Jangly Guitars, Childlike Innocence, Stand Up Drummers, DIY Politics and the last truly great underground movement!

C86 is much more than just a tape released by the NME. It was in my opinion the must misunderstood and undervalued musical movement since punk. There was such a wealth of amazing bands toiling in obscurity.

Think about it bands like The June Brides, The Shop Assistants, The Flatmates, The Pastels, Talulah Gosh, The Field Mice, The Sea Urchins, Razorcuts, and McCarthy just to name a few! I wish there was even 1/10 of bands this amazing around today. It should be a crime that these bands aren’t talked about in the same hushed tunes usually reserved for bands like The Smiths. These bands and many more were making pristine pop singles that sounded like they could come derailed from the tracks and that’s just what made these bands so great they weren’t afraid to take chances. Just remember the musical climate of the mid 80’s it was at its overproduced worst! The C86 sound is usually a combination of Byrdsian guitar jangle, Girl Group’s la la la’s, 3 Minute 3 Chord Classic Pop, Inspired Strumming, Political Motives, Stand Up Drummers and the beautiful innovative pop of Orange Juice.

The so called C86 look was cardigan’s,stripy shirts,anorak's and fringes like Roger Mc Guinn for the guys, and barrettes, bob’s and librarian skirts for the girl’s. It was also the first time since punk rock that people that didn’t have any musical skills could be in bands. “There’s a famous story about a member of Talulah Gosh just sucking on a lollipop for an entire show” The most important element in the C86 Era that a lot of people miss is that these people weren’t the most talented musicians but they had fantastic ideas and the guts to pull it off. That’s what truly made the C86 era meaningful and important 21 years on!

Essential C86 Albums

The June Brides, For Better Or Worse

McCarthy, I Am Wallet

The Pastels, Truckload Of Trouble

The Field Mice, Snowball

Talulah Gosh, Backwash

The Shop Assistants, Safety Net

The Flatmates, Potpurri

Razorcuts, R is For Razorcuts

The Sea Urchins, Stardust

I am all for the weird and the wonderful. I like the odd things in life. I enjoy the strange. I therefore love the mixed up world of Plastic Fuzz. It came with a little letter describing itself as 'Bedroom based one-man pop'. And Plastic Fuzz 6 is just that. A wonderful lo-fi sound clash of cheap keyboards, assorted drum beats, samples, fuzzy guitars. It all sounds like what I'd imagine mad japanese man Cornelius might sound like if they shopped in charity shops and came from Leeds. I adore this little CD - and the four songs on this preview CD are are all part of a 100 song series called DOTS - it comes on 4 CDs and with a 25 page booklet.

On the other sampler included with this CD it says "Dots is 100 songs of Claustrophobia in its purest form, with every song recorded in a room with minimal ventilation and the sun waiting impatiently on the outside. It celebrates half a century of the modern day pop song and wilfully commemorates the modern day rock song. With each short simple song confined to the limits of technology, a small selection of instruments provides the backdrop for a complex tapestry. Dots will enhance any activity when listened to in brief bursts, provided the listener is restless an free from any previous anxiety" Phew! I can't wait to get my hands on the full thing now that I have heard the previews. It really is sunshine music. It made me smile.

Their website is simply a beautiful thing to. Take a look. Go and explore the site for weird sounds and odd videos or preview songs here. Then buy Dots. That's what I just did.

Keith John Adams was once in a band called Zuno Men in the 1990s. I'd never heard of them either. They apparently released a couple LPs back in the mid 1990s. After reading the timeline on his My Space blog - it Seems KJA has been kicking around and making a general nuisance of himself for the best part of a decade and a half. It's a shame he's been a well kept secret as he really deserves to be heard by the whole wide world. His 'style' is a great mix of lo-fi guitar pop, garage rock and good old fashioned rock'n'roll.

If you want to get your hands on some Keith John Adams CDs he has his back catalogue available to buy from his My Space page. The 'Sunshine Loft' LP was originally released in 2003 and was recorded onto a minidisc with a stereo microphone is a loft. This is a genuinely lovely LP and it's mainly acoustic. Also available is the LP 'Pip' released in 2005. This is more polished recording than the previous LP - and it's another damn fine piece of guitar pop. You can also get the 6 track 7" record called 'This is a 6 Track EP' from the same page. It's safe to say it's as good as the LPs.

Back at the September Lostmusic Presents gig we were really lucky to have The Keith John Adams on our bill - That's basically Keith and a full band. He put on a cracking show and played a set full of new songs. Those new songs are due for release an LP called 'Unclever' on Happy Happy Birthday to Me Records in early 2008. I was sent a promo copy of this LP a week or so back and I have to say it's confirmed my belief that those songs Keith and his band performed live are some of the best I have heard in a long time. The LP is a beautiful fusion of rock'n'roll, garage rock and indiepop. The music is upbeat and unabashed in it's joy. It's only when you pay closer attention to the lyrics do you hear the heartbreak and tales of daily life. I'll save a proper review for when the record is out.

Here's a little round up of good stuff I have found lately as the trees shed their leaves and the nights draw in.

Let's start with Ein Astronaut. They seem to be a one man band (it's hard to tell) that hail from Hamburg in Germany. There is very little information on the band/person available and what I have been able to google has all been in German (no surprise really) - but alas I am not a speaker of that language. So I remain in the dark over the band's history. But that doesn't stop me liking the sounds I hear.

The four songs they have for streaming on My Space are all rather good pop songs. They mix up that German krautrock guitar sound with sweet but simple pop melodies and maybe a hint of Elliot Smith in the singers style. You can stream four of their songs here.

The Hillfields are a London based band that I have taken quiet a shine too. A three piece comprised of Rob Boyd (guitars, vocals), Grant Wilkinson (bass) and recent addition Carlos Russell (drums). Rob was formally in a band called Partition who I'd never heard before. They seem worthy of further investigation too.

The band list their influences as Wire, Sarah Records, C86 and The Chills amongst others. I think the four demos they have up for streaming (one song 'Spoon' is also available for download) show a lot of promise. They make the sort of sounds that I can fall in love with. Gently chiming guitars and nice melodies combine to perfect effect. Head over to their My Space to stream their songs.

Jonquil are a band from Oxford, England. They've recently released their second LP 'Lions'. It's a follow up to their debut LP 'Sunny Casinos' which baffled me and confused me for long enough for it to become a quirky favourite from 2006.

They describe themselves as both folky and experimental and the title song of their new LP 'Lions' is stunning whirl of song. Perhaps coming close to the sounds that Beirut (the band/person - not the place) have made recently. Having recently bought 'Lions' I am fast becoming a fan of the band. The curiosity that was piqued with their debut release is slowly becoming something more. Something to cherish. I suggest you take a listen and maybe you, like me, will be won over by their haunting sounds.

The Ringo Deathstarr EP I wrote about here now has a CD release. Read more and purchase from here.

Ringo Deathstarr - Swirly (edit)

[My Space link]

Porque Este Oceano Es El Tuyo, Es El Mio is a compilation of Latin American indie bands. The only name I recognise is the Brazilian band Luisa Mandou Um Beijo who we have featured previously on indie mp3.

The album starts off slowly and the two Chilean acts kicking it off don't get the pulse racing. Any thoughts that it may be a long ride are instantly dismissed by the Uryguyans Amelia with Adios. It's a great indie pop song regardless of the language. The contribution by Luisa Mandou Um Beijo Anselmo is as infectious as anything I have heard recently. Flávia Muniz's vocals are simply stunning whilst the trumpet adds another dimension to the indie pop sound.

Sadly it becomes a bit average over the course of the next four songs but things pick up with two Argentinian bands. Ondo's track Personal is lo-fi with an electro-pop influence whilst Modular have obvious Stereolab influences taking hold on Encapsulados. This pattern is repeated for the rest of the album with plenty of remarkably average tracks punctured by a moment of occasional brilliance such as Despertar by yet another Argentinian band Hacia Dos Veranos or the shimmering shoegaze of Peru's Resplandor.

I am no expert on Latin American indie pop so I cannot tell you if Porque Este Oceano Es El Tuyo, Es El Mio is meant to be the definite introduction. Due to the percentage of pretty average tracks I hope not but there are a few bands on here worth checking out further.

More information about the album and links to all the bands can be found here.

Two of the bands on the compilation have free albums to download. Amelia have their album Pocos Nombres Para Demasiadas Personas available to download from their homepage whilst Luisa Mandou Um Beijo have their excellent album self titled album available here.

Coon Skin Hats, Unabashed Innovation, Boy Scout Uniforms, Drumming Kittens and some of the greatest songs never heard!

The Birth of Indie Pop can arguably be traced back to two visionary men Edwyn Collins of Orange Juice and Alan Horne founder of Postcard Records. In 1979 Postcard was founded by Mr. Horne in Glasgow as an outlet for Edwyn’s Revolutionary jangle funk band Orange Juice.

They were known to wear racoon skin hats and wear boy scout uniforms but most of all they were known as the most innovative and campy band of the post punk generation, Influencing everyone from The Smiths to most of the C-86 movement in the process. Edwyn and Alan were influenced by Andy Warhol’s Factory, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Classic Ballads, Punk and Soul music in equal measure. There was defiantly not another band like Orange Juice in 1980, the bleak days after punk. Just like the sweet drink from which they took there name they were a ray of light in an otherwise dull musical climate. Along the way Postcard released some of the best singles of the post punk era Josef K’s Radio Drill Time, Aztec Camera’s Just Like Gold, The Go-Betweens I Need Two Heads and of course the song that kicked off Indie Pop Falling and Laughing by Orange Juice.

These were singles of incredible depth and innovation packaged in 7’inch sleeves decorated with pictures of the old west and drumming kittens. Postcard’s motto was “The Sound of Young Scotland”, a play on the old Motown catchphrase. These four Postcard bands brought together the jingle jangle of the Byrds The three chord melodramas of The Velvet Underground the funk of Chic (except the Go- Betweens who had there own striped sunlight sound) and the heart and independent soul of punk. Orange Juice injected an unstoppable combination of beautiful naivety, enthusiasm and depth into there music that makes you really feel connected with the music they created. Just like The Velvet Underground, Orange Juice may not have sold many records during there time but there influence is still being felt to this day. There are many modern day bands that took note of the Postcard aesthetic they include Franz Ferdinand, Belle and Sebastian, Afternoon Naps and Bears. Long Live Postcard Records and Orange Juice!

Essential Indie Pop Albums

Orange Juice The Glasgow School

Josef K Entomology

The Go Betweens Black Diamond And The Liberty Belle Express

Aztec Camera High Land Hard Rain

CD 86 48 Tracks From The Birth Of Indie Pop

Rough Trade Shops Indie Pop 1

I sadly had the misfortune to watch Channel Four's Mobile Unsigned recently. It's a pop idol or x-factor for unsigned bands mainly aimed at those of the indie or alternative rock persuasion. It was appalling to say the least. If a band was a bland, pale imitation of the Libertines then that would be good enough for them to get the nod to progress. My main concern was that any one viewing may have actually believed that this was reflective of the so called UK indie scene.

Luckily we know better and even sifting around on the likes of My Space will throw up far better bands then those appearing on the afore mentioned show. One such band I have come across recently is Manchester's The Nightjars whose new mini album Towards Light is due out in the next week.

The band sounds like Manchester's and the UK's independent musical history clashing with American guitar bands such as Pavement or Husker Du. The songs are fine examples of old fashioned guitar pop being fast, furious yet sounding so original. Lead singer Ollie's vocals are pretty strong and don't waver one iota despite all that which is going on around him especially as he also plays bass. It's explosive stuff.

Songs such as You Set Me Reeling and the This Poison! sounding Set Them Up alone should demonstrate or prove to those who think that Mobile Unsigned is an accurate reflection of what's going on out there how wrong they are. And that's just the knobs on the judging panel.

Towards Light is due out on Reveal Records on November 5th 2007.

[My Space link]

Picture: (C) Anne-Laure Franchette 2007

The Color Wheels hail from Poughkeepsie, New York emerging when Jon Sebastian's then girlfriend (and now wife) Psalm asked him to teach her to play the drums.

This self titled album is their first. It's mainly garage/indie rock although it does hint at pure indie pop elements now and then. The songs are about the feelings that come with adolescence and beyond.

It opens with Rock My World with it's deceptive lo-fi roots and from in then the album mainly centres around the duo's obvious love of all things garage. Songs like Green Means Go, Camping Trip and Don't Hit On Me remain with the listener long after they have finished.

The garage rock comes to a halt with the sixties inspired Pirate Ship which reminds me of Monkees style pop for one. It's pretty close to being the best thing on here and if the band fancies heading down the indie pop route at a later date it suggests they would manage that with ease as does the short and sweet (no pun intended) Candy Dish.

It's a simple, effective and entertaining with more going on in these twenty six minutes than on albums double the length. I have also heard enough here to warrant checking out Sebastian's solo work and that with the Mirror Age.

The Color Wheels is out on their own Viper Bite Records label. You can buy it at CD Baby. You can also the whole album here. And yes the CD is designed like a Color Wheel!

Popfest 2007 takes place between November 9th - 11th 2007 in Northampton, Massachusetts. It's organised by those folks at Skipping Stones Records, the home of The Charade and Celestial amongst others.

As part of this years build up they have made available a 22 track download sampler featuring bands playing at this years festival. There are tracks from the likes of The Besties, Lil' Hospital, St Christopher and many others. It can be downloaded from here where you will also find details of this years event.

I may have mentioned Jan Mayen here a couple of times before. This frisky Icelandic foursome played Reykjavik Nights in London in late September, and each time I see them play I like them better. They have a new video now, for the song "We just want to get everybody high" from their album So Much Better Than Your Normal Life. I'm also quite fond of their video for the song "On a Mission" and their innovative use of instruments there, clearly the bass is no match for a guitar, and a guitar no match for good drums!

Incidently, Reykjavik Nights will return late November in London, and early December in Liverpool.

The 10p Mixes hail from St Helens (Liverpool) & Rotherham according to their My Space page. They consist of Danni (vocals) and Will (guitar) but are currently looking for a rhythm section.

They have four songs for streaming and I have to say I'm impressed. If the songs sound like this in their barest form how good are they going to sound when they get that rhythm section on board? This is lo-fi, and no doubt recorded in the bedroom or living room, indie pop and Danni's vocals are something else. In a parallel world I am sure she is winning their equivalent of pop idol quite comfortably.

Of the four songs Cashflow Crisis is my favourite and it's an urban tale of being skint and shopping in discount supermarkets. Aside from searching for that rhythm section the 10p Mixes are looking for venues to increase on the two gigs played to date and time to record some songs.

Stream the songs here.

The first release on the new Pop Art label is a split 7" single from And What Will Be Left Of Them? and Brontosaurus Chorus. That's two bands with two contrasting sounds and it's the manic pop of AWWBLOT? that grabs me first.

The band's sound centres around the chainsaw guitars and the electro-pop courtesy of the synth. Add this to the boy/girls vocals and you have two extremely catchy tunes as a result. Come With Me is AWWBLOT? most infectious and telling moment to date. There is so much energy here you will need to strap yourself down in order to stop bouncing around to this one. Look In Your Eye manages to creates a buzz in my head with it's punk pop rhythms getting almost BiS like towards the end. If the Pixies were an indie pop band I guess they would sound something like AWWBLOT?!

London based seven piece Brontosaurus Chorus are a different kettle of fish altogether with their take on twee indie pop. The songs are pleasant enough and are quite enjoyable to listen to none more so than the Myth Of Love which reminds me of all things Scottish (B&S, Camera Obscura etc) alongside the wonderful trumpet which no decent indie pop band should be without these days. Distortion Pop, as it's name may suggest, is a bit messy but things improve although I would have personally dispensed with the male vocals on this one. Kirtsen at 38 seconds is to short to make any comment on.

Trouble is their songs don't remain ingrained in my head for that long and I have to play them back continually to remember what they actually sound like. I suppose that isn't a problem at the end of the day but it's a shame they cannot impose themselves as their mates do on the other side. A contrast in style is a good thing all round in my book but I just cannot stop wondering if a split single with a band less energetic may have been more beneficial for the Chorus début release.

Still it's a promising start to the label and I look forward to hearing what comes next!

The single can be purchased here. Buyers will also be able to download mp3 versions of the songs too.

The Bridge Gang have their last single released on Sounds Experience on 29/10/2007. The band who split a few months ago decided that they would call it a day after recording their third single.

I think it's a bit special to be honest but I would say that as it's on one of the labels I am involved with. To be honest I would say that if it wasn't!

So do you fancy winning a copy of the said single? As it wouldn't be right to review one of our own releases head to last fm to stream both sides of the single and then submit a short review. A paragraph or two will suffice. The writer of the best one will not only see their words in print but will also get a copy of the single in both 7" vinyl & digital formats.

Closing date is Friday 9th November 2007. Entries can be submitted via here.

If you want a copy of the single now you can buy it from here.

Indie mp3 has been championing Sky Larkin for a couple of years now. Their second single Molten is one of those tracks that gets in your face no matter how hard you try and shake it off. It's steady, if not unspectacular, and I am not sure if it is accessible enough to be the a side. However it is still blows some of their contemporaries away with absolute ease.

AA side Keepsakes initially disappointed. The version they had on their My Space page last year was one of the mainstay mp3's tracks in my player sounding both fresh and raw at the same time. This version was just too polished for me during the first few plays but since then it has grown one me. Katie's slightly sinister vocals whilst singing gonna put you in bottles and jars and keep the bigger bits in the boot of the car work in perfect tandem with the carousel like sounds coming out of the synth which suggests the band have been listening to the Aphex Twin at some point! Maybe it was a little too adventurous to have on the a-side. Definitely one of the better singles I have heard this past month.

Molten/Keepsakes is out now on Dance To The Radio on 7" vinyl & digital formats. You can stream Molten and a remix of Keepsakes via the bands My Space page.

[My Space link]

Hello everyone, you may remember we recently reviewed The Scaremongers' wonderful Double A-side single Nodding Dog/ You Can Do Nothing Wrong (In My Eyes) which you can listen to on their Last FM page.

This is a final reminder that you can win a FAB personalised Scaremongers/Indie Mp3 tee-shirt by entering our competition and answering the following question:What is the Gaping Ghyll? (Clue: It's name-checked in You Can Do Nothing Wrong)

Answers should be e-mailed to fabteeshirtcompetition@hotmail.co.uk by midnight on Saturday October 27, 2007. Please also specify your tee-shirt size - small, medium, large or extra large.A winner will be drawn at random and announced on the website on October 28, 2007. We will also contact you directly by e-mail to tell you the exciting news.....good luck!

There are two brand new releases out on the excellent label Matinee Recordings this week.

First up is the début EP by The Hermit Crabs. The album is called Saw You Dancing and features 10 tracks including the excellent Feel Good Factor single.

The second release is a brand new EP from the Math and Physics Club titled Baby I'm Yours and features four tracks. It's their first release since last years self titled début album and includes a new version of Nothing Really Happened which was the first original song by the band. It was also one of the original demo recordings sent to Matinee in 2004!

Both bands also feature on a brand new compilation called The Matinee Hit Parade which features exclusive unreleased tracks the likes of Harper Lee, Lovejoy and the Electric Pop Group.

Keep your eye on the label as there will be new releases from Bubblegum Lemonade, Strawberry Whiplash and The Electric Pop Group to follow. You can order the releases or find your nearest stockist here.

The Hermit Crabs - Friends Folk Festival
Math and Physics Club - Baby I'm Yours

[The Hermit Crabs on My Space]
[Math and Physics Club on My Space]
[Matinee Recordings on My Space]

As Tom indicated a few days back, Sarandon have a new record out on Slumberland Records. 'Joe's Record' is the bands first release since The Completist Library (I think!) compilation CD was released last year. After watching the band at a Lost Music gig a few weeks ago - I knew this 7" would be a treat. And a treat it is. There are three songs on the single and the lead song is actually called 'Joe's Record' and it's a fine piece of indie pop. It's all punchy drums, stop starts and catchy guitars. A fine edition to the Sarandon catalogue. Next up is 'The Linguist' which Tom has already posted for download. It's another top tune. It starts slowly and then kicks off with Sarandons trademark guitar sound - think Big Flame, The Wolfhounds or even The Minutemen!

The 'B' side 'Through with Humour' is a slight departure for Sarandon, it's a longer song for a start. Those that know their Sarandon are well aware that their songs don't usually venture much over 2 minutes - but this one must be over 3 minutes. It also features an organ. Which brings a whole new feel to the bands sound. I have played this song the most and I find myself a little hypnotised by the whirling organ. Although, guitar fans, shouldn't be unhappy as they still are prominent throughout. I'd advise anyone to get their hands on this fine little record. It's on nice pink vinyl too. Cracking stuff.

TIIIMMMBBBEERRRRR are such a new band that they don't have a website nor a My space yet.

A three piece they formed July, 2007 in Gaithersburg, MD, a city outside of DC. They comprise of three college students: Kenny (guitar/vocals), Erik (bass/vocals) and Matt (drums). The band have already released their first demo which you can hear in it's entirety here.

It's safe to say the band are striving for a way forward. The demo reveals a number of influences but the final results are at the nosier end of the indie pop/rock spectrum. However we are not adverse to a bit of noise here at indie mp3 and whilst these songs are demos and should be treated as such the promise is there for all to hear on the likes of Eighties Stuff and the Sarandon like Baby's Ears. I think these songs have a poppier vein which could be due to Kenny's vocals, being the only two songs he sings on. One for fans of the likes of The Sailplanes, Snow White and the nosier parts of the C86 tape.

Tiiimmmbbbeerrrr - Eighties Stuff
Tiiimmmbbbeerrrr - Baby's Ears

You can download the EP here.

The band plan to tour in in January next year and in their spare time carry on recording. They plan a 7" single in the spring of 2008 and if time permits do some more touring, release another web EP or both!

Plans and Apologies are a seven piece (six when they are not touring) indie pop band hailing from Derby. They have been around for a couple of years now releasing their début album Torn Out Pages From The Middle Agez in 2002. They put their recording commitments on hold for a few years returning in 2005 with the The Tree Dee Pee and Free Dee Pee EPs.

2006 saw a couple more EP's including Wirez, Man! on their own Pandaz Pop label which I picked up recently turning me onto the band. This will be followed with a double a-side 7" single entitled Meetoo/Mel Gibson's... IRAQ!. Bizarrely one side will be released by Pandaz Pop whilst the other will be released by Exercise 1!

It's a great little single. Meetoo is feel good jangle pop number about that old subject love which just urges you to join in, clap your hands and sing along. Mel Gibson's... IRAQ! sticks to the jangling theme but this time it packs a more serious message pouring scorn on politicians taking us to war.

Plans & Apologies - Mel Gibson's... IRAQ!



From what I have heard I am impressed. The indie pop scene in the Derby/Nottingham area is thriving at present and Plans & Apologies are at the tip of the iceberg. If you need to catch up with the bands releases as I do then you are in luck. The band are quite generous with their material with two albums and one EP available for free download so now you have no excuses. These downloads includes the 2002 début album. Download from here where you can also stream the new single.

Pre-Order the Single from here. It's out tomorrow (22/10/2007).

[My Space link]

I've had this beautiful package for a good few weeks now. I managed to lose it in the flat. But it's found now (thank heavens!) . Just as I was starting to get rotten teeth from the sweet and cutesy indiepop diet - I have to be won back over by A Smile and a Ribbon. I first came across the band at a Spiral Scratch gig. They were adorable as a live band. All awkwardness and clumsy glances. The band were also one of my highlights of this year's Indietracks festival. So it came as a surprise to hear this LP (albeit an LP with a difference). As the band are paired down to core members Rebecca Mehlman and Martin Lindqvist. As I mentioned as LPs go this one is fairly unique as it comes packaged as 7" single with a CD attached. The CD contains tracks 1 through 9 and the 7" has an additional 4 songs on it. Did I mention that it's beautiful thing to have and to hold? I did? Well the point needs re-enforcing - it's a great little package. It is released on Shelflife Records.

And with it looking so good you'd have to hope that the actual sounds contained within are up to scratch. And they are, magnificently so. The sound that the band manage to make live is a lot more shambolic and fuller. But on the recordings, as a duo, A Smile and A Ribbon are an even more fragile proposition. Rebecca's near childlike vocals are sweet and brittle and encompass everything that I first loved when I first heard Amelia Fletcher all those years ago in Talulah Gosh. My live favourite 'Book Cover' is a lovely little song and sounds even more wonderful recorded. And to be fair I could say that about every song on the LP. 'Bobby Pin' sounds more electronic than the band have ever sounded on stage. It's still a wonderful sound and the band prove they have a breadth to their sound that takes in 80s indiepop, electropop, 50s doowop and 60s girl groups.

A Smile and a Ribbon - The Boy I Wish I Never Met

I am increasingly been drawn to the noisier end of the indie spectrum. This could possibly be a reaction against a lot of the twee sounds doing the rounds at the moment. There, is, of course room enough for both styles in my indiepop world - but I am finding new bands like Navvy and King Alexander are making some of the best sounds around at the moment and they're generally more abrasive and less cutesy. It's safe to say that That Fucking Tank are a band that fall into into this category of bands. If anything, they're straddling the divide between traditional rock, post rock and the noise bands released on the 1980s Blast First label (think early Sonic Youth, AC Temple - to name two). This single is released on the leeds based On The Bone label.

'The Awesome Magnet' is a raw slab of DIY guitar based noised. It's not afraid of having a tune. But it does like to scare the birds on the rooftops outside my window. Lead song 'The Awesome Magnet' was recorded in a couple of hour upstairs in a small Leeds boozer - The Packhorse Inn. It sounds great. Raw and energetic. It features the vocals of Giles Bailey (once involved with Dananananaykroyd). The 'B' Side is a more sludgy sounding song entitled 'Fascist because Beautiful'. Both songs are over 5 minutes in length. The 7" single will be packaged with a free DVD of the duo's most recent European tour - shot and edited by the band themselves. This is the true spirit of independent music. There should be more bands like this. I like.

Another band from Scotland. Cancel The Astronauts come from Edinburgh. They have their entire 8 track collection of 'Demos' available to download. Having listened to the songs I am somewhat impressed by their indie sound (A little like the Good Shoes and Pulp - in their 'Babies' early 90s incarnation, if you want references). The stand out song for me, is the one with the stand out title 'I am the President of Your Fanclub (and last night I followed you home)' - which is a rather fab piece of pop music. The band also have an electronic feel on some songs - 'Intervention' sounds like some early to mid 80s synth pop band. The band lose me a little on songs like this. I prefer it when the band are using their guitars more. So all in all this is a decent set of demos - when it's good it's very good - when it's not so good it's er, not so good. Obviously. Give the songs a download from their website - here. And if you want to cherry pick the best two songs - download these first:

Cancel The Astronauts - I am the President of Your Fanclub (and last night I followed you home)
Cancel The Astronauts - Skirts

Sarandon have a new 7" single out on Slumberland Records. It's titled Joe's Record and contains three tracks. The release itself is limited to 600 copies and comes on pink 7" vinyl.

Sarandon are inspired by C86 but the nosier rather the jangle pop side of things. Think Wolfhounds, A Witness, Ron Johnson Records and Big Flame and you are a halfway there. Their live show is also exceptional. Essential stuff for the indie pop fan.

Sarandon - The Linguist

Sarandon are currently recording an album for release on Slumberland next spring. It's titled Kill Twee Pop! and will be available on CD or 10" vinyl. The band also currently appear on the Happy Birthday To Me Records Vol 4 with a track called Some Sleep.

Buy the single here.

[My Space link]

Emma Pollock was in The Delgados. The Delgados came to a dignified end (no grisly tales of rock'n'roll excess or ego clashes) in 2005 after releasing 5 LPs in 10 years on their own Chemikal Underground label. The label continues to go from strength to strength. So it seems odd that Emma has chosen to release her first solo record on 4AD records. Maybe the need for a change goes much deeper. Either way, this LP sees Emma return to music with 11 songs that match her work in The Delgados. That's no mean feat, either. The Delgados were a very good band.

'Watch The Fireworks' sounds exactly like you expect it to. It's no great departure from the sound of her previous band. A little more pop and of course all the singing is handled by Emma on this record. It's the sound of someone who is happy in their musical skin. We get beautiful guitars, simple keys, haunting melodies and Emma's vocals, all cosy and warm. Recalling bands like Throwing Muses and Belly. And you get the feeling that The Delgados cover of 'Mr Blue Sky' by ELO was probably Emma's idea as that cover song would fit nicely here. Emma is a pretty neat song writer and what she has learnt over the past 10 years is how to make an LP fit together, as one. This LP is best consumed whole as no one song stands out - but as a complete album 'Watch The Fireworks' is a good record. Enjoy it.

Radio Luxembourg are a Welsh pop band. Their next single is due for release on 5th November on Peski Records. I loved their previous EP 'Diwrnod efo'r Anifeiliaid EP' - which I described at the time as "some of the finest psychedelic pop I have heard in some time", and this new two track single does little to dispel my initial thoughts.

The band are known for singing in their native tongue - but this time around it's English all around. Opening song 'Where is Dennis?' starts with a cheesy organ sound and before you know it you are whirling around one of the pop tunes of the year. This is sunshine pop music, recalling other Welsh luminaries Gorky's and Super Furries - but it has more than enough of it's own personality to be more than a mere clone. The 'B' Side 'Cartoon Cariad' (which translates as 'Cartoon Love') is another great slice of pop music. A tale of falling in love whilst at School and indeed it was written when some of the band were still in school - which most mean the music lessons in Aberystwyth are something else! It simply makes me wanna get up and dance. Great stuff.

The band are currently on a UK tour (see their My Space for full details) and as I can testify having seen them at a previous Lost Music night - they are a must catch band. You can stream 'Where is Dennis?' on the Peski Records My Space page.

epo-555 are a Danish band. The band have been around for 5 years and have grown from the core members Mikkel and Ebbe to a fully fledged four piece band. This LP is released on Denmark's Crunchy Frog label. The blurb that accompanies the release states their influences to be bands like the Pixies, My Bloody Valentine and Yo La Tengo. And I can certainly hear the quieter moments of Yo La Tengo in the sound that the band make. There is a slight electronica feel to some of the low-key pop songs on offer here and it makes for a slightly dreamy listen. This isn't quite pop music. But then neither is it full on shoegaze. It kinda floats by in a netherworld, somewhere in between. As the pop band within fights to get out, a more dreamy shoegaze band is allowed to gently envelope the songs with a layer of hum and fuzz . Elsewhere the guitars do bubble a little closer to the surface but never enough to really sonically hit you. 'Mafia' is a subtle record and I've played the LP a few times now and I have to say it's a real grower. With each listen the songs come further to life. A perfect little LP for the soon to be dark autumn nights.

One has to wonder why the likes of The Loves are not huge popstars when the music industry falls over themselves to give us the download today gone tomorrow pop stars fresh from the conveyor belt world of reality tv. Capitalism eh?

The Loves have moved away from their indie and jangle pop beginnings highlighted on 2004's debut album and have moved on to a more psychedelic inspired sound summed up on the Sunday Times CD of the week album Technicolor. One-Two-Three sees The Loves going retro with this glam rock inspired floor stomper complete with the catchiest chorus this side of planet Mars. You will be clapping along before you know it! If T-Rex were on the C86 tape this is what they would have sounded like.

The other tracks include a live reworking of 2004's Chelsea Girl, a vicious and nasty tale of revenge on When I Get My Gun and a cover of Jonathan Richman's Pablo Picasso. Whilst they are all great tracks in their own right they all fail when held up against the splendour of the feel good lead track. Buy!

One-Two-Three is due out on 22 October 2007 via Fortuna Pop.

[My Space link]

Forced Laugh could well be my favourite blog at the moment. It is a new blog which has just started this month and is dedicated to Factory Records/Factory Benelux. So far gems from The Names, A Certain Ratio, Section 25 and New Order have been posted. You can find it here.

I have not had much luck with the forums/messageboards of late. One was riddled with pop ups whilst the ones hosted by free forums seem to be at the mercy of spammers and spam bots wanting to join. It was too time consuming weeding them out of the new registrations.

However all is not lost as our friends at Sounds XP are going to host the forums for us now. Apologies to all those who signed up to the last one but please visit the new one and re-register.

And have a look round Sounds XP whilst you are at it!

Migration is due for release on October 24th 2007. More details and how to order a signed copy can be found here.

Plenty more tracks/albums from labrador can be streamed from here including the latest one from Club 8.