides the likes of Momus, Louis Philippe, Always or King of Luxembourg, they wrote the history of the cult label él Records in golden letters, establishing Jessica Griffin as a discrete and enigmatic pop icon. Inspired as never since their comeback in 2001, they recently released their great album "Eventyr" on the Matinée label.The WBG line up is with Andy Warren (Adam & The Ants, Monochrome Set) and Peter Momtchiloff (Talulah Gosh, Heavenly). Get your chance to pick them up !!

THE LEEDS - Energic indie pop, cultivate guitars and english stylishness, THE LEEDS, french band you can believd is coming from somewhere else, will be as well for its fisrt time in Paris. With the english native Pandora Burgess's bright voice and Sébastien Poggioli's compositions, THE LEEDS is proposing a finely wrought music under pop influence (Brian Wilson, The Sneetches), indie rock (Teenage Fan Club, Violent Femmes) liven up with brilliant ideas !

VIKING DRESS - When French songwriter Serge Majewski claims to anyone who cares his deep love for bands like the Church, The Feelies or Felt, it's not an element of surprise to see his musical project getting the name of a song by the last-mentioned.. VIKING DRESS, that's a pure jangly guitar feeling with great female choirs, sung in French or English, in between Florent Marchet's fantastic rides, Soy un Caballo's lyricism and even some old obscure Cherry Red stuff … 2010 revelation ? Go check it out !

http://www.myspace.com/httpwwwmyspacecomwouldbegoods

http://www.myspace.com/bandtheleeds

http://www.myspace.com/vikingdress

Tickets at venue or on preorder HERE

The Garlands

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 23:37:51 +0100

The Garlands / The Sugarplums split 7" (Atomic Beat)

2009 has been one of the best "Roger Gunnarsson/Clive Reynolds" vintage years...

It started in januari with that wonderful and almost secret Cloetta Paris download-only single "You and me by the stereo", produced by the man behind Milky. (It is said the new Cloetta Paris album will be released soon on Skywriting and will be preceded by a single on Papillons Noirs !)

It continued in August with 3 songs written on the stunning Sally Shapiro second album My Guilty Pleasure, including the perfect single "Love in July" and the great "Miracle".

It went further in September with the totally unexpected Free Loan Investments posthumous 7" single "The Last Dance" on Magic Marker, a bunch of gorgeous unreleased songs by the too-quickly-disappeared swedish supercombo.

Now time for those 2 new Garlands delicacies. "Open arms" is an immediate girlie-pop winner, the kind of fluent but abrasive song à la Talulah Gosh you instantly fall in love with. "Tell me" starts almost cerebrally like Wire's "Practice makes perfect", then shortly moves on with an enchanting "Cloetta-shaped" Christin's voice to quickly reach the stratosphere with those puzzling tempo changes and heavenly vocal exercises. BRILLIANT ! Definitely headliners of my heart at next London Popfest in a few days time...

As for The Sugarplums, who I never heard of before, I quite like their US indie-garage sound, reminding me a lot of Cause Co-Motion! Digging a bit further, their debut EP sounds even better than the 2 songs on the split, which is not an easy thing!! Definitely need to keep an eye on them !

J-M

Buggy

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 15:04:50 +0100

Buggy : Diagrams (Herzfeld)

The long-awaited new essay from the poppiest outfit of French label Herzfeld is finally on track and into the racks.

Buggy is fronted by Renaud Sachet, ex-protagonist of the fabulous Cornflakes Zoo adventure with Les Molies (together with his current bandmate Jacques Speyser - also Original Folks' leader) both accompanied by many musicians from the "Herzfeld galaxy-family".

Lively or nonchalant, naïve or poignant (the wonderful closer A truth), ceremonial or lighthearted, even whistling-waltzing (Enjoy the Show), even Germano-Alsace-anchored (Polska Licht) and even madchester-winking (Power to the People), their music is quite ambivalent indeed, far more broadened than on the previous Blaesheim Hill album, and the setlist is full of absolute toppers (1973, Angel, Movement, A Truth...)!

As if Jarvis was headlining a jam session with Richard Hawley, Peter Astor and Pants Yell! boys Andrew & Sterling. Exhilarating.

=> Buy it HERE

=> Buggy : "Movement"

=> Bonus : Anne Bacheley feat. Renaud Sachet : "Energy"

The Tomatometers

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:41:29 +0100

The Tomatometers : Boys should always look down EP (Autoreleased)

The Tomatometers are Bruno Durand on his own, a French poplover who used to live in London for some time but who recently got back to his homecountry. In the past, Bruno has also played drums for the pre-Maison Neuve band Refry and is still involved in the great unfinished Plastic Pancake label adventure.

After a debut autoreleased demo EP called "5 uncertainties" back in 2007, partly re-released on german Cdr label Edition 59, this is his brand new autoreleased delivery in the form of a CDr EP !

And there's something really disarming about those 4 songs that is going straight to the core... Is it this "Fountain Island" feeling ? Is it this soberness ? Is it this hint of sincerity ? Is it this tiny French touch ? All-true story of course... Check it out by yourself !!!

=> Buy it from Bruno HERE or pre-listen & download it HERE

Viking Dress

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 22:15:03 +0100

Viking Dress : Summarize EP (autoproduced)

When French songwriter Serge Majewski claims to anyone who cares his deep love for bands like the Church, The Feelies or Felt, it's not an element of surpise to see his new musical project getting the name of a song by the last-mentioned...

Viking Dress, that's a pure jangly guitar feeling with great female choirs, sung in French or English, in between Florent Marchet's fantastic rides (Comme 4), Soy un Caballo's lyricism (Les pelouses) and even some old obscure Cherry Red stuff (Lalie's Game intro).

Sponsored by Midi Association, the administrative structure behind the french Midi Festival, this debut EP has also benefited from a huge soundmixing work by David Wrench (Caribou, Bat for Lashes, Julian Cope, Ian Mc Cullogh...), giving it a totally bright & professional dressing. A must-have-had !!!

=> Get the EP directly from the band HERE

=> Viking Dress : "Lalie's Game"

Burning hearts

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 06:48:14 +0100

Burning Hearts : Night Animal 7" (Shelflife)

Since the first listen 2 years back, "Night Animal" has always been my fave BH song, and big was my surprise not to see it included in their wonderful debut album last year.

This new single version sounds less dark than the original demo, with some dreamy effects added too. Initial metronomic beat and guitar have been enriched with some additional percussions and folk accompaniment. Still and more than never, it remains my fave BH song.

Best single of the decade, so far !

A. Night Animal

B. A Peasant's Dream (Jori Hullkonen Remix)

Order it HERE !!!

Standard Fare

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 22:37:11 +0100

Standard Fare : Fifteen 7" (Thee SPC)

As a follow-up to their catchy "Dancing" single and as a foretaste to the forthcoming UK & US release of their debut album "The Noyelle Beat", Sheffield's trio Standard Fare, one of the most exciting acts to have emerged this year, spoils us with this nice-looking blue vynil 7", just in time to help us celebrate the new decade !

While A-side "Fifteen" perfectly fulfills the role of the infectious sing-along hit, B-side "Understand" gives Emma's voice another chance to kiss the stars on a splendid New Pornographers-like tune, full of melodic brilliance & emphasis.

=> Get the 7" HERE

J-M

2009 in the rear-view

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 21:31:51 +0100

2009, a year of love & hate, a year of pop & black cherries...

1. The Bridal Shop : In Fragments EP (Plastilina)…no word !

2. Pants Yell! : Received Pronounciation (Slumberland)…let’s cry together!

3. The Burning Hearts : Aboa Sleeping (Shelflife)…Finland 12 points !

4. Désolé : Perdu corps et biens (Volvox)…nouvelle vague !

5. Memory Cassette : Call & Response EP (Acephale)…they did it better !

6. The Crayon Fields : All the Pleasures of the World (Chapter)…Aussie pop perfection !

7. Papa Topo! : Cyborgs Paseando (Autorelease)…so so so cute !

8. Strawberry Machine : Girlfriend (abcdefg Records)…nippon power !

9. Ray Rumours : Le pont suspendu (Stitch Stitch)…hurray frànçois !

10. The Sea Lions : Let’s Groove EP (YAY !)…so young & so jangly !

11. Automelodi : Automelodi fait ses courses EP (Autoproduced)…Növo not dead !

12. The Mayfair Set : Young One (Captured Tracks)…hallucinating !

13. Dominique A : La Musique + Kick Peplum EP (Wagram)…yes, Master !

14. Horse Shoes : The Imperial School EP +7” (Shelflife)…shimmering !

15. Citrus : Pits are the Pits Recollection (Polystar Japan)… rare EP’s gathered at last !

16. The Wild Swans : the two 7” singles (Occultation)… stunning comeback !

17. The POBPAH : S/T album + Higher than the stars EP (Slumberland)…a phenomenon !

18. Liechtenstein : Survival Strategies in a modern World (Fraction Discs)…best gig 2009!

19. Sally Shapiro : My Guilty Pleasure (Paperbag)…more than italodisco !

20. Young Michelin : S/T digital single (Holiday)…”Les Copains”, soundtrack of the year !

21. Mr Wright : Diary of a Fool (Series Two)…always & forever !

22. EDH : New-York Tracks (Matte Black)…haunting !

23. God Help the Girl : S/T (Rough Trade)…Dantesque !

24. The Brilliant Corners : Growing up absurd/What’s in a Word reedition (Cherry Red)…yeah…brilliant !

25. Original Folks : Common Use (Herzfeld)…non-stop Kazoooo !

26. Little Big Adventure : Hateful Eye EP (Labrador)…easy going treasure !

27. Alexander Faem : Agent 238 (Chantage)…so underrated concept album !

28. Cats on Fire : Our Temperance Movement (Matinée)…a great confirmation !

29. Modular : Fantasias de un robot psicodelico (Elefant)…futuristic pop from Chile !

30. Falseparklocation : S/T (Dokidoki)…fantastic french electropop duo !

J-M

Fireflies

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 23:44:05 +0100

Fireflies : Covers EP (Littlemusic)

After that unforgettable "Cherry Blossom Girl" version that staggered everybody's minds, Lisle Mitnik aka Fireflies has decided to gather all the covers he did in the past few years into this brand new free download EP featuring amazing unreleased versions of songs by Joy Division, Asobi Seksu, Talking Heads, Ramones, Neil Young, Shonen Knife & of course... this metronomico-synthetico version of "Hollow Inside", one of The Cat's Miaow best songs ever !

And here is The Cat's Miaow's original version :

=> The Cat's Miaow : "Hollow Inside" (1995)

Also freshly available is the brand new Fireflies album "Autumn Almanac" which will be talked about here as soon as possible. You can order it from HERE.

J-M

Maison Neuve

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 22:41:20 +0100

Maison Neuve : Touché au coeur 7" (Sauvage)

An unclouded short road with the blessed Refry days... and then again, no wrong foot with the longer Maison Neuve journey ! As a matter of fact, Guillaume Faure and his mates have kept dazzling our ears and minds with each and every release. And this new 7" is no exception.

A-side "Touched in the Heart" couldn't be so pertinently entitled. Starting solemnly and viscerally, the singing quickly turns one octave higher to release the initial tension. This allows the consecutive guitar-wall to catch you up into the whirlwind and just then, you know you have no other option but let yourself get carried away. Masterstroke.

B-side "Au large de la ville", a cruel infanticide story, which is as far as known their sole french-speaking song (and hopefully not the last one), is also a new version of a title included in their essential 2008 "Victor Victor" EP, a bit more powerpop than the original, giving it a totally new bright, primitive and sharp angle. Straightforward.

=> get the 7" worldwide from HERE

J-M

Coach Station Reunion

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:33:26 +0100

Coach Station Reunion : Johnny Cash EP (Autoreleased)

Whether it is to make covers or writing his own numbers, catalan artist Xavi Rosès, also member of the band Fred i Son, knows his Bristol surrounding references...

And no need to show uniqueness as long as you touch the troubled spot !

=> free NEW EP HERE

The Bridal Shop

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:18:54 +0100

The Bridal Shop : In Fragments (Plastilina)

Immersing yourself slowly into the most affecting and impacting release of the year and, at some point, finding out you're the captive of a testament...

The Bridal Shop has never been - and will never again be- so reflective, so desperate, so dramatic, and still, so POP, lively & obsessive !!!

We'll never miss them cos' we'll never stop spinning them over and over again <3 <3 <3

=> "Fragments"

Pop 'n Cherries

Tasia and Friend

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:10:15 +0100

Tasia and Friend : All Girls Are Lined EP (Autoproduced)

Tasia is singing to her imaginary friend. She’s singing imaginary notes - soft and low. Her voice sticks to the wall like static electricity. It reminds me of ‘A view from her room’ by Weekend. Or maybe…

Tracey Thorn looking out of the window of a Hull bedsit. Smoking a cigarette, wishing she was by the sea in shades and sundress.

The discrete sensuality of abandoned dollhouses.

Tasia’s voice is often distant, slightly high-pitched, clear, and pretty – secretly. It shyly breaks through anorexic layers of sounds – electric guitar and machine beats - gentle loops. ‘Aged girl by your side’ grows on me so much – a northern beach in the winter. We’re alone. Swinging. Your eyes are a different colour each time I stare into them. They make everything else EMPTY.

The five songs were home-recorded in Lille (France) a few weeks ago – you’d never know where they belong.

The discrete tragedy of collapsing dollhouses. Look. It is everything it ever was: IMAGINATION. This EP is very much in the spirit of El records (which is SPIRIT, and SOUL and IDEAS). There were more words than there were songs. But then I’m listening to it and you’re listening as well and you touch my hand - this is the realest feeling in the universe – fear. Tasia And Friend is every age, every season we ever were. Spring summer autumn winter, and young and old, and young again.

=> Tasia and Friend : "Aged Girl by your Side"

E.A.R

Silly Kissers

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:49:29 +0100

Silly Kissers : Halloween Summer EP (Autorelease)

Another tip from our Montrealese branch, here are the young & smart Silly Kissers, revelation of the latest Pop Montreal Festival.

As the artwork suggests, dazzling, shining, crafty, healthful, striking, colourful, floating and fleecy electropop ! Silly !!!

=> A scary video

Laure Briard chante...

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:25:02 +0100

Laure Briard chante (Demo CDr)

Laure Briard' s voice has that little something that makes it instantly endearing, a bit mischievious like Hélène, a bit elvish like Pascale and a bit naïve like Sylvie.

And behind the Muse there's an Apollo crouched in the shadow... His name is Julien Barbagallo (Aquaserge, LeCube), also seen performing with Bertrand Burgalat or Mehdi Zannad (Fugu).

You can count here on pure French POP bliss with classy songwriting, from assumed yéyé hints to semi-electronica landscapes (cfr Margo) to obsessive Vincent Gallo-tripping ballads. this is a sure heart-winner, perhaps only perfictible in the field of homogeneity ! Let's - not secretly - hope for an official Laure Briard release soon !!

Laure Briard chante : "Tatoo"

J-M

Bikini Blueboy

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:23:21 +0200

Blueboy : Bikini 7" (Aquavinyle 01)

Chelsea Guitar

Air France

Sea Horses

Three songs recorded live at "le Bikini", Toulouse (05/94)

Keith (vocals), Paul (guitars), Gemma (vocals), Mark (bass), Harvey (guitars), Martin (drums)

"Love is an ocean so hard to swim, a race we all run but never win, I'm looking for reasons so hard to find, don't think I'll find them but I don't mind..."

Emmanuelle

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:31:19 +0200

EDH : New York Tracks 2001-2002 (Matte Black Editions-2009)

This music was never meant to reach your ears. Keep it for you. These words were knowingly doomed to silence . Do not spread them.

This is Emmanuelle de Héricourt's Book of Exodus. New York was her desert. A trip taken down memory lane. Mirrors are broken. Wings are crushed. Pictures are bleak. So saddening, so beauteous !

Life is hard sometimes but don't worry babe...

You never skimmed through this entry. You're already gone.

J-M

The video below is a foretaste of EDH next album called "Prédature" due in Januari on Lentonia Records.

EDH - Medium waves

Horse Shoes

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:51:41 +0200

Horse Shoes : The Imperial School CDEP+7" (Shelflife Records)

"I wanna be your only friend in Life. I wanna hold your hand all through the night..."

The gleaming latest primeur from Shelflife Records' 1000 series (combining a CDEP with a 7" in a limited edition) sounds totally Swedish, but make no mistake about it !

Uprooted from anonymity earlier this year with its first demos and its splendid Field Mice reprise, American duo Horse Shoes has hereby quickly made its way to the upper echelons of a course doomed to pop excellence.

Those 8 songs immerse ourselves into a well-known sort of fully integrated "B" wellness (Brighter, Boat Club, Blueboy, Bridal Shop), built-up with ethereal walls, gentle 80's beats, shimmering guitars and hairless-male voices.

Horse shoes are made for galloping and that's just what they gonna do.

=> "The Imperial School" => Buy the CDEP/7" HERE

J-M

Young Michelin

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:21:36 +0200

Young Michelin

Young Michelin emerges from nowhere. Young Michelin comes from everywhere : A., R., L., T. & R., five young souls spread over different French regional entities : Loire, Bretagne, Alsace, Ardennes...

Two first songs requisitionned by the bright-eyed people at Holiday Records :

-"Je suis fatigué", the end of the world has been cancelled, the shadows of Etienne Charry & Michel Gondry are threatening but the ghost of Christophe is on his guard.

-"Les copains", the soundtrack of a yellowed classroom picture, buoyant & dark, as if John McGeogh had secretly taken part to the Faith sessions.

Finally that "Obscene" thing, not included on the Holiday digital release, definitely a whole Buzzcocks/Magazine thing à la Française, to be taken at first or thirty-sixth degree...

This band has no sound of his own yet. But this band sets the style already. "...just the start of something..."

=> "Obscène"

J-M

Jonesin

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:45:58 +0200

Jonesin : Hi, we're Jonesin! Tape (Shit Music for Shit People)

It seems like the cult Italian cassette label "Best Kept Secret" (check out their new signing "Dewdrop Fountain" from the Philippines!) has now found itself a little countrymate-cousin in the name of "Shit Music for Shit People".

Their first tape release, pressed in only 100 copies, comes from the charming californian duet Jonesin (Matt & Jenny Jones). They're young, they're well-dressed, they gonna marry very soon and they look like Nancy and Lee !

Musicwise, Jonesin's electropop is sad BUT happy, square BUT round, cheap BUT rich...and... haven't heard such a distinctive & profound mixed voice alliance since "The Ballad of Tom Jones".

Truly imaginative artwork by Audrey Bonnamy, available in blue, red and black ink !

Get the tape HERE while you still can !

=> A song : "Hey Aliens !"

=> A video : "Rollerskates"

J-M

frànçois

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:18:16 +0200

Frànçois & the Atlas Mountains - Brother EP (Lejos Discos)

Frànçois is a French boy like a disparition. He’s not there. His voice is the shadow of every voice you once knew. Wind. Air.

His band is a landscape.

Close the window.

‘Come, come here.’ His mouth is filled with butterflies. The songs that bookend Brother are dreamy bossa nova tunes. The sound is skipping a bit – almost imperceptibly. Floating like dust particles. A taste of the sixties – stolen. Do you remember the girl with the skipping rope? Jumping and jumping and jumping – it lasted forever.

Open the door.

I ran along, ran after your voice, ran after your shadow. Tracey Emin. Screaming. What became of Tracey Emin? She vanished. Everything, everybody does in the end. What kind of girl was she at six years old?

What will be left is: a simple piano tune, shimmering, slow souvenirs buried in the snow, buried in pillows (‘Hiver’). Your voice: silent.

The Brother EP is an unfinished project – a shaky draft. It is an unmade album. Things undone, love unmade. Frànçois reminds me of every minute we forgot. Five tracks – a path back home.

Music is something you’ve lost forever – something you’ve never had – something you’ll never have.

Frànçois has one million brothers.

All ghosts. All pretty. All impossible.

PS- You miss this music.

=> "Night Lights"

E.A.R

Also freshly available HERE : "Her River Raves Recollections" mini-album on vynil or cdr.

Bus Fare

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:56:26 +0200

Bus Fare : We are Bus Fare EP ( Stay Hard Harry)

"We believe in yourself and everything you do. Bus Fare is for everyone included me and you"

This is the way it ends.

Released in 6 days time on a 4-track recording and limited to 50 copies, Bus Fare is the latest side-project by Lo-fi goddess Julie - Lispector - in collaboration with Claire - Little Red / Little Red Lauter -, both dissident of the very influential Strasbourg label Herzfeld.

This is the way it's crafted.

Antic music samples, binary Casio beats, atonal mesmerizing voices, abrasive guitars & minimal keyboards sounds...a substantial and uncompromizing release !!!!

This is the way it had to be.

=> "Never say never again"

J-M

Never dreamed Night Freeze Sandwich

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 22:01:22 +0200

"Never dreamed Night Freeze Sandwich" compilation (La bulle sonore)

You know this feeling when you come back from long dreamy holidays and you have to make a rude awakening to reality.

Well, this is precisely the CD I needed to find on my mailbox to make this hard landing much much more easy !!!

NDNFS is a model of how an international shining POP compilation needs to be, the perfect balance between old and new stuff, between electro- and guitarpop, between rowdy tunes and trippy ones, between unreleased songs and lost treasures, between funny gems and dark ones, with absolutely NO WEAK POINT...

Personal faves : "Pure", a wonderful Lightning Seeds dancey reprise by Marsheaux ;"Palais d'amour", one of the classics from German wave outfit Bal Paré; "Les garçons invisibles", an unreleased mysterious tune by french band Fiendish Fib; "Queen of the Popular crowd" by Exploding Schoolgirls (the guy from Paper Hat Records) ; a great new demo by Dondolo called "Shimera"; the cult single "Troublez-moi ce soir" by French ephemerous project Clap Machine (written by Daniel Darc) ; "Summer Smash" the long lost Denim 1997 single ; "Une rêve", a fantastic progressive electro-minimal gem by spanish outfit Ruth Uve ; "Haut Gay" by belgian post-electronicorock talents De Portables...

A MUST HAVE for all POP lovers and alternative disc spinners !!! Get it HERE !!!

J-M

Lem

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:18:25 +0200

Lem : Soulstreet LP (Doki Doki)

http://www.myspace.com/lemekla

It's 1993, I'm listening to "Le saule Irlandais", a dead-tripping number by cult Belgian electropop band "Les Brochettes", headed by Nicolas Deschuyteneer monochord vocals.

It's 2009, Nicolas is still alive, his hair is grey now but he's still jumping with his feet together behind his keyboards...

After a long cinema break (the wonderful Gerda 85), this is the second and brand new LP by Lem and it's just...uniquely Lem ! Lem sings in French, Lem loves sweating synth sounds, Lem doesn't lose consciousness, Lem is throwing his heart at you...

J-M

Les Cox (Sportifs)

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:06:26 +0200

Les Cox (Sportifs) – Never Heed (Stop Looking Records)

Dresden. It was centuries since I had not seen a song, let alone a city, burning like this. It was centuries since nothing had felt so heart-consuming or new.

‘All summer we were singing/If bombs were love/Then you can call me Dresden.’

And every second of it was heat and haze and electricity and light. It was happening. It was happening to you.

Les Cox (Sportifs) are alive and insolently modern (the way the Lovers are). They won’t stay and they won’t wait. Three Northern boys with a funny name. The singer, Chris Rollen, is carelessly crooning the days away. Les Cox have… half a drumkit, and a full heart, deadpan detachment, tension and tenderness, basslines like a lovely, blissful fever.

Chris’ voice is slightly bigger than him – larger and louder. Les Cox are action poets! Let’s go, let’s see where the party ends. Let’s pretend we can run into the depth of summer nights until we trip until we die of stubborn excitement and holiday romance. And fun.

You drew a map of the universe on the back of my hand - When I looked I realised you had put only one name on the map - A name you had written one thousand times in shaky felt-tip letters – It said Dresden Dresden Dresden – And it was scribbled all over my skin.

Every song Les Cox made contains as much flesh, as much space as Dresden. Every of their song is a page torn off the secret atlas of raw tenderness.

You know they can take you anywhere. You know there is no way back.

Are you lost yet?

=> Les Cox (Sportifs) : "Dresden"

E.A.R

Strawberry Machine

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:52:24 +0200

Strawberry Machine : Girl Friend (abcdefg* Records - Japan)

Abcdefg* Records, based in Nagoya Japan, has been one of the few indiepop Japanese record labels, along with Quince, that could easily pass the millenium without any hitch. This is mainly due to label's moguls Sayuri and Masahiro's efficient taste and clairvoyance.

When I hear their catalog jewel Akira Okabe (aka Strawberry Machine) on her newly released album "Girl Friend", I can't do anything but melt with delight like a vanilla ice-cream, take back my old-too small- Strawberry Machine T-shirt and try to figure out it could fit on me. Everybody should know L size in Europe is the equivalent of XXL size in Japan...

Enclosed in this -Small-size- clothed pink (or green like mine) jacket, the fresh opus is indeed a pure effervescence of electropop bliss sung in English with a very "rising sun" feeling, t.i.t.s humble, sweet and innocent.

It must also be noted the label recently released a cute indiepop comp mixing guitar- and electropop stuff from all over the world, featuring Hari and Aino, Sweet Sweet Concorde, Bedroom Eyes, Oliver North Boy Choir and many more...It is coming with the very first issue of a maga-fan-zine called Merci Magazine Volume 001... You can check the Youtube trailer HERE.

Strawberry Machine : "Like a Bird"

J-M

Moustache of Insanity

noreply@skynetblogs.be (Jean-Michel Malaise) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 22:43:37 +0200

Moustache of Insanity : S/T (WeePOP!)

When 2 funny guys from London, Bill & Nick, are dressing up on stage with angel wings and several headgears, this prima facie reminds us the catchiness of those 2 Flemion brothers aka The Frogs more than 20 years back.

But no glam rock satirical tunes here, just tiny homemade cheerful and unpretentious anti-songs, furnished with bits and pieces, in the pure weePOP! tradition.

=> Moustache of Insanity : "Click"

J-M